All in all, the Kidult Expo was a fun time. If it's an annual expo, which it seems like it is, I'll be looking forward to attending again in 2016. Heck, next year maybe I could even try to submit something of my own to be shown!
Friday, January 23, 2015
Kidult Expo, Part 3: In Conclusion
Aside from the Gundams and Gunpla, there was still quite a bit to see at the Kidult Expo. In the dealer room the biggest booths belonged to the larger manufacturers, like Playmobil, Goodsmile and Tamiya. More interesting were the independent artists and smaller companies. Their original works were incredibly imaginative: most were bizarre, many were cute, and a few were even bizarrely cute. One little guy in my gallery, the strange-shaped man in a red outfit with a big nose, apparently resembles me according to my girlfriend!
All in all, the Kidult Expo was a fun time. If it's an annual expo, which it seems like it is, I'll be looking forward to attending again in 2016. Heck, next year maybe I could even try to submit something of my own to be shown!
All in all, the Kidult Expo was a fun time. If it's an annual expo, which it seems like it is, I'll be looking forward to attending again in 2016. Heck, next year maybe I could even try to submit something of my own to be shown!
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Kidult Expo, Part 2: Gunpla and Code-G
As I mentioned in my previous post, the papercraft exhibition was just one part of the Kidult Expo. Also on display were a plethora of models and crafts made by Korean hobbyists, with numerous franchises getting varying degrees of representation. Gundam carved out the biggest chunk of the showroom floor for itself, which again raises the question I had when walking through Paper Craft Boum: just where are all of these Korean Gundam fanatics coming from? I'd love to meet up with a few of them and talk shop.
The Gunpla got lots of attention from passers-by, as it should: they were all incredibly well done, with amazing attention to detail that I feel my photography skills don't do justice. These days I'm really feeling the limitations of my abilities, and I've decided that a goal of mine this year will be to brush up on the fundamentals of photography so that I can be sure to capture some amazing images in 2015. In the meantime, I did my best to get pics of some of the best looking models being shown.
After browsing through the display cases, it was time for a rest. Luckily Code-G was present, having set up shop in a corner of the expo hall to dish out refreshments to weary attendees. I had never even heard of Code-G before Kidult, but apparently it's a Gundam-themed cafe (!!!) located near Yatap Station in the city of Bundang, and it was here at the expo (in a smaller capacity) to promote its main store. Along with decor that's influenced by Gundam, the mini-cafe boasted an impressive number of customized Gunpla which I assume are the work of the cafe's owner. All of Code-G's Gunpla were fantastic, but my favorites were the Gundams customized with the colors of Korean baseball teams. Seeing a Gundam decked out like a player for the Doosan Bears, my favorite team here in Korea, was very cool. Only a small portion of the main cafe's Gunpla were showcased at the Kidult Expo, encouraging people who want to see the rest to visit Code-G in Yatap, which is absolutely now on my to-do list. Yatap is a good distance from my home, but I'll make a day of it soon and check it out.
If you're in Korea and interested in going to Code-G as well, or just generally curious, here's the link to their site!
I would be remiss in neglecting to mention Code-G's mascot, a man inside a cute boxy Gundam costume who paraded around the entrance of the cafe posing for photos and generally goofing off. I took a photo together with him and afterwards, to my immense surprise, he pulled me in close and whispered, "I'm American, too." I suddenly had so many questions for him, but before I could ask a single one he was already off, his attention occupied by a customer who had been poking at his backside. Whoever he is, he's a lucky man: I'd love to be a Gundam for a day.
The Gunpla got lots of attention from passers-by, as it should: they were all incredibly well done, with amazing attention to detail that I feel my photography skills don't do justice. These days I'm really feeling the limitations of my abilities, and I've decided that a goal of mine this year will be to brush up on the fundamentals of photography so that I can be sure to capture some amazing images in 2015. In the meantime, I did my best to get pics of some of the best looking models being shown.
After browsing through the display cases, it was time for a rest. Luckily Code-G was present, having set up shop in a corner of the expo hall to dish out refreshments to weary attendees. I had never even heard of Code-G before Kidult, but apparently it's a Gundam-themed cafe (!!!) located near Yatap Station in the city of Bundang, and it was here at the expo (in a smaller capacity) to promote its main store. Along with decor that's influenced by Gundam, the mini-cafe boasted an impressive number of customized Gunpla which I assume are the work of the cafe's owner. All of Code-G's Gunpla were fantastic, but my favorites were the Gundams customized with the colors of Korean baseball teams. Seeing a Gundam decked out like a player for the Doosan Bears, my favorite team here in Korea, was very cool. Only a small portion of the main cafe's Gunpla were showcased at the Kidult Expo, encouraging people who want to see the rest to visit Code-G in Yatap, which is absolutely now on my to-do list. Yatap is a good distance from my home, but I'll make a day of it soon and check it out.
If you're in Korea and interested in going to Code-G as well, or just generally curious, here's the link to their site!
I would be remiss in neglecting to mention Code-G's mascot, a man inside a cute boxy Gundam costume who paraded around the entrance of the cafe posing for photos and generally goofing off. I took a photo together with him and afterwards, to my immense surprise, he pulled me in close and whispered, "I'm American, too." I suddenly had so many questions for him, but before I could ask a single one he was already off, his attention occupied by a customer who had been poking at his backside. Whoever he is, he's a lucky man: I'd love to be a Gundam for a day.
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Kidult Expo, Part 1: Paper Craft Boum
This past weekend saw Seoul play host to the 2015 Kidult & Hobby Expo, which took place in the newly renovated Coex mall's Hall D. Although I didn't do much research into the event before attending, the convention's name, a charming play on words, gave me a general idea of what to expect: hobbies, special interests and past-times that can be enjoyed by adults as well as kids.
I went on Saturday, and I was not disappointed. The show had most major hobbies covered, including model cars and tanks, Lego and Playmobil, independent artists showing off and selling their own works, and of course, Gunpla. Lots of Gunpla. So much in fact that I began to feel sorry for the other hobbies, as it was almost like they were being completely overshadowed.
On that note, where is this love for Gundam and Gunpla hiding here in Korea? Outside of these sorts of shows, I haven't come across too many signs indicating the levels of passion and ability so many Korean modelers apparently have. One of these days I need to figure out where these guys are hanging out, and try to break into their secret club.
Back on topic, there was such an overabundance of marvelous creations to take photos of at the Kidult Expo that I think it would be best to break my report into three parts. First up, I want to share my pics of the 2015 Papercraft Boum, an expo within an expo "showing off Korea's best paper model". Almost everything on display was made from paper or some paper derivative (one artist made all of her works with felt). The level of creativity and originality on display was mind-blowing, and I spent most of my time at the Kidult Expo admiring the works inside Paper Craft Boum.
In some of the photos, you may notice a pile of poker chips at the base of the craft. A single chip was given to attendees upon entering the show, who were then instructed to place the chip next to their favorite. Can you guess which work earned my chip?
I went on Saturday, and I was not disappointed. The show had most major hobbies covered, including model cars and tanks, Lego and Playmobil, independent artists showing off and selling their own works, and of course, Gunpla. Lots of Gunpla. So much in fact that I began to feel sorry for the other hobbies, as it was almost like they were being completely overshadowed.
On that note, where is this love for Gundam and Gunpla hiding here in Korea? Outside of these sorts of shows, I haven't come across too many signs indicating the levels of passion and ability so many Korean modelers apparently have. One of these days I need to figure out where these guys are hanging out, and try to break into their secret club.
Back on topic, there was such an overabundance of marvelous creations to take photos of at the Kidult Expo that I think it would be best to break my report into three parts. First up, I want to share my pics of the 2015 Papercraft Boum, an expo within an expo "showing off Korea's best paper model". Almost everything on display was made from paper or some paper derivative (one artist made all of her works with felt). The level of creativity and originality on display was mind-blowing, and I spent most of my time at the Kidult Expo admiring the works inside Paper Craft Boum.
In some of the photos, you may notice a pile of poker chips at the base of the craft. A single chip was given to attendees upon entering the show, who were then instructed to place the chip next to their favorite. Can you guess which work earned my chip?
Monday, January 19, 2015
Gunpla: V is for Victory
I still have more photos to upload from my Japan trip (namely my Comiket pics) but before I do I'd like to take a moment to share my first Gunpla of 2014.
To be honest I've never actually seen the Victory Gundam anime, though I have heard mixed things about it. However, when I first saw the Victory Two HG 1/144 in the store I felt entranced by it. I didn't get it straight away; instead I went home, and for the rest of the week I felt the V2 nagging at the back of my mind, it's sleek minimalist design and sexy frame prodding me to buy it. When I got my second chance to pick it up, I didn't hesitate.
Two weeks later, I'm very satisfied with how the V2 turned out. Not perfect, but I picked up some new tools and techniques in the process of building it, so it definitely counts as a learning process. The kit itself is spectacular, and didn't need much extra work from me to make it look good. This new generation of HG model kits is really up to snuff; I'm looking forward to picking up a V Dash HG when it gets released in March.
To be honest I've never actually seen the Victory Gundam anime, though I have heard mixed things about it. However, when I first saw the Victory Two HG 1/144 in the store I felt entranced by it. I didn't get it straight away; instead I went home, and for the rest of the week I felt the V2 nagging at the back of my mind, it's sleek minimalist design and sexy frame prodding me to buy it. When I got my second chance to pick it up, I didn't hesitate.
Two weeks later, I'm very satisfied with how the V2 turned out. Not perfect, but I picked up some new tools and techniques in the process of building it, so it definitely counts as a learning process. The kit itself is spectacular, and didn't need much extra work from me to make it look good. This new generation of HG model kits is really up to snuff; I'm looking forward to picking up a V Dash HG when it gets released in March.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Tokyo Day 2: Journey to Odaiba
My friend and I had a basic idea of what we wanted to during our short time in Tokyo: at the top of our list was a trip to Odaiba in the southern half of Tokyo, to visit the Gundam Front and see the life-size Gundam statue. After a quick breakfast of beef on rice at another Japanese fast food joint, we got on the metro and tried not to get lost.
Needless to say, the Gundam did not disappoint. We admired it for awhile, took photos and struck cheesy poses in front of it before eventually moving on. Behind the Gundam was the Diver City Mall; on its first floor was the Gundam Cafe, which sold over-priced knickknacks and treats. Outside the cafe, a rookie J-pop group was doing a street show for a small group of what I assume to be devoted fans. We watched for a bit before going inside the mall, where we were greeted by an impressive assortment of shops and restaurants. We would save exploring for later, as our main concern was on the 7th floor, the Gundam Front itself.
The Gundam Front was divided into two main sections: a store and a museum. While the merchandise in the store was limited to just a handful of limited edition kits that are only sold on location, it was the museum's variety of attractions that made the Gundam Front truly impressive. First was the Gunpla gallery room, which hosted all of the winners and finalists from the 2014 Gunpla Builders World Cup, as well as display cases featuring stock versions of practically every Gunpla ever released. It was wonderful being able to see with my own two eyes the 2014 champions, and equally delightful to see finalists I recognized from the World Cup exhibitions I went to in Seoul and Hong Kong.
After the gallery room, we watched a short Gundam film in the 360-degree dome theater, wherein the movie was projected on the dome above our heads. It was pretty novel, even if I left the theater with a crick in my neck. Exiting the theater took us to a large room with a life-size bust of Freedom Gundam, a life-size core fighter, a scale diorama of the climactic final battle from the third Gundam movie, and several other nifty little photo-ops. We continued onward to another gallery, this one featuring artwork and original promotional materials from classic Gundam animations, and at the end we found ourselves right back in the Gundam Front shop. All in all, a fun afternoon.
We spent the rest of the day checking out Diver City Mall, doing some shopping, eating delicious Japanese food and generally goofing around. We left after dark, and timed it so we could catch the Gundam statue's light show. From there we walked to Pallet Town shopping center, because we saw from afar it had a Ferris wheel and thought it would be fun to sneak some hamburgers on board, take a spin and snap a few "couple photographs" to make our girlfriends jealous.
Our last stop was nearby Oedo Onsen, a traditional style Japanese bathhouse. The interior was decked out to resemble an old-timey Japanese market, and when we weren't bathing we were strutting around in our yukatas. The bath itself was magnificent, and around 2AM we took a taxi back to our capsules.
Needless to say, the Gundam did not disappoint. We admired it for awhile, took photos and struck cheesy poses in front of it before eventually moving on. Behind the Gundam was the Diver City Mall; on its first floor was the Gundam Cafe, which sold over-priced knickknacks and treats. Outside the cafe, a rookie J-pop group was doing a street show for a small group of what I assume to be devoted fans. We watched for a bit before going inside the mall, where we were greeted by an impressive assortment of shops and restaurants. We would save exploring for later, as our main concern was on the 7th floor, the Gundam Front itself.
The Gundam Front was divided into two main sections: a store and a museum. While the merchandise in the store was limited to just a handful of limited edition kits that are only sold on location, it was the museum's variety of attractions that made the Gundam Front truly impressive. First was the Gunpla gallery room, which hosted all of the winners and finalists from the 2014 Gunpla Builders World Cup, as well as display cases featuring stock versions of practically every Gunpla ever released. It was wonderful being able to see with my own two eyes the 2014 champions, and equally delightful to see finalists I recognized from the World Cup exhibitions I went to in Seoul and Hong Kong.
After the gallery room, we watched a short Gundam film in the 360-degree dome theater, wherein the movie was projected on the dome above our heads. It was pretty novel, even if I left the theater with a crick in my neck. Exiting the theater took us to a large room with a life-size bust of Freedom Gundam, a life-size core fighter, a scale diorama of the climactic final battle from the third Gundam movie, and several other nifty little photo-ops. We continued onward to another gallery, this one featuring artwork and original promotional materials from classic Gundam animations, and at the end we found ourselves right back in the Gundam Front shop. All in all, a fun afternoon.
We spent the rest of the day checking out Diver City Mall, doing some shopping, eating delicious Japanese food and generally goofing around. We left after dark, and timed it so we could catch the Gundam statue's light show. From there we walked to Pallet Town shopping center, because we saw from afar it had a Ferris wheel and thought it would be fun to sneak some hamburgers on board, take a spin and snap a few "couple photographs" to make our girlfriends jealous.
Our last stop was nearby Oedo Onsen, a traditional style Japanese bathhouse. The interior was decked out to resemble an old-timey Japanese market, and when we weren't bathing we were strutting around in our yukatas. The bath itself was magnificent, and around 2AM we took a taxi back to our capsules.
Tokyo Day 1: Arrival
Happy New Year!
A few months ago, in the fall of 2014, one of my close friends back in my home country messaged me that he wanted to come visit me in Asia. Seeing as how I don't get many visitors from the western hemisphere, I was skeptical of my friend actually taking the plunge and crossing the Pacific. However, he's the kind of guy who doesn't say what he doesn't mean, and after some careful planning we had plane tickets and an itinerary: come winter vacation we'd meet up in Japan for four days before hopping over to Korea to celebrate the new year.
My last day of school before the break was Christmas Eve, so I spent my first day of vacation, Christmas, with my girlfriend in Seoul. I had an early flight the next day to Tokyo, so instead of going home in the evening I took a train to Incheon airport and spent Christmas night there, sleeping on the benches in a ghostly empty airport with a handful of other holiday travelers. In the morning I got on my flight, and before noon on the 26th I was in Narita airport, waiting for my friend to arrive from sunny California.
This was my third visit to Japan, so I wasn't a total stranger to the country. It had been awhile since my last trip, though. I visited Osaka and Kyoto in the spring of 2012, and before that Tokyo in the fall of 2011. Back then I was a novice traveler, and basically had my hand held by my gracious Japanese friend and host for the entire trip. He wasn't available to play tour guide this time, but I wasn't worried. If I could get through the Thai/Cambodian border on my own, surviving Tokyo should be easy.
I explored Narita a bit while waiting for my friend, had some lunch, took a nap. When his plane touched down (right on time), we got on the express train from Narita to Tokyo and fumbled our way through the metro system to our accommodations. In an effort to save money, I had booked us two beds at one of Japan's infamous capsule hotels. Despite the size, it was very comfortable. After dropping off our luggage, we got back on the subway and went to Shinjuku (one of the busiest wards in Tokyo) to meet up with a Japanese friend of mine from college.
She had made us reservations at a restaurant/karaoke hybrid, and we followed her and her friend through the labyrinthine streets of Shinjuku before arriving at a well-hidden but lavishly decorated establishment. After checking in we were led to a private singing room, which we could stay in for three hours. Each of us had to pay $50, but for that price we got as much food and drink as we could consume. My friend and I agreed, to recoup the steep entry fee we were going to have to drink everything on the menu. He got more adventurous than I, daring to try a myriad of foreign-sounding Japanese cocktails, while I played it safe and kept to beer.
When it was time to go, we said our goodbyes and went back to our hotel. We were still alive with the energy of the night upon our return, so we wandered around the neighborhood until we found a late-night ramen place. The process of ordering was so novel to us, and ridiculously convenient: we ordered from a vending machine, putting in our money and getting a ticket in return, which we then handed to the cook who gave us our orders in a matter of minutes.
After eating we finally called it a night, and crawled into our capsules for a few hours of restful sleep.
A few months ago, in the fall of 2014, one of my close friends back in my home country messaged me that he wanted to come visit me in Asia. Seeing as how I don't get many visitors from the western hemisphere, I was skeptical of my friend actually taking the plunge and crossing the Pacific. However, he's the kind of guy who doesn't say what he doesn't mean, and after some careful planning we had plane tickets and an itinerary: come winter vacation we'd meet up in Japan for four days before hopping over to Korea to celebrate the new year.
My last day of school before the break was Christmas Eve, so I spent my first day of vacation, Christmas, with my girlfriend in Seoul. I had an early flight the next day to Tokyo, so instead of going home in the evening I took a train to Incheon airport and spent Christmas night there, sleeping on the benches in a ghostly empty airport with a handful of other holiday travelers. In the morning I got on my flight, and before noon on the 26th I was in Narita airport, waiting for my friend to arrive from sunny California.
This was my third visit to Japan, so I wasn't a total stranger to the country. It had been awhile since my last trip, though. I visited Osaka and Kyoto in the spring of 2012, and before that Tokyo in the fall of 2011. Back then I was a novice traveler, and basically had my hand held by my gracious Japanese friend and host for the entire trip. He wasn't available to play tour guide this time, but I wasn't worried. If I could get through the Thai/Cambodian border on my own, surviving Tokyo should be easy.
I explored Narita a bit while waiting for my friend, had some lunch, took a nap. When his plane touched down (right on time), we got on the express train from Narita to Tokyo and fumbled our way through the metro system to our accommodations. In an effort to save money, I had booked us two beds at one of Japan's infamous capsule hotels. Despite the size, it was very comfortable. After dropping off our luggage, we got back on the subway and went to Shinjuku (one of the busiest wards in Tokyo) to meet up with a Japanese friend of mine from college.
She had made us reservations at a restaurant/karaoke hybrid, and we followed her and her friend through the labyrinthine streets of Shinjuku before arriving at a well-hidden but lavishly decorated establishment. After checking in we were led to a private singing room, which we could stay in for three hours. Each of us had to pay $50, but for that price we got as much food and drink as we could consume. My friend and I agreed, to recoup the steep entry fee we were going to have to drink everything on the menu. He got more adventurous than I, daring to try a myriad of foreign-sounding Japanese cocktails, while I played it safe and kept to beer.
When it was time to go, we said our goodbyes and went back to our hotel. We were still alive with the energy of the night upon our return, so we wandered around the neighborhood until we found a late-night ramen place. The process of ordering was so novel to us, and ridiculously convenient: we ordered from a vending machine, putting in our money and getting a ticket in return, which we then handed to the cook who gave us our orders in a matter of minutes.
After eating we finally called it a night, and crawled into our capsules for a few hours of restful sleep.
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