Mobile Suit Gundam Gunpla Models

Plain English

A white, red and blue plastic Gunpla model with a sword and a shield.

A Mobile Suit Gundam plastic model.

A movie poster of the Mobile Suit Gundam animated TV series. In the forground a young man in a white suit similar to an astronauts, carrying his helmet under his arm. In the background a huge white, red, blue and gold colored Mobile Suit Gundam robot.

Mobile Suit Gundam is a Japanese animated TV series. The giant robots in the series are called Mobile Suits.

The giant robots are worn as suits for the humans to fight each other. The controls are in the torso. It is called the cockpit. The camera in the robot’s head sends images back to the cockpit.

Yoshiyuki Tomino created the series in 1979. It is about space, war, and robots.

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What Are Gunpla Model Kits?

You can build models of the Mobile Suit Gundam robots with kits.

The Mobile Suit Gundam kits are known as Gunpla. Gunpla is a combination of the words Gundam and plastic.

A red and blue plastic Gunpla model with a gun and a shield.

The kits are colored plastic pieces that come attached to a frame. You cut off the pieces and connect them, similar to LEGO.

A white and red plastic Gunpla model with a sword and a shield.

The instructions come in the form of pictures that are easy to follow. They can be understood across all languages and without complicated reading.

A red and green plastic Gunpla model with a sword.

There's no painting skills required. The plastic pieces come in the right color so you don’t have to paint them.

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There Are Different Grades of Gunpla Kits

There are different grades of Gunpla kits. High Grade (HG) kits are recommended for beginners.

A white and blue plastic Gunpla model with a gun and a shield.

This is a High Grade (HG) model.

A black plastic Gunpla model with a gun.

If you are a beginner start with kits called High Grade.

High Grade model kits are labeled "HG". You can see the label clearly on the box and in the item description online. Letters following HG identify the Gundam series they appear in.

Check for HG on the box and in the item description online.

The box in which the Gunpla model comes. The illustration is an over-dramatized version of the red, white and gold plastic model. There are flames and explosions in the background. The HG letters are highlighted with a red circle.

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A purple, red and white, transparent plastic Gunpla model with a gun.

Gunpla HG models cost from 10 to 40 US Dollars. The HG models are usually about 12.5 centimeters (5 inches) tall.

The art work on the box is inspired.

Check what the real Gunpla plastic model looks like before buying.

The pictures on the boxes are an artistic interpretation of the plastic model.

The box in which the Gunpla model comes. The illustration is an over-dramatized version of the grey plastic model. It's flying through space. There are laser beams in the background.

The artwork on the box.

A grey plastic Gunpla model with attached to a stand in a flying pose..

The real plastic model.

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There Are Gunpla Fan Communities All Over the World

A mint green and orange plastic Gunpla model with a gun and a shield..

Building Gunpla models is enjoyed all over the globe. Join other fans getting together in international and local communities on social media. Gunpla fans share their passion in blogs. There's a Gunpla-pedia with information resources, and you'll find tutorial videos on YouTube.

A transparent plastic Gunpla model in white, red, blue, green and yellow, with a gun and a shield.

The Gunpla 101 blog is a good place to start looking for helpful tips.

Gunpla 101 is run by a husband and wife team. They say: "We aren't Gunpla masters. But we don’t think you need to be one to get the most possible enjoyment out of Gunpla building. There’s no one “correct” way to build Gunpla. We want to encourage you to build Gunpla in the way that makes you feel good. If you’re proud of your Gunpla, you’re doing it right."