Super Satisfying Gundam Stop-Motion Build Is An Awesome Celebration Of Anime

I've always thought Gundam to be beyond me, to require an incalculable level of knowledge and commitment to a franchise where the majority of its foundational elements come from the 1980s show which I have no idea how to source. Today, this oh-so-satisfying stop-motion animation of this gorgeous Gundam model has changed my mind. I've simply got to get into Gundam.

Irrespective of where you might stand on the sci-fi series, it is an evident statement that humans all over the globe like to see inanimate objects come to life through some clever animation. That's probably why Toy Story did so well, now that I think about it. Maybe this build lets us tap into the belief in magic that we left behind when we grew up. Maybe the one thing that connects us as a species is an appreciation for giant sparkly robots.

If the Gundam are lobster thermidor, then Wheatley is mayonnaise on toast. Still, we can't help but love the indirectly dastardly character. Check out this real-life working Wheatley robot below!

Yukishiro, animator and Gundam model builder, has over 50,000 subscribers on their YouTube channel that tune into to watch their work on their collection of figurines. Not only do they construct the models, they animate the entire process and pit the model against the rest in an epic battle at the end of the video. I could go on and on about this RG 1/144 Hi-ν Gundam build, but it's better that you experience it for yourself. Feast your eyes here:

Look, I don't know how they've done it. All that I do know is that I've been watching this for the past hour on repeat. Of course, there is some elastic trickery in After Effects like the way that pieces zoom across to land on the frame, the glowing and jet pack effects, and the clicky and clunky sounds. Yet, the foundation is the figurine itself so you can see the slight imperfections in the surface of the plastic and the light reflections off the colours. It looks very real, as a result, and is a wondrous celebration of Gundam that has gone down a treat with fans.