At 5 episodes in, Gundam Build Fighters might be the most delightful Gundam that I’ve seen. It’s not just the nostalgia factor–I can tell a Zaku apart from a GM, but not a whole lot more than that. In fact, that has been consistently the one aspect of Gundam Boyfriend (as passionately nicknamed by many) that gave me the cold shoulder. It’s like when I first started the road to iM@S fandom, I would recognize songs and characters but can’t put names to faces or songs. Same with the gunpla.
But what makes Gundam Boyfriend so great is that, well, the meta-ness. The fact that it went Xzibit and put a gunpla ad in itself on the Youtube stream basically sums up how I feel about the thing. I mean, Gundam BF is a gunpla ad, and not just in the “Gundam anime was made to sell toys to begin with” sense. Oh, and being able to watch it simulcast-speed on Youtube is a huge plus, too.
The other thing that makes Gundam Boyfriend fun is the relationship. I suppose that, to me, is the trademark of a Gundam anime. And if you cast wide enough of a web (like Valvrave) you will create that vibe just by inevitable coincidence of the ensemble framework. BF is not so keen on that scale yet, but this AU show is sticking to how AU shows typically are.
And it strikes me that ever since G Gundam, has there been any other tournament plot framework + Gundam mashup? When can I get my Nether Gundam on? I mean, it has to do it! It would be a lot more revolutionary if they actually used a Go To Koshien format for Gundam Boyfriend, but that might be too powerful to pull off.
Others have graced upon the Fake Geek Girl subject so I won’t go too much into it. I just find it amusing to see that in a Gundam show. Idols are not rare things in Gundam universes but this one hits real close, and while it’s subject to your interpretation, I find this portrayal particularly honest?
PS. I wonder if anyone has applied the FGG framework on Air Master’s Kaori Sakiyama.
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