I'm on track at my current pace to finish Build Fighters over this three-day weekend and I'm having a good time with it! It's obviously goofy as heck but in a way I can get behind, and it's clearly made with a ton of love and passion for Gundam and its history. I would say it's also a naked attempt to goose Gunpla sales, but what Gundam series isn't?
Trying to decide where to go after I finish BF... I just bought F91 on blu-ray, so maybe I'll revisit that next. My opinion from the last time I watched it (15+ years ago) was that it's pretty middle-of-the-road Gundam and unremarkable aside from the opening battle in the colony, but maybe I'll have a different perspective this time. It also apparently features a commentary track by the dub voice directors; I can't imagine they'll have much insight to offer, but I also can't imagine what they'd possibly have to talk about for two hours, so I may have to check that out.
- I'm not particularly invested in the plot thread of Reiji being a prince from some magical alternate world, and honestly had mostly forgotten about it by the time we got to the evil Chairman What's-his-name who recognized him. I guess they're heading towards explaining his backstory but I'd actually be fine if they never did and just left it as a weird non-sequitur. It does give the Chairman a reason to meddle in the tournament Wong Yun Fat-style, so I guess it makes for an interesting wrinkle.
- I love that the G-Saviour shows up as a practice dummy and gets obliterated in 0.003 seconds, Zilla-style. I cackled.
- I legit thought Sei's dad was dead until we found out he's actually... traveling the world to promote Gunpla? Okay. And is some sort of Gunpla Battle referee with the authority to handcuff and arrest people for Gunpla crimes? ...Okay! The scene of him being an intense model-building drill sergeant to Reiji and Aila was cute though.
- Does the Star Build Strike have too many systems and gimmicks? Maybe. The Absorb/Discharge system is a cool idea, but then it also just has a sort of generic super mode that's a lot less interesting. It feels like Sei's operating on a whole other level from the rest of the builders, who just seem to take existing designs and maybe add a weapon or two. I'm hoping Build Fighters Try will have a little more parity there.
- Some of these battles are getting really intense! The fight between Sei/Reiji and Fellini in the final round of the qualifiers was really exciting, as was the Mao fight (the last one I watched.) Looking forward to how they crank it up from here to the finale.
- I love that the G-Saviour shows up as a practice dummy and gets obliterated in 0.003 seconds, Zilla-style. I cackled.
- I legit thought Sei's dad was dead until we found out he's actually... traveling the world to promote Gunpla? Okay. And is some sort of Gunpla Battle referee with the authority to handcuff and arrest people for Gunpla crimes? ...Okay! The scene of him being an intense model-building drill sergeant to Reiji and Aila was cute though.
- Does the Star Build Strike have too many systems and gimmicks? Maybe. The Absorb/Discharge system is a cool idea, but then it also just has a sort of generic super mode that's a lot less interesting. It feels like Sei's operating on a whole other level from the rest of the builders, who just seem to take existing designs and maybe add a weapon or two. I'm hoping Build Fighters Try will have a little more parity there.
- Some of these battles are getting really intense! The fight between Sei/Reiji and Fellini in the final round of the qualifiers was really exciting, as was the Mao fight (the last one I watched.) Looking forward to how they crank it up from here to the finale.
Trying to decide where to go after I finish BF... I just bought F91 on blu-ray, so maybe I'll revisit that next. My opinion from the last time I watched it (15+ years ago) was that it's pretty middle-of-the-road Gundam and unremarkable aside from the opening battle in the colony, but maybe I'll have a different perspective this time. It also apparently features a commentary track by the dub voice directors; I can't imagine they'll have much insight to offer, but I also can't imagine what they'd possibly have to talk about for two hours, so I may have to check that out.