Science Fiction Flavour

Tag: Bandai

  • Ultraman Jack Suit

    Building Bandai’s Figure-rise Standard ULTRAMAN SUIT JACK -ACTION- – An Ultraman Day 2026 Project

    Published: 10 July 2026 – Ultraman Day

    To mark Ultraman Day 2026, I spent the past few days working on Bandai’s Figure-rise Standard ULTRAMAN SUIT JACK -ACTION-. Rather than building it straight out of the box, I gave the kit a complete painted finish, weathering, panel lining, and a working LED Unit Dual Type [White_Blue/Red] before final assembly.

    This article documents the steps I took to prepare, paint, detail and complete the model, from the initial base coating of the runners through to the final illuminated build.

    Preparing the Parts

    After unpacking all of the runners, I began by airbrushing a dark base coat onto the solid-coloured moulded parts. This undercoat helped create greater colour depth and served as the foundation for the subsequent paintwork.

    With the base coat completed, I proceeded to paint the individual sections according to their intended finish.

    The red armour pieces were weathered using Mr. Hobby Mr. Color 108 (Character Red), giving the armour greater depth and subtle tonal variation.

    The grey armour components received an airbrushed coat of Mr. Hobby Mr. Color 13 (Neutral Grey), creating a consistent finish across the mechanical sections.

    For the metallic components, I airbrushed Mr. Hobby Mr. Color 159 (Super Silver) over the dark base coat, producing a metallic finish that looked richer and more convincing than the original silver plastic.

    The kit’s clear blue and clear yellow parts were left unpainted to preserve their original appearance and allow the coloured plastic to complement the finished model.

    Panel Lining

    After all the painted parts had dried thoroughly, I applied Tamiya Panel Line Accent Color (Black) to the recessed panel lines and mechanical details.

    The panel line accent was then left to dry overnight before I carefully removed the excess using cotton buds lightly moistened with Tamiya X-20 Enamel Thinner. This process helped define the armour details while maintaining a clean finish.

    Assembly

    With the painting and detailing completed, I began assembling the kit.

    Like many modern Bandai releases, the entire model is a snap-fit kit. The parts fit together tightly and securely, making assembly straightforward without requiring glue.

    Partway through the build, I noticed that the instruction manual included the option to install Bandai’s LED Unit Dual Type [White_Blue/Red].

    Wanting to take advantage of the feature, I obtained a pair of LR41 button-cell batteries and prepared the LED unit using a small cross-head screwdriver before installing it into the model during assembly.
    Once powered on, the illuminated chest added another level of realism to the completed model. It was a simple enhancement, but one that complemented the mechanical design of ULTRAMAN SUIT JACK remarkably well.

    Final Thoughts

    The Figure-rise Standard ULTRAMAN SUIT JACK -ACTION- proved to be an enjoyable project from start to finish. Although the kit already features excellent engineering and impressive articulation, the additional painting, weathering, panel lining and LED installation helped transform it into a model with a more realistic mechanical appearance.

    As always, it’s satisfying to see all the preparation—from painting individual runners to carefully cleaning up the panel lines—come together during the final assembly. The completed model captures the imposing presence of ULTRAMAN SUIT JACK, while the illuminated chest provides an eye-catching finishing touch.

    Completing this project on Ultraman Day 2026 made the build even more meaningful. It was a fitting way to celebrate Ultraman’s enduring legacy while enjoying another rewarding scale modelling project.

    Happy Ultraman Day 2026!

  • Mew

    Bandai PokéPla Mew – Airbrush Base Coat & Weathered Custom Finish

    I recently completed Bandai’s PokéPla Mew plastic model kit, but instead of building it straight out of the box, I pushed it in a more stylised direction using airbrush work, selective colour treatment, and panel lining.

    The goal was to move away from the clean, toy-like finish and explore a more muted, weathered interpretation of the character while still preserving its recognisable form.

    Materials and Paints Used

    For this build, I worked with a combination of airbrush and hand-detailing materials:

    •Airbrush setup
    •Mr Hobby Mr Color No. 18 (RLM70 Black Green)
    •Mr Hobby Mr Color No. 112 (Character Flesh 2)
    •Mr Hobby Mr Color No. 110 (Character Blue)
    •Mr Hobby Mr Color No. 107 (Character White)
    •Pink permanent marker
    •Tamiya Panel Line Accent Colour (Black)
    •Original kit stickers (used as masking aids for eye detailing)

    Base Coating the Entire Kit

    The first step was to unify all parts using an airbrushed base coat of Mr Color 18 (RLM70 Black Green).

    This immediately changed the character of the kit, removing the bright factory colours and replacing them with a darker, more cohesive foundation. Instead of preserving the original colour separation, I chose to reset the visual tone entirely and rebuild contrast through subsequent layers.

    Colour Modulation and Surface Variation

    With the base coat in place, I began introducing subtle variation across different areas of the model.

    The beige moulded parts were weathered using Mr Color 112 (Character Flesh 2). This added a soft tonal shift that remained within the darker overall palette while helping break up uniformity.

    For the orange sections, I applied a pink permanent marker, slightly adjusting the tone and pushing it toward a more stylised finish. This created a subtle visual accent and prevented those areas from blending too heavily into the dark base coat.

    Eye Detailing and Masking Technique

    The eyes were treated as a focal point of the build and received more precise detailing work.

    Using Mr Color 110 (Character Blue) and Mr Color 107 (Character White), I painted the eye areas while using the kit’s included stickers as temporary masking guides.

    This method allowed for cleaner separation between colours and helped approximate the intended eye shapes without requiring custom masking tape or decals. Despite the small scale, it provided enough control to keep the detailing sharp and readable.

    Panel Lining for Depth and Definition

    Once all paint layers had fully cured, I applied Tamiya Panel Line Accent Colour (Black) to the recessed panel lines and sculpt details.

    This step significantly enhanced depth and readability, especially after the darker base coat reduced natural contrast. The panel lining reintroduced structure to the form and helped define edges and internal contours across the model.

    Final Result

    The finished Mew presents a noticeably different interpretation from the original kit design.

    The combination of a dark airbrushed base, selective colour modulation, and panel lining transforms it from a bright, soft character figure into a more subdued and atmospheric display piece. While it still reads clearly as Mew, the overall impression is more grounded and stylised.

    This build also served as an experiment in how far a simple PokéPla kit can be pushed using basic modelling techniques, and how dramatically mood and character can shift through paint alone.

    A Quiet Milestone

    The build was completed on 6 July 2026, the 10th anniversary of Pokémon GO, adding a fitting contextual layer to a Pokémon-themed project. It quietly links a physical model build to one of the franchise’s most culturally significant modern milestones.

  • Nike Air Jordon 1

    Building the Bandai Nike Air Jordan Plastic Model Kit

    This project is a reinterpretation of the Bandai Nike Air Jordan plastic model kit, approached not as a clean display build, but as a subtly worn sneaker object. The goal was to sit between scale modelling and product design — capturing material depth, tonal variation, and light ageing without pushing the piece into an overly artificial or exaggerated weathered state.

    Design Direction

    The kit provides multiple colour directions across its runners, including a grayscale-based scheme and an alternate variant with beige-toned elements.

    For this build, I chose to focus on the grayscale direction to maintain a more unified visual language. This allowed the final piece to emphasise material contrast, weathering variation, and surface depth within a restrained palette.

    Base Preparation

    All parts were first airbrushed with Mr Hobby Mr Color No. 2 as a unified base coat. This created a consistent foundation across the different plastic tones and ensured that subsequent weathering would behave coherently across all surfaces.

    Weathering Approach

    Rather than applying a single universal weathering tone, I treated each injection-moulded colour as a different material requiring its own interpretation. The intent was not to simulate heavy damage or dirt accumulation, but to introduce subtle ageing — similar to how real sneakers develop uneven wear across different materials.

    Black Injection-Moulded Parts

    Weathered using Mr Color No. 13, producing a softened, slightly faded rubber-like appearance.

    Grey Injection-Moulded Parts

    Weathered using a custom mix of Mr Color No. 13 and No. 107, balancing contrast while maintaining a muted, dusty tone.

    White Injection-Moulded Parts

    Weathered using Mr Color No. 107 to create a lightly aged midsole-like effect.

    Panel Line Detailing

    After weathering, Tamiya Black Accent Fluid was applied to bring out recessed details and structural lines across the model.
    Once dried, excess fluid was cleaned using thinner and cotton buds, leaving definition in the panel lines while preserving surface softness.
    Unlike traditional mechanical model kits, the panel lines in this context function less as structural separations and more as stitched seams, material joins, and subtle shadow breaks within the sneaker design.

    Final Impression

    The overall aim of this build was to maintain a balance between fashion object and scale model. Rather than pushing the surface treatment toward a heavily mechanical or overly aggressive weathering style, the focus remained on controlled tonal variation and material realism.

    The result is a sneaker model that feels lightly worn and physically grounded, while still retaining the clarity and design language of its original form.

    Project Context

    Completed on 30 May 2026, the project coincides with the 55th anniversary of Blue Ribbon Sports being renamed Nike in 1971. The timing served as context for reinterpreting the Air Jordan silhouette as a scale model object shaped through material treatment, tonal restraint, and subtle surface ageing.

  • Amazing Strike Freedom Gundam, Phantaci Edition


    This project was undertaken as a personal tribute piece to commemorate 10 April 2026, alongside the release of Children of the Sun. Following an earlier Freedom Gundam + Meteor Unit build, this iteration explores what a modern “successor” to Freedom might look like through a Phantaci-inspired aesthetic.


    Paintwork & Colour Concept
    The build began with a full base coat applied directly onto the runners using Mr. Hobby Mr. Colour No. 18 (German Aircraft Grey). This provided a neutral, slightly industrial tone that would later contrast well with the brighter accent colours.


    Selected armour segments were then treated with:
    ▪︎Mr. Colour No. 9 Gold for highlights and mechanical emphasis
    ▪︎A custom mixed pink, created by blending:
    •Mr. Colour No. 108 Character Red (semi-gloss)
    •Mr. Colour Gundam Colour UG8 (MS Purple)


    The resulting tone leaned toward a rich, slightly subdued pink with depth—avoiding overly saturated tones while still standing out against the darker base.


    Panel Lining
    After airbrushing, panel lining was carried out to define surface detail and enhance contrast:
    •Tamiya Light Grey Panel Line Accent was used on darker surfaces to maintain subtlety
    •Tamiya Dark Panel Line Accent was applied to the pink and gold sections to sharpen edges and improve readability
    This combination helped preserve clarity across different colour zones without overwhelming the finish.


    Build Experience
    Compared to the HGCE 1/144 ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam, the Amazing Strike Freedom Gundam is noticeably more complex in terms of part count. The kit comes with a total of 13 runners, reflecting its hybridized design lineage.
    Despite this, the snap-fit assembly remains straightforward and intuitive, consistent with Bandai’s modern engineering standards. The build process was smooth, with no major complications even after painting.


    One notable observation:
    Even after completing the build according to the manual, approximately 20–30 parts remain unused on the runners. This suggests significant reuse of moulds, likely shared with other kits—possibly the HG 1/144 ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom Gundam or related variants.


    Design Notes & Interpretation
    An interesting detail lies in the model designation.


    While this kit represents the Amazing Strike Freedom Gundam, its prefix is labelled as ZGMF-X10A-A, rather than continuing into the X20A line typically associated with Strike Freedom.

    This raises an intriguing interpretation:
    Rather than being treated as a direct upgrade of Strike Freedom, the mechanical design seems to position this unit as a true successor to the original ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam—a reinterpretation rather than a numerical escalation.


    In that sense, the Amazing Strike Freedom feels less like a “next version,” and more like a refined continuation of the Freedom philosophy:
    •Balanced silhouette
    •Controlled firepower
    •Emphasis on form, presence, and identity


    Closing Thoughts
    This build was completed during late hours after work—an exercise in both discipline and creative release. The Phantaci Edition (Ver. J) concept ties together music, design, and Gunpla into a single cohesive expression.


    More than just a model, this piece represents:
    •A continuation of a previous Freedom tribute
    •A reflection of evolving artistic direction
    •And a personal milestone tied to a specific moment in time


    Freedom was never meant to end—only to evolve.

  • Mewtwo

    Mewtwo Plastic Model from Bandai


    Preparation
    The build started with nitrile gloves to avoid fingerprints, and all runners were unpacked and prepped for painting. A base coat of Mr. Hobby Mr. Colour No. 18 (semi-gloss black) was applied to create a solid foundation and subtle depth for the colours to come.


    Colour Tones and Weathering
    The kit’s runners came in two shades of purple—light and dark.


    ▪︎Light purple parts: Subtle weathering was applied using Gundam Colour MS Purple, enhancing depth while preserving the base tone.


    ▪︎Dark purple parts: A custom colour was mixed from:
    •MS Purple
    •Mr. Hobby 605 (semi-gloss)
    •Mr. Hobby Character Red (semi-gloss)


    These darker parts were carefully weathered to bring out shadows and contrast, giving the model a dynamic, lifelike appearance.


    Eyes and Facial Details
    The eyeballs were highlighted with a silver marker, and the pupils were outlined with dark pink and black markers. This created a subtle panda-eye effect, giving Mewtwo a hostile, sleep-deprived expression that emphasizes its awakened and intense personality.


    Curing
    All parts were allowed to cure overnight to ensure the semi-gloss paint hardened fully, minimizing the risk of fingerprints or smudges.


    Summary
    This build goes beyond a standard plastic kit: careful base coating, custom colour mixing, weathering, and detailed eye work transform the figure into a collector-grade display piece that captures the character’s intensity and cinematic quality.

  • Bulbasaur

    This build of the Bandai Bulbasaur plastic model focused on depth, tonal variation, and precise surface control. The goal was to elevate a simple kit into a cohesive, visually dynamic piece through careful layering, panel detailing, and considered adjustments.


    Base and Body Layers
    Each part was first coated with a dark base to establish natural shadows and underlying contrast. The body sections were then airbrushed using three distinct shades of green — Mr. Hobby Mr. Color No. 64, 303, and 605. Layered application preserved subtle hints of the darker undercoat, preventing the finish from appearing flat and giving the model a more dimensional presence.


    Whites, Reds, and Eye Detailing
    White and red components were finished in semi-gloss for clarity and restrained shine. During the eye detailing stage, a slight freehand overspray caused some white to mist into the red area. Rather than stripping and repainting, the section was corrected using a dark pink marker. The resulting dark-pink-and-white combination added a softer character to the eyes, complementing the overall finish.


    Panel Lines
    To enhance sculpted details, Tamiya Accent Color Panel Line (Black) was applied carefully into recessed lines. Excess wash was removed using enamel thinner and a cotton bud, leaving behind controlled definition that sharpens the contours without overpowering the softer paint tones.


    Final Assembly and Reflection
    Once fully cured and assembled, the model feels cohesive and balanced. The interplay between layered greens, subtle shading, and refined panel lining elevates the kit beyond its base form. Minor adjustments along the way — such as the eye correction — became part of the build’s character rather than setbacks.
    This build demonstrates how patience, layering, and small course corrections can transform a straightforward kit into a polished, display-ready model.

  • Ohmu

    Bandai’s 1/20 Ohmu from Studio Ghibli was completed today, coinciding with Hayao Miyazaki’s 85th birthday, a fitting tribute to the creature’s origin.


    Painting & Weathering:
    All parts were base-coated with dark hobby paint, then airbrushed with plant-green paint to add natural shading. Tamiya Panel Line Accent (brownish-red) highlighted crevices, giving an organic, weathered appearance.
    The clear orb-like eye parts were first coated with a silver marker and then layered with transparent red hobby paint, creating depth and a soft glow.


    Assembly:
    Sides, base, and optic units assembled smoothly. The legs and other limbs, totaling over 50, required careful attachment. The final result is a fully articulated and visually dynamic creature.


    Reflections:
    Pre-painting parts simplifies assembly and ensures consistent weathering.
    Silver under transparent red produces realistic glowing eyes.
    Patience is essential when attaching repetitive parts, but the visual payoff is significant.
    The finished Ohmu serves as a miniature homage to Studio Ghibli’s imaginative creatures.

  • Buzz Lightyear

    Bandai plastic model kit, base-coated in dark tones and airbrushed with desaturated colours for a weathered finish. Water-slide decals add a more grounded, tech-like look. Built to commemorate Toy Story’s 30th anniversary.

  • METEOR Unit and Freedom Gundam

    This HG 1/144 Bandai build pairs the METEOR Unit with the Freedom Gundam in a customised Ver. J theme. The parts were primed in dark tones and weathered with pink and gold accents to bring out a warm, stylised finish. Clear red paints were used on the optics for extra depth, and Phantaci decals complete the look. The project was finished to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Jay Chou’s November’s Chopin.