VOTOMS", "DUNBINE", "SD Gundam" ......What is the original fun of plastic models inherited by Bandai's "Gashapura" series? Hobby Industry Inside Vol. 43

Gashapura" is a plastic model kit that fits easily into a small Gashapon capsule, making it easy to assemble and collect. This January 2019, Gashapura "Armored Trooper Votoms" will join the long-awaited second series. In addition, "SD Gundam Build Divers," which can be played with in combination with Gundam Model Kits, is currently on its second release, and in March, "Saint Dunbine" will join the Gashapura lineup.
Mr. Jun Hasegawa of Bandai's Vendor Division is in charge of planning Gashapura. He used to be involved in Gunpla development in the Hobby Division and is a hardcore plastic model enthusiast known by the nickname "Hasegawa Instructor. Mr. Hasegawa spoke to us about the fun of Gashapura.

80's Robots: "Striking an Atmospheric Standing Pose" is a Must

─ First of all, please tell us about the second lineup of Gashapura "Armored Trooper Votoms". This time, the amphibious AT (Armored Trooper) "Mercy Dog", "Standing Turtle" and "Snapping Turtle" are included, but you are aware of the second part of the TV series, the Kumen Arc?

Hasegawa: Of course, we are aware of it. It would be more fun for customers if they could somehow recall the plastic model lineup released by Takara (now Takara Tomy) at the time of the 1983 broadcast. It would be more fun for the customers and for me.

─ I thought that only the lower part of Mercy Dog from the knees down was newly sculpted, but I heard that the thighs have been thickened and reworked.

Hasegawa: I heard from a customer who bought the first Scopedog that the thighs were a bit thin. I think it's because some people who bought the first Scopedog said, "Isn't the thigh a little thin? Looking at the drawing, it is true that Mercy Dog's legs are quite thick. So, we made them as thick as we could. If we made them too thick, it would affect the mobility of the figure, but we did not focus too much on the mobility of the figure in this product.

Some of the products in the photo have been partially painted by Mr. Hasegawa.

─ The highlight of the second series is the Standing Turtle and Snapping Turtle, which are completely new molds.

Hasegawa: Yes, I wanted to make these. From the time I was watching the show, the Turtle type was my favorite. I matched the scale with the Scope Dog, so it was a little bigger. I was worried about the size of the swampy flag, which is attached to the legs. In my image at the time, I thought it would be cooler if the swampy lugs were placed under the feet ....... However, when I actually got in touch with a product that could put swampy crags under the legs, it was tough to reproduce in gashapura, and I was not impressed by the play. If you want to pursue the coolness of the setting picture, it would be more fitting to make the swampy lugs slightly smaller and fix them in front of the feet, instead of matching the soles of the feet. It took me decades to realize this (laughs). (Laughs.) With modifications, it is not impossible to reproduce the state in which they are laid on the soles of the feet. The form of the figure conforms to the setting drawing in the anime, which is the main, or rather the official, version. However, we omit parts that cannot be reproduced in terms of size.


─ ─ It seems that you have added some details that are not depicted in the setting drawings, such as rivets, which are unique to three-dimensional models ......?

Hasegawa: When adding new details for three-dimensional models, we use Bandai's 1/20 Scopedog plastic model as a reference. I watch the balance and take care not to add too many details and make it too loud.

─ ─ The Gashapura "VOTOMS" has ball joints in the shoulders and ankles, so you can pursue cool standing poses by yourself.

Hasegawa: Yes, ball joints are used so that standing poses with a good atmosphere can be achieved. The many movable parts are a value of the product, but depending on how you pose the figure, it can look either cool or uncool. If that is the case, I think a natural standing pose is the best. Another thing about Sunrise's robot products from the 80s is that the standing poses seen in anime magazines probably left the strongest impression on everyone. For this reason, I thought it would be better not to add too many joints and increase the difficulty of posing.