#but Altron is the exception

[ikuzeminna]

I went hunting for the various Maguanac HGs because gunpla are cheap right now and instead stumbled over someone selling the full weapons Leo HG together with the newly released Altron HG.

Welcome to my collection, you ugliest of Wing suits. :D

I'm no fan of the Tallgeese series or Epyon, but nothing beats the eyesore that is the cluttered Altron. Why does it even have that shield on its shoulder? And the color scheme. It went from the beauty that is Shenlong to this.

Which is reflected in the price, by the way. This one sells for around 30 bucks newly released (which I got for twenty in the bundle), whereas Deathscythe has been out for a year already and they still want over 50$ for it.

Duo, stop being popular. You're driving up the prices. :(

I get Altron's design is paying homage to G Gundam and there is a lot of symbolism to this suit as well (which I'll get to in a separate post... eventually) but sigh it's still ugly and cluttered.

Oh well.

At least Endless Waltz made up for it.

[thisweekingundamwing]

This Week in Gundam Wing, March 13-26, 2022

Hey Gundam Wing fam!  You get a two-fer this week - check below the cut for the latest roll-up, and be sure to show your fellow fans some love!

--Mod LAM

Fanfiction

I Reincarnated as a Minor Villainess... (CH.43) by @thaiteaaddict

Characters: Full Cast

Pairings:  Heero x Duo, Trowa x Quatre, Wufei x Meilan, Dorothy x Relena

Rating: Teen and Up

Tags / Warnings:  AU - Fantasy, AU - Isekai, POV First Person, Unreliable Narrator

Summary:  After being killed in a traffic accident, Duo wakes up in a medieval fantasy novel - except he's woken up as one of the novel's minor villains who was supposed to have died in a main character's backstory. Intent on righting the wrongs of his novel counterpart, Duo sets out to change his fate and just maybe improve the relationship between himself and his estranged husband, Duke Heero Yuy. (Duo is isekai'd into the body of a novel's villainess character and runs with it.)

Teaser: Ouroboros (rewrite) by @the-reanimated-bhg (follow @gw-ouroboros​ for updates)

Cabbapple Sunset by @lemontrash

Characters: The pineapple, the cabbage, and Heero Yuy

Pairings: Cabbage x Pineapple

Rating: General

Tags / Warnings: Crack, pure crack

Summary:  A Cabbage/Pineapple fanfic because certain people on Tumblr are horrible enablers and I have zero self control. If any of my fics deserves a read and review, it's this one. I sold my soul to be able to write this kind of crap.

Fanart

Heero Yuy by @meat-dream

Wufei and Sally by @darksharinganz

Some awesome mixed media pieces by @miyurinq​

Meet Me, The Sun, Music, Kind Eyes, and Pain​ (3x4)

Prince of the Desert (Quatre)

Duo Maxwell by @ghost-proof​

Valentine’s Day Comic (Trowa & Quatre) by @theboringbluecrayon​

Heero Yuy by @ghost-proof​

Heero Yuy by @vivi-mire​

Heero Yuy by @alphaikaros​

Tallgeese Sketch by @cromwell300​

Leo Sketch by @cromwell300​

Deathscythe Hell by @naaaaaaaaaash

Heero and Duo by @ghost-proof, inspired by @doctormegalomania‘s “Dirty C​omputer”

Other Fanwork

Gunpla and Cosplay

Heavyarms Igel by @christianmswanson

Some Gunpla Memes featuring Wufei by @seikunsbuilds

Wing Gundam by @erika-mr

Wing Proto Zero by @bellasar 

Some Cosplay pics by @reiayanamismom

Lowkey Quatre

Patterning, sizing, & Zechs coat beginnings

Mecha Make-Up (Epyon)

Mecha Make-Up Series: Wing Gundam, Deathscythe Hell, Heavyarms, Sandrock, Altron, 

Headcanon and Discussions

@a-river-of-stars​ shared some analysis of Episodes 35-38

Other Fun Stuff

@incorrectgundamwingquotes​ continues to make us laugh (Exhibit A)

@gundayum shared this little video of their Duo itabag

Some doujinshi scans courtesy @perfect-justice

@the-reanimated-bhg has shared some official art from the Gundam Perfect Files and other sources of Epyon, Tallgeese, Heavyarms, Wing Zero, Shenlong (again), Sandrock, Zero vs Serpent, and Endless Waltz group shots

Some excellent meme-age by @the-reanimated-bhg

Zechs and Noin are in love

Quatre is Heero’s Emotional Support Blonde

Colonel Une was Made for Politics

Forging Report Cards

Treat Yo Self

Your Move Bane by @onihcinimkcin

Part 2 of the Gundam moving shared by @not-so-dead-fandoms

Self Destructing with the Boys by @jadesdumbstuff

Calendar Events

@gwcocktailfriday's latest prompt is here.  Be sure to post your response by this Friday (April 1) between 3-5PM.

@gwlemonyshenanigans has returned for 2022!  Be sure to follow for regular creator spotlights.  Posting will happen daily May 1-31.

It’s almost time for @weedgrandpacookbook release (April 20).  In addition to the zine, the creative team is also hosting weekly “Half-Baked” prompts throughout the month of April for those who missed sign-ups.

@gundam-wing-pride is looking for some ideas about this year’s pride event and other LGBTQ content.

Help us fill up the 2022 GW Event Calendar!  If you are hosting an event currently, or are planning on one, hit us up with links and dates!  We’ll add them to the calendar and reblog your notices to help spread the good GW word.

[2pcbart]

Now that I’ve finally wrapped up RECOLLECT, I get to move on to my favorite part which is blathering about the process to wind down from it:

I’d say compared to EXHALE, I only ‘saw’ about 60% of RECOLLECT, and maybe only kept about 40-50% of the original rough compositions as I had envisioned. Some of it had to do with the natural evolution of a composition: for example, on p8, i originally intended to have the trailer exterior instead of the interior, which I changed for scene transition reasons. I also originally had p10 set on a less defined space, but I got bothered by potential continuity issues after I thought about the trailer and how confined a space it is. I think the page is much more interesting for it!

some of it had to do with minding other stuff - p10 and 11 (the middle pages) would have originally had ~flashbacks~ to a sex scene (with p9 originally having them more visibly headed for the horizontal tango, with Trowa asking ‘Who are you trying to forget?’), but then I remembered that this is set within series’ timeline and they would have canonically been minors, which is not something I really need to draw.

while this was only 17 pages compared to EXHALE’s ~25, they took about equal amounts of time to complete. The gains I made with tools and skills and process stuff was offset by being more ambitious with the level of detail I was putting into inking and the hair (I did not plan it that way at first, but recognized that full-page portraits just wouldn’t be very compelling to look at if I didn’t).

This was also the least ‘planned’ comic I’ve done to date despite having more time to work on it, with some pages and lines (like the final one where Wufei goes up to Altron) not figured out until like last week. This was one of those projects where every little effort mattered. There were a few early pages that I completed, up to the tones and all, except for a hand or two. I’m a big proponent of keeping up momentum, so if I stalled in some way, there was plenty of other things to do until I absolutely couldn’t avoid those spots anymore. It’s not a flawless strategy - putting off the trailer thing led to adding a few hrs’ work on p10′s background. However, it’s way more productive than struggling against the piece. I highly recommend it for people who feel like they get ‘stuck’ or can’t progress to the other pages because they’re still stuck on page 1.

[overfedvenison]

I really want this one, long out of print Forge World XV8 variant:

This is the XV84, and it’s an interesting time capsule to me because of that scorpion tail mount. Because I’ve only ever seen that in one place other than this mini in particular:

When the Tau were coming out, Gundam Wing would have been the big breakout hit in the west. It was -the- iconic mecha series that really brought attention to Gundam... But it’s notably not nearly as iconic -now- as it once was, so it’s not really as obvious as an influence as it could be, I think For the most part, you kind of accept all the Tau weaponry as sort of Warhammer-ism... Flamethrowers seem kind of odd on a mech, for example, and aren’t typically a thing. But every faction in Warhammer has them, so Tau do too, right? Except the Altron Gundam here, -also- has flamethrowers

I don’t really have any direct evidence that this series is -the- inspiration for early Tau mecha, but Gundam Wing’s weapons can be... Notable, in a lot of ways, in this regard. Most of it is like, ‘Well yeah, but it’s hardly the only series where a mecha has flamethrowers or a giant arm-mounted gattling gun,’ and that is ture. But like, that -one- back weapon has the same basic silhouette and a notably unusual, rare design. So it’s like, cool.

[meggie-stardust]

GUNDAM WING - REWATCH - 35 -36

35. The Return of Wu Fei

Just in case you weren’t paying attention about the Zero system, here’s a primer. This is going to be important later. 

TROWA???!

What a coincidence that Trowa happen to bump into his actual sister twice. 

How did Trowa stop floating through space? How did he get his regular clothes when he was in an OZ uniform and space suit last? Did he wake up on a colony and immediately go buy his fave jeans and turtleneck? 

WUFEI Don’t kill that guy!

Wufei’s teacher is like: Believe in yourself, bro. 

OZ is here and OOH we’re after 05 this time?? 

OZ guy: “Say bye bye 05” this is a direct quote. Amazing. 

Altron has such an awesome beam trident. Only second to the double beam scythe 

Did they just make the decision to self detonate for the whole colony??? Who is this Master Long? Is this colony a death cult? 

SO Zechs knows Wufei’s name by episode 35???

Do you think Treize called up Zechs and was like “OMg so I met this guy. He came at me with a sword. It was amazing, you’re gonna love him.” 

Quatre’s like “I feel the need, the need for speed” queue Steve Stevens’ Top Gun theme

Now he’s doing Out of Egypt, IDK. We’re going for all the movie references here. 

This boardroom of old dudes is like, look everyone’s been part of the Rommefeller Foundation. 

Give Relena a harrumph 

Which came first the Peace or the Peacecraft? 

Based on that map where is the Sanc Kingdom???

I’ve just decided that Treize is a sugar daddy and thought Heero was cute so gave him Epyon

I’m Zechs Marquise, formally known as Millarido Peacecraft, formally known as Zechs Marquise

Wufei is not one for small talk, is he?

The zero system will impact even you, Zechs

This man will be an enemy to me, Wufei out

Catherin’s like, everyone knows what Trowa’s deal is except him, and we’re just not gonna tell him… It’s better that he is sad alone.

Poor Trowa <3 <3 <3

36. The Sanc Kingdom’s Collapse

This guy looks like the protagonist of a different anime 

Who are these guys who are friends with Duo? We get like no information, just some dudes in a warehouse. 

“Just delete that. That’s just an expression. A robot expression.” Says Duo Maxwell, definitely not a robot. 

“Do you have any hopes” Nah…

Quatre, parting the Red Sea. Finding two tablets in the desert. Talking to burning bushes, you know, the usual. 

Quatre, I’ll just run right into this battle, and i’m sure it will be fine

Quatre: Yes, I know you made me something, I’m here for it, no need for me to thank you, you love doing things for me, don’t you Maganac Corp

Hilde: Isn’t this fun; Duo: Kill me now.

Hilde: I could fall for that clown; Duo: Me too… I mean, what?

Duo: Trowa I’m glad you’re ok, but also I need to ask about Heero right away.

Tubarov is like here’s a note to Duke Dermail “Do you want more mobiles dolls Y/Y”

Evacuate all the students, but Dorothy is gonna sneak back in like Colin Creevey at the Battle of Hogwarts -- too soon? 

You’re so beautiful when you start talking about your ideals *sploosh*

These are all private lines… Really Dorothy??? Are they???

OH SHIT RYTHM EMOTION

OH SHIT EPYON’s STILL FIGHTING

Thoughts:

Again, this is another pair of awesome episodes. We get to catch up with pretty much everyone, which, as we’ve seen in other episodes, is not that common. The Trowa stuff seemed a little tacked on, but hey, I will never complain about having more Trowa around. 

This is the part of the series that I remember the least, I watched the beginning so often, and the ending really stuck with me... So I know where we’re going, but I don’t remember the exact final steps on how we get there. But I’m super excited. 

What I think I remember for the next episode(s):

Do we get the theme change soon? We don’t have that many episodes left... IDK why I’ve always gravitated towards Rhythm Emotion more than Just Communication, even if that’s the theme for most of the show... I also think that Heero and Zechs get to do tradesies soon and swap Gundams. 

[zdbztumble]

GUNDAM WING: ENDLESS WALTZ review

Well, you knew this was coming. If Gundam Wing and Dragon Ball Z competed for the top show of Toonami back in the day, Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz was the unquestioned top movie. I don’t know how many times they played it, but I never missed an airing. Watching it on Crunchyroll, without TOM and SARA taking the Absolution into Hyperspace and the Toonami interstitials, it’s impossible to get the full dose of nostalgia, but it does let me revisit this movie and see how it holds up compared to its parent series.

What’s immediately apparent in viewing Endless Waltz is the quantum leap in animation quality. Gundam Wing had gorgeous background paintings and wonderful character and mecha designs, but the animation quality fluctuated from “meh” to “pretty good,” and saw frequent use of stock sequences. Not even the best of Wing (which was, frankly, the OPs) can hold a candle to Endless Waltz. From the detail in lighting and highlights to the fluidity of the Gundams’ movement and the choreography of their battles, everything is leagues above the series, and anything you could’ve expected from a comparable animation project done for TV or home video in the US at that time. All of the Gundams were redesigned for this movie, and while I prefer the original designs for all but the Altron and Wing Zero, they’re all impressive in their own right. (Sandrock gains the ultimate in fashion accessories - a cloak, the practicalities of putting such on a giant robot be damned.)

Such visual spectacle is a huge boon a to an OVA that, frankly, carries a thin plot loaded with contrivances and plot holes. Treize’s bastard daughter Marimea is pulled from thin air to serve as a figurehead antagonist, Trowa’s attempt to go undercover is compromised and then immediately made effective again as everyone forgets he was exposed, Zech’s return from the grave is never explained (and he doesn’t do anywhere near enough in the story to merit coming back), Wing Zero is suddenly extremely fragile and notably lacking its buster canon (until it needs it, in which case it will magically appear), and the revelation that Operation Meteor was originally meant to be a genocidal conquest of Earth instead of a covert attack on OZ - something alluded to towards the end of Gundam Wing but never overtly stated - and that this conquest was for the sake of the never-before-mentioned Barton Foundation, that just happens to have a standing army and a fresh supply of new mobile suit types after a year of disarmament, is a convoluted retcon worthy of Tetsuya Nomura.

And yet, if spectacle alone isn’t enough to carry a film for you, then there is story material to recommend in Endless Waltz, two pieces of long-overdue development for the ostensible series leads: Heero Yuy’s backstory and a brief but pivotal action taken by Relena Peacecraft.

Heero’s backstory is one of a set: each of the Gundam pilots gets a flashback. For the other four pilots, these flashbacks feed into the recton of Operation Meteor’s intentions, showing how the pilots and their scientist mentors disregarded the plan and made it their own (Trowa’s flashback also reveals that he isn’t the real Trowa Barton; that name is an alias stolen from a member of the villainous Barton family, another Nomurian retcon I could’ve done without.) But Heero’s flashback is set well before the construction of the Gundams, during an early mission in the colonies. Here, more than any time in the series, Heero shows the kindness and purity that various characters sense in him, as he takes genuine joy in life and interacts with a little girl and her dog. His compassion also manifests as remorse when his mission inadvertently causes civilian casualties, including the girl and dog he befriended earlier, and it’s made clear in this flashback that this side of Heero was forcibly repressed by his training for the fight against OZ. It’s a wonderfully written, acted, and drawn scene, and if you watch the series again after seeing Endless Waltz, I think you’ll find it does a lot to clarify Heero’s character. It doesn’t paper over all of his shortcomings, of course; he’ll still start the series as a reckless, conspicuous, suicidal stoic with terrible luck at all his destructive endeavors despite his professed skill, and his relationship with Relena is still an undercooked stew of disparate ingredients - but with the backstory of Endless Waltz now lending support to his development later in the series, he is an improved protagonist.

(I’ll also throw a bone Chang Wu Fei’s way at this point, because Endless Waltz is where he’s probably at his best as a character. He spends most of the film as an antagonist, allied with Marimea’s forces in order to continue living as a warrior in a world where Relena’s ideas of pacifism are taking hold. He and Heero have the featured one-on-one duel - a novel choice, considering that the two of them barely interact in the series and that a rematch between Heero and Zechs would’ve been the safer, and presumably more anticipated, course. The fight ends up reinforcing Heero’s kind nature as he appeals to Wu Fei in a far more heartfelt way than he ever talked to the other pilots during the series; comparable moments saw Heero offering pragmatic advice or blunt put-downs. That the appeal works on Wu Fei, who avows a desire to fight Heero one-on-one, is surprising but not unbelievable.)

As for Relena - for much of the film, she is once again on the sidelines, kidnapped by Marimea and intended as a puppet to legitimize the Barton regime (essentially a retread of Romefeller’s scheme from the series.) But at the climax of the film, where the Gundam pilots are fighting a losing battle against Marimea’s coup, Relena actually does something. It’s a very brief something, the opportunity missed in the series when she reigned as queen of the Earth. She intercepts the coup’s broadcast to appeal to the general populace of Earth and the colonies, urging them to resist the coup and defend the peace they’ve enjoyed for the past year. And the people do so, through nonviolent protest and unarmed demonstration (though the one such protest we see is guarded by Altron, in an act of contrition by Wu Fei.) This is an interesting wrinkle to Gundam Wing’s many reflections on war, peace, and the nature of humanity. Those have always been an admirable plunge into the deep end even if the execution is often shaky, but the series very rarely touched on the role of the masses in all this, and never involved them at the point of action - it was (understandably) more concerned with the five idealistic young people flying giant robots (six, if you count Relena.) To bring the general populace into the story directly, and to complicate the ideal of total pacifism by showing how fragile it is and what it takes to maintain it, was a nice addition on the part of the OVA.

If you watch Endless Waltz on Crunchyroll, you’ll find this particular plot point reinforced by a scene those of us who grew up with this film on Toonami never saw. It’s one of several scenes added to a theatrical version of Endless Waltz released in Japan in 1998 (we in the States got a dub of the OVA version.) The additions are by and large improvements on the original cut, expanding on some elements and adding others. Unfortunately, the placement of some of these new scenes, and the rearranging of others, sometimes hurts the pacing of the film by undercutting the moment of action. The theatrical cut also has a radically altered musical score, which is absolutely not an improvement. The most egregious change is the replacement of “White Reflection,” the best song Two-Mix wrote for Gundam Wing, with “Last Impression,” their worst effort for the series. This is a real shame at the end of the film, because the theatrical cut features new final scenes for every character, and they’re all more visually interesting and expressive than the OVA ending (except for Heero and Relena’s; that one, I prefer in the original.) If there’s a way to have the extended cut with the original score, I’d like to get it.

Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz is short on plot and big on spectacle, with quite a bit of heart to boot. It is very much an epilogue to the series; something that isn’t necessary to provide a proper ending, but offers one last look into the world you’ve been following, and ideally adds one or two interesting wrinkles to the story. That’s what Endless Waltz does, and I loved watching it again.

Now - to find a copy of the OVA version and its “White Reflection”-having score...

[des-shinta]

So As I’ve been in a state of burnout for a significant sect of the year, I’ve been picking up number of Bandai models to relieve my stress, since building things I find a relaxing endeavor, and they’ve been making me feel better.

(no, most of these were not built this year.  Only 7 of them in the first picture were ‘new’.  The rest are bits and pieces of my older collection I’ve happily been able to unbox and display for the first time in years.  Also: Hi Zoids models that didn’t get enough love during their release tenure!) I’ve actually been building models and Figures for years and years--I started out Heavily as A Lego kid--and since Gundam Wing Aired on Toonami in the late 90′s I’ve infrequently bought bandai’s various models as well, but most of the ones I built back then were...well, demolished by my younger step-brother.   My first ones were low-grade 1/144′s ToysRUs’ Got back in that boom, and they weren’t sturdy at all, thus had no chance to survive.

They’ve since been replaced with all MG’s from that series. Well, except for that 1/100 scale HG Altron that was first released in 1996.  that P-Bandai one is stupid expensive, and Altron’s Endless waltz Redesign is the only one of them I OUTRIGHT hate. It was around 2005-ish when I got into it again, when my parents got me for Christmas the 1/60 perfect Grade RX-78-2.  It took me about Eight hours to build and I did it all in one sitting...but it wasn’t sturdy at all.  It couldn’t even lift its arm if the rifle was in it, it wouldn’t stay up.   All I had it do was just stand there...Menacingly.

So from there on out--with the rare exception--I started to intermittently find and get as Gifts ones from the 1/100 Master Grade line.  THOSE--for the most part depending on what types of hands the figure uses and how well they even hold weapons--have been more my jam despite their 50~ish dollar price point.  Large enough they’re not easily smashed, small enough that they’re pose-able and easy to display, and with enough Complexity in their construction with the various implemented gimmicks to give me an immense feeling of satisfaction to see them done and on Display.  Yeah, there’s a LOT more variety and accessories to be found in the 1/144′s these days--in part thanks to the Gundam Build Fighters series making customization even easier than ever between that scale’s market--but I just don’t get the same thing out of them, despite only about 6 or less MG kits being made a year, with some of them being Shunted off now to Premium Bandai’s services to become stupidly overpriced for what they are and what’s supplied...even though I DO have a few P-bandai ones as well.  Stupid obsession with the Astrays, Tallgeese III, and Form/Equipment change gimmicks...

Hell, I’ve even experimented from time to time with custom Color palletes, with one of the first to get that treatment being the sword Impulse that desperately needed more contrasting colors (also thank aura that bandai’s finally releasing the Blast Impulse MG...even if it IS P-bandai so the display isn’t oddly missing a mech).  I’ve got the MG of the Sengoku Astray still in its box (with a bunch of other Gundam seed Mechs I haven’t build yet ‘cause I adore Gundam Seed’s mecha design and will be using those to unwind between overtime shifts this December)  and when I build it, I’m going to repaint all its red parts yellow to Give the Gundam that kind of resembles Kamen Rider Gaim’s Kachidoki arms the full Kachidoki color treatment.  Think I have Enough spare pieces from wrecked stuff to try building it a Custom Tanigashima “DJ Gun” Rifle to go with it as well.

Also the Gunpla hobby led me to doing the papercrafting thing for cheap-to-make Figurines or accessories or even scale props like the scaled-to-figure Gurren Lagann Giga drill pictured above, which I’ve moved onto doing custom templates for on occasion--

--case in point, the 1:1 scale pepakura Pandora Box--

--And my Gate of Ouroboros Broadsword which was a papercraft template I mapped onto Foam to get it near-damn-perfect...after I made a MK 2 of the original ‘cause the original ended up way too heavy.  I can basically trace a lot of my fun crafting stuff to being inspired by the creativity that goes into this kind of thing, and the work of other crafters and cosplayers, and then seeking to try applying that myself from all my learned habits.

But outside of the expected Gunpla you can find in Hobby stores and...for some reason Barnes and Nobles, which has retained a market throughout that time despite Bandai of America’s Idiocy thanks to bluefin Distributions, I’ve started tracking down some of bandai’s other model offerings.  Specifically, the Figurise standard and Minipla lines.

For those not in the know, Super Minipla’s are basically model kit versions of previously released mecha toys, only with a far smaller scaling from their DX Counterparts which you then build yourself.  They seek to retain all of the originals play gimmicks where possible, but come off a LOT more pose-able by their end than the DX toy bricks. Featured above is the Minipla of the Super Galaxy Mega (Astro Delta Megazord) From Denji Sentai Megaranger/Power Rangers in Space.  and this thing is *PERFECT*.  Despite it being half the size of the DX toy, it retains *EVERY* single play feature the original had (transformation, combination, weapon accessories, the works), but has fully pose-able limbs in every single part of it.  The freaking thing cost me $80 when back in 1998 the DX toy versions cost a total of $60, and yet factor for inflation and the impossibility of re-aquiring the 20-year-old vintage toys and this thing was *SO* worth it to get back my second-favorite sentai/PR Mech.

Hell, it’s not just the DX toys they compete against.  On the Right is the Super Robot Chogokin Gaogaigar with Goldion Hammer, and on the left is the Minipla figure of the same mech and weapon.  Both actually retailed for around the same price points on release, but there’s a more distinct compare and contrast between them. The SRC one has better paint apps, is constructed on a metal frame and has metal parts all over it, has distinct limb joints and proper articulation with a screen-accurate scale structure to it and has some weight to it so isn’t likely to topple over easily.  Frankly of the two...it just looks better in person.  Whereas the super minipla, while not perfectly in scale and doesn’t have the brilliance of the colorization to help it, Retains the transformation and combination gimmicks of the original toys which give it a lot more value to collectors that can’t afford the Full DX figures which bear the same.  Its Joints are also a LOT Tighter so the feet and arms aren’t likely to slip, and while not as good as the SRC, the screen-accuracy is far better than the original Takara-based DX toys or even the later Bandai remakes of them after Bandai bought the rights from Takara.  And with the right hand and hammer being a hell of a lot lighter, when I get this thing on a display stand it’ll be able to do more than just stand with the hammer planted on the ground.

The Figurise standard line instead is a model kit version of an anime/live series action Figure--Mostly limited to Dragonball and Kamen Rider figures right now But Digimon ones for the line are coming soon-- with them ending up in competition with Bandai’s SH Figuarts High-quality-Figure line, albeit with a lower Pricepoint than the SHF since you make it yourself and some of the paint apps are replaced with stickers, and their ease of mass production makes them more available than the SHF’s by comparison. Sorry I don’t have the best picture of the figure on hand, but for those not familiar with the character, it’s the Pink/Neon green/black-colored character that’s surrounded by Gundams (the pic was taken in the midst of a bedbug crisis where we were packing everything up in our apartment so it wouldn’t end up damaged)  The Character is Kamen Rider Ex-aid action gamer Level 2, and up close it’s near indistinguishable from the SHF for the character. And yet...I kind of felt like I got more out of the FRS figure than the sole SHF I have, simply because I put my time into putting it all together.  Yeah, the markings are stickers instead of painted on, but if those fade or start peeling?  I can paint-app it myself.  It has all the details I want, it moves how I want it to, and it came with a great stand for it to be placed in a fantastic jumping pose.    I actually want to find more of those for Kamen Rider Figures from the series I like, as I think it’d be better than dealing with the SHF’s which...well, depending on the figure?  Are notorious for production line issues.  while some models can have loose joints or frail pieces (which can be fixed with an easy application of super glue.  And any other scratches, chips and imperfections?  Yeah, those will be my fault, and won’t result in me feeling as if I got gyped in the purchase.

Sadly though, these figures aren’t exactly created equal.  On a limb I picked up the super minipla Shin getter robo set After My Roommate showed by GR Armageddon and we loved it; and...Eeeehh.  They’re not terrible, but they’re lacking for the expectation I had with the Minipla’s.  I think Kaiyodo’s Revoltech Figure line did better with these guys--out of print as may of those figures are now.  Black Getter 1 (Left) actually does look great with the Ragged cape and gun and razor arm...but the ball joints It, Getter Dragon (center) and Shin getter 1 (right) are constructed with do NOT like to stay together.  I can’t pose them at all without risking them toppling over or falling apart.  I think the Revoltech ones are bigger as well, making for better display pieces than these guys who’d be beaten out by 1/144′s.

hell, this mazinger Z Model was a 1/144, and it’s in scale with the Master grades. ...Mazinger mechs be big. But that brings us to a more recent addition via Tsuburaya and Studio Trigger.

One of the newer Additions to the minipla Line has been the Gridman figures, thanks to the anime series SSSS Gridman putting that franchise back on people’s Radar.  I had Gridman’s toys (when the series was imported and adapted into the series Superhuman samurai Syber Squad) when I was a kid and adored them...

..and sure enough, when I built the Thunder Gridman one, it was like popping back to a little piece of my childhood.  Same play gimmicks to them, and while the scaling is not the same, the engineering is all there to invoke the proper good pieces of nostalgia. To the point it resulted in the best thing about these guys, and It almost didn’t happen. When SSSS Gridman was airing, I ended up enjoying myself so much by its end I jumped at the chance to preorder the DX mecha figures that Good Smile company was releasing.  Unfortunately, the seller turned out to be a con-artist, and never shipped me the figure...though i did get my money back thanks to buyer protection.  I saw vid’s on it, and it looked pretty good...but it was completely out of scale and reasonable relation with the old Gridman Toys.  So when I heard about the Minipla’s going out for a lot less than the DX’s original and jacked-up price points?  I put in an order with someone I knew who was reliable for these...and really, I should’ve done so from the start.

The super Minipla Gridman Figures...are all perfectly in scale with each-other, and share all the same connection ports. I can put the SSSS Gridman Figures into the older Gridman armors.  That’s Primal Fighter Gridman wearing the Thunder Gridman armor (right).  Hell, I can swap the arms of the Gridman figures so the effect components can be put in the older ones as well as they use common components across the board in their construction.  I think in the future I’m going to put PFGridman in the king armor (left) as well, as the SSSS-Gridman figure has slightly Longer legs which would make the King Gridman armor scale better.  Because of this, I ended up a lot happier with these guys that I would likely have been trying in vain to get another decently-priced DX one, or even the Actbuilder release of the SSSSG Stuff that did scale with the minipla’s. So Bottom line?  I really like models, they help me relax, and I’ve been discovering some cool stuff this year that Bandai’s done which I wouldn’t have if I weren’t trying to find a way to vent stress.  Thank you disposable $16+ an hour Income for making such possible.

[usajobsite]

Operations Manager

OVERALL PURPOSE OF JOB: To manage and be accountable for all customer service, inbound, outbound and resourcing operations. To ensure that all the Contact Centres are managed in line with the agreed strategy and targets pertaining to Altron Bytes People Solutions objective as well as our clients SLAs Achieve and exceed revenue and financial targets (P&L) Oversees and manage general operations of the Business Process Outsourcing Unit. Oversees the business operations processes to ensure achievement of revenue targets & delivery of quality service to clients. Responsible for day to day operations of all accounts, oversees the timely & effective resolution of all services contracted by clients while exhibiting exceptional customer service, overall operational efficiency & quality of business services. Focuses the team on the strategic intent of the business unit - Provide direction & leadership in the implementation of the operating plan. Directs overall operations to meet company objectives for operational excellence Identifies, plans and executes areas for improvement to ensure consistence quality service Drive expansion into business process outsourcing, imaging and process improvement for new and existing clients Pro-actively drive support technology, people resources, product training and building knowledge to support future opportunities Provide leadership for the successful day-to-day Operations Ensure the creation and implementation of a strategy designed to grow the business Coordinate the development of key performance goals for functions and direct reports Provide direct management of key functional managers and executives in the unit Ensure overall delivery and quality of the units offerings to customers Oversee key hiring and talent development programs Manage Operational Risk, ensuring compliance to all relevant legislation (OHS Act, etc) Communicate strategy and results to the units employees Report key results to Senior Operations Manager Engage with Senior Operations Manager in broader organizational strategic planning Supporting the development of a healthy internal culture of performance that retains key employees and encourages their professional development. To create an effective support team and strong business partnerships with the internal partners, stakeholders as well as all external partners and clients. To manage the individual and team performance expectations and goals To monitor the real time service levels and schedule adherence, and holding the teams accountable to meet and exceed performance targets To have on-going accountability for the operational delivery of all aspects of the contact centre, project management, and QA functions. Liaise with clients and maintain agreed service satisfaction levels - The success will be measured by the ability to drive operational efficiencies across all areas while improving customer experience. Management of the Operational Team and development and management of the operational policies and procedures where required. Development and optimisation of the operational support processes and management of the operational level of quality. Management of all the operational reports. Drive continuous enhancements to the functionality and processes of the BPO Operations team To be responsible for the P&L level with the Contact Centre operations. Plan and develop BPO implementation of the interventions. Develop and maintain good relationship with clients. Oversee the activities of the BPO division Evaluate, develop and improve business processes within the BPO business Unit. Oversee the reporting of business critical information. Oversee quality and control of implementation and operations. Oversee the project management component and feedback of interventions. Create a team that shares information amongst themselves to the benefit of the client. Motivate staff Employ qualified staff and develop individual development programmes for each staff member. Involvement in problem solving. KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS: Successful track record in managing an inbound & outbound environment that has delivered on all targets in innovative and creative ways (3 5 years) Successful track record in managing Contact Centres in an outsourced environment (2 - 3 years) Strong knowledge of Contact Centre technology and operating systems Understanding of the principals of customer behaviour and customer lifetime value Experience gained from leading a game changing customer service Strong charismatic leadership ability Effective communication both oral and written Strong relationship building skills both internal and external Demonstrated ability to manage own workload and effectively prioritise activities Ability to manage change and motivate people Proven ability to motivate and lead high performing teams to meet KPIs and targets Demonstrated success as a team member and contribution to team goals Analytical and results orientated Professional with a high level Operations-Manager from Job Portal https://www.jobisite.com/ext/612672-Operations-Manager