As is probably apparent with my ramblings so far on this blog, I like robots. Indeed. But I also like whimsical things. So where possible, I combine them. The result was a diorama of a 1:100 scale Master Grade Zaku II v2.0 (the very same one in the first photo of the last blog entry) with a fishing rod. Yes, a Zaku-sized fishing rod.
A Brief Brief
If the question buzzing through your head at the moment is: "Why?", then my answer would be "Why not?"
The title of this diorama is "Fishing". I know, a rather dull title, but it works. This was entered into competitions at my local Japanese toy hobby store (Hobby One) and to a competition in Japan with the Hobby Japan monthly magazine. I must thank Yoshi, who runs Hobby One, who assisted with my entry submission and also a fellow competitor.
I didn't win either of the two, but that's fine as I only entered for fun and basically for the learning experience. It was a blast.
It humbles me to admit that the competition was fierce - there are tons of great modellers out there. If you manage to pick up a copy of the February 2010 issue of Hobby Japan, you can find my entry misspelled "Fvishing" amongst the many non-winning runner-up entries. Unfortunately the photo selected was not one of the better shots to use in a thumbnail. Alas, can't complain! It's exciting enough for a novice like myself to have been selected amongst the runner ups.
On the photo
Today I'm presenting one of the photos I was able to amass for this project. I'm no great photographer, but this is arguably one the better images in the collection, and also an accident. The best received amongst all those I've shown it to, at least.
This accident I am referring to is a visual illusion that extends the diorama beyond its boundaries.
Observe the near portion of the river. The uneven surface of the clear resin (done by prodding the surface with a brush while it was setting) combined with the reflection of natural sunlight results in the illusion of foam on the surface. This makes it look like there are currents in the water.
Next observe the lake and the bank on the far side. These don't exist. Or rather, they do exist, but they're not part of the diorama. The diorama ends where the water changes from light to dark.
Observe the horizontal bar of light close to the far bank. That's really a clear strip of plastic that I used to contain the river. If you look at the part of the photo closest to you, you'll see the other strip of clear PVC sheet containing the other side of the river and bank. Notice how that part of the photo looks like a 3d cutaway of the river.
One thing I like about this photo is how the sun and shade play off the Zaku, the fishing rod and the terrain. Though silhouetted (and thus masking all the details), the lighting results are almost artistic.
The overall picture works very well to viewers that glance at it for the first time. If you inspect it too much, or if you've been reading my comments here, you'll discover that it's just an illusion.
If you squint your eyes, you'll probably even see the tiny pilot that's by the Zaku's right shoulder shield. Just under the diamond shaped light reflecting off the shield. Don't worry if you do not - the pilot's not the focus of the photo.
When I get a chance, I'll put up higher-res version of all the better photos on my Photobucket account.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
"Fishing"
As is probably apparent with my ramblings so far on this blog, I like robots. Indeed. But I also like whimsical things. So where possible, I combine them. The result was a diorama of a 1:100 scale Master Grade Zaku II v2.0 (the very same one in the first photo of the last blog entry) with a fishing rod. Yes, a Zaku-sized fishing rod.
A Brief Brief
If the question buzzing through your head at the moment is: "Why?", then my answer would be "Why not?"
The title of this diorama is "Fishing". I know, a rather dull title, but it works. This was entered into competitions at my local Japanese toy hobby store (Hobby One) and to a competition in Japan with the Hobby Japan monthly magazine. I must thank Yoshi, who runs Hobby One, who assisted with my entry submission and also a fellow competitor.
I didn't win either of the two, but that's fine as I only entered for fun and basically for the learning experience. It was a blast.
It humbles me to admit that the competition was fierce - there are tons of great modellers out there. If you manage to pick up a copy of the February 2010 issue of Hobby Japan, you can find my entry misspelled "Fvishing" amongst the many non-winning runner-up entries. Unfortunately the photo selected was not one of the better shots to use in a thumbnail. Alas, can't complain! It's exciting enough for a novice like myself to have been selected amongst the runner ups.
On the photo
Today I'm presenting one of the photos I was able to amass for this project. I'm no great photographer, but this is arguably one the better images in the collection, and also an accident. The best received amongst all those I've shown it to, at least.
This accident I am referring to is a visual illusion that extends the diorama beyond its boundaries.
Observe the near portion of the river. The uneven surface of the clear resin (done by prodding the surface with a brush while it was setting) combined with the reflection of natural sunlight results in the illusion of foam on the surface. This makes it look like there are currents in the water.
Next observe the lake and the bank on the far side. These don't exist. Or rather, they do exist, but they're not part of the diorama. The diorama ends where the water changes from light to dark.
Observe the horizontal bar of light close to the far bank. That's really a clear strip of plastic that I used to contain the river. If you look at the part of the photo closest to you, you'll see the other strip of clear PVC sheet containing the other side of the river and bank. Notice how that part of the photo looks like a 3d cutaway of the river.
One thing I like about this photo is how the sun and shade play off the Zaku, the fishing rod and the terrain. Though silhouetted (and thus masking all the details), the lighting results are almost artistic.
The overall picture works very well to viewers that glance at it for the first time. If you inspect it too much, or if you've been reading my comments here, you'll discover that it's just an illusion.
If you squint your eyes, you'll probably even see the tiny pilot that's by the Zaku's right shoulder shield. Just under the diamond shaped light reflecting off the shield. Don't worry if you do not - the pilot's not the focus of the photo.
When I get a chance, I'll put up higher-res version of all the better photos on my Photobucket account.
Monday, March 1, 2010
An uninformed ramble on the Zaku II
Today's mindless rambling is about the mono eyed beast known as the Zaku. More specifically it is the Zaku II. Please note that as per the title, I know very little of the source material not having watched the original series the Zaku originates from. Most of what I know I've gathered in bits and pieces from various sources so please take everything I say in here with a grain of salt. Corrections obviously welcome for those that are better versed in the history and origins of the Zaku II. As a semi-related preamble to this: The real purpose I'm bringing this up is because I just plain like this mecha. However, the other reason is that I had a diorama project I was working on mid to late last year mentioned in last years blogs, but didn't really elaborate on it too much. This was partly due to the fact I had put it into two model making competitions, one local and one in Japan (purely for fun, I assure you!), so wasn't at liberty to disclose too much of the details. Now that the competitions are over - and naturally I did not win (though did end up amongst the many great honourable mentions ) - I will be putting up some photos of the results in the near future. As the key figure in this diorama is a Zaku II, I thought I'd give a brief overview of what it is, from my uninformed perspective. Right, enough o that. What is a Zaku II? Well, this chap in the photo below is a Zaku II - taken from a few snaps I took a few years back called "Zaku II On the Lawn".
To those that know what these guys are and want more specific details on the Zaku in the photo, this is a MS-06F Zaku II. That probably doesn't mean much to most folks. The MS-06 is the model numbering system that Zeon (the side that uses these mobile suits) assign to their various mobile suits. The F marks this as as a variation of the MS-06 with modifications that allow it to be used in space. A MS-06J for example would be the ground type that doesn't have the extra rocket boosters on the legs and backpack. There are many-many other variations. The Zaku II is a type of mobile suit in the Gundam universe. The best way I could describe them is that they look a bit like an American footballer with spikes on one shoulder pad and a shield replacing the other.
Like a large majority of the mobile suits that feature in this series, its sequels and its spinoffs, they have a single camere "eye" on the head (main camera). Zakus are the mass produced staple mobile suits used by the Principality of Zeon (the alleged 'bad guys') against the Earth Federation Space Forces (the alleged 'good guys'). They technically exist solely to be blown up in very large quantities by the EFSF. They are the counterpart to the GM (pronounced Jim) used by the EFSF, which in turn is blown up in large quantities by Zeon. It's interesting to point out that the name Zaku closely resembles the Japanese word Zoku, which can be interpreted as vulgar or common. That technically describes them quite well. I think a better term was Zako - but I can't seem to find the translation in my dictionary - or maybe my imagination made up the word.
These guys first featured in the 1979 anime Mobile Suit Gundam, and I understand were designed by Kunio Kawara, one of the mecha designers for the show. Despite being the blow-me-up-now mecha for the show, they turned out to be more popular than the titular mecha for the series, the Gundam. The plastic model kits for the Zaku outsold the Gundam at a ratio of 2 to 1!
They were originally sold in the standard mass produced green colour and the Char's custom Zaku II which is essentially a red repaint that came with a command antennae on the head.
As the years have gone by and the Gundam mythos continues to expand, many variations of the Zaku have emerged. And I'm speaking of the Zaku II alone, and not the other Mobile Suits that appear to be Zaku spinoffs like the Marasai in Zeta Gundam and the Geara Doga in Char's Counterattack and the Zaku's featured in Seed Destiny. The Zaku, is in a way, the basis for many later mobile suits. (The white Zaku in the photo is an unpainted "White Ogre", a personalized Zaku II from the Igloo 2 series. Note the antennae on the head. That generally signifies that the Zaku II is used by a commanding officer and the whole suit is calibrated to be something like 20% better than the normal suits piloted by the soldiers.)
If you were to ask my why the Zaku did better - I wouldn't have a clue except that I am just as hopelessly fascinated with them. The Zaku is actually quite simple looking monster and is not as intricate in overall detail as the Gundam. There are more curves than straight lines on the limbs, torso and head. Perhaps it's the simplicity of it that assists much of the Zaku's appeal. In a way, for the model kits, this simplicity lends itself greatly to easy customization of the paint work or for etching your own details in.
One aspect of the Zaku that may put mecha fans off is the fact that they are asymmetrical thanks to the shoulder armour consisting of one round pad (with spikes) on the left arm and a shield on the right arm. I quite like the asymmetry - but I do agree that it's a matter of taste. But if you think about it, these are only bits of protective armour. From a model kit perspective, there's always the option of buying two kits and swapping the shoulder pads.
According to the specs of these mobile suits that you get on the instructions for the model kits, Zakus can weigh up to 80 tonnes when fully kitted with their basic equipment (including 100mm machine gun, a 280mm bazooka and an axe known as heat hawk). If you can imagine the amount of weight these guys are swinging about and the amount of momentum they can possibly achieve with that much weight, it's mind boggling. Heavy metal indeed! 'tis a shame they're made to blow up so easily.
Since the start, Zaku model kits have been released and re-released in various sizes such as 1:144, 1:100 and 1:60, and come in various grades classified as High Grade (HG), Master Grade (MG), Perfect Grade (PG) and numerous other types including assembled action figures and other fun items. The recent Master Grade 1:100 scale Zaku II v2.0 releases (from 2006 onwards) are quite breathtaking model kits that are very intricate kits to put together with probably about 5 - 8 hours of construction time depending on how much effort you put in.
Once done, they are excellent to fiddle with and pose thanks to their highly articulate frames as well as offering a feature present in many master grade kits with removable armour plates that let you view the inner mechanical details.
I'll simply close this article off with a personal recommendation by saying that even if you don't plan to immerse yourself in the Gundam universe but would like a fun mecha model kit to put together, definitely give this chap a try. I highly recommend any one of the v2.0 master grade kits - they're well worth it and oodles of fun. However don't limit yourself to the Zaku II - they're just the focus of this blog article. I can heartily recommend the Master Grade 1:100 Gundam Mk II v2.0 kit (either in the AEUG or Titans colour schemes) as well if you'd like to try a Gundam instead, which features equally good articulation and features an interesting sliding armour system to facilitate the articulation without the armour getting in the way. If you don't have any local shops that sell these kits, you can try places like ebay or online shops like Hobbylink Japan.
To those that know what these guys are and want more specific details on the Zaku in the photo, this is a MS-06F Zaku II. That probably doesn't mean much to most folks. The MS-06 is the model numbering system that Zeon (the side that uses these mobile suits) assign to their various mobile suits. The F marks this as as a variation of the MS-06 with modifications that allow it to be used in space. A MS-06J for example would be the ground type that doesn't have the extra rocket boosters on the legs and backpack. There are many-many other variations. The Zaku II is a type of mobile suit in the Gundam universe. The best way I could describe them is that they look a bit like an American footballer with spikes on one shoulder pad and a shield replacing the other.
Like a large majority of the mobile suits that feature in this series, its sequels and its spinoffs, they have a single camere "eye" on the head (main camera). Zakus are the mass produced staple mobile suits used by the Principality of Zeon (the alleged 'bad guys') against the Earth Federation Space Forces (the alleged 'good guys'). They technically exist solely to be blown up in very large quantities by the EFSF. They are the counterpart to the GM (pronounced Jim) used by the EFSF, which in turn is blown up in large quantities by Zeon. It's interesting to point out that the name Zaku closely resembles the Japanese word Zoku, which can be interpreted as vulgar or common. That technically describes them quite well. I think a better term was Zako - but I can't seem to find the translation in my dictionary - or maybe my imagination made up the word.
These guys first featured in the 1979 anime Mobile Suit Gundam, and I understand were designed by Kunio Kawara, one of the mecha designers for the show. Despite being the blow-me-up-now mecha for the show, they turned out to be more popular than the titular mecha for the series, the Gundam. The plastic model kits for the Zaku outsold the Gundam at a ratio of 2 to 1!
They were originally sold in the standard mass produced green colour and the Char's custom Zaku II which is essentially a red repaint that came with a command antennae on the head.As the years have gone by and the Gundam mythos continues to expand, many variations of the Zaku have emerged. And I'm speaking of the Zaku II alone, and not the other Mobile Suits that appear to be Zaku spinoffs like the Marasai in Zeta Gundam and the Geara Doga in Char's Counterattack and the Zaku's featured in Seed Destiny. The Zaku, is in a way, the basis for many later mobile suits. (The white Zaku in the photo is an unpainted "White Ogre", a personalized Zaku II from the Igloo 2 series. Note the antennae on the head. That generally signifies that the Zaku II is used by a commanding officer and the whole suit is calibrated to be something like 20% better than the normal suits piloted by the soldiers.)
If you were to ask my why the Zaku did better - I wouldn't have a clue except that I am just as hopelessly fascinated with them. The Zaku is actually quite simple looking monster and is not as intricate in overall detail as the Gundam. There are more curves than straight lines on the limbs, torso and head. Perhaps it's the simplicity of it that assists much of the Zaku's appeal. In a way, for the model kits, this simplicity lends itself greatly to easy customization of the paint work or for etching your own details in.
One aspect of the Zaku that may put mecha fans off is the fact that they are asymmetrical thanks to the shoulder armour consisting of one round pad (with spikes) on the left arm and a shield on the right arm. I quite like the asymmetry - but I do agree that it's a matter of taste. But if you think about it, these are only bits of protective armour. From a model kit perspective, there's always the option of buying two kits and swapping the shoulder pads.
According to the specs of these mobile suits that you get on the instructions for the model kits, Zakus can weigh up to 80 tonnes when fully kitted with their basic equipment (including 100mm machine gun, a 280mm bazooka and an axe known as heat hawk). If you can imagine the amount of weight these guys are swinging about and the amount of momentum they can possibly achieve with that much weight, it's mind boggling. Heavy metal indeed! 'tis a shame they're made to blow up so easily.
Since the start, Zaku model kits have been released and re-released in various sizes such as 1:144, 1:100 and 1:60, and come in various grades classified as High Grade (HG), Master Grade (MG), Perfect Grade (PG) and numerous other types including assembled action figures and other fun items. The recent Master Grade 1:100 scale Zaku II v2.0 releases (from 2006 onwards) are quite breathtaking model kits that are very intricate kits to put together with probably about 5 - 8 hours of construction time depending on how much effort you put in.
Once done, they are excellent to fiddle with and pose thanks to their highly articulate frames as well as offering a feature present in many master grade kits with removable armour plates that let you view the inner mechanical details.
I'll simply close this article off with a personal recommendation by saying that even if you don't plan to immerse yourself in the Gundam universe but would like a fun mecha model kit to put together, definitely give this chap a try. I highly recommend any one of the v2.0 master grade kits - they're well worth it and oodles of fun. However don't limit yourself to the Zaku II - they're just the focus of this blog article. I can heartily recommend the Master Grade 1:100 Gundam Mk II v2.0 kit (either in the AEUG or Titans colour schemes) as well if you'd like to try a Gundam instead, which features equally good articulation and features an interesting sliding armour system to facilitate the articulation without the armour getting in the way. If you don't have any local shops that sell these kits, you can try places like ebay or online shops like Hobbylink Japan.
"Live Fats Die Yo Gnu"
Title is a quote borrowed from Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld novel Soul Music (ISBN 0-552-14029-5).
On Sunday morning I woke up to the news of a tsunami warning. As with any other major events or natural disasters that have happened over the years, especially those that may directly influence me, this was quite something to take in.
The estimated time of the arrival of the waves was about 10.30-11-ish in the morning. That passed and all seemed fine. That was a good relief. For then, you never know if there were going to be aftershocks.
Either last year or the year before, we had a similar impending tsunami warning, reported by the media. Our Civil Defence department took a rather lacklustre attitude towards that potential disaster and was heavily criticized by the public, media, politicians, etc. Obviously everyone had a right to be angry about that - our lives could have been in danger. Luckily it turned out all right and wasn't too major a catastrophe.
This time, Civil Defense seemed to be on the ball. Warnings were issued, the media did frequent coverage of the impending disaster. Even residents in some seaside communities were given phone calls or cellphone txt message warnings. Good on them - better show than last time. Then, later that evening, I found it both amusing and horrifying to learn at how so many people ignored the warnings and pretty much flocked to the beaches for a paddle and a sunbathe or go out on a boat ride.
Like candles, humans live short but bright lives. As if often advised, we should "live for the moment". That's not really a bad bit of advice. If you're going to get killed by a tsunami, why not get in one last swim on an otherwise great day or at least be amongst the first to see the surge of water arriving in person? Why not indeed?
I don't think it was ever implied that you had to live in the moment recklessly. I think I'd rather opt to forgo a nice day at the beach and live long enough to see many more. But that's just me.
Yes, it turned out okay in the end, so all's well that ends well. But is that really a fine thing? What if it hadn't?
I don't like to think too deeply about things like the meaning of life and whatnot (to be honest, it bores me to sleep), but this event was an interesting insight for me into what it is to be human. We're a stubborn species.
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