What *Is* Gunpla, Anyway?
“Gunpla” is a portmanteau for “Gundam” and “Plastic,” and is the common term used for Bandai’s long-running line of plastic model kits based on the Gundam franchise. Gunpla itself has been around since 1980, a year after the original Mobile Suit Gundam aired—and had its episode count culled due to poor ratings. The show’s examination of war trauma and conflict enacted upon a primary cast of mostly teenagers didn’t exactly make for a particularly toyetic series, even with all the giant mecha.
After Clover, Sunrise’s original merchandise partner for Gundam, released a line of toys that didn’t sell well and the series itself was seemingly over for good, Bandai acquired the rights to make Gundam model kits. Unlike Clover’s basic toys, these buildable kits appealed to an older audience that was more interested in what Gundam was doing in the mecha genre, and their success was immediate, helping keep the series’ fanbase alive long enough for the original show to be adapted and re-released into three movie compilations. That paved the way for Gundam’s explosion in popularity and the birth of a franchise that is still going today… alongside the model kit empire that helped save it.
