@@probablychuuni I agree! Also I personally think the whole “premium Bandai exclusive only release” stuff is a load of goddamn bullshit & shouldn’t really even exist the way it currently does. Bandai already mass produces many kinds of model kits as part of their job very easily & on a near daily basis up to the point where I don’t think any of them should be premium bandai exclusives only. I’ve had that problem with trying to get a HG Pale Rider Ground Heavy Equipment Type & I was JUST LUCKY ENOUGH to find one at the Anime North 2023 convention at Panda Hobby vendor. I pretty much see premium Bandai exclusive kits only at conventions & VERY RARELY at any model kit shops in Toronto. Honestly the Bandai company should have just made it like “let’s have the normal colours of all the model kits a regular release & ONLY allow special edition colours (example: clear colours) to be a potential premium Bandai exclusive kit” for fuck sake!
Yeah i miss the era when 1 /100 seeds kits, after that they decided any msv or any cool manga exclusive in PB Im glad i hv nick providence n gale strike, if they release em as MG, i bet they gonna be PB
I do wish there were more MG releases, but my biggest concern is availability. They need to do more reprints. The lack of releases gives me time to collect older kits, but they aren't available either.
man i want them reprint old kits like the zaku f2 gm quel gm kai custom etc i've seen them do the gundam and gm ground type alot so why not the others i mentioned
availability issues is why my backlog has gotten so out of control, i worry i won't be able to get the kit again in the future so i buy so many kits that end up sitting around for months, even years
My main gripe with MG is mainly in how we only got ONE MG kit for iron blooded orphans, those mobile suit designs have some of the highest potential for detail but it's so under-utilised.
I remember being blown away when i opened my MG Kämpfer. Between the properly THICCC booklet, the box cover with the full print and the sheer volume of sprues inside, it was like Christmas came early.
You would but the issue is that most people who get into the hobby only touch HG. For every 1 person like you or I there’s 100 snap builders who only do basic kits. It makes more sense to release more of those
@@Doc51499 There's a large number of HG stuff that are out of print and a lot of MS with ancient HG. As an HG main, the metaverse project also annoys me as much as our MG friend over here.
@@Doc51499 yes I agree I did to high grades for my first kit but went to mg and never turned back but ur right most people can only do hg they are more affordable and they got alot of them and they are very easy to do.
They did open a larger plant to produce kits , since voicd they saw skyrocketing sales, BUT demand was far higher than supply and from what ive heard from people that have visted the gundam factory etc they havent peaked production yet. Dunno if thats true but would explain things
I remember a time when Bandai was releasing a brand new MG monthly. It's nice to see that they've branched out and starting making model kits for different franchises (Digimon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Star wars, etc.) But it feels like Gundam fans have been forgotten. There are so many Gundams and grunt suits that deserve a Master Grade and Bandai just doesn't seem to care.
I believe that was in response to the wave of new companies joining the snap fit plamo market in recent years. Gundam only does not attract some of the modelers who build mecha musume, Macross, sci-fi, military, and such. Back in 2016, I only knew of Kotobukiya as a competitor, and more bootleg or third-party Gundam themed kits are common nowadays. Judge, Genesis, Ruling, Trailblazer, Hundred Edge, Redeem, Hunt and Kill...
@@Vixcal They have so many opportunities with that frame. Since all the IBO gundams use the same frame, that's 72 different base armor sets for Calamity War era units, then all the variations after.
I think this is a "missing the forest for the trees" discussion, because I don't think it's a Master Grade issue - it's a 1/100 scale issue. RE100 is dead. FM is a fraction of what it was during IBO. NG 1/100 is completely missing. And now Bandai is diverting MG branding into a non-scale height equivalent of 1/144 with MGSD. Something about the economics or initiative behind 1/100 has pushed Bandai away from it, and MG is just the most noteworthy casualty. But the entire ecosystem of the scale at Bandai is withering. Saying 'people are worried about FM replacing MG' obfuscates the underlying issue that FM itself has dwindled to a trickle. The silver lining is that companies like Kotobukiya have stepped up and can fill the gap for people that want 1/100 size equivalents. And I think that growth of healthy competition and alternatives away from Bandai hegemony will make the hobby landscape stronger in the future.
NG 1/100 was replaced by FM in my opinion as the old NG equivalents for SEED and 00 were in essence succeeded by IBO 1/100 and then FM 1/100. In all honesty Bandai doesn't give a shit that North American gunpla builders want MG's more than any other scale as that isn't the market trend of Asia and specifically Japan.
@@FennecFOX_0392 Yeah, it would be reasonable to say FM "replaced" NG in the sense that the branding shifted to the new moniker mid-line with IBO. But in a broader sense, the core concept of NG 1/100 (as seen with Wing, Seed, and 00 lines) being cheap de facto 1/100 HG's with lower parts count was just flat out erased from Bandai's playbook. Which in turn aided in messing up the 1/100 ecosystem. This isn't a NA or Asia customer issue (not sure where you're getting that from...?) but rather an issue of logic. Now there's just Master Grade, and Master Grade-lite with FM, and the pricing makes them pretty much indistinguishable. It would be like putting inner frames into 1/144 HG's, charging RG prices, then keeping both RG and HG active, but also reducing the entire output of both because the added costs and engineering are proving difficult to handle. That's what it looks like happened to the 1/100 scale, from my layperson perspective.
1/100 models take up a lot of space. If you have even a half dozen 1/100 kits, that can take up all the space on a shelf, which could have hosted a dozen or more 1/144 kits. Hand painting is an option on 1/144 kits in a way it isn't for 1/100 kits, there's a number of reasons. A lot of what would be regular MG releases years ago, like the Stark Jegan, are now tossed into P Bandai. There is way more demand for a Stark Jegan then 5 variants of a Zaku with bigger thruster boots, yet guess which is P Bandai and which isn't. Be it the GN-X III or every Zaku Warrior variation but Luna's, Bandai has cut down on general releases and made them pre order only, in order to not over print and overestimate demand. I think Bandai's a little wary of MG burn out leading to lower sales as well. I have no figures, but I'm guessing the MG Seed and MG Wing lines of the first 5 Gundams in those series didn't sell as expected, as demonstrated by the fact most EW variations of the Wing kits went into P Bandai, despite the EW variation often being a more popular design. Rising standards also hurt Bandai, as each new kit is only so much better then the last. There was only ever one official MG Gundam "3.0", and they never released a Zaku in that styling afterwards. The Zeta got a Ver Ka released recently due to constant demand for that in polls, but Bandai has reached the point where there aren't that many new, popular suits to make MGs of, and most suits don't need a 2.0. I don't think the MG-lites are selling very well either, at least in the mainline series, so it all leads to a very risk averse Bandai. Perfect example is a MG Exia 2.0, which despite having a frame ready and definitely being inevitable, hasn't been released in the 4 years years since Dynames. That new MG Exia is going to be more expensive then the original, just thanks to inflation, and it has to justify itself while Bandai keeps selling an older version for the same old price, that some people might be happier with. Maybe they'll try to release it as a MGEX and replicate the PG's LED feature, like they did for the Unicorn. Who knows.
Remember you need to consider this from a Japan perspective (which I cannot say that I am good at, but let's at least try). Primarily, Gundam has began to be seen as an outdated franchise, with gunpla building being seen as an old time hobby (like for people aged 35+, compared to those in their teenage). As an Asian grown kid, I still remember how my dad used to build a WWII German tank or an F14 from those Tamiya kits that is completely modelled in a single colour tone runner, and then spray the surface and add those details and decals in about 4-6 weeks' time, and this type of kits are mostly out-dominated in the market by early 2000s by gunplas that do not even require much gluing or painting and are better articulated. As much as I hate to say, it seems that Gundam as a whole is gradually going the same direction. While every now and then there are very good and passionate producers coming with some good Gundam shows that boost gunpla sales, in general however, young Japanese are beginning to leave Gundam since around 5-8 years ago. Look at IBO, the Witch, Hathaway, pretty much any new series after Unicorn cannot really sell their associated gunplas like SEED, 00 and Unicorn could, because it is just impractical to balance the new and old fans' demands (Hathaway is a bit unusual as it only has 4 main units to sell and 2 are very costly). With the older fans no longer having that much time to spend on gunpla, I think it's just natural that it become just like the German tank my dad once built. Adding to the problem is that other than the UC timeline, there's hardly any non-Gundam MS that can be sold as an MG or even 1/100. Bandai certainly knows the lesson from the post-Unicorn shows and I do not think they will give us something like a 1/100 Xi Gundam. It's just sad that's how Gundam will become.
@@stormmeansnowork i thought witch from mercury kits made stupid money? didnt bandai say they made a ton of money from witch specificaly a few months ago? Where did you read about this trend?
Both MG and HGUC fans have been left to starve lately, even HG IBO has seen more kits than those two lines recently, and IBO has ended years ago already
I feel like you touching on the price of molds is why we've seen less MGs these past few years. Since WFM has a billion kits coming out it's easy to see where they've put their time and money. Also that pesky pandemic probably made them shift their focus on smaller projects. I feel like it'll probably stay this way for a while.
There's a few things going against Bandai right now 1. Costs of everything has gone up a lot the last few years, especially plastic and shipping 2. Covid depleted kit stock globally. Only in recent months have stocks returned to pre-pandemic levels in many places 3. Demand for G-Witch kits has been far higher than expected, meaning less of a variety of kits can be printed/reprinted 4. Bandai's new factory won't be open until 2024, at least I don't think the MG line is going anywhere, but it's clear that Bandai at a point where price or detail in kits has to change.MGs used to be $35, then $50 as standard and now the FM Aerial is $50.
i dont know how many MG kits you bought...but you claiming this is just rampant price increase is just flat up wrong...plastic has NEVER been cheap...ever and the price of a kit is largely based on how many parts tehy print for it, theres a reason MG Sazabi VerKa is more expensive than most of the MG Wing kits...because its a much bigger and more complex kit with alot more parts, the Wing kits got away with being a bit cheaper cus they simplified the inner frame, hands and such to cutd own on the number of parts while still delivering a really solid product but next time you look at prices and think they "changed" try to look at the differences in kit complexity, part count, etc, guarantee you that has WAY more to do with it
@@baconcoghill So, surprise, surprise? Plastic pricing is actually kind of complicated. Technically, if all you care about is pure volume, it's incredibly cheap: I work at a sign shop and my boss buys 8x4 foot sheets of white polystyrene for about $25 each. That is thirty two square feet for the price of a nicer High Grade. If you want actual, precision engineering, though? The price goes way up. This is why I'm still happy to pay for that High Grade even though the box has less plastic in it than the leftovers I usually get when I'm done using up a full polystyrene sheet on making signs. Within its own model lines, Bandai absolutely DOES factor sheer weight of plastic in when they set their prices. For example, the HG Hashmal Mobile Armor and MG Gunner Zaku are technically from different lines but because Hashmal is massive and the Gunner Zaku is on the simpler side, they have almost the exact same box size and at US retail price, Hashmal is only about 10% less expensive.
MGs are by far my favorite grade. The sweet spot between price/detail/size for me. Prices are definitely increasing though. The Zeta ver Ka being $80 in the US, the 1/100 full mechanics seed kits are overpriced, the new rg epyon is $50, things are changing. I've been getting into knockoffs (of mostly p-bandai kits) recently and have no regrets
I kinda wish they'd just straight upscale RGs to 1/100 as a new line, like RG100. I love the inner mechanics and surface detail of recent RGs especially the hi nu, but 1/144 scale of gundam models just feels too.. toy-ish for me,1/100 hits the sweet spot of scale for gunplas.
@@arly8445 RGs are technically 1/144 scale MG. Ex. RG Justice Gundam "Justified" MG Justice Gundam. RG Gundam Epyon has to improve on the brittleness from the MG.(like no breaking pieces in key areas of the kit).
I think few releases and radio silence as far as announcements go is reason enough for people to start getting mad/disappointed, having only 2 Dom's which weren't even fully new kits as the only retail kits last year sucked alot. Also doesn't help that stuff like the stark jegan are being shoved to pbandai when they could easily be retail
I wish that Bandai would make it possible for all countries to order replacement parts/runners for replacing broken/ missing parts and other customizations like they do in Japan. And I think that it would be better if they could make the P-Bandai kits made to order rather than just limited runs. And I think that they should build themselves a few more factories across the world for easier distribution because I think that their fan base is a lot bigger than just the customers in Japan.
Same can be said with the RE/100 releases. Almost discontinued without any clear explanation or official comments. I mean they can do whatever they please to their own product line, but at least they can try to be consistent ffs.
Exactly, I'm still trying to find a GP04 that isn't price-gouged after selling mine back in 2018. Never realized how abandoned the line was until after I got rid of it.
Yep. Guess I’ll never get a hamma hamma. Edit: or an FZ. For the life of me I cannot believe that the zaku 2 FZ isn’t a popular enough kit to deserve a reprint
It's been my running theory that there will be a big uptick in MGs when the new factory gets up and running. Maybe the current shift in focus is sort of in preparation for having the different facilities producing different kinds of kits; the old one putting out mostly HGs while the new one can focus more heavily on other lines.
I was drawn to Master Grade because I loved the concept of these relatively huge kits that had all of these neat mechanical details and high poseability, as well as a high degree of color accuracy right out of the box, since I didn't consider myself much of a painter back when I picked up my first kit (MG Deathscythe Hell EW). I had a good time putting it together and it looked good (and still looks good) on my shelf despite the fact that I cut out the parts with fingernail clippers due to lack of a proper pair of nippers. I picked up the MG Sinanju maybe a year later after buying some supplies and learning the basics on model airplanes and watching youtube videos, and to this day, I still consider it the best MG build there is. Something about it was so fun and satisfying to put together, and the end result is gorgeous. I know there are people who swear by the Sazabi ver. Ka or lead Gundam kits as the very best, but even after 9 other MGs, I can't stop thinking it's the very best, and I think a lot of that is how consequential the inner frame is to the kit. It isn't just the backbone for the armor to be on and look pretty, it's a gimmick loaded monster that has tons of moving parts and small details. The only thing that has come close to that level of enjoyment for me so far has been the RG Zeong, and I think it's for the same reason. The frame has so much life in it that it's almost a shame to cover it with the armor panels. It's so articulate for what would otherwise be a clunky and weird design, and everything just works together to create something that celebrates the whole structure, not just the finished product. Writing this sounds pretentious but I really think that's what the ultimate design philosophy should be for having an inner frame.
Something that’s often missed is there was a period of a few years where there was an MG fatigue. Thankfully it was when then yen to USD was favorable AND shipping was dirt cheap because the US market wasn’t as nice as today. But it felt like almost monthly they had an MG release to the point where I remember having shipments come in monthly for a while for all the new MG kits. Granted only a problem for people who bought most of the kits and it was nice seeing constant improvements on each individual MG line but it was a lot.
"Making MG is hard! We need to make a new mold!" - Bandai Why not...i dunno, reuse IBO frame? Hell, you can just release MG Barbatos Lupus/Rex and it will sell like candy
I'm primarily a MG collector, and honestly, I'm already quite happy with what's available already, with the addition of the MK-V being the best thing to happen. Only kit that I really want to get the MG treatment now is the Stargazer and I'll be completely satisfied.
Thanks for highlighting this zak, this year my MG backlog are mostly p-ban with twice the price, because bandai still doesn't open bandai shop here in indonesia :(
Being apart of this hobby for 2 decades, I saw this happening years ago around IBO. When we got FM for the series, I knew something was up. Also soon after we got more RG kits, and some very good into present. MG, while popular is quite expensive to produce to combat demand. Now they will split the aspects of what make up MG and produce more standard FM and RG for more profit. MG will become a premium for PB and special releases like MGEX and MGSD. Its a mult-leveled issue that goes beyond gunpla. If youre someone like me, you reallize Bandai has slowly sunken its teeth into ever major IP in nerd culture. Im not saying gunpla will disappear one day, its just your going to see less gunpla produced over time. Meaning less expesnive kits like MG and PG. Anybody notice that PG has flat lined, outside of the Phenex and PG unleashed more recently. Current japanese hobby shows/conventions should be all the evidence you need to realize that gunpla isnt the major attraction it use to be. Its going to get worse for some if they cant come to terms with that reality
@Hazelnut I can't say that for RG right now. They have steadily made around the same number of kits per year as they have done since its start in 2010, and that ranges from 2-4 kits per year. 2022 and 2020 I believe, were the only years that got one kit. On top of that, they did start making effect part sets for RG kits more recently and started producing gundam base and pbandai sets as well. With only half the year gone, we should see expect at least one, maybe 2 kits for this year.
These days, new FM kits are as expensive as MG kits but their quality is still a far cry from MG standard. What Bandai wants is for us to buy those FM kits with the price of a MG while the MG kits will be sold with premium price or as premium bandai. Not only they are more greedy, they are getting lazy as well.
@@sonmaianh7686 whats crazy is I bought the MG eclipse last year for a little more than what the new FM Aerial cost. FM is in a weird pricing spot because HG already covers the $20+ and below range and RG the $30-$45 range. Current standard MG is $50-$65+ on avg to so it really leaves FM in the $40-$50 range which at that point you might as well buy a MG haha. So it only proves more than MG is being pushed out. There is usually a price ceiling for products and I think once standard MG goes to $70+ itll becomes less attractive to consumers so Bandai would produce less wasting resources on a product that they could have reallocated to FM for cheaper and more profit
@@hazelnut1294 It's because RG more become "MG but 1/144" when in early days of RG bandai can pump out this line with recycling advance joint MS frame with stability as sacrifice, and the worst happened when they trying to step up their game with RG Sinanju.
Master Grades are incredible, well-engineered and very affordable at it's price point at around $50-$200 for a model kit. For years, Bandai hasn't noticed that Chinese third-party companies are stepping out their game other than making bootlegs. They are indeed making a batch of *original* designs based on MG's at a very fast pace. The recent one that you reviewed was one of the many examples.
Those third party makes an 'MG' in a very fast paced because that's the only kits that they make or released which is so far only 4 or 5 kits in 2 years so you can't compare it with Bandai which releasing and making more than 10 kits every year which include motly HGs and few RGs and MGs.
I'm a longtime Gunpla builder, but just discovered your vids. It's refreshing and your vision and describing this topic is spot on in my opinion. Nothing to add. Especially when you mentioning subtle changes like the figures, the 'cover board' in the box from kits till 2006. I do second you with a 'Quality Standard' for MG kits like excellent posabilty, extra hands/manipulators and more releases of less obvious ms or grunts. I see an analogy to another franchise I grew up with and am into, Transformers. Takara is kind of ripping off our wallets these days wih their TF counterpart, the Masterpiece - called MP. Very high end and top design with quality engineering for posing, but became gradually more expensive over the years and fewer really new molds. Keep up the good vids!
Got so tired trying to find master grade kits to buy i just started building mecha musume kits to scratch my itch of building and after a dozen of a mix of koto stuff, nuke matrix and good smile i really need bandai to make something crazy to bring me back 💀
The problem with MG for me and why I've only built and painted 30 or so is that it never goes deep enough in the show to have a full line up. you get the main Gundam suits and maybe a grunt or two and then the line moves on to whatever new thing Bandai is making. HG lines always give you a wider scope of suits in each show even if they don't 100% make everything.
I still really fucking hate how they only made one MGIBO, and the OG Celestial Being squad being incomplete, especially since the one missing is the flagship ms. So annoying.
I am one of those “I only build MG’s” but that changed when I took a vacation to Japan. I went to Gundam Base Kyoto and could find a MG that I wanted so I settled on a RG Sazabi and omg I was so impressed. It had a different level of challenge to it and now I am considering branching out. I still hope that bandi continues to sell MGs but I won’t shy away from getting different kits.
I DO appreciate the WFM HG kits' quality though, i won't get too many but it makes me happy that kids getting into (like me way back) get such cool kits.
Seriously, the lack of MG's as well as the constant supply issues is the reason why I have started to look for other avenues in the hobby, now recently starting to get into various Mecha Musume kits instead to see if I find anything worthwhile there. MS General has been showing a lot of promise so far for me.
I think in Bandai's perspective, focusing more on FM is a more cost effective method as much as you might not like it or not with MGs treated as something more "special" nowadays. There is also the fact that Bandai is doing a whole lot of stuff from kits from other lines either licensed or by themselves to even MGEX and MGSD.
Very good points from start to finish here - one thing I would add is that with the improvements in manufacturing technology, the other lines just seem to have caught up with MG in terms of appearance, so they just don't stand out as the best looking versions of the respective design as much as they used to, and people are more likely to pick up an HG or Full Mechanics kit at a significantly lower price if it looks basically just as good and it's easier to build. Bandai has kind of created its own competition here, and it's not clear anymore what the point of the MG line is. Which is why I'm hoping they'll go the route you talked about and clearly define MG as their top-of-the-line grade for experienced modelers (with waterslides!), especially now that PG seems to be dead. That would give them a clear purpose and a reason for existing again, and target a demographic that I feel like they may have lost a bit.
The FM line is a really nice line ,going back to the 1/100 FM IBO kits those even had almost full frames just the head and feet were not framed so idk I just like 1/100 size best but I do build many HG kits too ! And the G Self really does need at least a FM 1/100 ,it is the main suit of that anime so idk wish it want it might get it in another 60 years right lol
im fine with making more full mechanics kits or MGs, the issue with not touching HG kits isnt im a snob, its that 1/144 kits are annoyingly small. the real issue i have is bandai down grading details on full mechanics kits so they purposely dont look as sharp as a MG kit, its seriously retarded the way bandai act! they design the detail onto the parts so DO spend the time designing, we see on MG kits and HG kit how sharp they can mold details, yet all the panel lines and detai area will be purposely fuzzy on a full mechanics grade kit. it 100% feels like they design a full mechaics kit in high resolution, then lower the resolution on the final product purposely so a full mechanics kit wont look as sharp as a MG.
I've noticed also that 1/100 scale kits are kind of disappearing in general; first it was the NG kits (Wing, Seed, Gundam 00), then the RE-100. I guess it's like you mentioned that HG or other 1/144 kits are a lot easier/cost-effective to produce and distribute. I just got a FM Aerial, which will be my first from the line, but I would like to see the 1/100 kits make a comeback. I had a couple of the Seed NG 1/100 kits and I thought they were solid builds.
Nice video, I was thinking about this topic recently too. There are so many speculative and actualized factors involving what's going on with the Master Grade line and I think for the most part you covered it. I just want to add my own thoughts. -Molds are not only expensive, but MG(and RG at 1/144) molds are usually the sharpest and well engineered. Zeta ver. Ka(despite stylistically closer to a "standard" 3.0) precision and engineering-wise is a masterpiece, and the precision needed most likely led to the multiple delays(the runners are dated from 2022) -P-Bandai has covered the niche market quite well actually. From a business perspective, it makes more sense to make obscure and risky designs made to order instead of filling valuable store space with potential shelve warmers. The more popular variants like the EW series get restocked with frequency enough to catch a copy eventually. -While an interesting idea, expanding the MG line with more designer variants is unlikely. Sometimes the orginal designers help out with kits but seemingly don't want to surpervise the whole thing like Katoki does. Technically Izubuchi was involved with the 2007 Hi-Nu, and ironically the ver. Ka Hi-Nu was more accurate to the original lineart. Nagano is never coming back to Bandai/Sunrise ever(he also has this thing Five Star Stories he works on) -I think that MG is actually pretty consistent with their design choices, it's just that it's within their own sublines. UC is more about lineart/anime accuracy, SEED is about adding more minute detail and posability, and according to Katoki apparently ver Ka is about trying new concepts. I think the one underlying thing connecting all the lines other than inner detail is a general quality and sturdiness lower grades don't have.
The old HG 1/100 Gundam Wing kits also came with 1:20 scale pilot figures. I used to get those from Toys R Us back in the late 90s early 00s. That was the golden age of toy stores and my family didn't have the internet at the time either, online stores were pretty scarce as well.
I miss those days when Gunpla was more available. I could find them at places like Walmart even. Nowadays the only department store I really find them in is Target. Meijer did have some RX-78-2 kits for a while.
it's all economics, remember, volume varies in cube when you change the scale. 1/144 is not 30% smaller than 1/100, it uses a lot less plastic. Assuming engineering cost is the same (you could use the same 3D cad on both scales), Bandai gets a lot of more return on something like a 1/144 RG and even more on a HG than a MG or FM. You could also SHIP a lot more kits at one go in a container. I can see Bandai doing a lot more SD kits and 1/144 scale
The main problem with MG at the retail level shelf space compared to sales. So yeah you can see why it varies in production they let the older kits sale first.
I've only built one RG kit and that was the Zeta. While I think it's a cool highly detailed kit that blends well with my other HG scale kits, it took me a lot longer than an MG and was stress inducing as I lost stickers, and even broke the pivot for where one of the wings attaches to the Zeta itself. Compare that to the MG 2.0 Freedom Gundam that took me about the same if not less time and was a far more pleasant experience. I think if anything, the MG 1/100 scale helps a lot as I'm not stressing out over putting on stickers a fraction the size of my pinky nail. I've largely been pleased with the current MGs, though I wish we'd get an MG Savior Gundam from Gundam SEED Destiny, plus an upgrade to the kits from Stardust Memory. That series needs some love!
Simply put, during the pandemic, the hobby became very popular; it is clear that the demand is now higher than the production capability; Japanese online shops have no stocks, they sold out almost immediately, the only reason physical hobby shops have stock on their shelf longer in Europe and America is because of the higher price they sell the kits at (this is not an attack on those shops). It makes total sense for Bandai to prioritise kit line that generate most revenue, you would think that they could make 3 HG kits or more with the same amount of plastic used to make 1 MG thus make a bigger profit. Until Bandai increases their production capability, I don't think we will see many new MG as they still need to re-release so older MG as well, there is demand for so many existing MG... Currently, anything and everything will sell, there is no need for them to make any effort yet they sold out all the time.
I remember when I was building in a local hobby shop seeing you check things outs. Thanks for the great vibes, loved having you spit in my face after seeing my complete HG Hazel Custom. Wish you did it again when I asked for more though!
I don't build MGs that often but enjoy them nonetheless when I want to build a 1/100 scale Gundam. The ms I tend to gravitate towards are mainly in the 1/144 scale HG and RG lineups. Plus I like the feeling you get knowing that this 6" model kit you built is usually fully articulated. Having grown up with 12" mecha figures, then nowadays Chinese companies are releasing their own 1/100 mecha model kits. Which have my attention as something new and fresh as their design langauge is unique to Japanese designs at times. Having built stuff like Tanod Knight of Dark Sky, Hunshang Blazing Shadow, Infinite Dimensions Genesis, SNAA Model Hunt and Kill, Orange Cat Industries Hundred Edge + Extend Parts for Alma Mode, Plaiobot Super Galaxy Gurren Lagann, Percursor Kainar. It fills that desire to see what ideas people come up with that aren't just a Gundam.
The problem is that most master grades that are getting released are p bandai. And i hate it, cuz mg is my favorite line. So it does suck, plus you have to pay double to get those p bandai gundams on the after market.
As a mono eye fan there are so many of those suits I'd wish they'd make in the mg line or even hg (still holding out for some other kit of big zam!). However, I know there must be countless factors that can be adding up to the current situation. Hell, talking to my local hobby shop, they're talking about how maybe the new factory is still an effect maybe? But either way, I'm thinking that maybe this is only temporary and then maybe we'll see everything in better swing within maybe a year or so
Personally i started my entire collection on MGs. I like the variety, the choice of designs and most importantly the scale of them. My main issue with RGs and similar is that they just look weedy and small. Granted some are more imposing or more detailed but they still feel cheap and too toy-like to me when i build one. A MG, even if its an old one, still feels more solid and pleasant to display for me. I sure hope Bandai keeps the line intact and starts adding more suits to it. Some of my favorite builds came in the MG line so i'd be real sad to see it go or even get shrunk down to a "specialist" line type with like 2 releases a year.
bandai made it very difficult for themselves by realeasing to many lines. They released RG, first grade, EG, 1/100 NG, etc. Instead of staying with the standaard 1/144 HG and 1/100 MG lines.
A mention from ZakuA! Respect. I appreciate your thoughts on this. As someone else mentioned in the comments, it seems like 1/100 scale is getting the short end of the stick. I also model railroad in 1:87, so the 1/100 kits make a great cross-modelling opportunity. My fear is that Bandai might be over-diversifying with all the various model gunpla lines, which then takes resources away from updating old kits and bringing new ones in the existing lines. Then we have to sit through a redo of the classics in the new lines; Gundam, Zaku II/Char's, Strike, Unicorn, repeat. They're making plenty of new shows (and universes) to add to the list of options, also. Of course they are a business, so if this is how they stay afloat, then this is what we have. Just saying, the 30th anniversary of 08MS Team is around the corner, so...
Yep! Bandai should step production back up for new kits; 4 per year is reasonable. I, too, want a line for more experienced modelers and would love the return of the 1/20 figures and the detail parts.
I have a feeling Bandai is very busy working on PG Unleashed Zaku II. Which is why they don't want to focus on MG. Because PG Unleash can really bring in the dough for those mature audience.
I typically only build MG/full mech/ RE/100 or better because I sink a lot of hours into painting and such and dont think the majority of HG or even RG kits would be worth the invested time, and I'm sure there are many builders out there who do the same, but my fear is that Bandai uses the sale figures of HG kits to determine the best candidates for MG and PG, which I dont think would be an accurate metric because of the aforementioned.
I just completed my first Gunpla. The RX-93 Ver Ka down to the last detail, decals, leds, panel lining, and all that I could find. It took me 30+ hours, but I think it's really cool. I have seen many other kits but I have to say it would be difficult for me to go for simpler ones with lot less details. I think it wouldn't be as satisfying.
1. Bandai is too lazy and cheap to make new master grades 2. theyre too affraid to have another MG the O situation despite it literally being a super basic MG. 3. Theres tons of more hobbyist's for gunpla now, i got into it during covid and have been collecting like crazy
They literally engineered a whole inner Gundam Frame for just a single MG Gundam Barbatos, like?????????? it's literally an easy money right there if they released like 2-3 gundam frame base MG off that runner, like most of the part connection is the same, they just have to engineered the outer armor, such a misopportunity from bandai and for the fans tbh
With the MGSD Freedom selling so well especially in japan and here in asia I got a feeling they will start releasing more MGSD kits. Theres probably a 3rd and 4th MGSD kit that will be announce right after Barbatos gets released in around Oct-Dec. My proof in this is when MGSD Freedom was first announced they made an exclusive page for the mgsd freedom kit and on the bottom of the page they announce a 2nd MGSD kit in development. Its clear this line is not experimental, they will push this line and make more kits.
As some who only started 4 months ago, I can't really complain about the lack of MG's. They are my Favorite grade based on size and complexity. Not to mention the prices are very good for what you get. I own 6 MG soon to be 7. 7th being the MG Full Armor Unicorn Ver Ka. As for FM I haven't built one yet so I don't have the experience between FM and MG. Here's hoping at some point the FM Barbatos lupus Rex is restocked as its one of the FM kits I've wanted since getting into Gunpla.
what i love about MG's is that thry feel like high quality action figures. the weight to the way they move, just works of art. but recently the HG's are delivering on most of that, from articulation to how they look and feel of sturdiness. the more high grades come out the more they win me over, but the size and complexity of MG's is what i fell in love with about the hobby.
i would love to see Bandai releasing kit for especial date again, this year we had the 30th anniversary of Victory, and we got nothing, new year is G-reco's 10th anniversary and i doubt that we would even get reprints of the HG's, Nowadays it feels like everything is a Rx-78-2 or a Zaku2 variant and imho it just feels lazy ... i remember that years ago they asked fans which MS from Victory they would like to see as a MG, the Zanneck won.... and here we are, no news or even a mention of it
Most recent special date release was 2 years ago, with the 20th anniversary of Gundam SEED. That had resulted in the release of the Master Grade Eclispe Gundam.
As somebody that got into gunpla in 2021 and who got hooked partially because of IBO after my first kit, I find it a crime that there aren't anymore MG IBO kits. I fell in love with the show and the mobile suits from it and the lack of representation it has in higher grades is insane to me. A single MG kit, no RGs, the 1/100 non-grade kits which were so-so kits. That was kind of it. I would absolutely kill for a full mechanics Gusion Full City or Flauros but I doubt we'll see them anytime soon. I also find it kind of crazy as someone who recently joined the hobby how much love all the older series get but the newer series seem to get so little outside of their titular HG lines. You would think the absolute best time to be releasing higher grade kits would be during the airing of the show. The MG Barbatos didn't release for a whole 2 and a half years after the second season was finished. The full mechanics Aerial is a good step in this direction but I'd still love to see more. It very much so gives me pokemon vibes with how much love the older series seem to get year after year after year.
I started this hobby almost 2 years ago, I have a few HGs but I dont like to collect them because what I enjoy mostly about this hobby is the building and painting aspect of the kits and I dont feel much of a challenge with HGs, I really enjoy RGs but my favorite by far are the MGs, between cleaning the pieces, painting and building it will always take me more than a couple months and that is what I truly enjoy, with HGs It wont take me more than a couple of weeks so it's the main reason why I don't collect that line, since I'm new to this hobby I still have plenty of MGs to collect so I'm not worried about the amount of MGs we get yearly, and hopefully not but if the mastergrade line ever stops at least there are awesome new "bandai killers" coming out
If they are selling all of their inventory, it makes sense to concentrate on HG until the new factory is operational. Its an easier sell and they please more people with their limited resources. At the end of the day, Bandai is just one manufacturer. I'm currently getting my "fix" through other plastic model brands, both japanese and chinese (amazing original kits this year BTW!)
@@nawm8 I like super robots so Moderoid from Japan (goodsmile is the parent company). Zaku recently did a review of an original chinese model called Thor, that you can get in (usagundamstore) along other great releases like "Ruling", "Judge Moonlight", "Blue Dragon", "Lancelot of the Lake", "Cao Ren", "Tactical Machine Apocalypse", "Sky Defender". Gundamit store is a great place for those as well.
The problem with current Master Grade is Real Grade Kits. RG kits used to be positioned between HG and MG. But now RGs are filling the price segment of MG. NGL, since Bandai move away from using those dreadful Advance MS joints, modern RG kits really improves in quality. They're well engineered, got cool gimmicks, nice detailed parts, and most importantly fun to build and to be played around. Overall a more appealing product compared to Master Grade. No wonder Bandai put less effort and attention on general MG kits, and begin to introduce new alternative "spin-off" lineup such as MGEX & MGSD which positioned above & below regular MG price segment.
I feel this too. RG's are top notch engineering and detail wise. I do love rg's, but sometimes the size of parts just makes me feel bad about the build experience. It's a personal complaint, but I think RG's, the new ones, are really excellent overall.
I am an MG collector, and it sucks that they don't release that much MG. All new MG kits are released through PBandai. But it's okay, all these chinese 3rd party brands are creating their own "MG" scale kit which is on par with Bandai, for example the AO BING, Genesis, Ruling, Zero Gravity Judge, etc.
I am that person that only builds MGs, now. Frankly, I find them easier due to being larger in scale, and more visually stimulating. I prefer them because of the higher detail and included gimmicks that comparative HGs lack (Look at the F91 2.0 opposed to the HG for reference). RGs are too fragile, and suffer from the small part issue. PGs are out of a typical builders price range, and far too few in number. Unless they were able to incorporate the detail and gimmicks, MGs hold over HGs... I'd be hard pressed to continue building once I run out of kits I'd be interested in, in the 1/100 scale. Overall, the inaccessibility P-Bandai brings to the table with desirable kits between all lines, the size and aspects included with that consideration towards my MG bias, and the price to value ratio all has me sold on MGs. I really hope Bandai finds some revolutionary means of producing more MGs so that my favored line stays pumping.
My biggest concern is the consistency. I think a MG kit should be as good if not better than a RG but scaled to 1:100. The MG Zeong looks like a nut filled turd compared to the RG Zeong and that is a shame. I would like to only purchase MG or PG kits but, the quality of some of the MG is so bad that I have had to purchase a 3rd size...the RG kits. Every time I make a new kit I find some cool unique idea used in that kit that I wish would be transferred over to other kits. For instance: Some stickers are better or cut to be near seamless, or have water decals, others have nice foil decals, some inner parts show through for more detail, some have better hands, some use a magnet to hold the shield, some allow for LED, some let you turn on and off the LED from the outside, some come with stands, some have metallic parts or full metal parts, some have deeper grooves for lining, some let you know when you have used all of the runner....etc One of the best is the new MGEX Strike Freedom. I would buy every MGEX if this was the quality I could expect consistently! I have decided to stop buying RG, HG, and EG kits from now on in hopes that they will release more MG and PG kits. I will focus all my purchasing on just these kits from now on.
Main MG Mobile Suits aside, there's still lack of supporting/grunt/etc MG mobile suits for other series. Where's the MG Maxter, Dragon, Rose and Bolt Gundams, Bandai? 😭😭
I was one of those hoping to get more MG IBO Gundams seeing how we got the 00 kits, but I guess Barbatos is like Exia and we will have to wait 10 years for the other Gundams to come out About the decals, I couldnt care less about waterslides, Im okay with regular stickers but I would love to have dry transfers again specially for like faction logos etc
I think its because Bandai has now opened P Bandai in the US and EU (ish). They can reuse a lot of the old molds for "new" kits, like the KÄMPFER SCHWER and ECLIPSE GUNDAM REACTOR 2. Most of the kit is the old mold with a few new parts, so it's easier and more cost efficient to do not only reprints of older kits for general retail, but these "new" premium kits for the P Bandai stores. Not to mention that the old stuff still sells, and it shows when they are still reprinting the MG RX-78 1.5 and 2.0 when the 3.0 and The Origin versions exist. But because of the pandemic and the ensuing supply chain issues caused by it, I'm sure the shrewd Japanese business suits at the top are more inclined to keep making what they have, and re releasing older kits over R&Ding new ones, at least for the time being. Hopefully when the new factories open we will see shifts in the market, as the US likes Wing and G more compared to UC. So hopefully we will see new kits because they would sell better in a specific region, so we can get an MG Serpent Custom, MG Maxter, etc.
I don't care if it is MG but I really do love the 1:100 scale kit. They tend to be a great sized kit with plenty of detail. And a little easier for me to work on as I don't exactly have surgeon hands.....
WfM is insanely popular for a Gundam series. I’m surprised we aren’t seeing more FM or MG of those mobile suits. They might be waiting to see whats popular among fans after the series end.
I can't say much but my favorite grades MG and RG. I'd be sad to see either of those disappear. (Also when MG Exia 2.0. Come on that NEEDS to happen. )
I'm a HG builder anyway, so it wouldn't bother me if the MG line would be discontinued. However I know a lot of builders prefer MG so I wouldn't want that to happen. Gunpla is meant to be enjoyed no matter what grade you prefer.
For me I feel the size of 1/100 scale feels just right. Its my sweet spot. And the level of detail a master grade is at I feel is the amount I want. I have considered many times to collect RGs but everytime I convince myself to attempt to buy one and see the displayed 1/144, I just start feeling underwhelmed.
People also should dig into some of the old MGs. I'm building the granddaddy 1.5 at the moment and having a blast. It's old as hell, but still fun. It's fascinating to see how things have changed.
@@theholypopechodeii4367 I mean, the 1.0 and 1.5 RX-78 are near constants every yrun Bandai does. Soem are super obscure, but others aren't. And while the Origin and 2.0 are both considerably better than the 1.0 or the 1.5, the retro builds are still a lot of fun. And tend to be affordable, with the plastic tax increases of the last couple of years. There are non-p-bandai HG's that cost more than the 1.5 these days.
Honestly being outside of Japan i can say for certain that getting a Master Grade is really expensive and some a difficult to obtain or cannot be obtained, i also feel like P-Bandai is a dick move, its also the only reason am sticking to Master Grades only, its so that i can keep my purchases in control and i also like the size and detailing on Master Grades. Also i feel like these separate purchases is Bandai making us buy DLC for Gunpla 😂. Anyways i would like the MG line to continue but i do wish to know what would be planned because what i dislike are duplicates and re-releases, sure would be improvements but being outside Japan it would be expensive and getting a duplicate really doesn't feel nice for me.
so it seems while Bandai are penny pinching, & removing stuff from their kits, other Brands making other Mech kits are adding more stuff to their own kits and for a cheaper price
I’ve been waiting patiently for 1 Kit. A 1/100 scale Zock. It’s literally the last non-MSV One Year War MS. I want to believe that they have that waiting on the sidelines. But who knows.
even when pbandai shop is available to buy at msrp, most of the time we lose to bots because bandai refuses to set purchase limit to 1 per user. most of the time we still had to buy from resellers at at leat 50% markup. MGs are already more expensive to begin with, and having to pay pb markup and shipping on top of that. for bases they should include static stands especially for kits with oversize or heavy backpacks to at least do standing pose
I think we should have a discussion about how Bandai is making a lot of kits PB. We need more regular releases
Seriously, there's a lot of nice releases that's way too expensive and hard to get thanks to being PB
Don't think it needs to be discussed. It's all about the money
Lower production number, high demand, loyal customers, bigger profit margin.
@@probablychuuni I agree! Also I personally think the whole “premium Bandai exclusive only release” stuff is a load of goddamn bullshit & shouldn’t really even exist the way it currently does. Bandai already mass produces many kinds of model kits as part of their job very easily & on a near daily basis up to the point where I don’t think any of them should be premium bandai exclusives only. I’ve had that problem with trying to get a HG Pale Rider Ground Heavy Equipment Type & I was JUST LUCKY ENOUGH to find one at the Anime North 2023 convention at Panda Hobby vendor. I pretty much see premium Bandai exclusive kits only at conventions & VERY RARELY at any model kit shops in Toronto. Honestly the Bandai company should have just made it like “let’s have the normal colours of all the model kits a regular release & ONLY allow special edition colours (example: clear colours) to be a potential premium Bandai exclusive kit” for fuck sake!
Yeah i miss the era when 1 /100 seeds kits, after that they decided any msv or any cool manga exclusive in PB
Im glad i hv nick providence n gale strike, if they release em as MG, i bet they gonna be PB
Yep and it kills legit hobbyist/collectors.
I do wish there were more MG releases, but my biggest concern is availability. They need to do more reprints. The lack of releases gives me time to collect older kits, but they aren't available either.
man i want them reprint old kits like the zaku f2 gm quel gm kai custom etc i've seen them do the gundam and gm ground type alot so why not the others i mentioned
The instant they reprint the MG Perfect Gundam, it is MEIN.
@@Gatherway I really want to pick up a MK V
Theyre too busy pumping out p-bandais 🤣
availability issues is why my backlog has gotten so out of control, i worry i won't be able to get the kit again in the future so i buy so many kits that end up sitting around for months, even years
My main gripe with MG is mainly in how we only got ONE MG kit for iron blooded orphans, those mobile suit designs have some of the highest potential for detail but it's so under-utilised.
It's really p*ssing a lot of people off. How hard would it be really to release a new IBO kit with an EXISTING inner frame?
G Reco one doesn't have any but to be fair Bandai isn't expecting that one to succeed at all
I really do miss those old manuals. The older MG kits were a more premium package overall.
I remember being blown away when i opened my MG Kämpfer. Between the properly THICCC booklet, the box cover with the full print and the sheer volume of sprues inside, it was like Christmas came early.
Yeah the old MG manuals depicted some great scenes and details. Especially the one with the Rick Dias and the Dale Earnhardt memorial.
Consumer demand for gunpla has never been higher you would think Bandai would be ramping up MG development instead of trying to make a metaverse
You would but the issue is that most people who get into the hobby only touch HG. For every 1 person like you or I there’s 100 snap builders who only do basic kits. It makes more sense to release more of those
@@Doc51499 There's a large number of HG stuff that are out of print and a lot of MS with ancient HG. As an HG main, the metaverse project also annoys me as much as our MG friend over here.
@@Doc51499 yes I agree I did to high grades for my first kit but went to mg and never turned back but ur right most people can only do hg they are more affordable and they got alot of them and they are very easy to do.
i read an article that bandai was going to build a second production plant but i havent seen anything about it lately
They did open a larger plant to produce kits , since voicd they saw skyrocketing sales, BUT demand was far higher than supply and from what ive heard from people that have visted the gundam factory etc they havent peaked production yet. Dunno if thats true but would explain things
I remember a time when Bandai was releasing a brand new MG monthly. It's nice to see that they've branched out and starting making model kits for different franchises (Digimon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Star wars, etc.) But it feels like Gundam fans have been forgotten. There are so many Gundams and grunt suits that deserve a Master Grade and Bandai just doesn't seem to care.
I believe that was in response to the wave of new companies joining the snap fit plamo market in recent years. Gundam only does not attract some of the modelers who build mecha musume, Macross, sci-fi, military, and such. Back in 2016, I only knew of Kotobukiya as a competitor, and more bootleg or third-party Gundam themed kits are common nowadays. Judge, Genesis, Ruling, Trailblazer, Hundred Edge, Redeem, Hunt and Kill...
The MG barbatos has such a good interframe, it's almost criminal that we don't have a gushion rebake or at least a gundam bael MG
@@Vixcal They have so many opportunities with that frame. Since all the IBO gundams use the same frame, that's 72 different base armor sets for Calamity War era units, then all the variations after.
Plus Flauros won a poll for next MG IBO kit in 2019.
It's not that Gunpla fans have been forgotten, but that there is much lesser Gunpla fans as time goes.
I hope it isnt replaced, MGs are my favorite grade
I don't think they will replace it, they will just mark it for death and left it like that, oh and it is the only grade I buy too
What will replace it? I just want 1/100 scale
Mg kit is the only scale that focus more in anime accurate so its impossible to be replaced
MG is my favorite too. I used to like HG, but they’re too tiny
@@matternot666 full mechanics
I think this is a "missing the forest for the trees" discussion, because I don't think it's a Master Grade issue - it's a 1/100 scale issue. RE100 is dead. FM is a fraction of what it was during IBO. NG 1/100 is completely missing. And now Bandai is diverting MG branding into a non-scale height equivalent of 1/144 with MGSD. Something about the economics or initiative behind 1/100 has pushed Bandai away from it, and MG is just the most noteworthy casualty. But the entire ecosystem of the scale at Bandai is withering. Saying 'people are worried about FM replacing MG' obfuscates the underlying issue that FM itself has dwindled to a trickle.
The silver lining is that companies like Kotobukiya have stepped up and can fill the gap for people that want 1/100 size equivalents. And I think that growth of healthy competition and alternatives away from Bandai hegemony will make the hobby landscape stronger in the future.
NG 1/100 was replaced by FM in my opinion as the old NG equivalents for SEED and 00 were in essence succeeded by IBO 1/100 and then FM 1/100. In all honesty Bandai doesn't give a shit that North American gunpla builders want MG's more than any other scale as that isn't the market trend of Asia and specifically Japan.
@@FennecFOX_0392 Yeah, it would be reasonable to say FM "replaced" NG in the sense that the branding shifted to the new moniker mid-line with IBO. But in a broader sense, the core concept of NG 1/100 (as seen with Wing, Seed, and 00 lines) being cheap de facto 1/100 HG's with lower parts count was just flat out erased from Bandai's playbook. Which in turn aided in messing up the 1/100 ecosystem.
This isn't a NA or Asia customer issue (not sure where you're getting that from...?) but rather an issue of logic. Now there's just Master Grade, and Master Grade-lite with FM, and the pricing makes them pretty much indistinguishable. It would be like putting inner frames into 1/144 HG's, charging RG prices, then keeping both RG and HG active, but also reducing the entire output of both because the added costs and engineering are proving difficult to handle. That's what it looks like happened to the 1/100 scale, from my layperson perspective.
1/100 models take up a lot of space. If you have even a half dozen 1/100 kits, that can take up all the space on a shelf, which could have hosted a dozen or more 1/144 kits. Hand painting is an option on 1/144 kits in a way it isn't for 1/100 kits, there's a number of reasons.
A lot of what would be regular MG releases years ago, like the Stark Jegan, are now tossed into P Bandai. There is way more demand for a Stark Jegan then 5 variants of a Zaku with bigger thruster boots, yet guess which is P Bandai and which isn't. Be it the GN-X III or every Zaku Warrior variation but Luna's, Bandai has cut down on general releases and made them pre order only, in order to not over print and overestimate demand.
I think Bandai's a little wary of MG burn out leading to lower sales as well. I have no figures, but I'm guessing the MG Seed and MG Wing lines of the first 5 Gundams in those series didn't sell as expected, as demonstrated by the fact most EW variations of the Wing kits went into P Bandai, despite the EW variation often being a more popular design. Rising standards also hurt Bandai, as each new kit is only so much better then the last. There was only ever one official MG Gundam "3.0", and they never released a Zaku in that styling afterwards. The Zeta got a Ver Ka released recently due to constant demand for that in polls, but Bandai has reached the point where there aren't that many new, popular suits to make MGs of, and most suits don't need a 2.0. I don't think the MG-lites are selling very well either, at least in the mainline series, so it all leads to a very risk averse Bandai. Perfect example is a MG Exia 2.0, which despite having a frame ready and definitely being inevitable, hasn't been released in the 4 years years since Dynames. That new MG Exia is going to be more expensive then the original, just thanks to inflation, and it has to justify itself while Bandai keeps selling an older version for the same old price, that some people might be happier with. Maybe they'll try to release it as a MGEX and replicate the PG's LED feature, like they did for the Unicorn. Who knows.
Remember you need to consider this from a Japan perspective (which I cannot say that I am good at, but let's at least try). Primarily, Gundam has began to be seen as an outdated franchise, with gunpla building being seen as an old time hobby (like for people aged 35+, compared to those in their teenage). As an Asian grown kid, I still remember how my dad used to build a WWII German tank or an F14 from those Tamiya kits that is completely modelled in a single colour tone runner, and then spray the surface and add those details and decals in about 4-6 weeks' time, and this type of kits are mostly out-dominated in the market by early 2000s by gunplas that do not even require much gluing or painting and are better articulated.
As much as I hate to say, it seems that Gundam as a whole is gradually going the same direction. While every now and then there are very good and passionate producers coming with some good Gundam shows that boost gunpla sales, in general however, young Japanese are beginning to leave Gundam since around 5-8 years ago. Look at IBO, the Witch, Hathaway, pretty much any new series after Unicorn cannot really sell their associated gunplas like SEED, 00 and Unicorn could, because it is just impractical to balance the new and old fans' demands (Hathaway is a bit unusual as it only has 4 main units to sell and 2 are very costly). With the older fans no longer having that much time to spend on gunpla, I think it's just natural that it become just like the German tank my dad once built.
Adding to the problem is that other than the UC timeline, there's hardly any non-Gundam MS that can be sold as an MG or even 1/100. Bandai certainly knows the lesson from the post-Unicorn shows and I do not think they will give us something like a 1/100 Xi Gundam. It's just sad that's how Gundam will become.
@@stormmeansnowork i thought witch from mercury kits made stupid money? didnt bandai say they made a ton of money from witch specificaly a few months ago?
Where did you read about this trend?
Both MG and HGUC fans have been left to starve lately, even HG IBO has seen more kits than those two lines recently, and IBO has ended years ago already
Urdyr Hunt: wdym?
I feel like you touching on the price of molds is why we've seen less MGs these past few years. Since WFM has a billion kits coming out it's easy to see where they've put their time and money. Also that pesky pandemic probably made them shift their focus on smaller projects. I feel like it'll probably stay this way for a while.
COVID was three years ago. How long are we going to let multi-billion dollar corporations use it as an excuse?
There's a few things going against Bandai right now
1. Costs of everything has gone up a lot the last few years, especially plastic and shipping
2. Covid depleted kit stock globally. Only in recent months have stocks returned to pre-pandemic levels in many places
3. Demand for G-Witch kits has been far higher than expected, meaning less of a variety of kits can be printed/reprinted
4. Bandai's new factory won't be open until 2024, at least
I don't think the MG line is going anywhere, but it's clear that Bandai at a point where price or detail in kits has to change.MGs used to be $35, then $50 as standard and now the FM Aerial is $50.
i dont know how many MG kits you bought...but you claiming this is just rampant price increase is just flat up wrong...plastic has NEVER been cheap...ever
and the price of a kit is largely based on how many parts tehy print for it, theres a reason MG Sazabi VerKa is more expensive than most of the MG Wing kits...because its a much bigger and more complex kit with alot more parts, the Wing kits got away with being a bit cheaper cus they simplified the inner frame, hands and such to cutd own on the number of parts while still delivering a really solid product
but next time you look at prices and think they "changed" try to look at the differences in kit complexity, part count, etc, guarantee you that has WAY more to do with it
@@Lavos2007 Plastic has never been cheap? In what world?
@@baconcoghill So, surprise, surprise? Plastic pricing is actually kind of complicated.
Technically, if all you care about is pure volume, it's incredibly cheap: I work at a sign shop and my boss buys 8x4 foot sheets of white polystyrene for about $25 each. That is thirty two square feet for the price of a nicer High Grade.
If you want actual, precision engineering, though? The price goes way up. This is why I'm still happy to pay for that High Grade even though the box has less plastic in it than the leftovers I usually get when I'm done using up a full polystyrene sheet on making signs.
Within its own model lines, Bandai absolutely DOES factor sheer weight of plastic in when they set their prices. For example, the HG Hashmal Mobile Armor and MG Gunner Zaku are technically from different lines but because Hashmal is massive and the Gunner Zaku is on the simpler side, they have almost the exact same box size and at US retail price, Hashmal is only about 10% less expensive.
The problem is also that there are gonna be tighter restrictions on plastic in the future.
@@Lavos2007 Plastic has in fact been cheap and the prices are skyrocketing.
MGs are by far my favorite grade. The sweet spot between price/detail/size for me. Prices are definitely increasing though. The Zeta ver Ka being $80 in the US, the 1/100 full mechanics seed kits are overpriced, the new rg epyon is $50, things are changing. I've been getting into knockoffs (of mostly p-bandai kits) recently and have no regrets
Where do I look for knock offs, please omg its all getting so tiring looking for kos.
@@emperorhadrian6011 gundam central and mofiho are the ones I've used
the zeta ver ka here in canada goes for 97$ at most but once you iclude tax and shipping its at least 120$
I kinda wish they'd just straight upscale RGs to 1/100 as a new line, like RG100. I love the inner mechanics and surface detail of recent RGs especially the hi nu, but 1/144 scale of gundam models just feels too.. toy-ish for me,1/100 hits the sweet spot of scale for gunplas.
@@arly8445 RGs are technically 1/144 scale MG. Ex. RG Justice Gundam "Justified" MG Justice Gundam. RG Gundam Epyon has to improve on the brittleness from the MG.(like no breaking pieces in key areas of the kit).
I think few releases and radio silence as far as announcements go is reason enough for people to start getting mad/disappointed, having only 2 Dom's which weren't even fully new kits as the only retail kits last year sucked alot. Also doesn't help that stuff like the stark jegan are being shoved to pbandai when they could easily be retail
I wish that Bandai would make it possible for all countries to order replacement parts/runners for replacing broken/ missing parts and other customizations like they do in Japan. And I think that it would be better if they could make the P-Bandai kits made to order rather than just limited runs. And I think that they should build themselves a few more factories across the world for easier distribution because I think that their fan base is a lot bigger than just the customers in Japan.
Same can be said with the RE/100 releases. Almost discontinued without any clear explanation or official comments. I mean they can do whatever they please to their own product line, but at least they can try to be consistent ffs.
Exactly, I'm still trying to find a GP04 that isn't price-gouged after selling mine back in 2018. Never realized how abandoned the line was until after I got rid of it.
Yep. Guess I’ll never get a hamma hamma.
Edit: or an FZ. For the life of me I cannot believe that the zaku 2 FZ isn’t a popular enough kit to deserve a reprint
@@mattr.1804 The only version of that that I see being reprinted is the HG 1/144 kit from time to time. I just build that kit last year.
It's been my running theory that there will be a big uptick in MGs when the new factory gets up and running. Maybe the current shift in focus is sort of in preparation for having the different facilities producing different kinds of kits; the old one putting out mostly HGs while the new one can focus more heavily on other lines.
What new factory?
Losing the Bee craft Mechanical illustrations was such a bummer for me. Those images really inspired me as a young artist.
I was drawn to Master Grade because I loved the concept of these relatively huge kits that had all of these neat mechanical details and high poseability, as well as a high degree of color accuracy right out of the box, since I didn't consider myself much of a painter back when I picked up my first kit (MG Deathscythe Hell EW). I had a good time putting it together and it looked good (and still looks good) on my shelf despite the fact that I cut out the parts with fingernail clippers due to lack of a proper pair of nippers.
I picked up the MG Sinanju maybe a year later after buying some supplies and learning the basics on model airplanes and watching youtube videos, and to this day, I still consider it the best MG build there is. Something about it was so fun and satisfying to put together, and the end result is gorgeous. I know there are people who swear by the Sazabi ver. Ka or lead Gundam kits as the very best, but even after 9 other MGs, I can't stop thinking it's the very best, and I think a lot of that is how consequential the inner frame is to the kit. It isn't just the backbone for the armor to be on and look pretty, it's a gimmick loaded monster that has tons of moving parts and small details.
The only thing that has come close to that level of enjoyment for me so far has been the RG Zeong, and I think it's for the same reason. The frame has so much life in it that it's almost a shame to cover it with the armor panels. It's so articulate for what would otherwise be a clunky and weird design, and everything just works together to create something that celebrates the whole structure, not just the finished product. Writing this sounds pretentious but I really think that's what the ultimate design philosophy should be for having an inner frame.
Something that’s often missed is there was a period of a few years where there was an MG fatigue. Thankfully it was when then yen to USD was favorable AND shipping was dirt cheap because the US market wasn’t as nice as today. But it felt like almost monthly they had an MG release to the point where I remember having shipments come in monthly for a while for all the new MG kits.
Granted only a problem for people who bought most of the kits and it was nice seeing constant improvements on each individual MG line but it was a lot.
"Making MG is hard! We need to make a new mold!" - Bandai
Why not...i dunno, reuse IBO frame? Hell, you can just release MG Barbatos Lupus/Rex and it will sell like candy
I'm primarily a MG collector, and honestly, I'm already quite happy with what's available already, with the addition of the MK-V being the best thing to happen. Only kit that I really want to get the MG treatment now is the Stargazer and I'll be completely satisfied.
I'm just glad 3rd party kits are really taking off recently. If bandai stops producing 1/100 kits, ill gladly trade some quality for original designs.
I like to see Bandai making 2.0 ver for most of 0083 Stardust Memory lines.
the fact that there is no MG of the GM CANNON II is really saddening
i would die of happiness
Thanks for highlighting this zak, this year my MG backlog are mostly p-ban with twice the price, because bandai still doesn't open bandai shop here in indonesia :(
Being apart of this hobby for 2 decades, I saw this happening years ago around IBO. When we got FM for the series, I knew something was up. Also soon after we got more RG kits, and some very good into present. MG, while popular is quite expensive to produce to combat demand. Now they will split the aspects of what make up MG and produce more standard FM and RG for more profit. MG will become a premium for PB and special releases like MGEX and MGSD. Its a mult-leveled issue that goes beyond gunpla. If youre someone like me, you reallize Bandai has slowly sunken its teeth into ever major IP in nerd culture. Im not saying gunpla will disappear one day, its just your going to see less gunpla produced over time. Meaning less expesnive kits like MG and PG. Anybody notice that PG has flat lined, outside of the Phenex and PG unleashed more recently. Current japanese hobby shows/conventions should be all the evidence you need to realize that gunpla isnt the major attraction it use to be. Its going to get worse for some if they cant come to terms with that reality
And now even the rg is gone, the golden year of rg is only on 2021 when they release 3 new design rg
@Hazelnut I can't say that for RG right now. They have steadily made around the same number of kits per year as they have done since its start in 2010, and that ranges from 2-4 kits per year. 2022 and 2020 I believe, were the only years that got one kit. On top of that, they did start making effect part sets for RG kits more recently and started producing gundam base and pbandai sets as well. With only half the year gone, we should see expect at least one, maybe 2 kits for this year.
These days, new FM kits are as expensive as MG kits but their quality is still a far cry from MG standard. What Bandai wants is for us to buy those FM kits with the price of a MG while the MG kits will be sold with premium price or as premium bandai. Not only they are more greedy, they are getting lazy as well.
@@sonmaianh7686 whats crazy is I bought the MG eclipse last year for a little more than what the new FM Aerial cost. FM is in a weird pricing spot because HG already covers the $20+ and below range and RG the $30-$45 range. Current standard MG is $50-$65+ on avg to so it really leaves FM in the $40-$50 range which at that point you might as well buy a MG haha. So it only proves more than MG is being pushed out. There is usually a price ceiling for products and I think once standard MG goes to $70+ itll becomes less attractive to consumers so Bandai would produce less wasting resources on a product that they could have reallocated to FM for cheaper and more profit
@@hazelnut1294 It's because RG more become "MG but 1/144" when in early days of RG bandai can pump out this line with recycling advance joint MS frame with stability as sacrifice, and the worst happened when they trying to step up their game with RG Sinanju.
Master Grades are incredible, well-engineered and very affordable at it's price point at around $50-$200 for a model kit. For years, Bandai hasn't noticed that Chinese third-party companies are stepping out their game other than making bootlegs. They are indeed making a batch of *original* designs based on MG's at a very fast pace. The recent one that you reviewed was one of the many examples.
The peak is Thor form hemoxian, it hv all moving gimmick that all i want in MG scale
1/144 scale kit are even more affordable and builder friendly. Idk MG are going downhill. They are now shifting their focus to MGEX and RG.
lol at $200
i wouldn't call them entirely affordable different countries they are more expensive canada here they are not cheap
Those third party makes an 'MG' in a very fast paced because that's the only kits that they make or released which is so far only 4 or 5 kits in 2 years so you can't compare it with Bandai which releasing and making more than 10 kits every year which include motly HGs and few RGs and MGs.
I'm a longtime Gunpla builder, but just discovered your vids. It's refreshing and your vision and describing this topic is spot on in my opinion. Nothing to add.
Especially when you mentioning subtle changes like the figures, the 'cover board' in the box from kits till 2006. I do second you with a 'Quality Standard' for MG kits like excellent posabilty, extra hands/manipulators and more releases of less obvious ms or grunts.
I see an analogy to another franchise I grew up with and am into, Transformers. Takara is kind of ripping off our wallets these days wih their TF counterpart, the Masterpiece - called MP. Very high end and top design with quality engineering for posing, but became gradually more expensive over the years and fewer really new molds.
Keep up the good vids!
Got so tired trying to find master grade kits to buy i just started building mecha musume kits to scratch my itch of building and after a dozen of a mix of koto stuff, nuke matrix and good smile i really need bandai to make something crazy to bring me back 💀
The problem with MG for me and why I've only built and painted 30 or so is that it never goes deep enough in the show to have a full line up. you get the main Gundam suits and maybe a grunt or two and then the line moves on to whatever new thing Bandai is making. HG lines always give you a wider scope of suits in each show even if they don't 100% make everything.
I still really fucking hate how they only made one MGIBO, and the OG Celestial Being squad being incomplete, especially since the one missing is the flagship ms. So annoying.
I am one of those “I only build MG’s” but that changed when I took a vacation to Japan. I went to Gundam Base Kyoto and could find a MG that I wanted so I settled on a RG Sazabi and omg I was so impressed. It had a different level of challenge to it and now I am considering branching out. I still hope that bandi continues to sell MGs but I won’t shy away from getting different kits.
I DO appreciate the WFM HG kits' quality though, i won't get too many but it makes me happy that kids getting into (like me way back) get such cool kits.
WFM HG kits are so good for what they are. I just wish we had MG versions.
Seriously, the lack of MG's as well as the constant supply issues is the reason why I have started to look for other avenues in the hobby, now recently starting to get into various Mecha Musume kits instead to see if I find anything worthwhile there. MS General has been showing a lot of promise so far for me.
Hopefully the 3rd party companies will take up the slack.
I think in Bandai's perspective, focusing more on FM is a more cost effective method as much as you might not like it or not with MGs treated as something more "special" nowadays.
There is also the fact that Bandai is doing a whole lot of stuff from kits from other lines either licensed or by themselves to even MGEX and MGSD.
Very good points from start to finish here - one thing I would add is that with the improvements in manufacturing technology, the other lines just seem to have caught up with MG in terms of appearance, so they just don't stand out as the best looking versions of the respective design as much as they used to, and people are more likely to pick up an HG or Full Mechanics kit at a significantly lower price if it looks basically just as good and it's easier to build. Bandai has kind of created its own competition here, and it's not clear anymore what the point of the MG line is.
Which is why I'm hoping they'll go the route you talked about and clearly define MG as their top-of-the-line grade for experienced modelers (with waterslides!), especially now that PG seems to be dead. That would give them a clear purpose and a reason for existing again, and target a demographic that I feel like they may have lost a bit.
The FM line is a really nice line ,going back to the 1/100 FM IBO kits those even had almost full frames just the head and feet were not framed so idk I just like 1/100 size best but I do build many HG kits too ! And the G Self really does need at least a FM 1/100 ,it is the main suit of that anime so idk wish it want it might get it in another 60 years right lol
We need less P-Bandai, less "artificial limited supply".
im fine with making more full mechanics kits or MGs, the issue with not touching HG kits isnt im a snob, its that 1/144 kits are annoyingly small.
the real issue i have is bandai down grading details on full mechanics kits so they purposely dont look as sharp as a MG kit, its seriously retarded the way bandai act! they design the detail onto the parts so DO spend the time designing, we see on MG kits and HG kit how sharp they can mold details, yet all the panel lines and detai area will be purposely fuzzy on a full mechanics grade kit. it 100% feels like they design a full mechaics kit in high resolution, then lower the resolution on the final product purposely so a full mechanics kit wont look as sharp as a MG.
I've noticed also that 1/100 scale kits are kind of disappearing in general; first it was the NG kits (Wing, Seed, Gundam 00), then the RE-100. I guess it's like you mentioned that HG or other 1/144 kits are a lot easier/cost-effective to produce and distribute.
I just got a FM Aerial, which will be my first from the line, but I would like to see the 1/100 kits make a comeback. I had a couple of the Seed NG 1/100 kits and I thought they were solid builds.
Interesting video Zaku. Hoping the lack of mg kits was a fluke, and more are to come.
Nice video, I was thinking about this topic recently too. There are so many speculative and actualized factors involving what's going on with the Master Grade line and I think for the most part you covered it. I just want to add my own thoughts.
-Molds are not only expensive, but MG(and RG at 1/144) molds are usually the sharpest and well engineered. Zeta ver. Ka(despite stylistically closer to a "standard" 3.0) precision and engineering-wise is a masterpiece, and the precision needed most likely led to the multiple delays(the runners are dated from 2022)
-P-Bandai has covered the niche market quite well actually. From a business perspective, it makes more sense to make obscure and risky designs made to order instead of filling valuable store space with potential shelve warmers. The more popular variants like the EW series get restocked with frequency enough to catch a copy eventually.
-While an interesting idea, expanding the MG line with more designer variants is unlikely. Sometimes the orginal designers help out with kits but seemingly don't want to surpervise the whole thing like Katoki does. Technically Izubuchi was involved with the 2007 Hi-Nu, and ironically the ver. Ka Hi-Nu was more accurate to the original lineart. Nagano is never coming back to Bandai/Sunrise ever(he also has this thing Five Star Stories he works on)
-I think that MG is actually pretty consistent with their design choices, it's just that it's within their own sublines. UC is more about lineart/anime accuracy, SEED is about adding more minute detail and posability, and according to Katoki apparently ver Ka is about trying new concepts. I think the one underlying thing connecting all the lines other than inner detail is a general quality and sturdiness lower grades don't have.
Really appreciate the work put into this video.
still waiting for MG G-Self... 😮💨
Eww eff no
I'm in line with you. Waiting for that G-Self...😢
The old HG 1/100 Gundam Wing kits also came with 1:20 scale pilot figures. I used to get those from Toys R Us back in the late 90s early 00s. That was the golden age of toy stores and my family didn't have the internet at the time either, online stores were pretty scarce as well.
I miss those days when Gunpla was more available. I could find them at places like Walmart even.
Nowadays the only department store I really find them in is Target. Meijer did have some RX-78-2 kits for a while.
it's all economics, remember, volume varies in cube when you change the scale. 1/144 is not 30% smaller than 1/100, it uses a lot less plastic. Assuming engineering cost is the same (you could use the same 3D cad on both scales), Bandai gets a lot of more return on something like a 1/144 RG and even more on a HG than a MG or FM. You could also SHIP a lot more kits at one go in a container. I can see Bandai doing a lot more SD kits and 1/144 scale
We need more of everything!!!❤❤❤ I've only built aerial rebuild so far, but I'm hooked
The main problem with MG at the retail level shelf space compared to sales. So yeah you can see why it varies in production they let the older kits sale first.
I've only built one RG kit and that was the Zeta. While I think it's a cool highly detailed kit that blends well with my other HG scale kits, it took me a lot longer than an MG and was stress inducing as I lost stickers, and even broke the pivot for where one of the wings attaches to the Zeta itself. Compare that to the MG 2.0 Freedom Gundam that took me about the same if not less time and was a far more pleasant experience. I think if anything, the MG 1/100 scale helps a lot as I'm not stressing out over putting on stickers a fraction the size of my pinky nail.
I've largely been pleased with the current MGs, though I wish we'd get an MG Savior Gundam from Gundam SEED Destiny, plus an upgrade to the kits from Stardust Memory. That series needs some love!
I have the same problem with RG. Now I only buy MG and HG.
Simply put, during the pandemic, the hobby became very popular; it is clear that the demand is now higher than the production capability; Japanese online shops have no stocks, they sold out almost immediately, the only reason physical hobby shops have stock on their shelf longer in Europe and America is because of the higher price they sell the kits at (this is not an attack on those shops).
It makes total sense for Bandai to prioritise kit line that generate most revenue, you would think that they could make 3 HG kits or more with the same amount of plastic used to make 1 MG thus make a bigger profit.
Until Bandai increases their production capability, I don't think we will see many new MG as they still need to re-release so older MG as well, there is demand for so many existing MG...
Currently, anything and everything will sell, there is no need for them to make any effort yet they sold out all the time.
I remember when I was building in a local hobby shop seeing you check things outs. Thanks for the great vibes, loved having you spit in my face after seeing my complete HG Hazel Custom. Wish you did it again when I asked for more though!
I don't build MGs that often but enjoy them nonetheless when I want to build a 1/100 scale Gundam. The ms I tend to gravitate towards are mainly in the 1/144 scale HG and RG lineups. Plus I like the feeling you get knowing that this 6" model kit you built is usually fully articulated. Having grown up with 12" mecha figures, then nowadays Chinese companies are releasing their own 1/100 mecha model kits. Which have my attention as something new and fresh as their design langauge is unique to Japanese designs at times. Having built stuff like Tanod Knight of Dark Sky, Hunshang Blazing Shadow, Infinite Dimensions Genesis, SNAA Model Hunt and Kill, Orange Cat Industries Hundred Edge + Extend Parts for Alma Mode, Plaiobot Super Galaxy Gurren Lagann, Percursor Kainar. It fills that desire to see what ideas people come up with that aren't just a Gundam.
The problem is that most master grades that are getting released are p bandai. And i hate it, cuz mg is my favorite line. So it does suck, plus you have to pay double to get those p bandai gundams on the after market.
ngl if they did a run of 2.0’s of suits that haven’t been treated that well (Zaku I, GP series) they’d make mad bank
As a mono eye fan there are so many of those suits I'd wish they'd make in the mg line or even hg (still holding out for some other kit of big zam!). However, I know there must be countless factors that can be adding up to the current situation. Hell, talking to my local hobby shop, they're talking about how maybe the new factory is still an effect maybe? But either way, I'm thinking that maybe this is only temporary and then maybe we'll see everything in better swing within maybe a year or so
I've been saying that FM kits are at the level of the old MG's. And they are releasing FM to supplement the lack of MG release.
I don't think so. The joints and connections on the SEED FM's are nowhere near as nice as the MG's, it's an ordeal to pose them.
@@Snacks256 as i said. "Supplement"
Personally i started my entire collection on MGs. I like the variety, the choice of designs and most importantly the scale of them. My main issue with RGs and similar is that they just look weedy and small. Granted some are more imposing or more detailed but they still feel cheap and too toy-like to me when i build one. A MG, even if its an old one, still feels more solid and pleasant to display for me. I sure hope Bandai keeps the line intact and starts adding more suits to it. Some of my favorite builds came in the MG line so i'd be real sad to see it go or even get shrunk down to a "specialist" line type with like 2 releases a year.
bandai made it very difficult for themselves by realeasing to many lines. They released RG, first grade, EG, 1/100 NG, etc. Instead of staying with the standaard 1/144 HG and 1/100 MG lines.
A mention from ZakuA! Respect. I appreciate your thoughts on this. As someone else mentioned in the comments, it seems like 1/100 scale is getting the short end of the stick. I also model railroad in 1:87, so the 1/100 kits make a great cross-modelling opportunity.
My fear is that Bandai might be over-diversifying with all the various model gunpla lines, which then takes resources away from updating old kits and bringing new ones in the existing lines. Then we have to sit through a redo of the classics in the new lines; Gundam, Zaku II/Char's, Strike, Unicorn, repeat. They're making plenty of new shows (and universes) to add to the list of options, also.
Of course they are a business, so if this is how they stay afloat, then this is what we have. Just saying, the 30th anniversary of 08MS Team is around the corner, so...
I know it's not a genuine MG, but I'm super stoked for the MGSD Barbatos.
Yep! Bandai should step production back up for new kits; 4 per year is reasonable. I, too, want a line for more experienced modelers and would love the return of the 1/20 figures and the detail parts.
I have a feeling Bandai is very busy working on PG Unleashed Zaku II. Which is why they don't want to focus on MG. Because PG Unleash can really bring in the dough for those mature audience.
You're just projecting hard on some wishful thinking bud
I typically only build MG/full mech/ RE/100 or better because I sink a lot of hours into painting and such and dont think the majority of HG or even RG kits would be worth the invested time, and I'm sure there are many builders out there who do the same, but my fear is that Bandai uses the sale figures of HG kits to determine the best candidates for MG and PG, which I dont think would be an accurate metric because of the aforementioned.
I just completed my first Gunpla. The RX-93 Ver Ka down to the last detail, decals, leds, panel lining, and all that I could find. It took me 30+ hours, but I think it's really cool. I have seen many other kits but I have to say it would be difficult for me to go for simpler ones with lot less details. I think it wouldn't be as satisfying.
1. Bandai is too lazy and cheap to make new master grades
2. theyre too affraid to have another MG the O situation despite it literally being a super basic MG.
3. Theres tons of more hobbyist's for gunpla now, i got into it during covid and have been collecting like crazy
They literally engineered a whole inner Gundam Frame for just a single MG Gundam Barbatos, like?????????? it's literally an easy money right there if they released like 2-3 gundam frame base MG off that runner, like most of the part connection is the same, they just have to engineered the outer armor, such a misopportunity from bandai and for the fans tbh
Mg have more parts/runners “looks at some of the bigger hg sets that have so many runners” ummm…
With the MGSD Freedom selling so well especially in japan and here in asia I got a feeling they will start releasing more MGSD kits.
Theres probably a 3rd and 4th MGSD kit that will be announce right after Barbatos gets released in around Oct-Dec.
My proof in this is when MGSD Freedom was first announced they made an exclusive page for the mgsd freedom kit and on the bottom of the page they announce a 2nd MGSD kit in development.
Its clear this line is not experimental, they will push this line and make more kits.
Must wait MG 00 with new molding inner frame and armor after Virtue...
As some who only started 4 months ago, I can't really complain about the lack of MG's. They are my Favorite grade based on size and complexity. Not to mention the prices are very good for what you get. I own 6 MG soon to be 7. 7th being the MG Full Armor Unicorn Ver Ka. As for FM I haven't built one yet so I don't have the experience between FM and MG. Here's hoping at some point the FM Barbatos lupus Rex is restocked as its one of the FM kits I've wanted since getting into Gunpla.
Good luck with the FA Unicorn Ver Ka. That might be the most frustrating MG in existence
Nooo not the Unicorn
what i love about MG's is that thry feel like high quality action figures. the weight to the way they move, just works of art. but recently the HG's are delivering on most of that, from articulation to how they look and feel of sturdiness. the more high grades come out the more they win me over, but the size and complexity of MG's is what i fell in love with about the hobby.
i would love to see Bandai releasing kit for especial date again, this year we had the 30th anniversary of Victory, and we got nothing, new year is G-reco's 10th anniversary and i doubt that we would even get reprints of the HG's, Nowadays it feels like everything is a Rx-78-2 or a Zaku2 variant and imho it just feels lazy ...
i remember that years ago they asked fans which MS from Victory they would like to see as a MG, the Zanneck won.... and here we are, no news or even a mention of it
Most recent special date release was 2 years ago, with the 20th anniversary of Gundam SEED. That had resulted in the release of the Master Grade Eclispe Gundam.
As somebody that got into gunpla in 2021 and who got hooked partially because of IBO after my first kit, I find it a crime that there aren't anymore MG IBO kits. I fell in love with the show and the mobile suits from it and the lack of representation it has in higher grades is insane to me. A single MG kit, no RGs, the 1/100 non-grade kits which were so-so kits. That was kind of it. I would absolutely kill for a full mechanics Gusion Full City or Flauros but I doubt we'll see them anytime soon.
I also find it kind of crazy as someone who recently joined the hobby how much love all the older series get but the newer series seem to get so little outside of their titular HG lines. You would think the absolute best time to be releasing higher grade kits would be during the airing of the show. The MG Barbatos didn't release for a whole 2 and a half years after the second season was finished. The full mechanics Aerial is a good step in this direction but I'd still love to see more. It very much so gives me pokemon vibes with how much love the older series seem to get year after year after year.
I started this hobby almost 2 years ago, I have a few HGs but I dont like to collect them because what I enjoy mostly about this hobby is the building and painting aspect of the kits and I dont feel much of a challenge with HGs, I really enjoy RGs but my favorite by far are the MGs, between cleaning the pieces, painting and building it will always take me more than a couple months and that is what I truly enjoy, with HGs It wont take me more than a couple of weeks so it's the main reason why I don't collect that line, since I'm new to this hobby I still have plenty of MGs to collect so I'm not worried about the amount of MGs we get yearly, and hopefully not but if the mastergrade line ever stops at least there are awesome new "bandai killers" coming out
If we were getting even one MG per quarter, no one would be complaining. Instead they're pimping everything over to P-Bandai.
Ippei Gyoubu needs his own mg line with his crazy decals designs
If they are selling all of their inventory, it makes sense to concentrate on HG until the new factory is operational. Its an easier sell and they please more people with their limited resources. At the end of the day, Bandai is just one manufacturer. I'm currently getting my "fix" through other plastic model brands, both japanese and chinese (amazing original kits this year BTW!)
Can you recommend some other companies?
@@nawm8 I like super robots so Moderoid from Japan (goodsmile is the parent company). Zaku recently did a review of an original chinese model called Thor, that you can get in (usagundamstore) along other great releases like "Ruling", "Judge Moonlight", "Blue Dragon", "Lancelot of the Lake", "Cao Ren", "Tactical Machine Apocalypse", "Sky Defender". Gundamit store is a great place for those as well.
I just want more IBO 1/100 scale kits :( Although i will say the recent 1/100 3rd party kits have been refreshing and fun builds
The problem with current Master Grade is Real Grade Kits. RG kits used to be positioned between HG and MG. But now RGs are filling the price segment of MG.
NGL, since Bandai move away from using those dreadful Advance MS joints, modern RG kits really improves in quality. They're well engineered, got cool gimmicks, nice detailed parts, and most importantly fun to build and to be played around. Overall a more appealing product compared to Master Grade.
No wonder Bandai put less effort and attention on general MG kits, and begin to introduce new alternative "spin-off" lineup such as MGEX & MGSD which positioned above & below regular MG price segment.
I feel this too. RG's are top notch engineering and detail wise. I do love rg's, but sometimes the size of parts just makes me feel bad about the build experience. It's a personal complaint, but I think RG's, the new ones, are really excellent overall.
@@sharkbaitcustoms6111 Yeah, it's a shame that level of detail and engineering got confined only to 1/144 scale.
I am an MG collector, and it sucks that they don't release that much MG. All new MG kits are released through PBandai. But it's okay, all these chinese 3rd party brands are creating their own "MG" scale kit which is on par with Bandai, for example the AO BING, Genesis, Ruling, Zero Gravity Judge, etc.
I am that person that only builds MGs, now. Frankly, I find them easier due to being larger in scale, and more visually stimulating. I prefer them because of the higher detail and included gimmicks that comparative HGs lack (Look at the F91 2.0 opposed to the HG for reference). RGs are too fragile, and suffer from the small part issue. PGs are out of a typical builders price range, and far too few in number.
Unless they were able to incorporate the detail and gimmicks, MGs hold over HGs... I'd be hard pressed to continue building once I run out of kits I'd be interested in, in the 1/100 scale.
Overall, the inaccessibility P-Bandai brings to the table with desirable kits between all lines, the size and aspects included with that consideration towards my MG bias, and the price to value ratio all has me sold on MGs. I really hope Bandai finds some revolutionary means of producing more MGs so that my favored line stays pumping.
Due for alteration is the ez-8. Ground type. And the nuen bitter.❤
Man what I wouldn’t do for a ver nagano galbaldy beta and Rick Dias. Thank you so much for bringing this up. I’ve always questioned this myself.
My biggest concern is the consistency. I think a MG kit should be as good if not better than a RG but scaled to 1:100. The MG Zeong looks like a nut filled turd compared to the RG Zeong and that is a shame. I would like to only purchase MG or PG kits but, the quality of some of the MG is so bad that I have had to purchase a 3rd size...the RG kits. Every time I make a new kit I find some cool unique idea used in that kit that I wish would be transferred over to other kits. For instance: Some stickers are better or cut to be near seamless, or have water decals, others have nice foil decals, some inner parts show through for more detail, some have better hands, some use a magnet to hold the shield, some allow for LED, some let you turn on and off the LED from the outside, some come with stands, some have metallic parts or full metal parts, some have deeper grooves for lining, some let you know when you have used all of the runner....etc
One of the best is the new MGEX Strike Freedom. I would buy every MGEX if this was the quality I could expect consistently! I have decided to stop buying RG, HG, and EG kits from now on in hopes that they will release more MG and PG kits. I will focus all my purchasing on just these kits from now on.
Main MG Mobile Suits aside, there's still lack of supporting/grunt/etc MG mobile suits for other series. Where's the MG Maxter, Dragon, Rose and Bolt Gundams, Bandai? 😭😭
I was one of those hoping to get more MG IBO Gundams seeing how we got the 00 kits, but I guess Barbatos is like Exia and we will have to wait 10 years for the other Gundams to come out
About the decals, I couldnt care less about waterslides, Im okay with regular stickers but I would love to have dry transfers again specially for like faction logos etc
Ngl, I clicked because of the thumbnail 😂! More of those please! Perfect representation of the community
I think its because Bandai has now opened P Bandai in the US and EU (ish). They can reuse a lot of the old molds for "new" kits, like the KÄMPFER SCHWER and ECLIPSE GUNDAM REACTOR 2. Most of the kit is the old mold with a few new parts, so it's easier and more cost efficient to do not only reprints of older kits for general retail, but these "new" premium kits for the P Bandai stores. Not to mention that the old stuff still sells, and it shows when they are still reprinting the MG RX-78 1.5 and 2.0 when the 3.0 and The Origin versions exist.
But because of the pandemic and the ensuing supply chain issues caused by it, I'm sure the shrewd Japanese business suits at the top are more inclined to keep making what they have, and re releasing older kits over R&Ding new ones, at least for the time being. Hopefully when the new factories open we will see shifts in the market, as the US likes Wing and G more compared to UC. So hopefully we will see new kits because they would sell better in a specific region, so we can get an MG Serpent Custom, MG Maxter, etc.
I don't care if it is MG but I really do love the 1:100 scale kit. They tend to be a great sized kit with plenty of detail. And a little easier for me to work on as I don't exactly have surgeon hands.....
WfM is insanely popular for a Gundam series. I’m surprised we aren’t seeing more FM or MG of those mobile suits. They might be waiting to see whats popular among fans after the series end.
Need to wait at least 2 years
Good stuff Zach lots of interesting points
Thanks Simon!
I can't say much but my favorite grades MG and RG. I'd be sad to see either of those disappear. (Also when MG Exia 2.0. Come on that NEEDS to happen. )
I'm a HG builder anyway, so it wouldn't bother me if the MG line would be discontinued. However I know a lot of builders prefer MG so I wouldn't want that to happen. Gunpla is meant to be enjoyed no matter what grade you prefer.
For me I feel the size of 1/100 scale feels just right. Its my sweet spot. And the level of detail a master grade is at I feel is the amount I want.
I have considered many times to collect RGs but everytime I convince myself to attempt to buy one and see the displayed 1/144, I just start feeling underwhelmed.
People also should dig into some of the old MGs. I'm building the granddaddy 1.5 at the moment and having a blast. It's old as hell, but still fun. It's fascinating to see how things have changed.
Hell yeah, don’t need to wait around and complain about no new kits. There are already so many great MGs available 👍 good point
im glad that they're still reprinting lots of the older mgs
@@kidrobot. they need to do more of them like the gm custom quel kai zaku f2 theres so many older ones that i've never seen them reprint
@@theholypopechodeii4367 I mean, the 1.0 and 1.5 RX-78 are near constants every yrun Bandai does. Soem are super obscure, but others aren't. And while the Origin and 2.0 are both considerably better than the 1.0 or the 1.5, the retro builds are still a lot of fun. And tend to be affordable, with the plastic tax increases of the last couple of years. There are non-p-bandai HG's that cost more than the 1.5 these days.
The 1.5 was a pretty cool build. I didn't expect the a proto advanced ms joint for the legs
MG AGE 3 and MG FX. Still waiting though.
Honestly being outside of Japan i can say for certain that getting a Master Grade is really expensive and some a difficult to obtain or cannot be obtained, i also feel like P-Bandai is a dick move, its also the only reason am sticking to Master Grades only, its so that i can keep my purchases in control and i also like the size and detailing on Master Grades. Also i feel like these separate purchases is Bandai making us buy DLC for Gunpla 😂.
Anyways i would like the MG line to continue but i do wish to know what would be planned because what i dislike are duplicates and re-releases, sure would be improvements but being outside Japan it would be expensive and getting a duplicate really doesn't feel nice for me.
so it seems while Bandai are penny pinching, & removing stuff from their kits, other Brands making other Mech kits are adding more stuff to their own kits and for a cheaper price
I’ve been waiting patiently for 1 Kit. A 1/100 scale Zock. It’s literally the last non-MSV One Year War MS. I want to believe that they have that waiting on the sidelines. But who knows.
My main gripe is they locked away the really interesting stuff in pbandai (Gundam MK V, EW wing ver stuff)
even when pbandai shop is available to buy at msrp, most of the time we lose to bots because bandai refuses to set purchase limit to 1 per user. most of the time we still had to buy from resellers at at leat 50% markup. MGs are already more expensive to begin with, and having to pay pb markup and shipping on top of that.
for bases they should include static stands especially for kits with oversize or heavy backpacks to at least do standing pose
I’ve started building tamiya and eduard model planes and I’ve been having a blast with the detailing. Not sure if/when I’m gonna buy a new gundam tbh.