Title: Gundam Build Fighters Blu-ray
Director: Kenji Nagasaki
Studio: Sunrise
U. S. Distributor: Sunrise, RightStuf
U. S. Release Date: August 2nd, 2016
Format: Blu-ray / 25 Episodes / 625 minutes
Genre: Sci Fi, Action
Age Rating: TV 14+
Overall Personal Rating: B
Synopsis:
The time is the near future. Years have passed since the 1980s, when “Gunpla” — plastic models based on the “Mobile Suit Gundam” animation — created a huge boom.
Now, a new wave is sweeping the world, in what could be called a second Gunpla boom. Its popularity is driven by “Gunpla Battle,” in which assembled Gunpla can be controlled and made to fight. With the introduction of this revolutionary Battle System, its popularity has expanded to the point that a Gunpla Battle World Tournament is held each year.
The main character of the story, Sei Iori, is a young Gunpla builder who loves Gunpla and dreams of entering the Gunpla Battle World Tournament. As the only heir to a hobby shop, he has high Gunpla building abilities, but he doesn’t know how to control them in battle and is continually defeated in the opening rounds of tournaments. When he meets Reiji, a mysterious boy with superb Gunpla control skills, they team up to take on the World Tournament.
Sei, the Gunpla builder.
Reiji, the Gunpla fighter.
Sei builds, and Reiji battles.
They’re the Build Fighters everyone is talking about! Their goal is to enter the Gunpla Battle World Tournament — and win!
Commentary:
In the Gundam Universe there are very few series that diverge from the overall Gundam ideal and Build Fighters is one of them. This fun an light hearted series blends a couple anime tropes to create something that seems to illicit strong feelings from the Gundam fandom. Bringing the gaming world to the Gundam world is a blast. I realize that many Gundam fans feel like it makes fun of the Gundam fandom, but in reality what it does is bring in a new group of viewers. I see people of all likes watching and liking Build Fighters for what it is and also creating a introduction to the world of Gundam.
The series doesn’t take itself too seriously and also plays with the wide diversity of gundam builders. It would be great if this series pushes more young people to the fun of building and how much variety there is in the building world.
Overall Grade: B
If I had to look at this as strictly a Gundam series I would have to say it comes up short. The funny thing is that it comes a little closer to showing off how serious the building community is and at the same time blending in the gaming world. The initial concept left me with a feeling that Build Fighters was made to exploit the battle card games and maybe make a few more buck s and expand the model building selection. I was very surprised and pleased with the final product and am glade it was made.
I am sure that there are Gundam fans that both love and dislike Build Fighters, but I think the important group that it will draw into the Gundam Universe are non-Gundam anime fans and so,e of the card players that will find this series as nothing more than FUN!
