MDS Vol.08 "Stream Base Talks About Gunpla!"

Kunio Okawara, Mechanical Designer of "Mobile Suit Gundam" × Legendary Modeler Team Stream Base Talk About Gunpla!

Performance

Kunio Okawara (Mechanical Designer)

Masahiro Oda (Modeler / Writer)

Katsumi Kawaguchi (Bandai Co., Ltd. Modeler)

Keisuke Hirota (Freelance Writer)

Contents

The theme of Vol.08 is "Mobile Suit Gundam," one of Mr. Okawara's representative works. It focuses especially on Gunpla, which gained popularity alongside the anime series. Today, "GUNPLA" has become a global common term, and a World Cup is even held to compete in modeling skills.
Even after the original broadcast that began in 1979 ended, the popularity continued with anime magazines featuring special issues, but Gunpla did not yet exist. Some fans presented models that had not been commercialized in magazines, creating a buzz. Later, the main series was rebroadcast, and the long-awaited Gunpla was released by the toy manufacturer Bandai. Gunpla gained explosive popularity and developed into a social phenomenon.
Mr. Okawara also presented illustrations of mobile suits that did not appear in the main anime series, setting them with his own unique interpretations. These were named Mobile Suit Variations (MSV).
In response to this, the group “Stream Base,” which creates original models, became active and continuously published outstanding examples in hobby magazines and boys' magazines. “Stream Base” also appeared by name in manga, becoming an admired presence that guided children of the time in the enjoyment and appeal of Gunpla.
The boom, which fused anime fans and model fans, changed the way people view anime and further transformed the enjoyment of modeling.
Through Gunpla, we unravel the appeal of 'Mobile Suit Gundam' while also exploring the fun of working with your hands and creating.

• MDS Vol.08 Archive Video(External Link)