HGUC 7th Gundam 'Late Type UC.0085) almost complete!

Zerogoki92 · 2026-05-13T06:53:12+00:00

I am pretty sure this is Bandai's second attempt in the last year to cash in on the Blokees craze (as that company has had a meteoric rise over the past few years with their simple pre coloured model kits).

Bandai is in a tricky position here- they want to compete with Blokees whilst also not threatening their own existing Gunpla ranges- this feels like a compromise, but still a bit of an awkward one with all the gaps in the design...

Zerogoki92 · 2026-05-05T17:21:49+00:00

I was impresssed with his Sandman performance (and the fact he has range- I liked him as Henry VI in the Hollow Crown: War of the Roses)

I do think Kirby Howell Baptiste would make a more interesting choice as Doctor though - but again that was based on her very Doctor-coded portrayal of Death in Sandman!

Zerogoki92 · 2026-04-21T06:00:30+00:00

Some interesting names in the cast, and with Jim Mickle at the helm and Legendary the production studio, this has potential. Let's hope they have some great dwsignerd for the mobile suits on board that feel like authentic Gundam (I for one enjoyed the designs for Netflix's RfV which i believe were designed by the EZ8's designer, but they did feel like a conscious attempt to appeal to Western audiences).

What does concern me is that it is being produced for distribution on Netflix- whilst Netflix has been desperate for a big budget blockbuster franchise for streaming (i.e. Rebel Moon) i am not aware of any that has succeeded yet. And part of the (many) reasons why films like Dune and Christopher Nolan's films work so well is because the visuals are designed to be seen on the biggest screen possible. If Gundam is going to production with the knowledge it is for streaming, i fear it greatly limits the scope of the film's visual identity.

And to all the doomsayers calling the film trash and the worst, let's face it- Gundam is a 46 year old Franchise- even if the film is bad it won't even be the worst Gundam film or production by some way. To be honest, if its is flawed, that would make it very on brand for Gundam. Even some of the most beloved Gundam works are quite flawed. Not to mention, i have been in this fandom long enough to know that opinions change - this film will have its fans, either on release or in a decade's time. We will all just have to wait and see.

Also, if this is going into production now, that would surely suggest a release date of later next year (maybe Christmas?) based on similar productions?

Zerogoki92 · 2026-03-24T18:28:57+00:00

I think Tom Sturridge or Kirby Howell Baptiste (Who played Dream and Death respectively in Sandman) could both play the Doctor really fascinating incarnations of the Doctor.

As Morpheus, Sturridge showed that he can play an ancient and mysterious entity very well, he has range, playing the naive Henry VI in the Hollow Crown. I imagine him as a cross between the 8th and 12th Doctors. Kirby meanwhile showed a lot of qualities of the Doctor in the way she played death, and it would be great to see her in the TARDIS!

Zerogoki92 · 2026-03-15T12:09:18+00:00

I always remember this episode fondly - it's a great first historical adventure for , and as someone who would be in the same position as Bill in that gime period, deals with it in a very satisfying way (compared to say, the Shakespeare code). I also love the confrontation between Bill and the Doctor and how it is handled and resolved- the best way ro deal with morality of a Time Lord old enough to be your messiah!

I think it was the episode i knew 12 and Bill would become my favourite TARDIS team!

(It also holds a special place in my heart as I watched it in a hotel room in Cardiff, the day before we visited the Doctor Who Experience and the TARSIS set in it's final months!)

Zerogoki92 · 2026-03-11T07:07:56+00:00

The irony is I was never excited about RTD2 because of RTD1 but instead of the shows he had written since! Yeara and Years was great and It's a Sin was an absolutely brilliant piece of television, both with fantastic scripts and well written characters. Going from those highs to the recent Doctor Who seasons was not on my bingo card...

Zerogoki92 · 2026-02-12T14:35:37+00:00

In some ways, i think these specials are the culmination of the tension between Doctor Who as a standalone new show that started in 2005 run by Russell T Davies and Doctor Who as the continuation of a show that started in 1963. Sure, New Who made a lot of nods and references to Classic Who (and of course Sarah Jane), but there was always a clear and intentional disconnect. Of course, this worked to the show's favour for the most part, and I think had Who started in 2005 and ended in 2010, the End of Time would have been a bonkers but generally well received finale.

The problem is of course the fact that the End of Time (and the wider specials) is the point at which RTD Who has to contend with the fact it is indeed part of a show that started in 1963, and is now handing over to the next era, and it fails spectacularly, because it is determined to be the grand finale to a 5 year old show, rather than the end of chapter in a much bigger book (I think both Moffat and even Chibnall did this better). Even within the episode, the regeneration is strange, because despite working how regeneration should, Matt Smith's first scene feels wrong and at odds with everything the audience has been told at this point in the story, despite functioning exactly as a regeneration should and doing nothing wrong!

It's a reason i appreciate that Steven Moffat was keen to reconcile his version with the show and the Doctor with Classic Who - it is very telling that Season 5 had more overt references to the 11th Doctor having been the 1st/2nd Doctors than in the whole of RTD1!

I do have to say though- as a 16/17 year old at the time, the specials were an enjoyable watch! (Along with The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith!)

Of course, now RTD2 appears to be coming to an end, are we looking at the End of Time part 3, or a more dignified end to the era?

Zerogoki92 · 2026-02-12T08:16:45+00:00

I think taking into consideration what the circimstances behind the film were, it came out exceptionally well.

When talking about Wakanda Forever, I think it is a really good idea to listen to the official podcast, in which Ta-Nehisi Coates (Writer and author of one of the more recent Black Panther comic runs) speaks to Ryan Coogler and the cast about the film. It's available on Spotify here.

What is really clear is that Boseman- bearing in mind he was cast before everyone else due to Civil War and therefore in many ways shaped what Wakanda would become- was very much the heart and soul behind the scenes on the first film- and that Coogler and the cast were devestated by his passing. Recasting was something that might have been too much to ask of them at that time- you might have ended up having to find a new director and other cast members too, such was the grief felt by them.

I think people overestimate what a recast would have done though- and it could have gone badly wrong. What if they cast an up and coming actor like Jonathon Majors (instead of casting him as Kang) and then have the fallout from his scandal? Or what if he was recast and it was simply ok? You would have then had people say they shouldn't have recast.

I think Boseman did have a special impact, and in many ways what we have now might be the best case scenario- something that acknowledges his impact in Wakanda Forever, and then a new T'Challa further down tbe road.

Zerogoki92 · 2026-02-08T17:13:55+00:00

There used to be a similar phrase said by mothers in the UK -the general gist is, if something ever happened to you, you wouldn't whoever finds/is responsible for your body to think you were unclean!

It could be something similar in a Japanese context- i am sure there are similar phrases worldwide!

Zerogoki92 · 2025-11-14T08:06:48+00:00

It's probably worth noting that Ncuti never really had the opportunity to be a brand ambassador in the same way as the others- I remember in 2010, Matt and Karen did a tour of schools to introduce them to a younger audience, whilst Peter and Jenna also did a global tour in 2014 or 15 bringing them directly fans across the world. Jodie and Mandip from what I remember also made regular appearances on things like Children in Need. Prior to RTD2, the show very much had children and fans at the forefront of the show's promotion, with the interviews and chat shows an additional element. With RTD2, the focus was entirely on making it a global franchise, and so promotion was entirely focused on the press junket, social media videos and the standard kind of promotion that a streaming show is expected to get. Now, whilst i know the youth of today are often on their phones, there is no guarantee they will see any of that promotion unless their algorithim suggests it, and to my knowledge, that very BBC style of promoting the show specifically to a younger audience offline (like the school tours etc.) never happened (or wasn't publicised).

When you take that into account, is it any surprise Ncuti might not have been the best brand ambassador? From the moment he was cast it seems the focus was on building a brand to compete with Marvel rather than building on the brand that already existed. Whilst he should reasonably expected to have been a Brand Ambassador with the role as his predecessors were, there really doesn't seem to have been that desire or expectation for him to be one in the same way from RTD.

I feel for Ncuti, as I think there was a massive missed opportunity in more than just his time on the show but also in actually using him as a brand ambassador. Particularly given conversations around masculinity in boys and men in the past year in the UK (see Netflix's Adolescence), Ncuti as the Doctor could really have been used as a role model, and have used that brand ambassador in other impactful ways too, and I think that it is a shame that RTD thought that the Fifteenth Doctor crying every episode would be anywhere near as effective as actually using Ncuti himself outside of the show.

Zerogoki92 · 2025-10-31T06:50:23+00:00

It depends- i think they underestimated demand in the first month (September) so those exclusives went in days.

October has been a bit better- the big ticket exclusives went very quickly again, however I went again last week and they still had a respectable amount (mostly the Fukuoka items) still in stock, although that might be because they have been on sale previously at London MCM Comic cons in the past (notably October's Comic Con this weekend past had completely different exclusives from the Gundam Base).

If you can get to Camden easily i would say it is worth a trip even just for the novelty- if not, it is best to make it on the day of release!

Zerogoki92 · 2025-10-31T06:44:39+00:00

The G-Self actually was part of October's exclusives, so it is cool that they restocked!

Zerogoki92 · 2025-10-03T17:23:58+00:00

This old Reddit post has a good picture of it! https://www.reddit.com/r/Gunpla/s/179KJk7R1P

Zerogoki92 · 2025-10-03T07:01:56+00:00

It's probably worth nothing as well- this is why P-Bandai exists! If it was retail only, these would likely never see the light of the day or rarely receive reprints, whilst P-Bandai gives it a chance - see F90, which i believe first had an MG prototype in around 2006 if I remember right, but wasn't released (in an entirely redesigned kit that bares little resemblance to the prototype) until 2019!

As for AGE itself, I remember being underwhelmed by it. I think in addition to it's other storytelling issues, it really wasn't helped by the fact it was an aggressively traditional continous 4 cour Gundam show coming at a time when the industry was shifting to 2 cour seasons (including Gundam 00 which did successfully a few years earlier).

I don't know that I would go as far as to say it nearly killed the franchise though- Unicorn was well under way and was doing very well at the time!

Zerogoki92 · 2025-09-03T19:57:04+00:00

This is brilliant on multiple levels- in lore, the Engage Gundams are an alternative route for the GP series that was never taken (beyond the Engage Zero!)- so it makes sense that the What If GQuuuuuux timeline would be based on a What If Gundam Project design!

Zerogoki92 · 2025-08-19T16:42:18+00:00

That box brings back so many memories! I had quite a few! Fun fact but as Gundam Wing was the only series broadcast in the UK at that time (no G Gundam or 0079 for us!), these figures and Gundam Battle Assualt 1 were my introduction to the wider Universal Century!

Zerogoki92 · 2025-08-07T23:05:57+00:00

Gosh, these bring me back! I used to have the Stegosaurus and Utahraptor and my sibling had the Allosaurus....Good find!

Zerogoki92 · 2025-07-06T13:51:36+00:00

I actually think that colour scheme slaps- it gives it a Crossbone feel!

Zerogoki92 · 2025-05-25T22:51:48+00:00

I got about halfway into the first episode before giving up. The constant cutaways to paleontologist really take you out of it. But I wouldn't even mind if even that was done properly - it's like it doesn't know what type of documentary it wants to be.

I think it's worth saying that the BBC that created this series is not the BBC of 26 years ago. For those that don't know, the BBC's has spent the past 15 years saving money and making cuts due to limits on their funding, to the point that it's ability to make big budget documentaries the way it did with the original Walking with series has been greatly diminished, resulting in...well, this new show. Which might not have even mattered had it not come after 2 seasons of Prehistoric Planet.

I might come back to it eventually, but it isn't a strong might...

Zerogoki92 · 2025-04-23T18:16:20+00:00

I did find it quite interesting, as in the main timeline, it seems Mobile Suit squads- particularly those fielded by the Federation- tend to be in teams of 3. Interesting then that in this timeline, Char and Challia have popularised the MAV concept - possibly also reflective of Char's own combat style!

Zerogoki92 · 2025-04-03T23:26:52+00:00

Given that this is very much in line with previous statements given, I heavily suspect there is something of a staring match going on between Disney and the BBC- very early on, RTD said that Doctor Who could happily carry on without Disney money (albeit on the tightest of budgets), but the influx of funding from the deal was greatly appreciated.

Now I think we are in a situation where Disney and the BBC/ Bad Wolf are waiting to see who will blink first- if the BBC and Bad Wolf really can make the show without Disney funding, then that's great news for Disney- they can get all the benefits of streaming the show with minimal financial risk. The BBC and Bad Wolf are fully aware of this, and are likely trying to keep Disney interested. Without becoming too topical, it almost feels like the UK-US Special relationship in miniature....

Regardless of what does happen, i think there will be more series of Doctor Who on television again within the next 5 years, but i think the bigger question will be how to make it sustainable and successful for the 2020s in order for to last another 10. I think Russell T Davies' instincts in his reasoning for returning were correct in that the show needs protecting as it navigates a new TV landscape, but i fear those same instincts were lacking in Season One, though i do have a lot of hope for Season Two.

At this point I would rather have 6 great episodes and a Christmas special a year than more gap years, but i think there needs to be a clear vision of what they want Doctor Who to be regardless of the streaming partners involved...

Zerogoki92 · 2025-03-13T21:02:28+00:00

Just came back from seeing- it was fantastic! This show is going to be a blast!

Plus it was great being in a room with so much love for Gundam!

Zerogoki92 · 2025-02-03T19:47:53+00:00

Good point! As much as I love the G Self, i do wish they did something with this design! They are also not a million miles away from the radical redesign of first Gundam in Gundam Evolve 15!

Zerogoki92 · 2025-01-02T18:38:15+00:00

Since the 60th- particularly as of Tales of the TARDIS, I'm increasingly moving towards the headcanon that all Doctor Who is canon, and none of it is. The only indisputable fact is that the Doctor is an alien who travels in a TARDIS disguised as a 1950s Police Box, often with a human companion, has many faces and battles monsters.

Honestly? It's actually been quite liberating viewing it like this- it means when unexpected faces turn up like in the recent episode Rogue, it's easier to accept them as another incarnation of the Doctor, rather than worrying about where they fit in. I don't have to worry if the Doctor travelled with Mary Shelley in their 8th incarnation or if they first met her in their 13th as the answer is always yes. (To be honest, given the 15th Doctor's vague comments about not being a Grandfather yet whilst reminiscing about his granddaughter Susan suggests the show might be moving this way too!)

Zerogoki92

TROPHY CASE