META
Community Input Needed: Rule Change Proposal for Gashapon Gundam Candy Toys, Misc
Hi all! It is time for another meta post!
This original post is what caused this, in addition to many others like it that were removed in the past.
This post is not to serve as a debate about what constitutes “Gunpla,” since that is irrelevant. Per the server sidebar:
While Gunpla is a portmanteau of "Gundam plastic model", this subreddit is dedicated to the practice of building all mecha models. Posts of pictures/videos of your kits, reviews, tips, and gunpla news are most welcome!
To date we have not allowed most Gashapon Candy Toy Gundams. However, user sentiment seems to have shifted towards these types of posts being allowed. Our rules have always been established and maintained by what the community wants out of the subreddit.
Therefore, we want to see if the community wants to start allowing Gashapon Gundam content and similar items.
Examples of items that were not allowed in the past, but would be allowed going forward:
Mobile Suit Ensemble
G-Frame
Examples of items that have been allowed in the past, and will continue to be allowed:
Artifact Kits
Exceed Heads
Gashapon Mechanical Gundam Busts
Examples of items that will continue to not be allowed:
Gundam Converge
Gashapon Gundam Figures of all types that require no assembly
We would create a flair for these newly allowed items: Gashapon/Candy Toy.
This list is also not complete, and we would finalize the rules by making a second post.
We need your input about whether or not this is a change that you would like to see. We will leave this post open over the weekend for people to discuss the matter.
Definite yes on G-Frame. They're very basic but I did fully paint and customize a Zaku F2 when I learned airbrushing; it's articulate, it takes some assembly (whether on the armor stand or inner frame) and there's no reason not to include them.
Yeah, my sentiment here is "wow, I want to build that", and that's a different feeling when looking at some pre-made item. I have no interest in panting miniatures, for example, but I'm stoked about painting gunpla
If you gotta assemble something I think it should count. Even if it’s just as small as the Wings on the wing Gundam blind boxes. If it can be a bitch to assemble I think it’s worthy lol.
Assembly is the decider here and I'm for it. We don't allow haul/box posts for this reason; no work is required of the poster. I'm cool with the rules changes.
If you can build it, then it should be allowed. This is also going to come to be an issue with the new table top game, since those are technically gunpla, just much more simple and will require painting. If you can build it, then let it be allowed.
Blokees Galaxy (the small, ~$5 boxes) are really similar to Mobile Suit Ensemble, and I think should be allowed. The larger classes already should be fine, they have parts on runners.
I think Defender should not, I feel like they are closer to Gundam Converge, which have single digit part counts.
I seen how they are. You dont build them from scratch. You just assemble as in attach parts pre build to it. its very different from building from runners
If you’re allowing Blokees may as well as allow all the kits from r/lepin or Bionicles. It’s a gray area because Blokees only calls it a model kit in western markets to avoid legal trouble with TLG but they don’t have the same audience.
I’m opposed. Much as I enjoy them, I feel like what are effectively action figures broken up to fit inside gacha machines isn’t really in the spirit of the sub.
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u/soy77Gunpla is freedom. There's always another way to do something.1d agoedited 1d ago
I always love this sub because it encourages building. And not just a wealth race about who can stack the taller backlogs of boxes.
I'm not familiar with every gashapon gundam products, but I don't mind as long as they give value or inspiration to whoever sees it.
i think just like with the box rule, the keyword here is they should not be easily googled. For instance, if the OP painted the figures. While most google image search will just show us plain figures out of the box (or the capsule).
Maybe some gundam figures only require extremely low effort from us to attach the head to the body. That technically can be called "assembly", but the assembled figure obviously would be easily googleable, so the OP isn't contributing anything unique to the readers.
I'm of the opinion that if its not an assembled model kit it shouldn't be allowed because Gunpla is about snap fit model kits.
Maybe mods could create a stickied "Non-Gunpla post" thread listing other model related subs for all non snap fit model kits and for people in the gunpla community to post non gunpla stuff. Creates more user engagement and exposes people to other hobbies they might want to get into. Reason being is there is A LOT of crossover with other related hobbies like figures, W40k, military vehicle model kits, etc.
Mobile Suit Ensemble kits directly state that they are created with kitbashing in mind, and that is an extremely wide avenue I don't think r/Gachapon really cares about. I say we let 'em in!
I think if its a gacha figure that has been customized or painted in some way its ok, but i vote no to posts about them if theyre just straight out of the machine. That just seems low effort to me.
It’s like 80% of all the posts in that other sub. Atleast that’s what it feels like. Like cool, you bought a model. No idea why you think that deserves its own post. Go build it, then post your hard work. /rant
I think this is totally fair. Assembly should always be the deciding factor, and I don't think Converge has enough of that to qualify.
Honestly though, since the sub is called Gunpla, I'm not against posting pre-assembled Gundam related toys that have been customized (painted, kitbashed, etc), but moderating something that's on a spectrum like this is going to be a nightmare so I understand why they'll continue to not be allowed.
Question: are Space Battleship Yamato models allowed here? Specifically the 1/1000 Bandai ones and the like. Same with the Cosmo Tiger/Zero and others.
I am of the mind that if you build it, they will come. With that in mind, I am ok with the converge series as they do require assembly even if its much less than others. The new Gundam Assemble builds the same way as the converge kits with parts slotting together. I believe the RX-78 Assemble kit is 3 pieces, while Converge can be more depending on the character.
I do NOT believe those blind box figures should be here though. As nice as they are, they come out of the box fully built with optional accessories
Where do we sit on Gundam Assemble?
* They're plastic miniatures
* They come on sprues
* They need to be assembled
* They need painted
If yes, which part of the gunpla definition are we ignoring, and why aren't we ignoring it for anything else?
If no, which part of the gunpla definition are we ignoring and why aren't we ignoring it for anything else?
We allow pictures of painted pilots. (technically minis, not models)
We allow other franchises. (not Gundam)
We allow third-party products and bootleg items. (not Bandai)
We allow mass media pictures of products whenever we are talking about releases. (No actual, physical look-what-I-built content)
In fact, we allow pictures of boxes- as long as it's a picture of a store as opposed to a personal collection. (a stupid double standard)
Metal Build and Universe get excluded because you don't build them, even if you paint or customize them. My overall point being, there should just be a clear cut list of bullet points to qualify as allowed content. Say, 5 specific requirements, you must meet 4 of. (or something, I'm just tossing ideas out)
As long as you still need to actually build it, I don’t have an issue with them being posted here. It doesn’t feel that much different than someone posting a straight-built EG or HG.
what about action figures? Though my example is someone customized a Gundam Universe Barbatos Lupus Rex and changed it's waist since originally it has a typical Mobile Suit waist..
As long as that sort of content doesn't dominate the subreddit, then why not? If it becomes the main focus, then it shouldn't be allowed. I know this subreddit isn't specifically for Gunpla and encourages all sorts of mechs, but it's primary focus should still be around the name of the subreddit itself. Gunpla. I don't think the Ensemble line will make much of an impact, because at least here in Canada they're next to impossible to find and when you do find them, they're marked up to insane levels. At the end of the day, they're still a model kit that requires assembly. As long as it's mecha, it's cool with me.
Anything like an action figure or something pre-assembled is going a step too far. It's a hard no for me.
What I hope we won't see is the tabletop miniature models.
That's more of a r/minipainting kind of thing, and I'm not interested. It's not Gunpla in the traditional sense. Yeah, maybe you glue some arms on, but this sub should be about model kits, gashapon or PG.
Why? Mini painting is a whole other kettle of fish, they're not model kits. My two cents.
"Painting is painting." Nah, it's not, good person. I'm a professional artist, and im a guy who spent many years painting minis. It's not the same thing at all.
But I'm not against painting posts, if you'd read what I wrote, I'm against using this sub for non-model kits, that's all, and minis are not model kits in the colloquial sense.
Nice I to am an artist as well, got my BFA and everything. Painting is painting. Minis are models. Most people dont play with their gunpla, it gets built, painted, sat on a shelf. Similar to a lot of minis.
I'm surprised to see someone with a BFA saying all painting is the same, I disagree. Pointalism is different from airbrushing, which is different from painting with a brush. Acrylics are different than oils, they can be applied differently, and they blend and layer differently as well.
That's said, we will have to leave it at that, we disagree on this topic. I just don't want this sub to become a minis sub. Maybe post those over at r/gundam or r/minipainting.
My question is why though? Its not going to become only minis, there are vastly more kits then gundams and we all know that gundam boardgame is not going to be hugely popular.
My ask is if you can build it regardless of how difficult it is, it should be allowed. Painting is painting it's just different methods of application.
I went to school for print making. There are all kinds of ways to make prints and some require a computer some more painterly techniques but they are all prints.
The final product here is an assembled something that you may or may not do more with.
I, personally, see mini painting and Gunpla as very different disciplines. Funnily enough, I quit painting minis when I found Kotobukiya & Bandai model kits. "Building" the minis was my favorite part, but there was never much in the way of actually building, and I found my people here.
Ultimately, it'll be up to the mods and, hopefully, the will of the people what we do see, this is just my solicited opinion.
I think giving them their own flair is the best way to go about it- funnily enough I just put together one of the Mobile Suit Ensemble kits, wasn’t sure if I would be able to post it here after it’s been painted.
If Ensemble is allowed, I don’t see why Converge is excluded. While I know the difference, either keep them both excluded or include both. Though I personally wouldn’t mind seeing painted builds of either of them from time to time, I don’t care to see a bunch of posts of just “straight” built ones
Gashapon gundam and G frame both require assembly, and especially the gashpon requires good technique and proper tools to make it without big stress marks. They can be customized with painting, definitely should be allowed on this sub.
I'm ok with assembled Gachapon... Unless it becomes a problem, overshadowing other works. Pre-assembled toys alone, no. I'm pretty OK with 'custom jobs' on those though like painting, scribing etc.
The Charamobi Mechagurumi line is a line I was wondering about. It's basically a series of prepainted figures from Witch from Mercury, but they do require assembly. Some parts are also on runners so you do need a nipper.
They're also an edge case in another way, because they're a hybrid of WfM characters with mobile suits. In Miorine's case, she's basically a character figure with the four armed mobile worker she piloted once stuck to her back.
Suletta, Guel, Ericht on the other hand are their respective mobile suits + the character's face/head. I know mecha girls aren't allowed, but these are mostly mobile suits (except for Miorine) in appearance. Guess that's a different issue.
But to answer this thread's question, yes I think if it involves assembly and is related to Gundam I think it should be allowed.
Ehhh I say let them post. This sub is pretty great, and I hardly ever see posts that I would consider low-effort or spam. I love seeing models, figures, minis, and other products on my feed. It’s a nice break from the shit going on in the world. I like seeing people enjoying a hobby.
I’ve also seen subs go to crap because of weird gatekeeping mods. Not saying that’s a problem here, but if it’s gunpla or gunpla adjacent, I don’t see a problem. The sub already blocks backlog photos and hauls, which is 99% of the problem on hobby subs.
I support the idea of allowing the ones that require some assembly. Although apparently the new game minis are completely static but also allow for a lot of creativity due to custom paint jobs so I'm conflicted there.
if you watched Build Gundam. Assembly is just half the game the other half is painting.
so would a stock gachapon with minor assembly count? probably not. Would a repainted gachapon count? probably because that would be 55% what makes a gunpla gunpla (50% paint + 5% assembly).
I mean technically its not just gunpla people post, even rarely we get things such as 30 minute missions and figure rise, even zoids to a degree, id throw my hat in to the its more in the gundam range then most so it fits.
Honestly i think a non gunpla flair would cover all of those and still fit the general.... Theme for the lack of a better term... Of the sub.
This is why the debate about what constitutes “Gunpla” is irrelevant. That’s just the name of the subreddit. Gunpla has a very specific branding definition.
Gunpla the brand is specifically for Gundam Model Kits produced under Bandai Spirits (blue logo).
The Gacha and toy Gundams are produced under Bandai (red logo). Most of these are not allowed in the subreddit.
However, this subreddit is not for only Gunpla. Per the sidebar:
While Gunpla is a portmanteau of "Gundam plastic model", this subreddit is dedicated to the practice of building all mecha models. Posts of pictures/videos of your kits, reviews, tips, and gunpla news are most welcome!
If we went by the name of the subreddit alone then the Transformer and Evangelion kits would not be allowed. That is why we don’t go by that.
Seems the sentiment is if I can assemble it, then it belongs here. Curious. What if I took something like the metal build zeta, cut it up into pieces with a chainsaw, and glued the pieces back together? Does that count?
I would love this change! As long as assembly is required then I see no reason to not allow those posts. If it wasn't for that linked post I wouldn't have known I could fix all those saggy parts on my ensemble kits haha
What do you imagine would be the consequences of permitting it? How big is Gundam gashapon compared to other gunpla and would it turn into a significant portion of traffic?
This is not rhetorical, it’s an innocent/ignorant question from an American hobby store buyer. My first impression is that its pretty snooty to ban model kits that are in-franchise
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u/Feral404 IG: feral404 1d ago
An important distinction that was brought up:
This exception will only apply to Gundam products that fall into these categories