What are Third Party Model Kits? Do you actually know how to define it?

[@jarodk1294]

I wouldn’t care who made it as long as it looks good and doesn’t immediately fall apart.

[@jaypeadieL611]

I usually buy bootlegs for spare parts, but recent kits have been getting very good

[@emperorhadrian6011]

That's not a bad idea,

[@2saisai]

I personally love 3rd part add on/replacement parts. They enhance kits a lot. I dont mind them at all.

[@zethythonix]

Those are unique, I am saving up to buy paint and convert a MG Dynames into repair III

[@wulf8889]

That's exactly what I'm doing or get a cheap already built mg dynames. I'm even planning to get both the Susan Model (better quality) and SJL (more accurate) just to make a repair III.

[@wulf8889]

Tho the Daban one is currently out of stock in my country unless I want to pay for the overpriced ones.

[@2saisai]

@Zethythonix looking forward to it. Enjoy your build.

[@azraeiazman]

I’m confused why people said don’t buy bootleg because they quality is not good and it will fall apart. Well I bought my first gunpla which is third party a week ago and it held up. No loose joints, easy to pose, looks great, cheap, i had fun putting it together.

[@MetalmanX]

As someone who builds and reviews a lot of third party kits I think you have done a fantastic breakdown with this video. I personally hate the elitism over third party kits. Build what you like, what you can find, and what you can afford. Thanks for this awesome video.

[@d3bugged]

Honestly although I have little to no skill with customs/GKs, Im always looking at 3rd party. The designs, and the stuff like 144 rg weapons (red dragon backpack, Exia R3, Barbatos resin) are a big motivator for improving. I hate that bandai still hasn't provided the Rg Astray with its red dragon backpack.

[@zethythonix]

The thing I hated more is how they just walked away from MG and decided it's some paywall extension like the sneakers

[@wulf8889]

I think Bandai just cares less about the early RGs. You have to have a a 1:1 statue to get a 1.5 ala RG Freedom ver. GCP and that thing still has hip issues because it was still using the old advance Ms joint for the hips.

[@razrafz]

@@wulf8889 yea the early seed rg kits have very questionable frame designs. who even thought the shoulders 1/4 ball sockets would hold for more than a single play? the weird hip joint also stresses out so easily

[@rabidmouse666]

I love third party kits! Some of my favorite builds have been third party. They get better and better as time goes on.

[@AllHailShadow117]

Third party is simply the solution Bandai’s P-Bandai bullshit, sometimes they come out first, and sometimes they’re better than the official.

[@bootlegyoumufumo4632]

I bought the MJH Astray and it's a banger. Although I must drill every holes I cut, it's nub free, mostly solid kit. I would try more Chinese kits later, because Chinese kits are getting better and more original

[@Exaris79]

My favorite 3rd party kit is actually DragonMomoko/MJH MB Strike Freedom. Their MB Destiny is very sharp and will actually bleed you assembling it. The remaining members of DM joined Daban and it shows in their work post 8810 kits. The 8812 and 8814 are good with some fitting issues but it's also very sharp and will bleed you. Still waiting for the MB Impulse/Destiny kit that was supposed to had come out over some years ago. The new revised kits of previous releases shows some improvements and even direct copy of Dragon Momoko's molds like the latest MB Destiny by Daban.

[@williamcll]

Got the Daban MG Jesta, loving it so far.

[@minnows7659]

Not sure how feasible it is, but I would love a video on third-party kits in the same vein as your full RG showcase videos, would help see the pros and cons of for example the different daban kits

[@LLSmoothJ]

My stance on Third Party is this: As long as it's not completely copying the design of the original, it should be fine. It helps that they usually work on kits Bandai have no current plans on releasing and even then I end up preferring the 3rd party designs (I prefer DM Testament to Bandai's as the latter is too bulky and the heels are too damn high).

[@YuriusFarrence]

Same for me plus I hate Bandai's method of gatekeeping some variants or kits to P-Bandai which is not accessible in most regions. I bought the Bandai V2 Ver Ka and also bought Daban's V2 Assault Buster. I then built both and made V2 Assault + V2 Buster with the wing effect parts. I also have the Bandai Hyaku Shiki 2.0 but bought the Daban's Hyaku Shiki since its cheaper to get the Megalauncher from there rather than to get the Pbandai one. Honestly if Bandai wants to get my money, just sell those in regular releases. Kudos to Daban though for doing further mods to their releases, more surface detail, variations that Bandai will never release. I hope they release the MK3 FA next time.

[@zackfair9361]

@@YuriusFarrence I second this. The P-Bandai stuff make the kit so hard to get. Even if you can found one, the price will be 3 times higher than it actual price.

[@zethythonix]

That's exactly the reason I chose DM too, Bandai made it look too... uh... bulky or fat I should call it again?

[@morsoe1]

@@zethythonix I didn't get the high heels? like its not even part of the design, why does a gundam need stilletos?

[@zethythonix]

@@morsoe1 Like I said, that's why DM is still better design wise

[@pyangenfujita]

Your definitions are spot on!

[@michaelbean3775]

I often see 3rd party fanatics tell people "stupid" for buying extra money for Bandai models because their 3rd party model is better (for them) & cheaper. As good as 3rd party models are, please also keep in mind to respect Bandai for paying the IP & royalty to Sunrise/original mecha designers. Many of Gundams ideas & animes exist because of Bandai in the 1st place. Imagine if somebody make money from your original drawing/video (but they make it better). Some design choice from Bandai that labeled "lazy" by people is actually to cut cost. One of the reason 3rd party can go crazy & cheap is because they don't have pay royalty & IP to many parties. Also keep in mind p-bandai is expensive only for us outside Japan markets. For them in Japan it's the same price as regulars. I'm not a Bandai fanboy, I just wan't to give other perspective and for us to respect each other equally.

[@zethythonix]

You, random commenter, has earned my respect and you're FAR FAR BETTER than those who came only to put blood and war, you are awesome.

[@jasonmoncusgundinamo1811]

You the man. Wish we could have seen your face. Thanks bro. Heaven a good one

[@rafiw8717]

5:57 The funny thing is that, back then, the Astray Blue Frame series got shipped out RIGHT when they got raided by Bandai. The kits are so rare it almost never seen the lights of day due to the factory being closed.

[@GmaSR]

As a Japanese, I find it very interesting that you are addressing this topic. At least in Japan, where the country is governed by the rule of law, third-party products are often considered taboo in the Japanese community. Since Sotsu and other rights holders own the copyrights to all MSs in the main anime series and Gaiden works, royalties must of course be paid if they are to be commercialized. It is said that no matter how much you arrange the modeling, it is not something that can be avoided. Individuals sometimes sell GKs at modeler events, but no matter what kind of kit it is, they pay royalties to Sotsu in advance to commercialize it. The community is not blaming them for making or arranging models that have not been commercialized, but for the practice of buying third-party products without making the effort to make their own models with plastic materials and putty, and making profits without royalties to the copyright holders. The comments made me feel that there is still a difference in thinking between the domestic community and fans outside of Japan. As in SEED, different races may never fully understand each other. Bandai, as a commercial company, has to be conservative in its merchandising, and in this respect, I think there is a discrepancy with the demands of overseas fans. On the other hand, my personal opinion is that Bandai products (especially B-Premium) are very difficult and expensive to obtain outside Japan, so it is understandable that third-party products are distributed and fans purchase them. Modified parts are also attractive. However, respect for the copyright holders who created MS should not be forgotten. As a side note, I really like your commentary videos. Keep up the good work!

[@MasterSwo-MK]

I have nothing against third party kits as a concept as long as they good. What I DO have against them, is that they are almost always focused on MGs. I'm a HG guy, I'll buy the occasional RG now and then but in the end 1/144 is my jam all the way... and there is NOTHING out there for me when it comes to third parties, or if there were, they aren't there now!

[@chunghinsun5899]

I do like the funnel effect for 1/144 sazabi. It works for both RG and HG. Different adapters. The HG adapter also works for HG Nightingale. There's also a mega bazooka for HI-Nu that's more accurate compared to the P bandai version. I have them both.

[@MasterSwo-MK]

@@chunghinsun5899 Yeah but those are an exception rather then a rule. Compared to the amount of MG 3rd-parties out there, the HG/RG count is pitiful.

[@alvinjayservano6282]

this video is awesome, everything stated here are well said & true, thanks for this awesome video good sir 😊

[@rikimarudonchelie1229]

just subscribe your channel, good to see people who are more into hobby with a degree of maturity & sincere opinion rather on the hypocrisy of brand arguments.

[@albertko1]

Honestly, if Bandai were releasing more model kits at a faster rate... then would be less of a market for these 3rd party kits. In certain cases, you know Bandai is really trying to make it very difficult to collect the parts to assemble certain well-known variants of popular MS... Like the HeavyArms and Altron TV versions... not only is the original kit itself already rare due to being PBandai, the expansion sets required to make it TV version accurate are also very difficult to find on PBandai. Sure lately it's been a tad easier that they offer the variant and the variant pieces separately (See AGE Full Glansa or Eclipse Raijin) but the rate of production is so slow.

[@teknonaught]

I wish the 3rd party scene in Gunpla is as robust as Transformers, imagine getting Striker Packs without waiting for the P-Tax. Also, iirc Daban also have Metabi conversions?

[@zethythonix]

IDK Metabi...?

[@teknonaught]

@@zethythonix ah sorry, i mean metal build. I think you already covered it in the video too (Daban 88xx, like the ARF and ABF, iirc?)

[@zethythonix]

@@teknonaught nah they aren’t conversions, they are actually model kits that you BUILD it, instead of paying hundreds to get chipped paint or missing parts

[@AnimeFallenFan]

Transformers 3rd party is way better because hasbro and takaratomy have fallen behind in terms of their designs and engineering. In terms of Gunpla, Bandai is still ahead above all else. Personally I don't have problems with 3rd party kits. It keeps the market competitive and healthy.

[@chaious1040]

I unfortunately had a really bad experience when I 1st got into GUNPLA, (BTW, that was a really long time ago), I had no idea Bandai was the only official maker of Gundam kits and out of the 1st 4 HG kits I bought, in our small China Town (which BTW is still the best place, for me, to buy GUNPLA in person today), 3 were by TT HONGLI, and 1 was Bandai, the knock-off kits sufferer from really cheap plastic and poor fit but I still have 1 of the kits today, which I painted and glued into the flight mode and looks really very good. It is the HG CE #37- Andrew Waldfeld Custom Murasame, the main reason for keeping it was the actual Bandai version has been impossible to kind, without paying more than 4- 5x the price (in Canada). This is why I have avoided knock-offs in the past over the years but recently due to improvements in Tech, and reviews, I'm definitely willing to look and give them a try again, the next time I come across a kit I haven't been able to find or afford, (especially with so many new Bandai kits, being only offered as P-Bandai).

[@kaisermonarch7603]

Can't wait for my SM Exia R4 parts.

[@zethythonix]

Damn I forgot to order that too

[@peterjasonbobis6219]

I find original Bandai kits quite expensive to use as experiment fodder, so I use knockoffs instead. I once experimented on using putty in gunpla. Epic failure! Melted a lot of plastic on that. The still usable parts from that failed experiment, I re-used on a hip/waist surgery experiment I did to repair a knockoff that was damaged after falling. I also used knockoffs for painting tests on different parts, so I can check which would look better on my intended Bandai kit. Or, just for learning new painting techniques. So, for me, knockoffs have their uses.

[@Alexczy]

I dont have any Daban.... yet. But i like how the Metal Build gunpla versions of the Astray Red Frame Powered Red and the Amatsu Hana, that you reviewed

[@valentetellezperez6538]

My 3rd party HG IWSP looks really nice with a flat coat, and sure, I had to drill and glue two pieces that didn't want to fit but the rest went way more nicer than expected. It's kind of a shame that the beam boomerang effect part was molded in the same gunmetal color, so I had to paint that as well.

[@zethythonix]

Thanks for telling me! I actually have that IWSP but I haven't start building lol

[@starkille10r72]

Bootleg and knockoff kits from what I've seen are pretty rare outside of Asia, with 3rd party stuff taking up most of that market in the US and Canada, along with the market for plastic models being significantly smaller over here than over there.

[@zethythonix]

Nah-uh, 3rd Party in general are actually famous outside of Asia, the people against it are funny enough, countries from Asia

[@kennychan7104]

I bought the Akatsuki kit from Dragon Momoko (lucky me, now if people wants it they only sell individual parts only, not the full model). The reason is exactly what you said, Bandai refuses to make a decent MG version Akatsuki but the no grade 1/100 terrible Gold Plated convertible kit... and every other Seed/Seed D main protagonist kit gets the MG upgrade version... I also got the MC Kushatrya that has the funnel part shoot out gimmick on the shoulder binders and with Metal joint/frame parts, and Bandai just refuses to release a 1/100 Kushatrya (not even RE/100)... Like you said, there is a reason why 3rd party products exists. I am just dying for a reasonable priced 1/144 Neue Zieru model version that I can buy to accompany my HGUC GP-03D... (3rd Party China kit only has a G-Kit that sells for close to CAD$8xx, nd I can't handle G-Kits... So no point getting a humongous G-Kit at a whopping dollar value to get it)

[@bitetheasp]

I have two Daban MGs and they were both positive experiences.

[@Paul-zu1iv]

I like this guy! 😊

[@realsong-fake]

Competition is always good. As a consumer I don't give a fk that some greedy companies whining about "legal" and "IP" rights.

[@AzurFenix]

I prefer 3rd parts because Bandai reuses the same color theme over and over and over a lot imo and I don't have the room or confidence to repaint or even kitbash to the extent I'd like. So the 3rd parties like "In Era+" are more my style. Also looking forward to the next Zero Gravity model kit. The judge was SICK. Plus after the Witch of Nonsense, i REALLY don't want to give Bandai money, period.

[@hurrdurreverywhere2749]

Hobby Star's 00 line is solid... bought 1 for MG kitbash... bought more instead for straight build

[@jtotheroc]

So the last few 3rd party kit was, Glory (stargazer), amazing Exia (white), and the Daban 1/60 Nu metal structure version (plastic kit)

[@itsgrey8135]

I have a few Gundam Wing and Gundam X bootleg kits from the 2000's, I found them at a old toy store, my favorite being the Leopard and Air Master, some of the runners where painted and where terrible but it was fun to modify and tear apart

[@izzsyafiq8200]

Oh,I didn't knew there was copycat ver. Of it.tq for info😊

[@jonathanharpe4333]

Great Video! Right now the 3rd Party Market is killing Bandai in the 1/100 Category.

[@nazca-_-8061]

Daban's destiny gundam is also pretty good, it even comes with 2 pairs of yellow parts for the hands.

[@blazetrinity9462]

Very well explained. A lot of the times, I see ppl in the community immediately calling a 3rd party kit "bootleg" just because it wasn't made by Bandai. How can it be bootlegs if Bandai never made it before. Also, a lot of the 3rd party companies are now designing their original designs, sure took inspirations from Gundam, but their quality are getting really good lately (example : judge, hunt & kill, genesis, ruling)

[@VisoredKuzu]

I do enjoy Third part kits especially for kits that don't have a bandai counterpart, updated versions like a 2.0, even original designs of popular kits. Just like what other commenters have said here, I'm fine with third party kits so long as they're not an absolute straight copy of another kit. They can be good for practicing kitbashing and painting since they're on the cheap side. But I advise doing a little bit of research on a particular kit if you plan to display it, if it has any recurring issues in reviews.

[@supergundamcat]

i've bought daban, supernova, and mjh. too me supernova is the best one in terms of plastic quality and build 👍🏽

[@whitewing2]

Thats why Im slowly fading to Transformers again from Gunpla Third Parties there sometimes blows away the competition, and they are good about it

[@redc3691]

Well said Z. We can' blame people who will look for cheaper alternatives, way back in the 2000's when P Bandai didn't exist yet. There's no bootlegs or 3rd party after all. (Correct me me if I'm wrong.)

[@zethythonix]

Nah you aren't wrong, bootleg is a thing when I was still a very little kid, probably like 2007 or something

[@epsilon13th39]

bendi was the first bootleg brand i saw at that time.

[@mwryly]

Also MJH or Mr Model has great HiRM astray KO that are also good and the price is cheap compared to Bandai's. I feel it's not bad since you now have a choice to build the inner frame whether made of plastic or just have it pre built in die cast metal. And whether your wallet can take the Bandai's price or not. Also worth mentioning the 3rd party add on kits where their quality may vary, It's still good to have for custom building. Especially if you want to avoid the pbandai price.

[@chunsh]

Thanks for the explanation. Where can I get the MKII FA parts? I am living in North America

[@timo7641]

recently bought Daban Mega Size Zaku II, god damn the PC parts are hard as f to fit and some part have extreme seamline, and so I use a hammer to hammer it in. it became perfect Zaku without seamline and without biting some of the parts, no loose parts, 10/10 would buy again

[@ezhumbug]

I also notice how most Companies will go for 1/100 scale or close to that height just because the bigger the better looking and astounding than a small 1/144.

[@kasmichan]

the only 3rd party kits i buy now after DM died are eastern models and the cyber forest lines.. though i still have the DM strike impulse color set with me and they are still tight even though they have been released i think a decade ago..

[@forbiddensuper2369]

i just bought 3 motor nuclear kits i know there third party kits but they were so cool i had to buy some

[@dantependragon9895]

So, from your experience, would you make a recommendation for the Supernova brand models? I’ve seen them from my own digging around, but wasn’t sure if it would be worth the price of the kit AND shipping to get any of them.

[@zethythonix]

Supernova is not bad, but be careful of the edges, they're REALLY SHARP

[@mazeman7220]

I love my hg gundam age spallow from dragon momoko.. Why I don't buy bandai is because it not worth to buy it at double or tripple the price it hard to get at retail price

[@redactedz6146]

Honestly, yeah I tolerate some "direct" copies & 3rd part kits. One is the fact that they've made interesting decisions that bandai would never. The forever odd reissuings of certain kits especially some of those from the HG 00 & HG Seed line. I've also bought em to experiment or have parts for kitbashing or whatever else. Recently bootlegers, idk specifically the names, have an EG Nu & Strike. The direct as is copies of both are odd decisions since the Bandai ones are relatively cheap. Buuut, here's the good part. They've also made a versions which is unlikely of bandai to do. Iirc with the case of Strike, they have a version which packages the EG with the parts from the old HG Perfect Strike. In this way, even if quality may be lesser, I'm happy that those parts are common and available now for people who customize etc. etc. For the Nu's case, it's the fact they included funnels for the darn thing. I've seen some pics also that show they've added/made more panel lines to it, which is an interesting choice from the regular clean look of the og EG Nu. Finally speaking of Nu as well.. another company has went out and made the Long Range Fin Funnel of the FF Nu. It's cool to see that weapon will be available more readily as opposed to waiting and chancing the RG or EG FF Nu

[@epsilon13th39]

If you will buy bootleg or 3rd party, also buy pin vise and couple of drills. It will be handy for snapfit 😁

[@arthurpendragon8768]

It gives me alternative back then, it's cheaper but building them usually make my fingers hurt as hell. And the stickers suck

[@gl4re]

some of them is not really cheaper than Bandai like supernova wing is quite expensive around bandai price. Im supporting 3rd party because Bandai decision sucks. They keep making kits that only a certain group of bandai purist want and make the one that other people want as p bandai.

[@arthurpendragon8768]

@@gl4re I never check supernova line, I just build 1/144 scale so I don't know, but I agree with you about releasing some kits in p bandai always make me cry because I want some of them but getting it it's very pricey and hard to get

[@tylerbanh5015]

Well said. In every hobby it seems there's a subset of people who want to act as elitists or gatekeepers. It's sad.

[@polkpunk9]

Personally I don’t mind knock offs at all haven’t purchased them myself but to be honest here in the states it’s hard to get third party kits. I was curious if anyone has ever gotten the AA MG FAZZ and has completed it. It looks really enticing especially because the price is literally a third of what the p Bandai model costs.

[@gelgoorx]

I love my daban mg mark 2 full armor

[@unchartedknight0193]

My stance in 3rd-parties is that while they are fine, it's best to still give props to those that actually put effort. As much as the Daban line of MB kits are nice alternatives, I hate that a majority of gunpla fans are giving them the credit to these designs as if they were the one's that actually put effort. This was especially egregious during the MGEX vs MB SF. It's why I kinda support kits like the Judge or SNAA Hunt and Kill more than Daban's. Although I do wish they decide to actually make non-gundam esque designs with their face molds instead. Infinite Dimension's next kit also suffers from this problem as instead of fully going with the GM style visor they still are promoting it with the gundam-esque face...

[@YuriusFarrence]

I have the ID Genesis but haven't gotten to build it yet. The die cast metal inner frame is heavy though.

[@unchartedknight0193]

@@YuriusFarrence I'm not talking about the genesis but infinite dimension's next release. Which has the GM style visor head option but they don't have confidence enough to promote it as such.

[@chrisgomez3486]

I recently was able to get a hold of DM Astray 3rd. The price is ridiculous. If DM would not have shut down, it would likely be priced at $25-$30 give or take. I bought mine at roughly $127 or 7000php. The build experience was actually smooth, but I guess it was dumb luck to have a copy as good as Bandai

[@bryanjacla1068]

The DM ABF 3rd's current price is PhP 7,000? Damn. I'm still lucky I got the one for my little brother for PhP 3,000 in March 2018

[@chrisgomez3486]

@@bryanjacla1068 3000 php is already double it's price back then 😅 it would have sold under 2000 php if DM was not shut down. ABF 3rd still sitting at 7000 php with Neohobs in shopee

[@Akemi001]

I'd argue the stargazer knockoff is better than anything I've seen from Bandai. Put it next to the MG strike Noir, felt sad for Bandai.

[@juanmiguelsebastian1477]

for me, i'll say that i'll go for 3rd parties over knock-offs just basing on hundreds of reviews that i have watched. all knockoff kit reviews that i have watched are negative while the 3rd party ones are somewhat positive

[@eduardozavala1555]

Unless they buy it for me I don't care what others care and they are good for kit bashing

[@matttan8066]

Daban was actually my first kit until I regret it after killed off daban age and gundam mark 3 so stupid of me 😭. And I really want the astray mars red jacket when I first saw it back then 😭😭

[@tatayisko1ty761]

:) my friend you missed MC Model Comprehend kits specially XI and Penelope they make those way years before Bandai make those and im proud to have there kits

[@ordinaryjoh]

Okey, we should be 100% gratefull to bandai for showing us what a good plastic model is. And I hate knock off gunpla. Because I know how hard it is to create an original product. BUT, if a third party company like supernova can make a better, cheaper, and more accesable ORIGINAL product then.... I dont think it's the consumer fault that they leave Bandai.

[@zethythonix]

It's a very stupid thing to blame consumers, like I said, if there're buyers there're markets. In the end, it's how the REAL brand make plans to encourage their consumers to stay with them, I don't see Bandai making us stay.

[@j00bs]

knockoffs dont have to be identical mold... the word is used to describe anything that is made to appear like the products of another brand. "DABAN" in this case is entirely knockoff company, which creates knockoffs of bandai's products. even if you make the argument that Daban is making an MS variant that Bandai wouldnt, the fact remains these products are meant to capture the same customers who are in the market due to expectations they formed due to their previous Bandai purchases. TLDR: third party gunpla are all "knockoffs" of the originals. however this by itself does not mean these kits are bad.

[@razrafz]

some of my irks with bandai is they wont make pbandai products made to order, but instead just limited production volume. which is why it drives the scalping issue badly. i had built 3 bootlegs. mg metal build ver f91, mg sinanju stein ver ka., and a hg delta kai (all daban). i gotta say the best out of them is the delta kai, and worst the f91. the weapon fitting is just really bad. most of the plated moving parts wont move. but recently i built a 3rd party original kit called Genesis by Infinite Dimension, and that one is pretty good, aside from some questionable design choices for assembly. good quality plastic, decent price point, and it transform too!

[@abeeocta2599]

i bought daban kaizoku x2 it have issue but pretty good for me than buying p-bandai is cutecube who make mg woundwort is closed? cannot find them

[@syamgg5508]

Nahh i think gao gao is different than daban. Because gao gao only focuses on hg and ng meanwhile daban focus on mg. I might be wrong and this is just an opinion. Thank you for making this video

[@ismailalias9466]

Just wanna say,i recently buy hemoxian Thor and the thigness of that kit is killing my finger :') but still...its a good and awesome 3rd brand kiy

[@gellog0530]

From what i heard the dm death scythehell is a copy of a resin kit

[@zethythonix]

Not sure of that, but it’s still a shame that Bandai didn’t even do the MG TV ver…

[@nguyenhoangbao3905]

The MG Astraea from Hobbystar is way better than Bandai's ones. Almost no fitting issues, no dropping parts, no loose front and backskirt joints, better ankle joint, very good plastic quality (8/10 compared to Bandai) and cheaper price. But you still need experience to fix some issues. But overall, clearly a W from Hobbystar and an L for Bandai. Thanks for the amount of information you provided in this video, in Viet Nam we also have people who hate third-party but it seems that people are gradually understanding more about third-party and starting to love high quality kits. Bandai kits are very good but not all is good.

[@zethythonix]

I only have the Type F, which is dusting in my backlog, I wonder when can I get a white Astraea

[@gregorysmith908]

​@@zethythonixThere's a black HS Astrea, white Avalanche Astrea, and Avalanche Exia in stock at GunDamit

[@whateverwhatever4026]

I've got little experience with 3rd Party, but Supernova's Heavyarms Custom was my second kit back into the hobby a few years ago and I loved it. Slightly more difficult than a Bandai kit but definitely worth the effort just on the better design alone. I still want to get a Supernova Sandrock, Nataku, and Deathscythe eventually someday... Wouldn't mind trying some certain garage kits too eventually. Some Duel and Dynames stuff looks great. Just haven't gotten to that point yet. They are really expensive. I do plan on it though... And we shouldn't look down on most 3rd party stuff, in my opinion. I understand it's their intellectual property and ideas most of the time, but it wouldn't happen if they had better business practices. Like the artificial scarcity and P Bandai in general. They know people will spend the money, so they try to gouge just as much as scalpers a lot of the time.

[@lordcynic]

I recently grabbed all 5 of supernova's wing kits. Wanted to get the full set before they became impossible to find. Had to pay a little extra for the green altron but I wanted the movie colors for all of them.

[@whateverwhatever4026]

@@lordcynic I'm actually jealous. I can't wait to add to my Heavyarms Custom. SuperNova really out did themselves and Bandai with that collection.

[@den2002ph]

supernova merge with another company but will they still make gundam/zoids?

[@zethythonix]

I think they only reprint, not new designs anymore

[@vararaggi9714]

i prefer DM Strike Noir than bandai version the problem is hard to press... but for to get DM in my country now it's too pricey..

[@bryanjacla1068]

And there's no Bandai Strike Noir based on the newer frame (the same frame as the Strike Ver. RM used), even P-Bandai has none. The one available uses an older frame

[@foamyzvideos2617]

3rd parties are some good kits with a little work.

[@majorfries532]

Thank you for putting this out there. I hate how some people in the gunpla community gives hate on third party kits just because "they're using bandais IP". While there are third party kits that does a variation on the bandai kits like supernova or Dragon Momoko. DM (MJH) released their own interpretation of the Testament and the Astray Out Frame years before bandai churned out a kit so at least it gives us an alternative kit to make that wasn't even out yet. Third party kits are getting so good now that while some are "gundam inspired" such as the infamous Judge battle machine or the SNA (Supernova) Hunt and Kill. It's always good to be informed that you can branch out from your Bandai kits to find other great alternatives out there if you want to.

[@NekkidSnek420]

IP theft is IP theft no matter how you put it..bet you' wouldn't like it if you created something and someone else started making money off it

[@majorfries532]

@@NekkidSnek420 adds good competition to the market so tbh idc

[@davidvasquez08]

If there’s a cool Jegan MG kit from third parties, plz let me know

[@EnzanKagami]

i gotta say, i started gunpla from the worst possible brand (in my opinion) gao gao it got me into gunpla, and im now going for both bandai and non-bandai why? because i prefer experimenting on non-bandai thats why

[@fchho]

i think that is about the respect of intellectual properties , chinese brand shouldn't monetized someone else design or ip without authorisation.

[@zethythonix]

I think you should look at the bigger picture, I NEVER said what they do is right. But with how stupid the Bandai's headquarter decisions are, it will only create more chance for people to switch to third party, as third party is cheaper, more accessible and you don't need to swallow that scalper price.

[@fchho]

i am simply talking about the respect of intellectual properties, no matter how bandai is behaving, i just hate those mainland chinese companies are just stealing other people's design and hardworks, not just in toys and gundam models.

[@Sotau890]

ironically no one made Hololive/V-Tuber theme Third Party Gundam

[@Sotau890]

hopefully will see Supernova making third party HG kits

[@hobobmo]

It's still wrong to steal someone else's ip and copyright. It's interesting to see how bootleg is interpreted in different cultures.

[@zethythonix]

I never say it's right, but it's now on the market so this is an option for consumers too. It's way beyond the question of stealing or not, it's a bigger problem behind, Bandai has made a lot of poor decisions since Pale Rider is a P-Bandai kit, so when there's unhappy, it has another window for other brands to make money.

[@thatonequeergundamfan71]

When did he say it was right? Do you have schizophrenia?

[@TussalDragon344]

Too bad the Blue Frame 3rd is expensive… Would’ve loved to have it in my collection…

[@zethythonix]

Because DM happened to be legally take down the time BF 3rd was planning to release, so only limited amount leaked the market which resulted high price

[@TussalDragon344]

@@zethythonix Didn’t you say DM came back as MJH- actually, couldn’t ANY 3rd-party “company” reproduce this very kit through reverse molding?

[@zethythonix]

@@TussalDragon344 yeah but reverse molding is expensive

[@TussalDragon344]

@@zethythonix Hmmm… so I either buy the supposedly garbage plastic option parts, or save up extremely until I can afford the actual kit…

[@gendhone123]

[open for discussion] Hmmm... I think it's more complicated than we thought... Knock off/ bootlegs are just licensing issue since bandai is sunrise's official merchandiser for model kit-base line... GFF and robot damashi considered as assembled plastic model kit figure. Companies from china produce model kit and they didn't have those license so what ever they make as long as it's a plastic model kit considered as knock off. Because license covers character/robot name and their series. On the other hand, sunrise / bandai couldn't patent all of their intellectual products. Including shapes, looks etc for every character in all of their series because they are tons and took a lot of efforts... So there's always loop holes. And also, patents law are different in every country ... And other brands from japan like banpresto bought licenses from sunrise for figure and other merchandises like statue, vinyl figures, and many things products and not plastic model kits.

[@gendhone123]

Patents for shape and looks sounds crazy, right? But it almost happened in formula 1 when they nearly devided in around 2000. They even want to patent sounds of their car.

[@zethythonix]

Yes, the laws are different, but we consumers love to support REAL too, if they're actually accessible. Many people turned to the non-official side for one reason: more accessible, consumers are different than business, we only want quality = cost measurement, not buying it because of the name like how some people buy Gucci for showoff.

[@unboxingjer2138]

I think DM managed to release a small amount of Astray Frame 3rd. I have a few third party kits. Naa... I don't care about those thoughts.

[@noblord8643]

I just got my own hand on 1/144 tactical arms 2l, which i think bandai will never make. So i dont see any problem with that 3rd party knowoff whatsoever. But still, the plastic is hard af..😅

[@mspninfishu8129]

WAIT DRAGON MOMOKO IS MJH?!

[@zethythonix]

Uh yeah…?

[@bryanjacla1068]

Can't deny nor confirm

[@emperorhadrian6011]

If only there were mass production unit knock offs, not enough gm and zaks

[@noblord8643]

Oh another thing, why all 3rd party/ko original design have to either have long torso, and/or sharp part here and there. Not actually my prefer design.. But still, addon. Chef kiss..

[@DareBizarre]

Google what 3dr party in production is.

[@aldwinwong5192]

Not wearing those sunglasses anymore?

[@zethythonix]

Switching back and forward

[@sonnysunny975]

Let's not forget some garage kits need lego parts some not all if all of you hate then Idk I'm too stupid too talk with anothers

[@MrDougie1989]

I find myself building 3rd party kits more often bandai is losing me with there releases and pricing

[@borgar1765]

i have nothing against third party kits and happily buy them if they're available to me. Particularly bootlegs of p-bandai stuff since as an European the price difference between original p-bandai kit and a bootleg is not even funny

[@siomairice1127]

Daban's Double X is a complete trash. So far no complain everytime I buy a DM model. But all of my TT Hongli and Daban kits are all trash. But, gotta give the props to TT Hongli, it sparked my flame to collect Gunpla.

[@justinandrew5849]

While 99.9% of my gunpla is official Bandai, 1% isn't. I have a few bootlegs like the Daban Crossbone X2 & some Gundam X NG 1/144s. My opinion, to each their own. I think people need to get off their high horse and leave others alone rather than being a keyboard warrior/ cyber bullies.

[@maxnexus5421]

hobby star exia is by far better than bandai, it's been three years now and it's still solid

[@glitczh]

first time on this channel. is the mask just part of his thing or???? i just dont get why wear one in a video if you are what i assume alone or in your home lol.

[@zethythonix]

My face is not in a shape anymore after a long term sickness, take time to adjust