The Japan finals of the 13th Gunpla Builders World Cup (GBWC, Gunpla World Cup), a contest to determine the world's best Gunpla builders from the Gundam anime series, were held on December 6th at Gundam Base Tokyo (Koto Ward, Tokyo), and the "best Gunpla in Japan" was announced. We will explain the winning creations from the three courses: U-14 (ages 6 and up, under 14), U-20 (ages 15 and up, under 20), and OVER-21 (ages 21 and up).
◇Sleggar doesn't fall in Jaburo
GBWC is an international competition that began in 2011, where participants compete in Gunpla construction, painting techniques, and ideas. It has been held in 16 countries and regions, including Japan, Australia, Canada, Europe & the Middle East, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, mainland China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the UK, the US, and Vietnam.
In the U-14 course, the winner was Gunpla Mana, an 11-year-old fifth-grader, with his creation "It Won't Fall at Jaburo!". The creation is an adaptation of the famous scene from episode 29 of "Mobile Suit Gundam," "Fall at Jaburo!", in which Char 'Sleggar Law and Char's Z'Gok. The diorama depicts the GM putting up an evenly matched fight and "not falling apart." Another key point is that the Gundam is peering from behind at the battle between the GM and Char's Z'Gok. The creation took about six months to complete. "I worked hard on the paint so that it would be clear that Sleggar was piloting a GM," he said.
In addition to the winning entry, there were other impressive entries as well, and as I cover each GBWC, I can see that the level of the U-14 course is improving every year. I was also surprised by the quality of this year's Japanese representatives, which I wouldn't have expected from elementary school students.
◇"Zeknova" diorama
In the U-20 course, Una10, a 15-year-old third-year junior high school student, won first place with his entry "What's Left from the 'Other Side'." He created a diorama based on the aftermath of the "Zeknova" incident in "Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX." The diorama tells a story, expressing the "horror of defeat in war."
This is Una10's first time making a diorama. As he is a student preparing for exams, he spent three or four months making this in between his studies. The quality is so high that it's hard to believe it was his first time, and the damage, such as the Zaku's torn legs and holes in the shield, is beautifully depicted. He says he used some ingenuity to make it, including using old wires from his father's computer.
◇Every time you look, you discover something new
In the OVER-21 course, there was also fierce competition, but Jin's "Creation" won first place. By combining various RX-78-2 models, the evolution of Gunpla and the history of Gundam were expressed. First of all, I was amazed at the idea of the "RG" series breaking away from the "old kits." You can also see Gundams performing their final shooting, Gundams jumping out of the Operation V manual, and SD Gundams. It's a masterpiece that offers something new to discover every time you look at it.
Another key point is that the giant manipulator is holding an airbrush-like weapon. "The image is like creating a Gundam commemorative statue using a giant manipulator and handpiece," says the designer, who combines Gunpla parts from the Full Armor ZZ Gundam, 00 Quanta, and other models. The airbrush-like weapon is an adaptation of the Hyper Mega Cannon from the Full Armor ZZ Gundam.
The construction took about two months. Jin says he hadn't built a Gunpla in over 10 years, but he won with the Gunpla he built after such a long time. Incidentally, he also said that he had experience working in modeling, and that experience was useful in building Gunpla.
Each team will compete in the world championship finals on February 7, 2026. Japan has not been the world champion since the 2018 open course event, when it won "Gundam Exia Repair II -Fetal Movement-" (by Utsugi-san). Will Japan really win this time? Anticipation is building.
