Looks to be true, no Master cloth for Master Gundam. On the one hand I get why as beam sabers are a real rarity in line for what ever reason and when I think Master Gundam I more think of Darkness Finger than the cloth, but on the other hand, it's the only real "melee" weapon the suit is known for so it should be included in some way.
My biggest issue with this line is the lack of accessories. The paint and articulation are an issue too, but the lack of accessories for many of the figures is just ridiculous. Wave 1- RX-78-2: No bazooka, no gravity hammer, no beam javelin Wing: No beam sabers Unicorn: No bazooka, no beam Gatling for shield Wave 2- Barbatos: No rifle Banshee: Can't really use it's beam sabers Wave 3- EW Wing Zero: No beam sabers EZ-8: No beam sabers, no bazooka, no backpack Strike: No packs Wave 4- Burning Gundam: No beam sabers Tallgeese: No beam effect for saber hilts, no left holding hand (I swapped out the left hand from my Banshee. He can't use it anyway.) Wave 5- Char's Zaku II: No bazooka Nu Gundam: No Beam Rifle, no shield, no bazooka Wave 6- Freedom: no shield Exia: no shield Wave 7- Master: No beam cloth Sazaki: No shield Wave 8- Zephyranthes- No shield Bandai should at least produce accessory packs for these figures. I'm still buying most of the line, but I'm worried for future releases. Imagine the Physalis without it's shield, it just doesn't work.
Honestly, the kindest way I can describe these Gundam Universe figures is it's a "well-intentioned, but misguided and confused" attempt by Bandai. There's no doubt that Bandai's intent of creating a mass-retail level, affordable Marvel legends-style Gundam toyline is a good one (And one that I do support), but these figures feel like Bandai looking back at those old MSIA figures and being like "Hey people back then love those MSIA toys like? Well, let's make those again and make them bigger and basic", which is a bit of a misguided direction. I have both the revised Nu and Sazabi from the most recent G-Frame FA wave (pictured above), and while they aren't the most posable or premium-looking figures, that's ok since they're only meant to be affordable and fun desk toy-type figures, and that's all that need to do and they do it well; And since these are so affordable and small, what limitations they had feels less inexcusable for their price over what limitations Gundam Universe figures have for their higher price. Those old MSIA and even the most recent G-Frame figures work so well BECAUSE they're specifically designed to be the size they are intended to begin with because the designers know what they can get away with at their size and price point; But straight-up blow these up to even the size of your average High-Grade gunpla (Without any of the further changes that would make them better at a larger size) and they'd look horrendous and severely limited. These Gundam Universe figures feel like Bandai trying to brute force the mentality of those old MSIA and G-Frame figures into a much bigger package (With all of the limitations of both of those lines), but just like how you can't brute force Perfect-Grade level design into a much smaller package without compromising something (ala most of the early RGs), you can't just straight up forcing cheap MSIA or G-Frame level design into a much larger size.
Back in the MSIA days, they also made larger, 6-7” figures that were pretty great. They even made deluxe, 12” figures that were nice too. They were relatively cheap and I don’t own any universe figures but those old figures seem a lot better from what I can tell from just looking.
Is it just me of there's minor QC issue with Shen Long? the red chin or/and mouth piece is not dead on center?
New wave came in. Very excited after the previous one was very much filler in my eyes. GP01- A figure that shows that whilst far from perfect they are improving. A decent range of articulation, hounded as ever by the skirt just not giving enough clearance. The backpack pods have 3 points of articulation so you can get some good AMBAC poses going. 00 Raiser- Not the best take ever but in my opinion better than the MG kit for stability. Similar to the GP01 there's a lot of movement for the 0 Raiser and GN Drives so together you can get some impressive dynamic poses. The GN Sword II's convert between rifle and blade modes, something I really wasn't expecting. Indeed only major omission is the GN Sword III. Leo- I said for ages we wouldn't get grunts in the line but a figure like this makes me happy to be wrong. It's a really solid attempt, even if it doesn't have the customization options the MSiA came with (though a hole on the back heavily suggests we'll get the Space Type later). Will probably be an easy sell at retail as I can see even people otherwise not into the line army building these.
Gundam Wing line up complete. Will wait for Leo. Might get 2 or 4 to assist Tallgeese. Why EPYON is hard to come by in various scales? Not even in RG or Gundam Universe. We only have it in MG and 1/144 NG. What the heck Bandai is thinking?
The bad choices are just baffling. I can at least understand some of the weapon loadout choices; accessories cost money, and for the most part it's "do you want an accessory or a backpack?" but then there's the choices that... just are inexplicable. Why does the Ez-8 have a left handed gun and no left-hand trigger finger? Why aren't shields universally swappable? Why are some beam effects awkwardly proportioned? Why does the Deathscythe's scythe naturally exist at a super awkward angle (to be honest, I'd have preferred a one piece scythe that is at a normal angle than the swinging one whose articulation is too much)? Why does that figure have storage for the scythe but no storage mode? Why not give figures that use beam sabers primarily their beam sabers (admittedly, this one is cost-based, but some of these need sabers. Oh boy, my Wing Gundam and Tallgeese can duel! But... don't have the weapons they use for dueling, or for the Wing, use 95% of the time)?
TBH, I would actually be fine with what limitations these figures have if their MSRP isn't as pricey as they currently are, and has something resembling scaling (I'm just asking for things like a Wing Gundam being smaller than the Grandaddy but includes more accessories to make up the price point, ala SS86 Hot Rod), and had some kind of advantages that the other Gundam lines don't offer; And yet for what they're costing, there's honestly not much excuse for these figures to feel as half-baked and questionable as they are when it comes to accessories loadout, articulation, etc. I’ll give the GU figures this, the plastic material they’ve chosen is very robust, sturdy, and dense which makes them very play-friendly, but that’s really the only shining part of those figures IMO. It also doesn’t help that even ignoring Gunpla, Bandai already has other currently ongoing Gundam toylines such as Robot Damashii, Mobile Suit Ensemble, Micro Wars, G-Frame, etc. all of which offer more bang for your buck for what they're costing than GU did. I guess if you’re just someone who has a bit of interest in Gundam and wants an affordable Gundam figure to put on your shelve, they’ll be alright but besides that, they’re basic at best and don’t offer anything better on the table that other Gundam toy lines have already done. These really do feel like those non-transforming Transformers R.E.D figures; In where the non-transforming aspect was never the problem, but their problem is that they're mediocre at best even for what they're intended for, especially when there are already other better or cheaper alternatives for the designs they've done.
I still think the line's issues are half valid concerns and half people wanting the line to be something it's not intended as. Scaling remains the latter for me. The minute you add canon scaling into a line like this it's competing with itself. It's an entry level design covering the entire franchise, hence why there are English primers on every box.
Looks like some new reveals dropped. 「シャイニングガンダム」「ガンダム・エアリアル」など初公開！「TAMASHII NATION 2022」フォトレポート⑦「GUNDAM UNIVERSE」編 | GUNDAM.INFO
It’s a misfire from the marketing team IMO, all the more baffling that it’s from Tamashii Nations rather than Bandai America. When the line was created, it seemed to be catered towards fans who grew up watching Gundam on Toonami(and were into the MSiA! figures available at the time) and to satisfy demand for an affordable 6” scale Gundam line at US retail. On paper that sounds great. In execution it’s a line of 6” tall Gundam figures with relative scaling not taken into account and the only successes IMO being the pricepoint, sturdiness and sculpts with sharp edges. The fans who grew up watching Gundam on Toonami had MSiA! available at the time and that line had affordable prices at US retail while also maintaining relative scaling. A while back, Bandai took a survey asking if people would pay higher prices for bigger Gundam Universe figures(as in mobile suits that ought to be bigger) but that to me, is too late to ask. Sure the Sazabi is big but when I saw it in person it’s the mass of it that led it to a higher pricepoint, it still didn’t seem like it was relatively scaled proportionally to the Nu Gundam. Lack of weapons/accessories could be understood by pricepoint but the lack of specific weapons stuck out. The hindered range of articulation was another eye opener given how much better some of the later MSiA! figures could move 20 years ago(like the deluxe RX-78-2). I wasn’t expecting Robot Damashii light nor an action figure alternative to Gunpla, especially by the baseline pricepoint. Gundam Universe seems more like a toy line fitting for souvenirs at a museum rather than sold to collectors, let alone mass retail. The idea itself has potential but I don’t think it has long legs unless it’s redesigned.
I'm not too surprised to see Aerial as Witch from Mercury is getting a big push for merch and Lupus Rex is a popular design so again, makes sense. Tallgeese II, while expected, is a surprise to be sure but a welcomed one. Shining is the one I'm most excited for and probably be the only one I'll pick up out of this new lineup. This line has some highs and lows, I feel this lineup continues this trend.
Anyone get a leo yet, or are those not out yet? Haven't really picked a figure from this line, and the leo looks great. It's not out yet om amazon, but I thought I'd ask here and see if being wack again
Leo's not out yet, at least not at major retailers. Target just stocked the wave before that with Shenlong and Master Gundam, I just came across them this week. They are packed with a re-pack of GU-01 RX-78-2 so if you see that one hanging around suddenly, that's why.
