“FEATURE: Why Gundam Build Fighters Is the Franchise's Best Entry Point”

So many years after the release of the original Gundam series in 1979, Yoshiyuki Tomino’s epic space opera has taken a life of its own, with over 40 years of animation to show for it. The original Gundam series is a classic that’s since been expanded on with multiple sequels and alternate timeline spin-offs. While that’s great if you’ve been following Gundam for a long time, it can be an intimidating franchise to get into, if not nearly impenetrable. Watching this hour-long Crunchyroll video that breaks down the extensive Gundam multiverse is almost mandatory to understand the magnitude of the series. Still, finding a good entry point is hard.

I would know since I’ve spent the last year diving into everything Gundam. Between watching many of the anime series, reading the manga and building the plastic model kits (or Gunpla) I’ve come to know a lot more about Gundam. But unlike most recommendations that tell you to start with the original series and work from there, I started with building Gunpla, which eventually led me to a Gundam series that combines fans’ passion for the Gunpla hobby with the sick fight sequences of the anime: Gundam Build Fighters. With a lighthearted take on the franchise that focuses on model kits and requires no prior Gundam knowledge, Gundam Build Fighters is the best entry point into the series.

Gundam Build Fighters’ world is much like ours, except for the part where you can fight your Gunpla model against someone else’s on a simulated battlefield. These Gunpla Battles, as they’re referred to in the show, essentially bring your Gunpla to life by inserting it into a machine that disperses Plavsky particles that interact with the plastic that model kits are made from. The best Gunpla builders use their knowledge to customize their kits and imbue them with weapons and abilities beyond their stock capabilities. Like the “real” Gundam the kits are based on, these Gunpla require a pilot who controls the action from a simulated cockpit. While it sounds a bit far-fetched, it’s no zanier than the story of a teenage boy from space controlling a giant mech that turns the tides of war. Either way, once the show settles in and the action begins, you won’t be thinking about Plavsky particles.

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The show’s protagonist is a 13-year-old Gunpla-building wunderkind named Sei Iori, whose family runs a Gunpla shop. The young genius has Gunpla Battles in his genes; his dad is a famous Gunpla Battler. But Sei’s strength in building Gunpla, though formidable, can’t make up for his lack of skill behind the controls. No matter how good his builds are, he’s routinely trounced by lesser opponents. It’s not until he meets Reiji, an enigmatic red-haired figure, that his fate changes. Reiji is a wiz at piloting Gunpla, able to beat his opponent in his first-ever Gunpla Battle. The two team up to fight for the championship together, with Reiji as the pilot and Sei as the co-pilot and builder.

 
From there, it’s your typical I-want-to-be-the-best hero’s journey premise, and it doesn’t disappoint. The pair take on opponent after opponent, dishing out punishing performances in Sei’s custom-built Build Strike Gundam Full Package. The duo does have their share of tough battles along the way, but with Reiji’s growing skill and Sei’s constant upgrades of their shared Gunpla, they are unstoppable. These decadent battles are what originally draw you in, but it’s the well-written cast of characters and the started-from-the-bottom narrative that keeps you glued to the screen.

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The plot is surprisingly complex for an anime about battling Gunpla, with several subplots and character arcs that slowly build in the background until the final battle in the delightfully strange ending. The story feels fresh thanks to the introduction of several colorful characters throughout the anime’s 25-episode span. Where other anime might make a competitor a one-sided character put there to drive the plot for a single episode, Gundam Build Fighters adds seemingly complex characters who each have their own ambitions. There are characters like the American Nils Nielsen, for example, who seek knowledge above victory. Then there’s the Finnish battler Aila Jyrkiainen, whose initial coldness is revealed to be a symptom of something much darker. Other characters — like Mao Yasaka, Sei’s similarly aged rival and friend, and the Italian champion Ricardo Fellini — become likable mainstays that add a touch of humor at the right moments.

As important as the characters are, their Gunpla play an equal part. These custom Gunpla re-introduce classic Gundam models with remixed colors and parts, often taking inspiration from several Gundam to create an “ultimate” version. It feels like the Gundam designers for the show were told to go off and they did. Sei’s Build Strike Gundam Full Package is the star of the show, and it’s one of my favorite models, so much so that I went and bought the actual kit to build at home. Other Gunpla, like Fellini’s Italian-flag-themed Wing Gundam Fenice based on the XXXG-01W Wing Gundam, and Nils Nielsen’s Sengoku Astray Gundam based on the MBF-P02 Gundam Astray Red Frame, are two standouts. While longtime Gundam fans may be apprehensive about seeing their old favorites modified, the show clearly pays homage to the history of the long-running series. With references that only Gundam fans will get, there’s a wink-and-a-nod aspect that doesn’t alienate the new fans but does a lot to convince those in the know.

The origins of Gundam Build Fighters may have come about to boost sales of Gunpla, which it did, but thanks to a fun story, richly detailed characters, and jaw-dropping Gundam designs, it’s become something more. Subsequent series like Gundam Build Fighters Try, Gundam Build Divers, and Gundam Build Divers Re: Rise have tried to recreate the magic, but Gundam Build Fighters is the original. It’s the one I would recommend to newcomers because it’s the gateway to the wide world of Gundam. And while you may see better Gundam series later, of which there are many, you’ll never forget your first. 

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