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Bandai's part casting, fit, and instructions are built to a standard that is really easy to get used to, it's easy to overlook how much extra work models used to take and sometimes still do.
Their plastic quality seems better than other companies too. I bought a Kotobukiya EVA kit and by god, the plastic felt so brittle to the point that I managed to snap a joint in half. And I dont think it was specific to my copy either, since the Metabee kit i got also felt like it might break under the tiniest stress...
That is why Bandai is still the leading model kit manufacturer to date. For the complete package and experience (revolutionary kit engineering, color-correct molding, no-glue build, high quality plastic grade, and near-figure posability), I'd consider their gunpla is arguably cheap. Actual kit building is the one like tamiya, revell, etc. You have to manually glue, paint, and all but Bandai made the hobby acessible to both newcomers and veteran builders. And their model kit line expansion is something that I definitely support and admire (like the recently released T rex fossil for example. That is really cool.) But if I have to comment, I honestly don't like their recent business model in gunpla releases by making some whole new kit p-bandai. I don't know what they would like to achieve by doing that, and as far as I know they honestly want to promote gunpla internationally but the p bandai is definitely a countermeasure for their own goal. Not to mention some of the new releases are subpar and thoughtless (hg tristan and various grades of unicorn repeats). People would definitely get bored and it's just about time that third parties would produce/modify something that a large chunk of fans actually want like the ones produced by DM (testament, akatsuki, outframe, d-hell tv ver, and the cancelled blue frame 3rd) and Zero Gravity (hi res stylized forbidden) Despite the legal/not legal morale and not exactly bandai quality, people would still buy this third party releases because they are interested due to its uniqueness/scarcity of the official release of the said model. Judge was an enjoyable build and astray outframe is one of my favorite kit. I hope Bandai will 'wake up' and 'hear' the builders more so that people would prioritize them as the OG IP holder of gunpla releases.
A good test for ones skill is definitely aircraft models. And not the Ace Combat ones. I'm talking go get a Trumpeter or Eduard WWII kit. Shits fun haha
I've never understood the moral outrage around third parties making their own gundam kits - is that not sort of pro-monopoly? I pretty exclusively buy Bandai kits myself because I like them, but beyond the myopic "IP theft is bad" dogma I see no real problem with third parties making bootlegs. There would be a significant problem if the third parties made copies and put fake Bandai branding on the box, perhaps. That would be more problematic for obvious reasons. I haven't heard of any case like that, though.
@@somebloke4194 its licensing reasons. Thats like if you, a random person, suddenly started selling Starbucks coffee without it being starbucks coffee. Or whatever car manufacturer without their say-so and standards checks. Imagine getting a homemade BMW.. its that kind of stuff. You can make your own action figures, just not gundam since Bandai owns the rights for them. Much like Habisco owns Transformers, etc.
I've never built any bootleg kits since I started collecting gunpla kits but I'm tempted to build that Super Nova Wing Gundam Zero Snow White Prelude. Bandai should just really make a standard release of these kits
that kit will ended as a statue. it's really difficult, almost impossible to pose it aside from standing, especially the seraphim binders/neue zwerg because its connectors are too weak to support it. Overtight joints didn't helped either.
I built the older version of this without the metal frame, and while it required a little extra work, it was way easier than this it seems. I didn't have to glue anything. I just had to open up a few peg holes or sand some pegs. The overall design is amazing, and it's probably my favorite kit that I've straight built (I panted the gold joints though).
The cut-out from the decals was the dragon momoko's logo. Few years ago, bandai itself drop the hammer to them, so some of their molds were confiscated or even destroyed. Later on, it was a surprise that they are starting again to sell some kits. The original DM Strike Freedom doesn't come with a metal frame. It is actually made in plastic and also in a runner.
1. I love your videos. 2. PLEASE, do more videos in this style. The commentary is priceless. It's exactly how we all feel when we have to take something apart that we've already put together.
I've built a couple bootlegs and its exactly as mecha gaikotsu says, the biggest problem is the fitting. For me I just twist my nipper a bit in the peg holes to widen it. I'd say the ones that are worth it is the metal build ones as it is a MB but built like a normal gundam. However the normal MGs are pretty good as well, despite the fitting, as it is often half the price of the bandai ones. BUT it is really easy to get your hands on one in asia, might be different in the west.
I have to admit, I did buy some Daban Kits, since the prices are very cheap in my country. Used it as last resort spare parts or kitbash, or "background MS/destroyed MS" for dioramas.
Kit bro. Although yeah. Some bootleg figures do look cool, like the samurai version of Vidar. Meanwhile, I wish Bandai makes a legit Akatsuki MG because Dragon Momoko is getting harder to find and getting more expensive.
I used to purchase bootlegs when I am just starting with the hobby. Then practiced painting on it. Then I moved to the real thing. Everytime I am building Bootleg kits my hands hurts. But Dragon Momoko is different, I mean the old Dragon Momoko kits are good shit. IDK about their new kits though.
Bootleg model kit is a definition of " Beauty is Pain" for me. I have built a couple of MG bootleg Daban dan Super Nova. Even though the end result is really beautiful but the building experience is the worse, I can't get the "zen" I usually have and for me building experience is important. But the weapons dan accessories are Incredible, got extra pairs and nice design. Have to choose the final pose I want to and never touch em ever again due to the falling parts and limbs, completely a plastic grenade! Final verdict: the agony, the suffering...never again 😫.
Daban, yeah, it's a total pain in the butt. I just finished a Daban "Metal Build" Astraea and I had no fun at all with the build process. It does look beautiful though. Supernova I didn't think was as bad. Not as easy as Bandai or even Kotobukiya but when I built the Supernova Altron I was shocked by how smoothly it went, and this is considering it's the early Altron, which received mixed reviews and my hobby store had discouraged me from buying it.
@@KrisHomemadeBaking I got the opposite experience. MY MG Daban red frame assembly quite good but only few parts not fit well but the shoulder armour and various small parts (even the V fin!) often falling apart when I accidentally shake the shelf. In the end I didn't pose it, only took the weapons and git it to my Bandai Red Frame ver ka and make it OP yontoryu MS 🤣. Supernova MG Sandrok however a pain in the butt from head to toe. Only because of the amazing silhouette from the MS, I choose a final form, glue everything, and pose it on the shelf. My bootleg One Piece pirate ship obliterate out of the blue, I have to throw away the ship model kit on rage quit manners because it suddenly snaps and exploded once I put it on the shelf because the joints can't hold for long without gluing. Maybe for bootleg model kit is a "hit or miss" situation depends on what MS/model we build.
@@syukrimahmud4023 haha oh man even the Bandai's One Piece pirate ship has its share of issues (the masking alone drove me insane and I had to take a one month break from painting it) so what chances would the bootleg version have...
I once bought DM Strike Noir and i kid you not it made me quit gunpla building until a couple years later that i got back to it. I had to sand sooo many pegs and tighten it with pliers and looots of nail polish(for tightening)
I was fortunate enough to get an official Metal Build Strike Freedom awhile back, but that thing has terrible QC. The joints are so loose that some parts just flop around, and the worst part is that tightening a metal build requires dismantling a factory made model.
I don't remember this kit being such a nightmare. It's above my desk right now and.. the only issue I recall are those accursed, tiny grey sections in the chest. As soon as I put it up, one fell out and I never found it.. So that's an obnoxious eye sore, but alas. Can't do anything about it. That being said, that wing span is insane and finding a place for it is tough. Also if you want a real 'hell' for third party, the Spider Crab Barbatos is basically the kit that made me take a break from building for a bit. lol That thing was trash tier.
well that's the beauty of bootleg kits. Each box is a different experience even if they are the same kit. It's always a hit or miss, you either get a perfectly fitting kit or an abysmal nightmare. The worse part about it is, you don't even know if the fitting issue will be the only problem you'll have.
The reason is that Dragon Momoko basically don't exist anymore. I am actually surprised this Product exist. The reason the one you built has less issue is probably because what you bought was probably the 1st run of the kit. Meaning the molds probably are still as pristine as they can get. This is obviously a re-run, and considering the factory is technically shouldn't exist per say, with even worst QC and quality. I actually don't remember the first run of the Dragon Momoko Strike Freedom to have a prebuilt inner frame. You used to have to build that your self...
Haven't build the spider crab and I cannot comment how worse it is, but mine was the MJH wing. Everything just fell apart and it's glue galore if you want it to be stable.
@@bryanmerel apparently it's a different company MjH strike freedom metal build figure. From what I gather it was basically just using the Dragon Momoko branding.
For people who want to build this kit, make sure you're buying the DM version, the Daban version of this kit is one of the worst 3rd party kits you can buy
I remembered building my Daban Strike Freedom, the pain on my fingers building that kit. Worst part of it I build it twice because my first kit was broken because my of my lovely stupid cat who accidentally shove it off on display...
I keep looking at gundam kits prices and wishing that they would be less expensive. If there would be competitions from other companies maybe banday would lower their prices. The new RX 78-2 perfect gread unleashed is almost 400 dollars!
Dragon momoko always seems like the company to go for when you want good visual designs for bootlegs. I remembe they have an Altron gundam with long tentacle dragon heads as subarms rather than on the main arms. Since they aren't awkwardly transforming normal arms, these dragon heads are EVERYTHING you always wanted from shenlong variants. Long, curvy bends, massively opened jaws, reach that goes on for miles.
The reason they cut out the logo on the. Waterslide, is because it's one of the. Tactics they use to "avoid" copyright infringement. This means that usually they dont put instructions in the boxes these days (you have to download the pdf) or not include the word "gundam", even going so far as fo cut off decals from their sheets on re-releases of older kits
DM kits look incredible, but yeah the build isn't great in a lot of their kits lol. Daban makes good stuff, and Super Nova. I mean you can get a PG Daban Phenex for around $100 or so depending on where you buy. Not amazon
I built a tallgeese III MG knock off from daban… the quality was decent. The peg joints had a ridge that made them hard to come apart. I bought it cuz I couldn’t get pbandai stuff at that time
It’s a good example of why Bandai deserves appreciation for their precise molding. Even the “worst” Bandai kit I have, is miles above and beyond a standard model kit you can find in a hobby shop. Their technology is impressive and the money they take is not bad. Bandai-Namco is a different matter, but their Gunpla factory is an underrated success story of human ingenuity.
But there is an interesting point of discussion "Do bootleg kits must have so bad reputation?". Yeah this kit have some issues and it is not beginners friendly but for someone with knowledgement on model kits and also likes to do mods those issues are minimal and with a little more of work this can look even better. From my point of view and also knowing that the kit that is based on will not come again. I believe is a good option for any expert builder.
Honestly I've only built 3 (technically 4) bootleg kits, those being the Hobbystar Astrea, Hobbystar Astrea Type F (+ the gn launcher), Dragon Momoko Out-Frame D, Dragon Momoko Testament (technically) and maybe I was just extremely lucky or something, but I literally just straight built them, and they turned out alright, no loose anything to speak of, nothing missing out of box.
Dragon Momoko is the best bootleg company out there. I've built their PG Unicorn Gundam, which I also recommend that you get a hold of. Bandai had them closed down a few years back, but they're back again. There are even rumors that Dragon Momoko designers were hired by Bandai when DM closed down lol
Motor Nova makes great kits, and they're like the judge in that its their own design, not a Gundam rip off. I love how they tell you all the sprues you need for each section of the model! I enjoyed building it more than my RG Wing Zero
Super Nova's Heavyarms IGEL Unit was an insane build, and I would actually highly recommend them. Apart from the instruction manual, I would have never guessed that it was bootleg. It is the sturdiest Gunpla kit I have ever built. Oh my goodness. Only thing I had to do extra was dry some super glue on the elbow and shoulder joints to pad it out because those miniguns are huge and a bit heavy for the joints to hold up long term. But otherwise it is a fantastic kit, built solid, and highly detailed.
Honestly kinda surprising you had this many issues with this kit. Maybe it’s due to being a metal build version, but I have built their Deathscythe hell, and while some stuff was tight, it was a good kit overall. Also badass looking to boot.
Built their Deathscythe Hell and (technically their) Hirm Wing Zero Ew - same thing like he described on the Deathscythe. Had to redrill and widen that fucker throughtout making the build a total pain :( Then a certain lad vigorously drilled the cloak's holes too wide... now it's Sadscythe :(
Mr Gaukotsu, After seeing your build setup and your nub cup your using, might be worth asking your friends over at HLJ for one of the Hobby Work Station (Pro) no need for a nub cup, has a place to rest the instructions, nipper holder and built in light. I bought one from HLJ 12 months ago and it was a game changer.
28:00 Wow, this is really fancy. It is a nice gundam kit although it is not my taste. But I can see my favorites on 28:17 lol Thank you for your review. :)
I keep looking at this one myself. It’s basically the metal build with only the frame being built. The Strike Freedom has never had a good inner frame from Bandai which is really sad because it’s probably one of my favorite Gundam designs and one with a gorgeous inner frame for the model kits I was hoping for after all these years. If Bandai would actually do a Hi Res Strike Freedom I would probably be all over it.
If you're from the Philippines, I recommend buying magic trick liquid. It helps tighten the joints without the need for dissasembling the fig. But I do recommend trying kikis loose action joints since it's a better product when it comes to tightening joints
When you build any type of bootleg kits it is well, telling you to flex those gunpla experience and techniques to customize kits or for in particular a knockoff one.. I've built mine a couple of months back and its sitting on my shelf, its a beauty.. No paon No gain mecha😉
@@meijinkawaguchiiii2540 as along as it can display n look cool I gonna buy that now daban got new product....the rumors said they hve bankrupt...but they make new copy metabi....
So this is basically a pre-assembled Metal-Build SF. Bet the reason they cut off that corner on the sticker sheet is due to it's bandai's logo, and this kit is made by the factory that supplies the metal-build SF to bandai. Bandai never re-release it, so the factory (out of contract I assume) just reuse the left over molding tools and start selling those themselves.
My first Gunpla was in fact a bootleg which was the FG Gundam Dynames I'm glad I did build that because it made me dive into Bandai Gunpla ( I do still buy bootlegs for painting purposes or if the price of the original is unreasonable)
Damn did not see that transition to manscape coming. Was about to spit the drink i was drinking. lol I got the daban one and the build was really a nightmare for me too, esp that it does not come with a metal frame. Had to get tools to make sure the parts fit right, and at the same time to make sure that i dont sand/drill too much. but we can all agree that it does look damn beautiful.
The only time I've ever built a bootleg was the MG Deathscythe Hell TV Ver. (because Bandai refuses to make an MG out of the TV Wing suits :\) I can 100% relate with the crap building experience but the final product is pretty neat. Unfortunately because I got too overboard with some of the peg-sanding, it falls apart so easily now.
Well, when the MG Deathscythe Hell TV Ver. being hard to find rn and in small numbers if they ever decide to produce them I thing the DM or other companies might be my only option. Deathscythe TV and EW are really only color variations of the same suit. If I get the DS H TV from Bandai I'll swap the head off the EW Ver, it looks better to me.
I have the Daban version of the strike freedom MB, and am very happy I have it. To me, I appreciate third party kits for the releases that aren't standard releases. So they also did one for the testament way before Bandai, and various others that haven't received a real MG. That is the perfect niche for third party imo, as well as interesting redesigns. Ofc i'll always buy the real thing if it's there, but if a third party kit has something special, i'm happy it exists at all. My experience with the daban strike freedom has been great, too. The build had some rough spots, as expected, and the plastic is weaker too. But overall, it is stable enough, articulates well, and is a great way to have a strike freedom MB at home that doesn't drain your wallet
My first gunpla kit was a bootleg, it was a HG 00 Raiser. I bought it without knowing this, and didn't know much about gunpla back then. Took me 4h to assemble it because of the adjustments to fit the parts togerher.
I didn’t have half the problems Mecha had with this kit. I certainly didn’t need a pin vice or anything like that. Yes, I did have to glue a couple of parts and some of the pegs needed a bit of filing, but it wasn’t that bad. And in the end it looks fantastic. And it is pretty solid. More solid when complete than some Bandai kits.
@@blazinkid5178 unfortunately, they don't but their inner frames is sturdy and simple to build. I think their best kit was the Heavyarms EW / IGEL (dunno if I got the name right) Joints are tight as hell especially the elbow joints and the Backpack. Can hold 2 double gatling with no prob whatsoever. But of course, it'll loosen up if you play to much haha Mine still tight tho
Fun Fact: This is the second time DM create the strike freedom because the first strike freedom didn't have a metal frame. All of it was regular inner runners. When DM shutdown they lost most of their kits. With it why they're two different white armor. When I first build it my kit didn't get a instruction book so I have to use the older version. I still love the kit. Probably my favorite.
That's a shame. I've built lots of bootleg kits from various brands (hey no judging, I've built more Bandai kits though) and Dragon Momoko kits are actually the better ones. I have most of their kits like Destiny, Strike and their weapon packs, Avalanche Exia, Testament, Strike Noir and I always praise them compared to Daban (TT Hongli at that time). Unique design and rather easy to build. The problems you mentioned here used to exist in the Daban kits (looking at you, damned Daban MG Sazabi ver ka). Daban (when they are still Hongli) even released Sinanju ver ka before and the red armor are almost transparent lol I don't mean to justify purchasing bootleg kits, but they are much better now. Wing series from Supernova are great and have nice fittings. MJH also released amazing kits. Daban, on the other hand, still sucks. Btw this Strike Freedom is one of the last kits from Dragon Momoko, together with Astray Blue Frame 3rd. I remember pre-ordered them before, then got canceled because of their closure.
Daban has always been a staple for me, giving the worst experiences of a build ever. Their Astray Amatsu Mina was absolutely a nightmare. It looks like one of the nicest kits ever once I finished it but oh boy was that bad. Astrea type-F wasn't much better, I have the Barbatos HiRM copy in my backlog so we'll see how much they've improved. DM is hit or miss imo, their Destiny Heine was pretty bad, but Deathscythe Hell was great. Supernova takes the cake for best 3rd party quality and most aesthetically pleasing (IMO of course), I ended up getting the whole wing lineup from them.
Also after Zero G came out with that Judge MS... that was a game changer for sure. Way better than any Bandai kit I've built; and I am quite the addict lol.
I am a fan in China, and I used to build DM kits back in 2016-17. Apparently, DM fell into a legal issue back in 2018 accused by Bandai Namco. In the end, DM was fined 1.89M RMB (292k USD) and the owner was sentenced to prison for 3years and 6 months. Originally DM had its logo at the bottom right corner of water slide decals and the front cover of the boxes. Since all of its products were banned in the market since 2018, I assume the seller had to remove all logos in order to avoid copyright problems during shipping.
Buying bootlegs is not necessarily a bad thing if there is no option to buy official at all. Like the First Edition TF Prime Toys aren't officially available and there is so few out there in the 2nd hand market that bootlegs are the only way to go.
wow, for me i am okay with bootlegs like this beautiful , its a challenge for bandai monopolizing the market and keeps on doing different versions if they can do the best version why not.
@@zeigald exactly. The point here is if a company will monopolize the product we will just adjust according to their wants if they have challengers like this they will improve more than what they offer us. And its bad for consumers because they will just do an upgrade of version every year . and people keep on buyingbit for just a minor upgrades.
@@zeigald if we are talking about legality of course they do not have the rights for that but again competition is healthy for improvements. I am talking about innovation of a product to the maximum efficiency. Bandai is doing its best to close down their threats meaning it also pushes them to make better products than before. As a gunpla collector i saw the improvement of gunplas these past years until now. I collect older kits since i was young 25 years ago. And the innovations they made since the bootleg counterparts improve they also improve their products drastically. Means good for the consumer. We will not stick on recycling old runners they only make. And young ones who will buy gunpla can now enjoy more of the product because of this competition.
@@unclelao6882 that's quite a load of assumption to make to justify the existence of bootlegs. Attributing the advancement of gunpla to bootlegs rather than to the advancements in Bandai's internal technologies is quite a leap in logical reasoning.
i never buy bootlegs in my life and never will. cuz the people in bandai worked really hard to make gunpla a reality, so the only thing i can do to respect that is buying the real thing. but hey each to their own.
Just to play Devil's Atticate, The Metal Build line of figures is managed by TAMASHII NATIONS which shouldn't influence Gunpla Sales as they rarely intertwine with each other. Back to the topic on hand... Nothing wrong with what you or anybody else says because "Voting with Wallet" is the only way to show Bandai what you think.
@@ZarlLarlack What? A goods industry can also be monopolistic, wherein the goods are plastic model kits/robot toys. It may not be a pure monopoly and is likely closer to an oligopoly, but you can't deny that Bandai will have a decently sized market share in that industry.
These 3rd party kits are indeed very beautiful when built, but a lot of patience is needed to build these, I had my experience with some of these, they all look great, but a lot of them have fitting issues, like pegs being too long or too tight, or wrong numbers in the manual book. If you can overlook these issues, these kits are great to have, considering most of them are pretty cheap for what they offer.
@@Trinioutsider34 the only 3rd Party product i built now a days are those that are actually originally designed. I just built an Ironman Mk85 model kit from Eastern Model. It was a such a great Model kit
,@@bryanmerel I also consider "3rd party" bootleg as well. Like those companies, most of the time don't have permission to reproduce another companies work.
DRAGON MOMOKO IS THE BOOTLEGS FINEST. Rest In Peace Dragon Momoko. must buy atleast one whenever it is available. i started building from bootlegs those issues you have is only minor issues on bootleg or thirdparty average builders. I enjoy building with bandai since its easier to build snap fit feels nice.
I wound up getting a DM Tallgeese III for free. And it was the worst building experience I had ever had. I sold the particle cannon, used the heat rod in another build, and threw the rest in the trash.
The Real Bootleg experience. I think thats good to be able to watch this kind of videos. Even if you bought a bootleg kit anyone can see thats for a good purpose. Totally on it
for most gundam fans on a budget, the bootleg route is the only way for us to get some gunpla for display haha you should try building the whole super nova line up for gundam wing
You get a similar look from the Strike freedom Full Burst MG kit, only the clear plastic that mounts the dragoons droops over time and requires constant propping up. You don't get the chest or railgun shot effects though which is a shame.
Obviously this isn't for newbies but at least an intermediate builder and have an expectation of what pose you'd like to keep it once it's completed. You'd need to get 3 copies of this kit to do justice in displaying it. I got a couple of the original DM SF kits that didn't have the metal frame when it first came out and then got the first batch release with the metal frame. Guess i had a lot more experience with the original kit so i kinda knew what i was going to have difficulties when the metal frame came out. You'd need an entirely new Detolf glass display cabinet to properly show off this kit as it takes so much space with the Full Burst Mode. Again it's best that you get more than one copy of this so that you don't fool around with posing it in different positions and just leave it as it is in standing position, attack action pose or full burst mode. Worth the effort in building it once you see how majestic it will be once it's completed. FYI, try putting UV light on with the Wings&Beam FX. I'm still working on putting LEDs inside the wings, dragoons&guns for the Full Burst Mode.
I have the destiny as well, once u finish building them both, they are just eye candy, nothing else can be done because of how much u have to glue and brittle the articulation was
I have built the first version of this kit, the one without the metal frame/pre-built frame. mostly fitting issues on the torso and head, but the one that convinced me to buy it was the WOL. it isnt the most shabby SF out there, it doesnt standout from the rest (because we used to have an annual display of gunplas in a mall) unless you are really a seed/seed destiny fan.
Its weird that your version of daban come with a full skeleton, i have to build it up and it isn’t better :)) At least the instructions on mine didn’t had a stroke
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Damn this chick is pale as a ghost and she has man hands/claws ...wtf is going on here??
@@stanlee2200 bro what?
@@acguy907do you not comprehend English?? What u mean bro what
@『𝐗𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐑』『ザビエル』 exactly what I said...what else could I mean??
@@stanlee2200 i don't know what you are talking about
That had to be the best transition to a Manscape Ad I've ever seen XD
rlly love it when he says "HAIRLESS BALLS"
It explains the hairless arms.
It was brilliant
Bandai's part casting, fit, and instructions are built to a standard that is really easy to get used to, it's easy to overlook how much extra work models used to take and sometimes still do.
I bought an apex gun kit and was cursing at how poorly the pieces fit together. end result was cool though. I just need to get some glue...
Their plastic quality seems better than other companies too. I bought a Kotobukiya EVA kit and by god, the plastic felt so brittle to the point that I managed to snap a joint in half.
And I dont think it was specific to my copy either, since the Metabee kit i got also felt like it might break under the tiniest stress...
That is why Bandai is still the leading model kit manufacturer to date.
For the complete package and experience (revolutionary kit engineering, color-correct molding, no-glue build, high quality plastic grade, and near-figure posability), I'd consider their gunpla is arguably cheap.
Actual kit building is the one like tamiya, revell, etc. You have to manually glue, paint, and all but Bandai made the hobby acessible to both newcomers and veteran builders. And their model kit line expansion is something that I definitely support and admire (like the recently released T rex fossil for example. That is really cool.)
But if I have to comment, I honestly don't like their recent business model in gunpla releases by making some whole new kit p-bandai. I don't know what they would like to achieve by doing that, and as far as I know they honestly want to promote gunpla internationally but the p bandai is definitely a countermeasure for their own goal.
Not to mention some of the new releases are subpar and thoughtless (hg tristan and various grades of unicorn repeats).
People would definitely get bored and it's just about time that third parties would produce/modify something that a large chunk of fans actually want like the ones produced by DM (testament, akatsuki, outframe, d-hell tv ver, and the cancelled blue frame 3rd) and Zero Gravity (hi res stylized forbidden)
Despite the legal/not legal morale and not exactly bandai quality, people would still buy this third party releases because they are interested due to its uniqueness/scarcity of the official release of the said model.
Judge was an enjoyable build and astray outframe is one of my favorite kit.
I hope Bandai will 'wake up' and 'hear' the builders more so that people would prioritize them as the OG IP holder of gunpla releases.
True i built a monogram 1:35 Patton tank and the fitting it probably the worst i have seen bandai models are some of the best ever
A good test for ones skill is definitely aircraft models. And not the Ace Combat ones. I'm talking go get a Trumpeter or Eduard WWII kit. Shits fun haha
It's hard to say buying a bootleg hurts the hobby when there is no official option to be had
And also when gunpla is a huge multi million dollar Industry. It's not like it's some small mom and pop operation lmao
I've never understood the moral outrage around third parties making their own gundam kits - is that not sort of pro-monopoly? I pretty exclusively buy Bandai kits myself because I like them, but beyond the myopic "IP theft is bad" dogma I see no real problem with third parties making bootlegs.
There would be a significant problem if the third parties made copies and put fake Bandai branding on the box, perhaps. That would be more problematic for obvious reasons. I haven't heard of any case like that, though.
ikr ,look at transformers scene ,3rd party and bootleg are thriving, did it hurts the hobby? nope
I guess it hurts the company more than the hobby itself
@@somebloke4194 its licensing reasons. Thats like if you, a random person, suddenly started selling Starbucks coffee without it being starbucks coffee.
Or whatever car manufacturer without their say-so and standards checks.
Imagine getting a homemade BMW.. its that kind of stuff.
You can make your own action figures, just not gundam since Bandai owns the rights for them. Much like Habisco owns Transformers, etc.
This man wears Nail Polish and has Biceps that would make Jason Mamoa blush
it's official, dudes a JoJo character in the real worl
Fuck, you're right, he has serious JoJo energy!
Can’t prove him a Jojo character if you can’t see his Stand.
Must be a hamon yet
@@whatisnot1926 cant see his stand if you dont even have one :)
@@whatisnot1926 not all jojo characters are stand users
I've never built any bootleg kits since I started collecting gunpla kits but I'm tempted to build that Super Nova Wing Gundam Zero Snow White Prelude. Bandai should just really make a standard release of these kits
You should bro. Supernova is practically the best among all bootleg brands
that kit will ended as a statue. it's really difficult, almost impossible to pose it aside from standing, especially the seraphim binders/neue zwerg because its connectors are too weak to support it. Overtight joints didn't helped either.
bandai: oh, ok. Here another unicorn kit for u
Yes go for it! I was hesitant at first but, wow. Pretty good. Also the Nilson Works PG Astray ghost.
Same bro
I built the older version of this without the metal frame, and while it required a little extra work, it was way easier than this it seems. I didn't have to glue anything. I just had to open up a few peg holes or sand some pegs. The overall design is amazing, and it's probably my favorite kit that I've straight built (I panted the gold joints though).
The cut-out from the decals was the dragon momoko's logo. Few years ago, bandai itself drop the hammer to them, so some of their molds were confiscated or even destroyed. Later on, it was a surprise that they are starting again to sell some kits. The original DM Strike Freedom doesn't come with a metal frame. It is actually made in plastic and also in a runner.
geez. no wonder. when i was watching the review i was like 'WHERE WAS THE METAL FRAME WHEN I BOUGHT A DRAGON MOMOKO STRIKE NOIR?"
But it's way more pricy compared to Thier old price
i still have the old ver sitting in my old house somewhere, hope its not this bad when i finally get around to building it
daban hammered many time still alive baby
@@nagasumi1547 bootleg kits have gotten so pricey that they're almost bandai price at this point...
1. I love your videos. 2. PLEASE, do more videos in this style. The commentary is priceless. It's exactly how we all feel when we have to take something apart that we've already put together.
I would try to have faith on bootlegs figures as long my delivery isn’t late.
I've built a couple bootlegs and its exactly as mecha gaikotsu says, the biggest problem is the fitting. For me I just twist my nipper a bit in the peg holes to widen it. I'd say the ones that are worth it is the metal build ones as it is a MB but built like a normal gundam. However the normal MGs are pretty good as well, despite the fitting, as it is often half the price of the bandai ones. BUT it is really easy to get your hands on one in asia, might be different in the west.
I have to admit, I did buy some Daban Kits, since the prices are very cheap in my country.
Used it as last resort spare parts or kitbash, or "background MS/destroyed MS" for dioramas.
Kit bro.
Although yeah. Some bootleg figures do look cool, like the samurai version of Vidar. Meanwhile, I wish Bandai makes a legit Akatsuki MG because Dragon Momoko is getting harder to find and getting more expensive.
I only have one bootleg figure in my collection and it's from the fate series
I used to purchase bootlegs when I am just starting with the hobby. Then practiced painting on it. Then I moved to the real thing. Everytime I am building Bootleg kits my hands hurts. But Dragon Momoko is different, I mean the old Dragon Momoko kits are good shit. IDK about their new kits though.
Bootleg model kit is a definition of " Beauty is Pain" for me. I have built a couple of MG bootleg Daban dan Super Nova. Even though the end result is really beautiful but the building experience is the worse, I can't get the "zen" I usually have and for me building experience is important. But the weapons dan accessories are Incredible, got extra pairs and nice design. Have to choose the final pose I want to and never touch em ever again due to the falling parts and limbs, completely a plastic grenade! Final verdict: the agony, the suffering...never again 😫.
Daban, yeah, it's a total pain in the butt. I just finished a Daban "Metal Build" Astraea and I had no fun at all with the build process. It does look beautiful though. Supernova I didn't think was as bad. Not as easy as Bandai or even Kotobukiya but when I built the Supernova Altron I was shocked by how smoothly it went, and this is considering it's the early Altron, which received mixed reviews and my hobby store had discouraged me from buying it.
@@KrisHomemadeBaking I got the opposite experience. MY MG Daban red frame assembly quite good but only few parts not fit well but the shoulder armour and various small parts (even the V fin!) often falling apart when I accidentally shake the shelf. In the end I didn't pose it, only took the weapons and git it to my Bandai Red Frame ver ka and make it OP yontoryu MS 🤣. Supernova MG Sandrok however a pain in the butt from head to toe. Only because of the amazing silhouette from the MS, I choose a final form, glue everything, and pose it on the shelf. My bootleg One Piece pirate ship obliterate out of the blue, I have to throw away the ship model kit on rage quit manners because it suddenly snaps and exploded once I put it on the shelf because the joints can't hold for long without gluing. Maybe for bootleg model kit is a "hit or miss" situation depends on what MS/model we build.
@@syukrimahmud4023 haha oh man even the Bandai's One Piece pirate ship has its share of issues (the masking alone drove me insane and I had to take a one month break from painting it) so what chances would the bootleg version have...
I once bought DM Strike Noir and i kid you not it made me quit gunpla building until a couple years later that i got back to it. I had to sand sooo many pegs and tighten it with pliers and looots of nail polish(for tightening)
@@Youarekenough damn man, such agony. Gotta build a few ori Bandai model kit to heal the pain from bootleg 🤣🤣
I was fortunate enough to get an official Metal Build Strike Freedom awhile back, but that thing has terrible QC. The joints are so loose that some parts just flop around, and the worst part is that tightening a metal build requires dismantling a factory made model.
Using kikis loose joints might help without the need for dissasembling the frame itself
I don't remember this kit being such a nightmare. It's above my desk right now and.. the only issue I recall are those accursed, tiny grey sections in the chest. As soon as I put it up, one fell out and I never found it.. So that's an obnoxious eye sore, but alas. Can't do anything about it.
That being said, that wing span is insane and finding a place for it is tough. Also if you want a real 'hell' for third party, the Spider Crab Barbatos is basically the kit that made me take a break from building for a bit. lol That thing was trash tier.
well that's the beauty of bootleg kits. Each box is a different experience even if they are the same kit. It's always a hit or miss, you either get a perfectly fitting kit or an abysmal nightmare. The worse part about it is, you don't even know if the fitting issue will be the only problem you'll have.
The reason is that Dragon Momoko basically don't exist anymore. I am actually surprised this Product exist. The reason the one you built has less issue is probably because what you bought was probably the 1st run of the kit. Meaning the molds probably are still as pristine as they can get. This is obviously a re-run, and considering the factory is technically shouldn't exist per say, with even worst QC and quality. I actually don't remember the first run of the Dragon Momoko Strike Freedom to have a prebuilt inner frame. You used to have to build that your self...
Uuuuhh..that barbatos. Such a pain to pose that i end up let it go.....hahaha
Haven't build the spider crab and I cannot comment how worse it is, but mine was the MJH wing.
Everything just fell apart and it's glue galore if you want it to be stable.
@@bryanmerel apparently it's a different company MjH strike freedom metal build figure. From what I gather it was basically just using the Dragon Momoko branding.
That eclipse tease came out of nowhere lol
For people who want to build this kit, make sure you're buying the DM version, the Daban version of this kit is one of the worst 3rd party kits you can buy
How??
@@boomwee9755 DM uses the black squareish box, while Daban has a long box with a render of the kit. Most places also states which brand it is
Too late already bought the Daban version lmao
I remembered building my Daban Strike Freedom, the pain on my fingers building that kit. Worst part of it I build it twice because my first kit was broken because my of my lovely stupid cat who accidentally shove it off on display...
F
Lmao cats and gunplas on display dont usually go well
Props to Bandai for making an awesome design for the Strike Freedom.
I keep looking at gundam kits prices and wishing that they would be less expensive. If there would be competitions from other companies maybe banday would lower their prices. The new RX 78-2 perfect gread unleashed is almost 400 dollars!
You can buy it for 300$ RP.
I got a PG GP-01 for Xmas and I'm torn between building it and keeping it in the box as an investment.
@Hand Day The PG GP-01 hasn't been updated in 19 years...
Dragon momoko always seems like the company to go for when you want good visual designs for bootlegs. I remembe they have an Altron gundam with long tentacle dragon heads as subarms rather than on the main arms.
Since they aren't awkwardly transforming normal arms, these dragon heads are EVERYTHING you always wanted from shenlong variants. Long, curvy bends, massively opened jaws, reach that goes on for miles.
17:18 never thought id ever say Strike Freedom can look better than Freedom but this Metal Build version really does.
The reason they cut out the logo on the. Waterslide, is because it's one of the. Tactics they use to "avoid" copyright infringement. This means that usually they dont put instructions in the boxes these days (you have to download the pdf) or not include the word "gundam", even going so far as fo cut off decals from their sheets on re-releases of older kits
DM kits look incredible, but yeah the build isn't great in a lot of their kits lol. Daban makes good stuff, and Super Nova. I mean you can get a PG Daban Phenex for around $100 or so depending on where you buy. Not amazon
yes supernovas are really sick, built the heavyarms igel 90% of the parts are undergated. awesome
Early Supernova is trash I built altron gun dam has many fitting issues. And hand is the biggest problem.
i forgot the brand name but those bootlegs are sick, even metal build F91 gundam becoming a model kit, with extra white to make it as Test units
And the Bootleg MG ZZ Gundam Ver Ka are awesome, you don't need to buy the P bandai, because it already included the Enhanced ZZ Gundam parts.
@@zakhaevshub4735 that's daban model and AA model
Still waiting for that Psycho Zaku review.
Same. At this point I don't even care if he hates it because it's a hand grenade I just want to see him trying to deal with it on camera 😂
I built a tallgeese III MG knock off from daban… the quality was decent. The peg joints had a ridge that made them hard to come apart. I bought it cuz I couldn’t get pbandai stuff at that time
Dawg your forearm/hand veins are insane, your grip strength is prolly in the 200lbs
Reminds me of the time I built a bootleg Frame Arms Girl. Nothing fits and some part are very loose but the end results are pretty damn good.
Wait, there's a bootleg of Kotobukiya FA Girls? What's the brand?
@@First-Name_Last-Name maybe it's ATK girl Series
@@First-Name_Last-Name Pretty Armor
It’s a good example of why Bandai deserves appreciation for their precise molding.
Even the “worst” Bandai kit I have, is miles above and beyond a standard model kit you can find in a hobby shop.
Their technology is impressive and the money they take is not bad.
Bandai-Namco is a different matter, but their Gunpla factory is an underrated success story of human ingenuity.
But there is an interesting point of discussion "Do bootleg kits must have so bad reputation?". Yeah this kit have some issues and it is not beginners friendly but for someone with knowledgement on model kits and also likes to do mods those issues are minimal and with a little more of work this can look even better.
From my point of view and also knowing that the kit that is based on will not come again. I believe is a good option for any expert builder.
Well, bootleg is still sus for me. It has never been the kit itself but the license that gave me trouble.
Buying from Third Party kits will never harm Bandai.
"Do what you want cause a pirate is free, YOU ARE A PIRATE"
WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT!! I DON'T REMEMBER THE INNER FRAME OF THE FIRST RELEASE OF THIS BEING PRECONSTRUCTED!!
Honestly I've only built 3 (technically 4) bootleg kits, those being the
Hobbystar Astrea, Hobbystar Astrea Type F (+ the gn launcher), Dragon Momoko Out-Frame D, Dragon Momoko Testament (technically)
and maybe I was just extremely lucky or something, but I literally just straight built them, and they turned out alright, no loose anything to speak of, nothing missing out of box.
Dragon Momoko is the best bootleg company out there. I've built their PG Unicorn Gundam, which I also recommend that you get a hold of. Bandai had them closed down a few years back, but they're back again. There are even rumors that Dragon Momoko designers were hired by Bandai when DM closed down lol
I have the actual Soul Blue Strike Freedom metal build, and let me tell you he is definitely a grail of gundams to collect.
Motor Nova makes great kits, and they're like the judge in that its their own design, not a Gundam rip off. I love how they tell you all the sprues you need for each section of the model! I enjoyed building it more than my RG Wing Zero
Some bootlegs are good with just minimal problems.
agree. compare to the bootlegs of the 90's. that was so messed up. been there, done that. that "ben di" brand
Super Nova's Heavyarms IGEL Unit was an insane build, and I would actually highly recommend them. Apart from the instruction manual, I would have never guessed that it was bootleg. It is the sturdiest Gunpla kit I have ever built. Oh my goodness. Only thing I had to do extra was dry some super glue on the elbow and shoulder joints to pad it out because those miniguns are huge and a bit heavy for the joints to hold up long term. But otherwise it is a fantastic kit, built solid, and highly detailed.
The Astrea Type F from Daban is pretty good almost no fitting issues, a little finicky but lots of display options
So you were the one that bought the last DM strike freedom!! I waited too long to buy it lolol
It took me about a month to build bootleg... Most of the time is waiting for the bruises in my fingers to heal
Kotobukiya should have strengthen those daintily Fingers.
Train those lady fingers of yours..
Bandai’s response to this is the MGEX Strike freedom
Honestly kinda surprising you had this many issues with this kit. Maybe it’s due to being a metal build version, but I have built their Deathscythe hell, and while some stuff was tight, it was a good kit overall. Also badass looking to boot.
Built their Deathscythe Hell and (technically their) Hirm Wing Zero Ew - same thing like he described on the Deathscythe. Had to redrill and widen that fucker throughtout making the build a total pain :(
Then a certain lad vigorously drilled the cloak's holes too wide... now it's Sadscythe :(
Mr Gaukotsu, After seeing your build setup and your nub cup your using, might be worth asking your friends over at HLJ for one of the Hobby Work Station (Pro) no need for a nub cup, has a place to rest the instructions, nipper holder and built in light. I bought one from HLJ 12 months ago and it was a game changer.
28:00 Wow, this is really fancy.
It is a nice gundam kit although it is not my taste.
But I can see my favorites on 28:17 lol
Thank you for your review. :)
I love your videos
@@sp1nn1ngax3l7 me to
@@sp1nn1ngax3l7 😉
@@허니거니 감사합니다 ^^
@@BrickMecha 히히
got the Daban version, and it's solid for the past 5-6 years or so. thanks for the review of the DM SF Mecha.
Does the Daban feature any of the beam effect parts?
From what I hear, Daban CAN make higher quality kits than Bandai from time to time.
The MG Phenex being a prime example.
their recent barbatos 8818 is also good
Yes they can...but probably increase in price maybe
and their hg unicorn got free action base and free gatling that bandai didn't include. Anyway, are their new MGs(zeta 2.0, build strike, etc.)good?
@@nu3566 hi, any idea with astray red frame kai 6601? its good?
@@unbournx The daban MG phenex is 1/4th of bandai's price, the price drop itself makes it worth buying dabans
I keep looking at this one myself. It’s basically the metal build with only the frame being built. The Strike Freedom has never had a good inner frame from Bandai which is really sad because it’s probably one of my favorite Gundam designs and one with a gorgeous inner frame for the model kits I was hoping for after all these years. If Bandai would actually do a Hi Res Strike Freedom I would probably be all over it.
I had this same kit months ago. It was nice but some parts didn't fit well, the metal frame loosed up and some parts were wrong in the manual.
Typical bootleg problems
If you're from the Philippines, I recommend buying magic trick liquid. It helps tighten the joints without the need for dissasembling the fig. But I do recommend trying kikis loose action joints since it's a better product when it comes to tightening joints
I have the kit to and it's kinda a bummer that there aren't enough videos or doctrines when it comes to metal joints
I like how you cameo'ed / teased with the Eclipse Gundam MG lol. Can't wait for your review on that one.
When you build any type of bootleg kits it is well, telling you to flex those gunpla experience and techniques to customize kits or for in particular a knockoff one.. I've built mine a couple of months back and its sitting on my shelf, its a beauty.. No paon No gain mecha😉
I buy bootleg cuz it's cheap ,but yes when it's finished ,I like it,u just need patient to build them
@@bokirtua5231 yup it is cheap, but if you want to customize kits its the best one.. after all Gunpla is freedom
@@meijinkawaguchiiii2540 as along as it can display n look cool I gonna buy that now daban got new product....the rumors said they hve bankrupt...but they make new copy metabi....
So this is basically a pre-assembled Metal-Build SF. Bet the reason they cut off that corner on the sticker sheet is due to it's bandai's logo, and this kit is made by the factory that supplies the metal-build SF to bandai. Bandai never re-release it, so the factory (out of contract I assume) just reuse the left over molding tools and start selling those themselves.
My first Gunpla was in fact a bootleg which was the FG Gundam Dynames I'm glad I did build that because it made me dive into Bandai Gunpla ( I do still buy bootlegs for painting purposes or if the price of the original is unreasonable)
D.I.y deylo ehh
Damn did not see that transition to manscape coming. Was about to spit the drink i was drinking. lol
I got the daban one and the build was really a nightmare for me too, esp that it does not come with a metal frame. Had to get tools to make sure the parts fit right, and at the same time to make sure that i dont sand/drill too much. but we can all agree that it does look damn beautiful.
The only time I've ever built a bootleg was the MG Deathscythe Hell TV Ver. (because Bandai refuses to make an MG out of the TV Wing suits :\)
I can 100% relate with the crap building experience but the final product is pretty neat. Unfortunately because I got too overboard with some of the peg-sanding, it falls apart so easily now.
Count me in man.. mine has a floppy cloak and I'd call it Sadscythe if it wasn't so gorgeous lol Cheers
Well, when the MG Deathscythe Hell TV Ver. being hard to find rn and in small numbers if they ever decide to produce them I thing the DM or other companies might be my only option. Deathscythe TV and EW are really only color variations of the same suit. If I get the DS H TV from Bandai I'll swap the head off the EW Ver, it looks better to me.
@@Deathbomb9 hol up Bandai never made a TV version of DSH though... (not counting the NG 1/100 from years ago)
28:02 good luck displaying it like this
I have the Daban version of the strike freedom MB, and am very happy I have it. To me, I appreciate third party kits for the releases that aren't standard releases. So they also did one for the testament way before Bandai, and various others that haven't received a real MG. That is the perfect niche for third party imo, as well as interesting redesigns. Ofc i'll always buy the real thing if it's there, but if a third party kit has something special, i'm happy it exists at all. My experience with the daban strike freedom has been great, too. The build had some rough spots, as expected, and the plastic is weaker too. But overall, it is stable enough, articulates well, and is a great way to have a strike freedom MB at home that doesn't drain your wallet
"Buying knock-off products can harm the hobby"
Explain how paying scalpers 4x the price for a Premium Bandai kit helps Bandai.
*Im going with quality/price* ,if the billion dollar corporations screw me
*I'M GOING TO SOMEONE WHO WILL FOR CHEAPER!*
Seriously I can get a *$50* knock of statue that's basically 90% as good as the *$400 official price gouge!*
My first gunpla kit was a bootleg, it was a HG 00 Raiser. I bought it without knowing this, and didn't know much about gunpla back then. Took me 4h to assemble it because of the adjustments to fit the parts togerher.
Metal Builds in a nutshell
OW the EDGE
I didn’t have half the problems Mecha had with this kit. I certainly didn’t need a pin vice or anything like that. Yes, I did have to glue a couple of parts and some of the pegs needed a bit of filing, but it wasn’t that bad.
And in the end it looks fantastic. And it is pretty solid. More solid when complete than some Bandai kits.
You should try the "Supernova/ModelHeart" brand. They give a lot of freebie weapon (Ex. Heavyarms = 4 freaking double gatlings)
i would love to see him try the Super Nova Wing Gundam Zero Snow White Prelude, that thing is crazy ridiculous and i love it
Ooooh, do they do metal inner frames?
@@blazinkid5178 unfortunately, they don't but their inner frames is sturdy and simple to build. I think their best kit was the Heavyarms EW / IGEL (dunno if I got the name right) Joints are tight as hell especially the elbow joints and the Backpack. Can hold 2 double gatling with no prob whatsoever. But of course, it'll loosen up if you play to much haha Mine still tight tho
@@ucdungngo5164 Yeah, their Wing Gundam line up was awesome but their price also went up :( Same price as WZC Ver. Ka
@@kdgcsst3 Ah Welp, no issue, I'll definitely get the Heavyarms just for the free DAKKA because you can never have too many guns!
if you can, pls, for the love of god, build the Super Nova Wing Gundam Zero Snow White Prelude
Man, that thing look beautiful
Oooo bootlegs my favorite 😂
The cut out corners of the sticker used to have the Dragon Momoko logo in it. They probably had to remove them due to legal issues.
I mean *Decals.
That makes a lot of sense!
Try building Supernova's Wing zero Snow white prelude. Glorious kit and rather enjoyable build.
he should have build any of the SN kits.
Fun Fact: This is the second time DM create the strike freedom because the first strike freedom didn't have a metal frame. All of it was regular inner runners. When DM shutdown they lost most of their kits. With it why they're two different white armor. When I first build it my kit didn't get a instruction book so I have to use the older version. I still love the kit. Probably my favorite.
That's a shame. I've built lots of bootleg kits from various brands (hey no judging, I've built more Bandai kits though) and Dragon Momoko kits are actually the better ones. I have most of their kits like Destiny, Strike and their weapon packs, Avalanche Exia, Testament, Strike Noir and I always praise them compared to Daban (TT Hongli at that time). Unique design and rather easy to build. The problems you mentioned here used to exist in the Daban kits (looking at you, damned Daban MG Sazabi ver ka). Daban (when they are still Hongli) even released Sinanju ver ka before and the red armor are almost transparent lol
I don't mean to justify purchasing bootleg kits, but they are much better now. Wing series from Supernova are great and have nice fittings. MJH also released amazing kits. Daban, on the other hand, still sucks.
Btw this Strike Freedom is one of the last kits from Dragon Momoko, together with Astray Blue Frame 3rd. I remember pre-ordered them before, then got canceled because of their closure.
Newer Daban kits have improved a lot but yeah there's still room for improvement
Daban has always been a staple for me, giving the worst experiences of a build ever. Their Astray Amatsu Mina was absolutely a nightmare. It looks like one of the nicest kits ever once I finished it but oh boy was that bad. Astrea type-F wasn't much better, I have the Barbatos HiRM copy in my backlog so we'll see how much they've improved. DM is hit or miss imo, their Destiny Heine was pretty bad, but Deathscythe Hell was great. Supernova takes the cake for best 3rd party quality and most aesthetically pleasing (IMO of course), I ended up getting the whole wing lineup from them.
Also after Zero G came out with that Judge MS... that was a game changer for sure. Way better than any Bandai kit I've built; and I am quite the addict lol.
I am a fan in China, and I used to build DM kits back in 2016-17. Apparently, DM fell into a legal issue back in 2018 accused by Bandai Namco. In the end, DM was fined 1.89M RMB (292k USD) and the owner was sentenced to prison for 3years and 6 months. Originally DM had its logo at the bottom right corner of water slide decals and the front cover of the boxes. Since all of its products were banned in the market since 2018, I assume the seller had to remove all logos in order to avoid copyright problems during shipping.
This is a mere SD Gundam compared to a mechanicore in terms of difficulty.
i cant unsee your profile pic omg
*laugh in mechanicore, and cries.
still haven't finish tiefurmer, and i'm crying when i'm looking at my penelope, xi and gp02A boxes.
Buying bootlegs is not necessarily a bad thing if there is no option to buy official at all. Like the First Edition TF Prime Toys aren't officially available and there is so few out there in the 2nd hand market that bootlegs are the only way to go.
wow, for me i am okay with bootlegs like this beautiful , its a challenge for bandai monopolizing the market and keeps on doing different versions if they can do the best version why not.
"Monopolizing"? I didn't know you could monopolize something you own and have exclusive rights to.
@@zeigald exactly. The point here is if a company will monopolize the product we will just adjust according to their wants if they have challengers like this they will improve more than what they offer us. And its bad for consumers because they will just do an upgrade of version every year . and people keep on buyingbit for just a minor upgrades.
@@unclelao6882 There is no monopoly because this is not an open market. And there are no "challengers", only IP thieves.
@@zeigald if we are talking about legality of course they do not have the rights for that but again competition is healthy for improvements. I am talking about innovation of a product to the maximum efficiency. Bandai is doing its best to close down their threats meaning it also pushes them to make better products than before. As a gunpla collector i saw the improvement of gunplas these past years until now. I collect older kits since i was young 25 years ago. And the innovations they made since the bootleg counterparts improve they also improve their products drastically. Means good for the consumer. We will not stick on recycling old runners they only make. And young ones who will buy gunpla can now enjoy more of the product because of this competition.
@@unclelao6882 that's quite a load of assumption to make to justify the existence of bootlegs. Attributing the advancement of gunpla to bootlegs rather than to the advancements in Bandai's internal technologies is quite a leap in logical reasoning.
Bootlegs gives us the stuff we want that bandai doesn't want to. It won't really kill the hobby, it just gives more options
i never buy bootlegs in my life and never will. cuz the people in bandai worked really hard to make gunpla a reality, so the only thing i can do to respect that is buying the real thing. but hey each to their own.
Just to play Devil's Atticate,
The Metal Build line of figures is managed by TAMASHII NATIONS which shouldn't influence Gunpla Sales as they rarely intertwine with each other.
Back to the topic on hand... Nothing wrong with what you or anybody else says because "Voting with Wallet" is the only way to show Bandai what you think.
Aren’t you supporting a near-monopoly then?
@@misbehaven1237 Gundam is an intellectual property not a service, no monopoly here
@@misbehaven1237 nope im supporting the original not some thief 3rd party knock-offs of a plastic model.
@@ZarlLarlack What? A goods industry can also be monopolistic, wherein the goods are plastic model kits/robot toys. It may not be a pure monopoly and is likely closer to an oligopoly, but you can't deny that Bandai will have a decently sized market share in that industry.
These 3rd party kits are indeed very beautiful when built, but a lot of patience is needed to build these, I had my experience with some of these, they all look great, but a lot of them have fitting issues, like pegs being too long or too tight, or wrong numbers in the manual book. If you can overlook these issues, these kits are great to have, considering most of them are pretty cheap for what they offer.
I would rather just build the MG version of the Strike Freedom from Bandai again.
Considering the price of this thing, smart choice.
@@bryanmerel I just don't build bootlegs that's all.
@@Trinioutsider34 also fair.
@@Trinioutsider34 the only 3rd Party product i built now a days are those that are actually originally designed. I just built an Ironman Mk85 model kit from Eastern Model. It was a such a great Model kit
,@@bryanmerel I also consider "3rd party" bootleg as well. Like those companies, most of the time don't have permission to reproduce another companies work.
That ad transition was absolutely S+ Tier
ever since I started building gunpla models 3 years ago, I have only built 2 knock-offs which are type89 base jabber and a zaku II
Damn he already got the eclipse. Can't wait for the review
ikr that shot got me droolin over ny screen hahaha
DRAGON MOMOKO IS THE BOOTLEGS FINEST. Rest In Peace Dragon Momoko. must buy atleast one whenever it is available.
i started building from bootlegs those issues you have is only minor issues on bootleg or thirdparty average builders.
I enjoy building with bandai since its easier to build snap fit feels nice.
The decals have Dragon Monoko's Logo removed because they were shutdown in China.
You will see some DM instructions cut to remove the logos as well.
DUDEEEE, YOUR NAIL IS SO FREAKING COOL
The cut out logo in the waterslide decals is just the Dragon Momoko logo.
I built the Dragon Momoko Exia R3 last year and man did my fingers hurt from pushing pieces together even after sanding pegs down
I wound up getting a DM Tallgeese III for free. And it was the worst building experience I had ever had. I sold the particle cannon, used the heat rod in another build, and threw the rest in the trash.
The Real Bootleg experience. I think thats good to be able to watch this kind of videos. Even if you bought a bootleg kit anyone can see thats for a good purpose. Totally on it
I'm still not done building my DM MG Launcher Strike, building one takes more than building a regular Bandai kit.
I've built the five Wing suits from Super Nova, the quality definitely improved as the line went on.
for most gundam fans on a budget, the bootleg route is the only way for us to get some gunpla for display haha you should try building the whole super nova line up for gundam wing
I think that used to have the dragon momoko logo. They cut it out due to pirating issue. Try searching for the original box of it
My brain: BootleGaikotsu lol
If only Dragon Momoko made G-Gundam kits much better articulation than the limited range G-Gundam MG kits.
You get a similar look from the Strike freedom Full Burst MG kit, only the clear plastic that mounts the dragoons droops over time and requires constant propping up. You don't get the chest or railgun shot effects though which is a shame.
Obviously this isn't for newbies but at least an intermediate builder and have an expectation of what pose you'd like to keep it once it's completed. You'd need to get 3 copies of this kit to do justice in displaying it. I got a couple of the original DM SF kits that didn't have the metal frame when it first came out and then got the first batch release with the metal frame. Guess i had a lot more experience with the original kit so i kinda knew what i was going to have difficulties when the metal frame came out. You'd need an entirely new Detolf glass display cabinet to properly show off this kit as it takes so much space with the Full Burst Mode. Again it's best that you get more than one copy of this so that you don't fool around with posing it in different positions and just leave it as it is in standing position, attack action pose or full burst mode. Worth the effort in building it once you see how majestic it will be once it's completed.
FYI, try putting UV light on with the Wings&Beam FX. I'm still working on putting LEDs inside the wings, dragoons&guns for the Full Burst Mode.
I have the destiny as well, once u finish building them both, they are just eye candy, nothing else can be done because of how much u have to glue and brittle the articulation was
I have built the first version of this kit, the one without the metal frame/pre-built frame.
mostly fitting issues on the torso and head, but the one that convinced me to buy it was the WOL. it isnt the most shabby SF out there, it doesnt standout from the rest (because we used to have an annual display of gunplas in a mall) unless you are really a seed/seed destiny fan.
Those areas that have been cut off the decal/ sticker sheet was the DM logo
Decoding that manual reminded me of Indiana Jones in venice looking for the knight's tomb using Henry's diary.
0:38 damn mecha.. Are u have become a vampire or some type of undead? Your hand was soo bright, so pale
Its weird that your version of daban come with a full skeleton, i have to build it up and it isn’t better :))
At least the instructions on mine didn’t had a stroke
First time i didn't skipped your ad. hahhahha That manscaped thing interest me more than the gunpla lols