Gundam Build Fighters Episode 1 [First Impression]

Eva’s First Impression:
Considering this series is going to be very different from the usual ones we’re used to, I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. Reji’s character is truly a mystery, the only thing we know about him is that he is supposedly a ‘NewType’ but we don’t exactly know what they are in this case (especially since we have no idea how this story is going to unfold). As long as Sei holds onto that Gem/Rock that Reji had given him, Reji will grant his wishes. It’s almost like a genie scenario, so it makes me wonder if there is a limit on the amount of wishes that can be made. Certainly it’s fate that the two have met, especially since that Reji is Sei’s ideal partner to pilot his precious Gundam…err Gunpla Model.
Iori Sei is… well at the moment I am quite indifferent about him. I don’t hate him, but there’s definitelysomething that throws me off me and I can’t pin point what that is. His character is pretty laid back, takes a lot of pride in the Gundam Models he had built and is just a nice person as he covered for Reji. It’s pretty clear that Sei devotes more time on the craftsmanship in comparison to practicing how to manage the controls. Which brings me to my next point. At some point or another it is safe to bet that Sei will be forced to rely on his own abilities to control his Gunpla without Reji’s help, so it will be interesting how it plays out in the future such as: Will Reji always come to his aid? How many times will Sei take advantage of the wishes? Is there a price that comes with it? What will be the downsides (besides not being able to win a fight on his own?).
Sazaki was hell of an annoying character. His arrogance pissed me off and all I wanted him to do is shut up. I’m glad he was defeated, but it is a bit of a shame that it wasn’t Sei’s victory but Reji’s. Of course it would have been too soon for Sei to defeat Sazaki on his own since he clearly lack experience and knowledge how to use the controls.
Although I’ve never collected Gundam Models, I know a handful of people who have and I imagine that anyone who collects them will enjoy this show a lot, especially if they possess extensive knowledge on most if not all the Gundam models in existence. But at the same time, while the originals are definitely in place, like Sei had done- he built his own based on Gundam Strike called “Gundam Build Strike” – I imagine many other competitors, especially in Gunpla Tournament will have their own unique customized models.
The animation was great, I am quite fond of the character designs- far more than Gundam AGE despite the fact there are quite a bit of similarities, but I also saw bits of Gundam 00’s character designs as well so I think mixing the two really worked out pretty darn well. I think the highlight of this whole Gunpla game is that we’re seeing the fights as how we’re used to seeing it while at the same some adding humorous bits that we would never see in ruthless Gundam series with brutal wars as the foundation of the story.
In the end, this doesn’t look like it’s going to be a show I am motivated enough to blog about every week so I’ll be passing on this one, but I am definitely looking forward to seeing how it turns out.
Possibility of Blogging: No
Possibility of Watching: Guaranteed