This isn’t just some toy. Takes serious skill to build one. FYI
Gunpla is the Japanese art of assembling little plastic pieces into (awesome) scale models of robots. It’s an expensive hobby. But what’s a few thousand dirhams for the rich and the dedicated, right?
When I tell people that I do Gunpla here in Dubai, it’s always met with confusion. More often than not, it ends with me showing photos on my phone of robots that I have built over the years. Some take hours, days even, of cutting plastic parts and putting them together to create something. But it doesn’t end there. There’s also painting, detailing and of course, finally taking the finished product out for some photos.
For me, this little hobby works as an interesting conversation starter since not everybody in the UAE is familiar with it. During this year’s Middle East Film and Comic Con, I remember seeing young emiratis asking an exhibitor who was selling model kits whether they get what they see in the box artwork. The exhibitor responded saying yes, you do get what you see in the artwork, but you have to assemble it. At that, the boys walked away looking perplexed. On the other side of the stall, several builders were demonstrating how to assemble kits by building them in front of an amazed audience. So what exactly is Gunpla? Gunpla is a portmanteau of ‘Gundam Plastic Model’. The term originated in Japan to describe scale model kits inspired by the TV series Mobile Suit Gundam. The show spawned the entire trend of having robots fight each other. It was so popular in certain countries around the world that a company called Bandai decided to make a line of toys inspired by the show. But mind you, Gunpla kits are not toys.
Out of the box, you get multiple pieces of plastic stuck together in blocks that are called ‘runners’. These runners organise the pieces so that the assembly doesn’t look like a complicated version of Lego. There are instructions included so you also know how to put them together. Essentially, building Gunpla is only a matter of following the instructions to the very end.
The kits cater to several skill levels divided into ‘grades’ and the prices range from Dh39 all the way to Dh4800. As prices increase, so does the complexity of the kit, which is also tied to how detailed the end result is. But don’t get me wrong, the Dh39 kits still look good in their own right.
Where do I start? All hobbies require time and money — fact. Building Gunpla however, requires only a minimum investment right off the bat. Qais Sedki, founder and managing director Otaku Middle East said, “Although it might seem daunting at first to a newcomer, Gunpla is actually a very easy hobby to pick up.“
Other than the minimum investment, Dr Dany Kayle, owner of JustDK also says that the ease by which a model can be built makes the individual feel proud of his/her creation. He said,“The ease and smoothness of building Gunpla pieces make a starter feel like an expert. It is a wonderful experience, addictive from the word go.” He concurs that “You don’t need be an expert builder to realise that you are having a joyful experience.”
Customising Gunpla improves the experience — there is a whole world of adding details into a freshly built kit that will make it more beautiful. It involves painting, adding lines, throwing in colour for starters. Some advanced builders even create their own parts using additional plastic pieces to create a one-of-akind piece that is not sold elsewhere. Suffice it to say, in this day and age, art is not only limited to what can be seen in a museum.
It’s a relaxing break. Apart from being easy to do, it’s also quite easy to get hooked on to. Once you put the time and effort into building a kit, you’ll realise how time has passed as you marvel at your own creation. Gunpla pays that back to you — you are given a little achievement to celebrate because you have just given ‘birth’ to a piece that you can admire, and even show to your friends.
Building Gunpla is even seen by some UAE expats as therapeutic. Sedki explains: “…one of the greatest elements of this hobby is seeing the kit come together as you progress in your build. Many hobbyists even describe the process as a therapeutic break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life in the UAE.”
Clichéd as it may sound — it’s not the destination, but the journey that matters. If the speed at which life passes by is leaving you lethargic, why not pick up a model kit and let time slow down for a while?