To celebrate the release of the event-exclusive Gunpla (Gundam plastic model) "HG 1/144 Char's Zaku II Isetan Limited Color Ver." at the Mobile Suit Gundam x ISETAN "WELCOME TO ZEON" event starting April 25th (Wednesday), we're holding a Gunpla roundtable discussion!

"As I was making them, all sorts of ideas started to come to me, and I want to make dioramas in the future," says Nakata, the planning manager and the most knowledgeable participant; "I learned from Nakata and made five models in just one month," says Okada, the buyer in charge of Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building 8th floor = Isetan Men's Residence; and the event will be hosted by Tashiro, the editor-in-chief of Isetan Men's Net, who describes himself as a "Gundam beginner"!

The famous quote, "Gunpla is freedom!" gives me the push I need.

I heard from the person in charge of this Gundam project that Mr. Tashiro Nakata is a huge Gunpla fan. Could you tell us about the appeal of Gunpla?

Nakata Gunpla has a famous quote: "Gunpla is freedom!" As this phrase suggests, there is no right answer when it comes to Gunpla.

Tashiro, what do you mean by "there is no correct answer"?

Nakata, a Gunpla enthusiast, uses various techniques to modify his models, and he's very open about sharing the techniques he's developed. It's fun to be able to use that as a reference and then update your own creations. Also, it's enjoyable to engage with Gunpla in your own way. When I come home from work and decide to dedicate just two hours to it, the stress disappears before I know it (laughs).

It seems that Mr. Nakada was the one who introduced Mr. Tashiro and Mr. Okada to Gunpla.

Okada Nakada recommended Gunpla to me, saying, "Gunpla is fun," and when I asked, "So, what should I build first?", he said, "It's up to you which one you choose, Okada-san" (laughs). So, I built the "Char's Zaku" for the first time because it looked good.


Is this really the first time Tashiro has made something like this, and it's of such high quality? That's amazing!

Assembling it exactly according to the instructions is called "basic assembly," and anyone can make it this far with just a pair of nippers.

I've applied "panel lining," which involves pouring paint into the Okada details, and "matte spray" to eliminate the glossy finish characteristic of plastic.

What's the secret to the popularity of NEXT Gunpla, as revealed by building it?

©Sotsu/Sunrise