It’s been 45 years since the very first Gunpla model went up for sale. In celebration of this anniversary, Bandai Hobby launched the Gunpla Base Pop Up World Tour, opening up mini Gundam Base stores f...

Have you ever wanted to redo a Gundam kit? If you have an older kit that you think you could rebuild better the second time around, there’s a way to hit the “undo” button. Let Gunpla 101 contributor N...

Can you use temporary tattoos on Gunpla? You might be surprised to learn that yes, temporary tattoos make a quick and effective customization alternative for Gundam model building. Just like tradition...

Super Robot Wars is Bandai Namco’s tactical RPG game that smashes together just about every mecha franchise Bandai has the rights to. Playing the game will give you never-before-seen interactions betw...

Did you know there are 18 Gundam Bases in the world? Each of these official stores offer elaborate themed Gundam displays and exclusive P-Bandai models. They are located in Japan, China, Taiwan, Thail...

UNITED STATES - Bandai Namco Amusement America Inc. (“BNAA”) and Bandai Namco Toys & Collectibles America Inc. (“BNTCA”) are thrilled to announce the grand opening of THE GUNDAM BASE CHICAGO, the firs

What do you get the builder who has everything? Look no further than the Gunpla 101 2025 holiday guide. Every year, Gunpla 101 puts together a shopping guide for recommended holiday gifting. It’s a gr...

Imagine you’re browsing through a garage sale or Facebook Marketplace and you come across a box full of Gunpla models. These are not unbuilt Gundam kits still in their boxes. They’re already built, bu...

You painstakingly build, panel-line, and sometimes even paint or customize your Gunpla model… only to place it on a shelf and forget about it. This year, some innovative modelers have found another so...

Have you ever looked at the online storefront at Premium Bandai (P-Bandai for short) and wondered why special editions became such a big deal? It turns out giant robot fans have been fascinated by shi...

Gradient painting is a technique in which one color gradually morphs into the next. It may look fancy, but it doesn’t have to be hard. Let Gunpla 101 contributor Scott—the one and the same behind the ...

Feeling old yet?  Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans just celebrated its 10th anniversary. But the show’s demon-inspired mobile suits have stayed fresh and in-demand even after a decade has pass...

Imagine a Gunpla model that offers a different look from every angle: that’s the magic of color-shift paint, a special type of paint that appears in different colors depending on your viewing angle an...

Longtime Gunpla 101 readers might know that when I’m not editing this site or building my own Gunpla models, I’m a professional journalist. Recently, I got the opportunity to interview Bandai Namco’s ...

Who is Makoto “Max” Watanabe? He’s a Japanese professional modeler and the face of the garage kit manufacturer Max Factory. He is famous for his contributions to the modeling hobby, including his uniq...

There’s no one way to build a Gunpla kit—and that’s true for every step of the process. For example, take panel lining: who says you have to do it in one particular way? Follow along with Gunpla 101 c...

The Pharact is Elan Ceres’ mecha in Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury. Powerful and graceful, it’s a Gundam typical of the 2022 show with an elegant frame that abstractly takes inspiration fr...

Whether you usually build Gunpla models alone or with friends, it’s not normally the kind of hobby that draws a crowd. That changes when you attend a Gunpla competition: a public event that will lead ...

Nobody said competitive Gunpla building is easy. Just gathering your courage to submit your work under the unrelenting scrutiny of the judges is a major accomplishment. Gunpla 101 and contributor and ...

The Sinanju is a favorite at Gunpla 101. We even love it in its teeny tiny SD Sinanju form! Now, contributor Daniel shares his thoughts on one of the most recent additions to the Sinanju family, the R...

Your enjoyment of a Gunpla kit doesn’t need to end when it’s finally finished and posed. In the Philippines, a tabletop game is catching on that makes use of your completed kits. Gunpla 101 contributo...

“How do you apply waterslide decals?” is one of the number one questions we get here at Gunpla 101. They may be different from stickers, but they’re not that much more complex—and the visual payoff is...

Gunpla building may be an individual activity, but it’s far from a solitary hobby. Through social media, you can connect with other builders all over the world. Looking for some new creators to add to...

This year, we did things a little differently at Gunpla 101. For the last 10 years, I wrote a monthly update of Gunpla pre-orders and new releases. In that time, we’ve seen the Gunpla Year in Review g...

How well do you really know the Gundam industry?  After years of buying Gundam model kits and even running my own Gundam modeling site, I would have guessed I knew it pretty well. But no longer.  Rece...

Can you believe it’s been nearly 10 YEARS since Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans? Even after nearly a decade, the show’s emotional storyline and iconic demon-inspired mobile suits continue to ...