Clover not making model kits out of Gundam because they saw no future in it has the same feel to it as that one record executive who wouldn't sign The Beatles because he believed 'guitar music' wouldn't be popular anymore
@@garyshaller8294 Also: The agent who didn't like a band so much he told them that they'd "sink like a zeppelin filled with lead" and so the band gave themselves a new name based on his insult
@@KazuyaMithra They didn't. They made only soft vinyl toys and diecast action figures. When Sunrise approached Clover about the idea for model kits, Clover simply said that they don't make model kits. As an aside, I think Clover kinda gets an unfair rap from modern discourse regarding Gundam's production. They made missteps, sure and likely should've read the room better in regards to what Gundam was trying to do, but this was the business model for just about every robot anime prior to Gundam, and they had been a sponsor for Sunrise's previous two robot anime as well. Hell, Gundam wasn't initially even supposed to be a robot anime. It was meant to be a Yamato clone but with a younger cast. It was Clover who told them to add robots since they didn't think that the ship this Yamato clone was trying to promote (which would later become the White Base) would actually sell well, so in a way, their judgement was right. Not only that but whilst model kits had been a popular hobby for a while then, a robot anime selling model kits was mostly unheard of at the time, and Bandai was a relatively new player to the modelling scene. Their first licensed model kit lineup was for Yamato, and it took a while for them to get to a decent quality. The kits in 1974 were poorly received and were basically more toy than model kit, with wind up motors and wheels.
@@Brian-rx9sp Totally agree. Clover was not that kind of toy company, and were simply doing what Popy, Takatoku, Takara, and even smaller companies like Nomura and Tomy were doing at the time. I think the context of the die-cast robot industry kind of gets glossed over when discussing Clover. Lots of companies that weren't Popy/Bandai or Takara had attempted to jump in, and the few that made it into the early 80s either went bankrupt or were purchased by Bandai (like Takatoku). Gundam didn't kill Clover like some frame it as, Japanese kids weren't buying classic DX die cast robots as much in the early 80s while mecha was becoming more and more marketed to teens/young adults. Transformers was probably the first child oriented robot series in a long time to regain the interest of younger Japanese kids, which wasn't even until 1985. So much so that Bandai relaunched Machine Robo with an anime to capture some of Transformers' audience. I wish someone made a documentary covering the history of Japan's die cast robots and anime.
Like seeing Stone Cold Steve Austin with blonde hair and a clean shaven face. It just looks surreal looking back on their younger days compared to now.
Funnily enough, later Gundam creators actually paid a little tribute to this toy: the RX-78-02 seen in "Gundam: The Origin" manga, as well as the model kits of it, has a removable shoulder-mounted cannon that's a more realistic rendition of the one on the toy.
Goodness its no wonder Tomino hated the G Fighter. It was awkward on-screen and being forced to hamfist it into the show must have taken a toll. Also I can feel the stress in your hands while you're handling this vintage toy... any wrong move could cause something to break...
Man 100%... getting the core fighter into the waist the first time was like five minutes or more... check the manual, look online for what content I could find... look closely at it to try and understand how the mechanic works and what could break. But thankfully they are made quite well, it's more about possibly scratching and scraping over time. Thanks for watching :)
@@robotoyworld I can only imagine! I don't even want to see how much it would cost to replace... And its my pleasure! I love seeing stuff like this and you did an amazing job!
The misalignment of Sunrise and Clover's relationship is certainly a factor in the cancellation of Gundam but it's hardly the only factor; pretty much everything was against Gundam. The ratings were miserable throughout it's entire first run, episode 7's viewership fell so low it was either 1.9% or just 'immeasurable, effectively 0' depending on which ratings provider you were going by. Yoshikazu Yasuhiko had health problems during production and had to step away from his role as lead animator, causing a massive decline in animation quality. Gundam came out at a turbulent time when anime was only just proving it could appeal to older audiences; it's not really Clover's fault that they wanted to make toys that appealed to the audience they already had, children. And they weren't even necessarily wrong in the changes they demanded like changing the Gundam from the solid white of a prototype model to primary colours - today's Gundam's aren't military camouflage or gunmetal grey, they're still colourful now. Likewise the mandated G-Fighter is a bit goofy-looking. But planes/space fighters that combine with Gundams have been a regular continuing feature, from the Super Gundam of Zeta right up to the Mighty Strike Freedom Gundam from the SEED movie earlier this year. Ultimately, Gundam was ahead of its time, facing numerous challenges that overshadowed its potential.
Technically that's the _second_ SEED movie, but Stargazer was more of a side-story. There's a lot of interesting parallels between Mobile Suit Gundam and Star Trek.
@@Theranthrope Not that it's relevant since I never said Freedom was the first movie but Stargazer isn't a movie. It's a 3 episode ONA that got compiled into a feature for its DVD release. If that makes it a movie to you then you're still wrong because by your logic Freedom is the 9th movie, following Stargazer, the 3 SEED compilations and the 4 Destiny compilations.
Fun fact: The original Bandai 1/100 Gundam model kit actually seems to be based on this with the core fighter’s cockpit being exposed, the beam saber’s blades being short and passes thru the backpack, it’s inability to move it’s feet upwards/downwards and the toyetic spring action bazooka also being included along with the show accurate hyper bazooka (minus the shoulder mount option) Bandai does still reproduce this… thus meaning Clover’s legacy does exist to this day.
It's weird how so many iconic anime franchises failed initially. Gundam, Yamato, Lupin III, there's probably many more I don't know about. Just like how, over in the west, Star Trek and Blade Runner failed when they first came out, but people eventually came to appreciate them and now they are legendary.
I always looked at Gundam as the Star Trek of anime. Both suffering similar circumstances except narrative surrounding Gundam’s trouble original run isn’t as spun as TOS’, both came back in a major way through a theatrical release after buzzing fan interest except Gundam’s first movie was compilation of the first half of the series and both went through their respective highs and lows except Gundam never suffered J. J. Abrams’ kiss of death.
Clover actually used Takara's factories for manufacturing until the early 80s, before they rebranded as Poplar and opened their own factories with the Acrobunch figure. They made incredible toys in the late 70s and early 80s, Zambot 3, Daitarn, Daioja, and Xabungle are standouts.
I was lucky I got the Clover DeLuxe Daitarn 3 (third version: the one with bronze upper legs) set and the DeLuxe MachAttacker/MachPatrol set. They were simply wonderful, and I spent countless hours playing with them. They were top quality and greatly screen accurate. So, I could not understand why the Gundam set (which I had never got) looked that goofy to my children eyes. I had a very small ugly Gundam toy by Clover instead, which couldn't even transform. But its proportions looked much better than the DeLuxe transforming set.
@@albertolunghi4947 Did you grow up in Italy? Ceppi Ratti company distributed Clover Gundam and Daitarn there I believe, and Daitarn is hugely popular in Italy.
I was surprised to learn that Gundam was initially more popular among girls (must be Char). Only when the model kits came out that the guys took claim, and the rest is history. Gundam also would’ve had a more monochrome colour scheme, if it wasn’t for the toys
Oh nah, the franchise is still gigantic when it comes to women. Tomino himself once actually stated that whereas men would regularly lose interest in the franchise due to them caring more about the kits than the stories themselves, the only consistent fans were women that connected with the characters,and considering the turnout for the newest female-led Gundam series, yeah, that seems to hold true still.
Yeah, women loved the drama in the story which is honestly pretty good. Learning who Sayla really was and that she was related to Char, and that Char was actually Casval, would have been a pretty big surprise.
Wait, this channel only has 1.3k subs? With the production values and editing, I genuinely thought I was watching a 100K+ sub channel. I’m sure that silver Play button is in your future soon!
Thanks so much! I don't have a lot of videos on the channel and very grateful for everyone that takes the time to watch and hopefully enjoy my content. I'm just making the videos that I would want to watch. Cheers!
I am so happy you are back. I saw this toy on 33rd street and second avenue, in NYC where I grew up. That same day I just brought a magazine called my Anime at Zen oriental book store on 44th and 5th Ave in 1980 with Yoshihiko Yasuhiko illustrating the cover. The store wanted $250 usd in 1980-81. I was dismayed but now I have the Bandai models.
Oh wow, it's cool that they even had it there though. I don't know if this was ever released here in Australia. Gundam and I are both '79 babies so I was too young for it the first time around. Was it a specialist collectors store or something?
@@robotoyworld I was a 68 baby grew up in the 70’s and 80’s. I was a military brat in japan 72 to 77, then Back to NYC. New York was a bastion of culture in the 70’s as rough as it was. Japanese animation and toys were a very Niche genre at this time, but New York at the time had a large Japanese community, due to the booming economy of the late 70’s. There were Stores that sold Poppy, Clover, Takara and more. This was the era where children played with toys, so this was a boon for the male toy market, especially after the success of Star Wars. Chinatown was also a great place for Japanese action figures and toys (no knock offs that would come in the mid 80’s). As well as my favorite the discount warehouse Mall, QP’s in the Borough of Queens. This was a warehouse full of different vendors, Clothes, Jewelry, electronics and Japanese toys. They were cheap. The $50 to $400 price tag of manhattan became $5 to $20 in QP’s. I racked up in the early 80’s and still have my action figures from that era. There were no stores geared towards collectors at this time save for one. There was one on 67th and second Avenue this guy sold toys from the early 18th century until the late 70’s. That was a wonderful store. Later in 1980 the forbidden planet would open up as well with a Japanese action figures and comics section. This time is when Japanese animation would start to bloom. Thank you for all your hard work and research. Your videos are extremely informative and well done. I still can’t find the DA-100. I will breakdown and buy it online by Christmas if I can’t find it in a store here in Japan.
@@breakingdragon22 Wow that sounds incredible, you must have some amazing memories of that time and experiences with toys. Do you have much of a recollection of toy stores (or stores with toys) in Japan from that mid-to-late 70s period? Thanks for your support and good luck with DA-100. I'm guessing you've tried Mandarake/Jungle? Or they're too inflated?
@@robotoyworld yes I have a very clear recollection of the toys stores in the 70’s. The Giant super robot craze was in high gear and it was a great time to be a child. The mom and pop toy stores were my favorite, toys stacked from the entrance to the rear. Sometimes very unorganized but the owners knew where everything was if you asked for it. If they didn’t have it they would order the toy for you. It felt magical to walk into one of these places. The department stores were in full swing as well. Isetan had a jumbo Machinder set up that was awesome. I still have Raideen and Dragon of getter Robo G (missing some parts and need to be cleaned). There are still a few mom and pop stores around. the best was In Shimokitazawa unfortunately, the owner passed a few years ago. Yes unfortunately the prices are extremely inflated currently, this is due to an extremely weak yen and the return of tourism. During the pandemic I snatched up a great new soul of Chogokin and Microman collection for dirt cheap. Currently The same toy I brought for $50 USD is now $500. I saw a vintage Grendizer with the Spazer Saucer for $2,500 USD. Before it was $500 USD. Mandrake is making a killing and Akihabara is packed. I have my secret spots I go to, so I’m good. I’ll give it a go next week for the DA-100. Currently the next thing on my list are the Action Toys (a Hong Kong based company) Gatchaman 2 collection coming out. New Designed vehicles and all five team members at around 15cm each. I was in Hong Kong for work a few weeks ago and just happened to bump into a toy show. There is currently one here in Japan I’m going tomorrow.
Good luck with the search, and enjoy the toy show! And thanks for sharing the incredible stories. I have the Action Toys "ES" chibi Voltrons and they are great. Cheers!
While Gundam Sousei ("The Men Who Created Gundam") is a bit of an exaggerated dramatization (so take this tidbit with a grain of salt), it's an account of Gundam's history with input from several of the show's production crew. It paints a different picture of the Gundam DX's reception- according to this book it was actually one of the best-selling toys of 1979 in spite of its inaccurate design, and that year was one of Clover's most profitable years. The book states directly that the story of the toy's poor sales leading Clover to cut funding for the show is a fabrication, and Gundam was already slated for cancellation just before the toy hit store shelves.
According to the 1999 book Gunpla Generation, Clover was actually so happy with the Gundam DX's end-of-year sales that they actually approached Sunrise with the prospect of extending the show even though they had previously cancelled it, though this extension never happened.
Just like the accounts surrounding Star Trek TOS’ behind the scenes, some details are exaggerated or spun to tell a narrative when told years later after the series became a successful franchise except not as it difficult to figure what’s what.
Thank you so much for sharing this, I had no idea this wonderful toy existed until today. It's super interesting to be able to hear of a different side of the history of a franchise that I adore.
Now for the irony: this play pattern would return in the form of the SD-CS (cross sihlouette) line, where you can have the RX-72 weild the a Zaku II's heat axe and ride a ship that comes with the SDBB Barbatos model kit almost as if it's riding the notorious G-Fighter vehicle. Gone, but not forgotten.
The powerslide incidentially would become a staple attack for some mobile suits later on, I forgot to add. Mostly referenced in Super Robot Wars with some melee-focused units.
7:15 Thank you, it's reassuring to know that there are people out there who truly understands that the themes and characters are what makes Gundam so phenomenal.
just discovered this channel, it's really great! you should do more historical origin stuff, like OG Diaclone Microman, or gobots-machine robo hell id watch about the origin of toy companies like kotobukiya or takara
Thanks for watching and for your suggestions. I'm planning to do a mix of both vintage and modern toys so hopefully there'll be some stuff in there that will interest you :)
Miss my diecast Zambot 3. Toys were so masterfully designed back in the 70's, you learn how to inflict blunt force trauma at an early age, when a kid in your neighborhood decides to steal your toys.
Your research is impressive! Learned a few things I never found out despite scouring all the info I could in the net. I'm definitely going through all your vids and waiting to watch more!
I'm here for all of the content you put out! Glad to see that you have time to do so and thank you! I know I'm not the only appreciative person of your videos! Great work!!!
nice video! Can tell that you did a lot of research. The information presented is consistent with what I read over the years. I had this toy when I was young! Brings back lots of nostalgia!
The two shields and the javelin/halberd kinda of reminds me of the Full Armor Unicorn. Do you all think this was an intentional reference like how the Unicorn's white color scheme matched Tomino's original color scheme for the gundam?
Soooo many little projectiles. I’d have lost them after one day’s worth of play, but if I had gotten this robotoy as a kid it would be IMPRINTED on my mind. 🤖
Holy shit, this channel is back! I loved your Great Robot Base video, excited to see another ultra vintage robot toy video. This Clover Gundam looks like its in great shape!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the video! Yeah it's far from perfect but in great condition - I think if it was too mint then you see every mark and scratch you do yourself and you cry too much hahaha. When it has general "loved" conditioning I can't tell if it was me or the former owner(s) who did it so I can play with it freely.
16:54 If you still wonder, the upper part says (株)創通エイジェンシー or Sotsu Agency Co Ltd. The (株) "kabu" is just shortened 株式会社, or "kabushiki gaisha". Meaning joint-stock company or corporation.
Wait wait wait…I don’t think the original Clover Gundam was 5,800 Yen. No way. Maybe the deluxe combo set of Gundam and G-Armor, but the original Gundam by itself would have been somewhere between 1,500 and 2,500 Yen. And that 5,800 Yen combo set, you’re looking at that converting to roughly $23 USD circa 1978. The exchange rate hovered around 250 Yen to the Dollar. I have zero idea how you pulled $300 out of that.
I tried to dig a little bit deeper and still can't find a way to get 300 dollar. First of all this is an Australian youtube channel, so it are likely Australian dollars. Secondly there are 2 ways of calculating the inflation the Japanese and Australian, Japanese Yen is know for having hardly any inflation in the last several decades. This results in: * 5800 yen (1979) -> 9292 yen (2024) -> 96 AUD (2024) * 5800 yen (1979) -> 25 AUD (1979) -> 140 AUD (2024)
@@orloman the only thing I can think of is maybe he meant to say something like ‘it costs upwards of 300 Dollars to buy it today’ But yeah, circa 1979? In the U.S., even with Japanese import companies scalping (as they did even back then) it wouldn’t have been more than…. Mmmm… $79 USD
Excellent video. Subscribed. I love Clover. Sure, many of their mecha toys weren't exactly accurate to their respective animation models. But, I love them anyhow. And, I'd really like to see more vintage robo reviews from this channel, if you would. 👍
Thanks so much for your support. I agree, despite (and somewhat because of) their flaws they are very charming. Looking forward to sharing more soon :)
Greetings from Brazil my friend. I just get know your channel today. Its was a great surprise. The only sad part its that i noticed you dont have so much videos . I will be waiting for more!
I hope we get a fully articulated die cast toy version and “toon” version (using the same mold of the original toy just painted like the cartoon) of this figure. kinda like the G1 “missing link” Optimus prime
I already knew about this toy, but this was still a very informative video and a good refresher. Had I have been a greenhorn fan I would've appreciated it more. You've earned my sub, keep up the good work.
@@capybara-c4g Dude I have had written a list in Japanese. It will take a long time to rewrite in English. Would you somehow manage to make sense out of the translation made by the translator? I pasted them below. Thanks! Star Wars is also amazing, with its director George Lucas being a genius. But do you know who is the complete opposite, the most cunning, stingy, shameless, deceitful anime director in history, but who became a huge success through sheer luck? Comparing him to George Lucas, you can really see the difference between the real thing (George Lucas) and the fake (him). The hint is that he started out pretending to be Star Wars and thought it would end in failure, but it unexpectedly became popular, and it was a shameless prideful guy who pretended not to know for over 40 years that he was modeled after Star Wars. When asked about Gundam, he was full of sophistry, retroactive ideas, and far-fetched connections, as if he created it all on his own, which is disgraceful. He should say what the original work that Gundam was based on was, and pay homage to the creator with respect. Doesn't the arrogance of Tomino, the creator of Gundam, piss you off? The first Star Wars film was released in 1977 (1978 in Japan) and Mobile Suit Gundam was released in 1979, so it's probably to hide the fact that it was released years after the airing, so they named Gundam RX-78 to show that it wasn't released after Star Wars, which is hilarious and unseemly! lol Tomino, Sunrise, and Bandai's methods are dirty. They only make people say nice things. Gundam is still a child's play. This kind of comment has been deleted many times on Yahoo! Answers and many accounts have had their questions disabled. It's a very pointed comment, so they're going to bury it. Sunrise and Bandai or whatever control the thoughts of consumers with their power. That's how Sunrise and Bandai's true nature and identity is, plundering freedom of speech with money and power! This country is not a democracy. (lol) If they honestly admitted that they were greatly influenced by Star Wars, then we could accept the plagiarism as an evolution of the masterpiece that is Star Wars in anime. I like Gundam model kits and collect them, but when I think of Tomino's face, I hate myself for collecting them. The director of The Matrix admitted to being influenced by Akira, and Akira's Katsuhiro Otomo and Hayao Miyazaki have openly stated that they were influenced by Moebius. Otomo also said that he was influenced by American films such as Easy Rider. Evangelion's Anno also said that Evangelion was influenced by Ultraman. The director of Star Wars also said that he was influenced by Kurosawa's films and Flash Gordon (a sci-fi work). Creators of other works that have had a huge impact on the world have dutifully revealed the works that influenced them. Tomino is just an anime creator, and he is influenced by other works of the same era. People can only create things from what they see and hear. He's not a god. He plagiarized a lot of things, especially Star Wars. That's why he never acknowledges what his examples were. At 8:20 on ua-cam.com/video/_IlALI7JIUM/v-deo.html, he also claims to have been influenced by period dramas (Samurai) to hide the fact that he imitated George Lucas. (lol) He claims that the setting is in space because the mobile suits are 20 meters tall and cannot be used on the ground, but then why are the giant robots from before Gundam set on the ground? Didn't they go on a rampage on Earth? lol Gundam (the first one) was also active on the ground. The fact that Gundam is set in space is clearly an influence from Star Wars. He can't help but promote himself as a noble, noble, godly being who is not influenced by other commercial works. He released the trilogy of films, imitating the first one as if it were the Star Wars trilogy. And when the remastered version of Star Wars came out, he released the Zeta Gundam film, which he had imitated and reworked. Still not satisfied, he drew Darth Vader's childhood, then Char's childhood. I wonder if Tomino is aware of this? Is he too stupid to see himself objectively and just copying what he sees? Gundam aired after the first Star Wars movie was a big hit, so I'm sure he wrote the script for Gundam based on Star Wars, which he was moved by and couldn't come up with any ideas. Beam sabers are lightsabers, newtypes are the Force (Princess Leia and Obi-Wan Kenobi spoke to people's hearts like Luke), monoeyes are R2-D2, mass-produced mobile suits are stormtroopers, and Char is Darth Vader and Sayla is Princess Leia. Before Gundam, which copied Star Wars, Tomino's anime never depicted conflicts such as differences in values between fathers and sons or brothers and sisters. But it's exactly the same, isn't it? Isn't it funny? Show your respect and homage to Star Wars and George Lucas! Hey! Tomino! Lol The Zeon where Char was was the Imperial Army commanded by Darth Vader, and the Federation where Sarah was was the Allied Army commanded by Princess Leia. ua-cam.com/video/_IlALI7JIUM/v-deo.html 8:20, and it's embarrassing to see him trying to brush it off by saying that it's a common thing in period dramas. The story of Star Wars was great, and Gundam, which was made by copying it, was inevitably a success. Most children at the time who couldn't get their hands on videos didn't go to the cinema to watch Star Wars, but instead watched Gundam on TV and were brainwashed by the novelty that was stolen from Star Wars. Even when they become old men, they still build Gunpla because of the brainwashing they did in their childhood. The reason it's still popular today is because Bandai's elaborate plastic models have encouraged adults who were brainwashed as children at the time to still be enthusiastic about it. The quality of the video for First Gundam was so bad that I don't think it was loved. The later theatrical versions were watchable. In short, it's Bandai's elaborate Gunpla that's loved! (laughs) Gundam is really a very haphazardly animated work with too many things to criticize. Some people say that Star Wars was influenced by Kurosawa's movies, but that's something that's been cultivated for hundreds of years. Like the samurai spirit. What Tomino copied was the superficial parts that Lucas and his gang created commercially in a few months or years. Star Wars was the first to do fantasy videos with swords of light and mass-produced humanoid weapons. Don't you think that Gundam fans should say that they were moved by Star Wars and made Gundam because they made it, so that Gundam fans can continue to love Gundam? But it might be okay for a scumbag like Tomino Yoshiyuki to be there because a wonderful person like Otomo-sensei makes it look even more brilliant. (laughs)
Phenomenal video of this much overlooked toy. Bandai has recently announced modernized vintage gunpla for the 45th anniversary. Perhaps there’s a glimmer of hope for a reissue of this for the 50th. Though that’s unlikely.
Thanks for your support. Very excited about the Best Mecha Collection RX-78 Gunpla but for me this Clover toy had a time and a place and I appreciate it for what it was. If there are folks that would enjoy a reissue I guess that would be cool though.
I have a clover gundam toy with the box. It's almost impossible to find them without the chrome paint worn off. Mine is missing the beam rifle but has it's shoulder mounted gun, shield, and hands. I got a old used one for about 70 bucks a few months ago and it's missing a few stickers but honestly it's not too bad looking. I am mainly a gunpla collector but this toy has a important historical place in the history of gundam. The G armor wouldn't exist without Clover's involvement and I honestly love my master grade g armor.
After comparing how early Gunboy design looked like to other Gundam mech and human designs, I think Tomino and his Gundam team didn't outright scrap that design altogether, but instead they repurposed that design for GM and the space suits 🤔
someone has probably pointed this out already but the sword javalin looks *very* similar to the full armour unicorn gundam's hyper beam javalin, wonder if that was an intentional homage
$5800 yen in 1979? I am shocked by that number. Is that even possible? It wouldn’t matter if kids cared about the design because this wouldn’t be for them. Of course sales bombed, right?
That's completely true, but I guess my point was more that if you look at it from the kids' perspective it was a similar scenario... in both cases they most likely became familiar with the animated representation first, then the toys, so there was a bit of imagination required to bridge the gap between the toy and the on-screen character.
I can’t remember the NT1 doing a slide, but I guess it’s been a while since I’ve watched the series. Maybe time to give it another go… poor Al 😔 Will keep an eye out for it.
yo the almost sunk gundam bit might be somewhat incorect since according to the autobiographical manga Men who made Gundam (published by kodakawa, an autobiograhical fiction (it exaggerates some parts (but it is accurate to at least the ones they cite)) the cover Gundam was apparently cover's most profitable toy and according to them at least tommino was the one that said that in an interview to use public opinion to pressure sunrise to green light the movies and give him more freedom admittedly it has also been a while since i read that book, but it was something along those lines
It would be cool to see but I don't know how popular it would be... But I'm definitely up for the Best Mecha Collection version that they've done, updating the original Bandai RX-78 mold but using all their latest design and production techniques. It looks incredible, possibly the perfect marriage of old school vibes and modern articulation and ease of build. I had started building an original 1980 1/144 model to show the comparison in this review but I just couldn't get the quality I wanted. Need to spend more time on my gunpla techniques first...
They kinda did. The 1980 1/100 Gundam kit has similar proportions and even gimmicks to this kit, such as the spring loaded bazooka. Some have even theorized that Bandai had reused the mold for the Gundam DX figure to make it.
While this toy was significant, I think you have it backwards. While the show would have run its full length if this toy had sold like crazy, it only ran as long as it did because of this toy as it was the main sponsor of the show. Clover paid the bills for 43 eps of a show nobody even watched. There would be no Gundam without this POS. Also, saying it doesn't look very much like the anime...compared to other 70s die casts? I'd say its pretty much average. The Jumbo Machinder and Chougokin line has all sorts of goofy gimmicks and inconsistencies with the original subject matter, like giving Godzilla a Rocket Punch.
You're absolutely right, without a sponsor like Clover from the outset there would have been no way Nippon Sunrise would have gotten the green light for production. But in the realm of hypotheticals, say Clover came out with Bandai-style model kits around the time of (or instead of) the G-Fighter then it's likely the show would have run its full series (assuming the kits sold as well as the Bandai kits did). It was the toy company that got the show going and the toy company that saw it cut short.
@@robotoyworld you've opened a new world I didn't know existed. I'm so glad you're doing what you're doing. This is a treasure time capsule with the perfect amount of love put into it. I didn't know what to expect but I was captivated the entire time. Bravo, and keep going!
What was this thing's original market price? It's amazing what passed for "Bad Toys" Back in the day. This thing has features that would make it a rare gem in today's Sub $100 Toy market. This thing seems crammed with play value.
The problem with saying G1 Transformers are inaccurate to the cartoon is it's the opposite, the cartoon is inaccurate to the toys. The toys were licensed from diacloneand microchange and whatever else from Takara, and the G1 cartoon was made with the animation models being stylized versions of the toys
Yep, you’re 100% correct that the toys were first and the show was created afterwards to support the line, but I meant it more in the order that it was consumed by kids - in most cases we were first exposed to the cartoon, which made us want to go and get the toy. I think for kids of the era if you mention G1 Prime the image that comes to mind is the anime not the Diaclone Convoy toy. But I absolutely get your point and I could have been clearer in the video 🙂
Which is the first Gundam Toy ever released? How can I find one in 2024? What signs should I look for in an authentic figure and its year of manufacturing?
I don't know for sure the first ever "toy" as it could have been something obscure but the first mainstream action figure was the Clover Gundam ST... this is the later DX which had a bit more detail and things going on. The DX is also about 1.5 times the height of the ST. In terms of where to find one it would almost certainly be in Japan. Yahoo Auctions Japan is their leading marketplace (basically the Japanese eBay), and you can bid on that via a proxy like Buyee or From Japan. As far as authenticity, I would be very surprised if there were knock offs around... I would be suspicious if it looked too new. Good luck!
@@robotoyworld Thank you! Mazinger Z from this video piqued my interest. Do you know which was the first Mazinger Z toy in the 70’s? Unable to get a clear answer when searching online.
Wow I didn’t know this - thanks for the correction. I’ve not heard of Takatoku before but will have to look into them. Did Bandai end up with the Macross toys following Takatoku’s demise?
@@robotoyworld Yes, Bandai acquired the designs following Takatoku's bankruptcy, including Macross, Dorvack and Beetras toys. Bandai then licensed those molds to Hasbro for Transformers to make Jetfire, the Autobot Deluxe Vehicles and the Decepticon Deluxe Insecticons. This posed a problem for Takara, who wanted to bring Transformers to Japan and refused to give Bandai (their rival at the time) any publicity by featuring those toys in the cartoon. Hasbro tried to compromise by redesigning Jetfire and renaming him Skyfire, which didn't work, so Skyfire only appeared in 8 episodes of the cartoon This didn't affect the Marvel G1 comics, which featured Jetfire (with his redisign), Whirl and Roadbuster as Wreckers, while only half the Deluxe Insecticons appeared once (in Time Wars).
@@robotoyworld A lot of vendors have had licenses to sell Macross merchandise in Japan. Bandai has released their own Valkyries as part of the HI-Metal and DX Chogokin lines. Bandai also has bought many of the old molds for the model kits originally created by Imai and Arii. But the 1/55 toy that was sold as Jetfire was the Takatoku version which was never reprinted by Bandai as far as I know.
@@robotoyworld I double-checked and I was wrong about the reprints. Bandai has reprinted the Takatoku 1/55 Valkyries. But they were Takatoku when they repackaged as Jetfire.
@@jasonreynolds6643 Minor correction, Takatoku was already in the process of being acquired by Bandai when Hasbro placed Jetfire orders. For a small time, the molds for the 1/55 fell into the hands of Matsushiro, the company which originally engineered the 1/55 toy. So all first run Transformers Jetfires have the Matsushiro stamp with the Macross kite on their wings. After the acquisition, Bandai fulfilled the rest of Hasbro's Jetfire orders, adding the Bandai stamp and removing all allusions to Macross.
The G Parts have always befuddled me ever since my first watch of Mobile Suit Gundam. Like why did they ever think of turning a jack of all trades mobile suit into a clunky vehicle alt modes that didn't even take advantage of the fact that it's a mobile suit? They could've just made them seperate vehicles... which they eventually did when they realized they can modify them to not need the Gundam's parts. The scenes it was in all felt so forced. All of its scenes feel artifically long, it's very obviously just something the marketing execs cooked up. In comparison, Gundam has done the support fighter archetype way better in subsequent installments. My favorite being the G-Falcon from Gundam X, and the 0 Raiser from Gundam 00.
They’re custom made by a company here in Australia called ShowFront. They mostly do store fitouts but I think have realised there’s also a domestic market
Interesting toy, a lot to talk about, like a vintage toy, huy the relic. really interesting, very good collection, thanks friend, you give us a very, very interesting program.
also for some hilarious reason the G-Fighter returned in the Gundam Thunderbolt series, mind you a more mature and gritty take on the original Gundam series.
While the proportions are janky, the color scheme choices and sticker flare really are wacky. Accurate coloring would’ve really helped. Decisions were made…
Yeah true - the tools or whatever were set but surely it wouldn’t have been a huge task to change the paints… even for that later release with the RX78 on the front of the box.
I'm no financial expert but I think adjusting 5,800 yen for inflation makes it about 11,620 yen today, which is just shy of $80. So more than 40 but nowhere close to 300.
Clover not making model kits out of Gundam because they saw no future in it has the same feel to it as that one record executive who wouldn't sign The Beatles because he believed 'guitar music' wouldn't be popular anymore
I don't think Clover actually ever made model kits at any point.
(See also: “nobody’s going to buy Star Wars toys” and “kids aren’t going to like a band that wears makeup!”)
@@garyshaller8294 Also: The agent who didn't like a band so much he told them that they'd "sink like a zeppelin filled with lead" and so the band gave themselves a new name based on his insult
@@KazuyaMithra They didn't. They made only soft vinyl toys and diecast action figures. When Sunrise approached Clover about the idea for model kits, Clover simply said that they don't make model kits.
As an aside, I think Clover kinda gets an unfair rap from modern discourse regarding Gundam's production. They made missteps, sure and likely should've read the room better in regards to what Gundam was trying to do, but this was the business model for just about every robot anime prior to Gundam, and they had been a sponsor for Sunrise's previous two robot anime as well. Hell, Gundam wasn't initially even supposed to be a robot anime. It was meant to be a Yamato clone but with a younger cast. It was Clover who told them to add robots since they didn't think that the ship this Yamato clone was trying to promote (which would later become the White Base) would actually sell well, so in a way, their judgement was right.
Not only that but whilst model kits had been a popular hobby for a while then, a robot anime selling model kits was mostly unheard of at the time, and Bandai was a relatively new player to the modelling scene. Their first licensed model kit lineup was for Yamato, and it took a while for them to get to a decent quality. The kits in 1974 were poorly received and were basically more toy than model kit, with wind up motors and wheels.
@@Brian-rx9sp Totally agree. Clover was not that kind of toy company, and were simply doing what Popy, Takatoku, Takara, and even smaller companies like Nomura and Tomy were doing at the time. I think the context of the die-cast robot industry kind of gets glossed over when discussing Clover. Lots of companies that weren't Popy/Bandai or Takara had attempted to jump in, and the few that made it into the early 80s either went bankrupt or were purchased by Bandai (like Takatoku). Gundam didn't kill Clover like some frame it as, Japanese kids weren't buying classic DX die cast robots as much in the early 80s while mecha was becoming more and more marketed to teens/young adults. Transformers was probably the first child oriented robot series in a long time to regain the interest of younger Japanese kids, which wasn't even until 1985. So much so that Bandai relaunched Machine Robo with an anime to capture some of Transformers' audience. I wish someone made a documentary covering the history of Japan's die cast robots and anime.
I'm so used to bald Tomino, seeing him with hair was a trip.
Was very difficult to find a period-correct pic... there's an amusing collage on reddit somewhere of all his different looks :)
Like seeing Stone Cold Steve Austin with blonde hair and a clean shaven face. It just looks surreal looking back on their younger days compared to now.
Funnily enough, later Gundam creators actually paid a little tribute to this toy: the RX-78-02 seen in "Gundam: The Origin" manga, as well as the model kits of it, has a removable shoulder-mounted cannon that's a more realistic rendition of the one on the toy.
The Unicorn's Hyper Beam Javelin was also directly inspired by the "sword javelin" included with this figure.
@@exvaran I did not know this, thanks for the fun fact
Finally a video in English talking about the Clover Gundam. Huge props to doing this!
Thanks!
didn't expected seeing you here. Hope you doing well and waiting for new videos.
i mean to be fair half the time the gundams head proportions are alkl wrong in the actual show itself
Goodness its no wonder Tomino hated the G Fighter. It was awkward on-screen and being forced to hamfist it into the show must have taken a toll.
Also I can feel the stress in your hands while you're handling this vintage toy... any wrong move could cause something to break...
Man 100%... getting the core fighter into the waist the first time was like five minutes or more... check the manual, look online for what content I could find... look closely at it to try and understand how the mechanic works and what could break. But thankfully they are made quite well, it's more about possibly scratching and scraping over time. Thanks for watching :)
@@robotoyworld I can only imagine! I don't even want to see how much it would cost to replace...
And its my pleasure! I love seeing stuff like this and you did an amazing job!
It is understandable why it got replaced with Core Booster in the compilation movies.
The misalignment of Sunrise and Clover's relationship is certainly a factor in the cancellation of Gundam but it's hardly the only factor; pretty much everything was against Gundam. The ratings were miserable throughout it's entire first run, episode 7's viewership fell so low it was either 1.9% or just 'immeasurable, effectively 0' depending on which ratings provider you were going by. Yoshikazu Yasuhiko had health problems during production and had to step away from his role as lead animator, causing a massive decline in animation quality. Gundam came out at a turbulent time when anime was only just proving it could appeal to older audiences; it's not really Clover's fault that they wanted to make toys that appealed to the audience they already had, children. And they weren't even necessarily wrong in the changes they demanded like changing the Gundam from the solid white of a prototype model to primary colours - today's Gundam's aren't military camouflage or gunmetal grey, they're still colourful now. Likewise the mandated G-Fighter is a bit goofy-looking. But planes/space fighters that combine with Gundams have been a regular continuing feature, from the Super Gundam of Zeta right up to the Mighty Strike Freedom Gundam from the SEED movie earlier this year. Ultimately, Gundam was ahead of its time, facing numerous challenges that overshadowed its potential.
Technically that's the _second_ SEED movie, but Stargazer was more of a side-story.
There's a lot of interesting parallels between Mobile Suit Gundam and Star Trek.
Seed freedom literally has star wars sound effects lmao
@@Theranthrope Not that it's relevant since I never said Freedom was the first movie but Stargazer isn't a movie. It's a 3 episode ONA that got compiled into a feature for its DVD release. If that makes it a movie to you then you're still wrong because by your logic Freedom is the 9th movie, following Stargazer, the 3 SEED compilations and the 4 Destiny compilations.
Fun fact: The original Bandai 1/100 Gundam model kit actually seems to be based on this with the core fighter’s cockpit being exposed, the beam saber’s blades being short and passes thru the backpack, it’s inability to move it’s feet upwards/downwards and the toyetic spring action bazooka also being included along with the show accurate hyper bazooka (minus the shoulder mount option)
Bandai does still reproduce this… thus meaning Clover’s legacy does exist to this day.
It's weird how so many iconic anime franchises failed initially. Gundam, Yamato, Lupin III, there's probably many more I don't know about. Just like how, over in the west, Star Trek and Blade Runner failed when they first came out, but people eventually came to appreciate them and now they are legendary.
I always looked at Gundam as the Star Trek of anime. Both suffering similar circumstances except narrative surrounding Gundam’s trouble original run isn’t as spun as TOS’, both came back in a major way through a theatrical release after buzzing fan interest except Gundam’s first movie was compilation of the first half of the series and both went through their respective highs and lows except Gundam never suffered J. J. Abrams’ kiss of death.
@@rayvenkman2087 Star Trek is recovering from the Abrams era but maybe it's too little, too late, to be fair.
Powerslide mode!! Your facial expression with that 'yeah' ....definition of 'deadpan' ought to link to that!
Clover actually used Takara's factories for manufacturing until the early 80s, before they rebranded as Poplar and opened their own factories with the Acrobunch figure. They made incredible toys in the late 70s and early 80s, Zambot 3, Daitarn, Daioja, and Xabungle are standouts.
I was lucky I got the Clover DeLuxe Daitarn 3 (third version: the one with bronze upper legs) set and the DeLuxe MachAttacker/MachPatrol set. They were simply wonderful, and I spent countless hours playing with them. They were top quality and greatly screen accurate. So, I could not understand why the Gundam set (which I had never got) looked that goofy to my children eyes. I had a very small ugly Gundam toy by Clover instead, which couldn't even transform. But its proportions looked much better than the DeLuxe transforming set.
@@albertolunghi4947 Did you grow up in Italy? Ceppi Ratti company distributed Clover Gundam and Daitarn there I believe, and Daitarn is hugely popular in Italy.
I was surprised to learn that Gundam was initially more popular among girls (must be Char). Only when the model kits came out that the guys took claim, and the rest is history. Gundam also would’ve had a more monochrome colour scheme, if it wasn’t for the toys
Oh nah, the franchise is still gigantic when it comes to women. Tomino himself once actually stated that whereas men would regularly lose interest in the franchise due to them caring more about the kits than the stories themselves, the only consistent fans were women that connected with the characters,and considering the turnout for the newest female-led Gundam series, yeah, that seems to hold true still.
Same with Star Trek lol
Yeah, women loved the drama in the story which is honestly pretty good. Learning who Sayla really was and that she was related to Char, and that Char was actually Casval, would have been a pretty big surprise.
A lot of girls I knew grewing up watched Sailor Moon and Gundam.
What is this claim based on?
I was today years old when i kearned the crestor if gundam sterted working under the legend himself, the guy who gave us astro boy.
Wait, this channel only has 1.3k subs? With the production values and editing, I genuinely thought I was watching a 100K+ sub channel. I’m sure that silver Play button is in your future soon!
Thanks so much! I don't have a lot of videos on the channel and very grateful for everyone that takes the time to watch and hopefully enjoy my content. I'm just making the videos that I would want to watch. Cheers!
I am so happy you are back. I saw this toy on 33rd street and second avenue, in NYC where I grew up. That same day I just brought a magazine called my Anime at Zen oriental book store on 44th and 5th Ave in 1980 with Yoshihiko Yasuhiko illustrating the cover. The store wanted $250 usd in 1980-81. I was dismayed but now I have the Bandai models.
Oh wow, it's cool that they even had it there though. I don't know if this was ever released here in Australia. Gundam and I are both '79 babies so I was too young for it the first time around.
Was it a specialist collectors store or something?
@@robotoyworld I was a 68 baby grew up in the 70’s and 80’s. I was a military brat in japan 72 to 77, then Back to NYC. New York was a bastion of culture in the 70’s as rough as it was. Japanese animation and toys were a very Niche genre at this time, but New York at the time had a large Japanese community, due to the booming economy of the late 70’s. There were Stores that sold Poppy, Clover, Takara and more. This was the era where children played with toys, so this was a boon for the male toy market, especially after the success of Star Wars. Chinatown was also a great place for Japanese action figures and toys (no knock offs that would come in the mid 80’s). As well as my favorite the discount warehouse Mall, QP’s in the Borough of Queens. This was a warehouse full of different vendors, Clothes, Jewelry, electronics and Japanese toys. They were cheap. The $50 to $400 price tag of manhattan became $5 to $20 in QP’s. I racked up in the early 80’s and still have my action figures from that era. There were no stores geared towards collectors at this time save for one. There was one on 67th and second Avenue this guy sold toys from the early 18th century until the late 70’s. That was a wonderful store. Later in 1980 the forbidden planet would open up as well with a Japanese action figures and comics section. This time is when Japanese animation would start to bloom. Thank you for all your hard work and research. Your videos are extremely informative and well done. I still can’t find the DA-100. I will breakdown and buy it online by Christmas if I can’t find it in a store here in Japan.
@@breakingdragon22 Wow that sounds incredible, you must have some amazing memories of that time and experiences with toys. Do you have much of a recollection of toy stores (or stores with toys) in Japan from that mid-to-late 70s period? Thanks for your support and good luck with DA-100. I'm guessing you've tried Mandarake/Jungle? Or they're too inflated?
@@robotoyworld yes I have a very clear recollection of the toys stores in the 70’s. The Giant super robot craze was in high gear and it was a great time to be a child. The mom and pop toy stores were my favorite, toys stacked from the entrance to the rear. Sometimes very unorganized but the owners knew where everything was if you asked for it. If they didn’t have it they would order the toy for you. It felt magical to walk into one of these places. The department stores were in full swing as well. Isetan had a jumbo Machinder set up that was awesome. I still have Raideen and Dragon of getter Robo G (missing some parts and need to be cleaned). There are still a few mom and pop stores around. the best was In Shimokitazawa unfortunately, the owner passed a few years ago. Yes unfortunately the prices are extremely inflated currently, this is due to an extremely weak yen and the return of tourism. During the pandemic I snatched up a great new soul of Chogokin and Microman collection for dirt cheap. Currently The same toy I brought for $50 USD is now $500. I saw a vintage Grendizer with the Spazer Saucer for $2,500 USD. Before it was $500 USD. Mandrake is making a killing and Akihabara is packed. I have my secret spots I go to, so I’m good. I’ll give it a go next week for the DA-100. Currently the next thing on my list are the Action Toys (a Hong Kong based company) Gatchaman 2 collection coming out. New Designed vehicles and all five team members at around 15cm each. I was in Hong Kong for work a few weeks ago and just happened to bump into a toy show. There is currently one here in Japan I’m going tomorrow.
Good luck with the search, and enjoy the toy show! And thanks for sharing the incredible stories. I have the Action Toys "ES" chibi Voltrons and they are great. Cheers!
While Gundam Sousei ("The Men Who Created Gundam") is a bit of an exaggerated dramatization (so take this tidbit with a grain of salt), it's an account of Gundam's history with input from several of the show's production crew. It paints a different picture of the Gundam DX's reception- according to this book it was actually one of the best-selling toys of 1979 in spite of its inaccurate design, and that year was one of Clover's most profitable years. The book states directly that the story of the toy's poor sales leading Clover to cut funding for the show is a fabrication, and Gundam was already slated for cancellation just before the toy hit store shelves.
According to the 1999 book Gunpla Generation, Clover was actually so happy with the Gundam DX's end-of-year sales that they actually approached Sunrise with the prospect of extending the show even though they had previously cancelled it, though this extension never happened.
Just like the accounts surrounding Star Trek TOS’ behind the scenes, some details are exaggerated or spun to tell a narrative when told years later after the series became a successful franchise except not as it difficult to figure what’s what.
@@rapidemboar4625 Not to mention, Clover even reissued it and continued sponsoring Tomino's shows until dunbine in 1983.
Thank you so much for sharing this, I had no idea this wonderful toy existed until today. It's super interesting to be able to hear of a different side of the history of a franchise that I adore.
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment 🙂
"But what if they ask to be assembled?"
"We ask them to gently but firmly click the top into place."
Never thought I’d see a KoTH reference in a Gundam toy history video.
@@rayvenkman2087 just the way it was delivered, the timing and phrasing made me think of it
I can't help but feel The Origin RX-78's shoulder cannon was somewhat inspired by this
Now for the irony: this play pattern would return in the form of the SD-CS (cross sihlouette) line, where you can have the RX-72 weild the a Zaku II's heat axe and ride a ship that comes with the SDBB Barbatos model kit almost as if it's riding the notorious G-Fighter vehicle. Gone, but not forgotten.
The powerslide incidentially would become a staple attack for some mobile suits later on, I forgot to add. Mostly referenced in Super Robot Wars with some melee-focused units.
and now....Clover gundam's toy now considered as rare item that collector looking for
This type of content is so awesome. Please keep it up
Thanks!
7:15 Thank you, it's reassuring to know that there are people out there who truly understands that the themes and characters are what makes Gundam so phenomenal.
They bait us with the cool robots but we stay for the "char"-acters :)
He regurgitated Wikipedia and then threw in "muh Miyazaki" for good normie measure.
Grey villains existed in mecha anime long before Gundam.
just discovered this channel, it's really great! you should do more historical origin stuff, like OG Diaclone Microman, or gobots-machine robo
hell id watch about the origin of toy companies like kotobukiya or takara
Thanks for watching and for your suggestions. I'm planning to do a mix of both vintage and modern toys so hopefully there'll be some stuff in there that will interest you :)
Miss my diecast Zambot 3. Toys were so masterfully designed back in the 70's, you learn how to inflict blunt force trauma at an early age, when a kid in your neighborhood decides to steal your toys.
Your research is impressive! Learned a few things I never found out despite scouring all the info I could in the net. I'm definitely going through all your vids and waiting to watch more!
Thanks so much for watching!
This is far and beyond the best Gundam origins video out there AND you have the Gundam to boot. Thank you for putting the work in to this masterpiece
Thank you so much! Really glad you enjoyed it.
I'm here for all of the content you put out! Glad to see that you have time to do so and thank you! I know I'm not the only appreciative person of your videos! Great work!!!
Thanks so much Paul! Glad you enjoyed it.
I believe that the Sliding Attack Mode is supposed to replicate the Gundam being transported on a truck in the first episode.
nice video! Can tell that you did a lot of research. The information presented is consistent with what I read over the years. I had this toy when I was young! Brings back lots of nostalgia!
Thanks for watching and for your support
Bandai should do a P-Bandai of the Gundam 2.0 with the G Armor, but in these colors with retro stickers.
The two shields and the javelin/halberd kinda of reminds me of the Full Armor Unicorn. Do you all think this was an intentional reference like how the Unicorn's white color scheme matched Tomino's original color scheme for the gundam?
At the very least, the Hyper Beam Javelin is almost certainly a callback to this.
Soooo many little projectiles. I’d have lost them after one day’s worth of play, but if I had gotten this robotoy as a kid it would be IMPRINTED on my mind.
🤖
Holy shit, this channel is back! I loved your Great Robot Base video, excited to see another ultra vintage robot toy video. This Clover Gundam looks like its in great shape!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the video! Yeah it's far from perfect but in great condition - I think if it was too mint then you see every mark and scratch you do yourself and you cry too much hahaha. When it has general "loved" conditioning I can't tell if it was me or the former owner(s) who did it so I can play with it freely.
@@robotoyworld it’s always good to know the tot brought some joy in a kids life at one point!
16:54
If you still wonder, the upper part says
(株)創通エイジェンシー
or
Sotsu Agency Co Ltd.
The (株) "kabu" is just shortened 株式会社, or "kabushiki gaisha". Meaning joint-stock company or corporation.
Thanks!
Wait wait wait…I don’t think the original Clover Gundam was 5,800 Yen. No way. Maybe the deluxe combo set of Gundam and G-Armor, but the original Gundam by itself would have been somewhere between 1,500 and 2,500 Yen.
And that 5,800 Yen combo set, you’re looking at that converting to roughly $23 USD circa 1978.
The exchange rate hovered around 250 Yen to the Dollar. I have zero idea how you pulled $300 out of that.
I tried to dig a little bit deeper and still can't find a way to get 300 dollar.
First of all this is an Australian youtube channel, so it are likely Australian dollars.
Secondly there are 2 ways of calculating the inflation the Japanese and Australian, Japanese Yen is know for having hardly any inflation in the last several decades.
This results in:
* 5800 yen (1979) -> 9292 yen (2024) -> 96 AUD (2024)
* 5800 yen (1979) -> 25 AUD (1979) -> 140 AUD (2024)
@@orloman the only thing I can think of is maybe he meant to say something like ‘it costs upwards of 300 Dollars to buy it today’
But yeah, circa 1979? In the U.S., even with Japanese import companies scalping (as they did even back then) it wouldn’t have been more than…. Mmmm… $79 USD
Excellent video. Subscribed. I love Clover. Sure, many of their mecha toys weren't exactly accurate to their respective animation models. But, I love them anyhow. And, I'd really like to see more vintage robo reviews from this channel, if you would. 👍
Thanks so much for your support. I agree, despite (and somewhat because of) their flaws they are very charming.
Looking forward to sharing more soon :)
lovin it, thanks for the review!
Cheers and thanks for watching!
Very spectacular, excellent job 👌❤
Been loving these videos you been rolling out! It’s cool to see coverage on stuff like this especially the early years of MSGs products
Thanks so much, I appreciate you checking them out and really glad you’re enjoying it 🙂
i learned some history today
Great information mate. Another great video.
Thanks!
Greetings from Brazil my friend. I just get know your channel today. Its was a great surprise. The only sad part its that i noticed you dont have so much videos . I will be waiting for more!
Thanks for watching. Hopefully I can put out more content in future that you enjoy 🙂 Cheers from Australia
At some point I want to take an RX-78-2 and do it up in "clover colors" like this. Probably call it the RX-78-2C or something
Someone has, and it looks pretty cool.
So nice to see a really well done review of this guy in English! Great work!
Thanks! Appreciate your support, thanks for taking the time to watch :)
I hope we get a fully articulated die cast toy version and “toon” version (using the same mold of the original toy just painted like the cartoon) of this figure. kinda like the G1 “missing link” Optimus prime
I already knew about this toy, but this was still a very informative video and a good refresher. Had I have been a greenhorn fan I would've appreciated it more. You've earned my sub, keep up the good work.
Thanks!!
I like to think that the Beam Javelin used by the Unicorn Gundam is a nod to this Clover Gundam javelin.
Kind of interesting that the sword javalin would eventually become the design for the Unicorn Gundam's Beam Javalin, with the same spear tip and axe.
Oh wow it really is! Nice observation!
Tomino drew so many ideas from Star Wars. He should admit that but never has.
@@ebony-whangdagobi5195 He drew way more from Yamato
@@capybara-c4g thanks man!
@@capybara-c4g Dude I have had written a list in Japanese. It will take a long time to rewrite in English. Would you somehow manage to make sense out of the translation made by the translator? I pasted them below. Thanks!
Star Wars is also amazing, with its director George Lucas being a genius. But do you know who is the complete opposite, the most cunning, stingy, shameless, deceitful anime director in history, but who became a huge success through sheer luck? Comparing him to George Lucas, you can really see the difference between the real thing (George Lucas) and the fake (him).
The hint is that he started out pretending to be Star Wars and thought it would end in failure, but it unexpectedly became popular, and it was a shameless prideful guy who pretended not to know for over 40 years that he was modeled after Star Wars.
When asked about Gundam, he was full of sophistry, retroactive ideas, and far-fetched connections, as if he created it all on his own, which is disgraceful. He should say what the original work that Gundam was based on was, and pay homage to the creator with respect.
Doesn't the arrogance of Tomino, the creator of Gundam, piss you off? The first Star Wars film was released in 1977 (1978 in Japan) and Mobile Suit Gundam was released in 1979, so it's probably to hide the fact that it was released years after the airing, so they named Gundam RX-78 to show that it wasn't released after Star Wars, which is hilarious and unseemly! lol
Tomino, Sunrise, and Bandai's methods are dirty. They only make people say nice things. Gundam is still a child's play. This kind of comment has been deleted many times on Yahoo! Answers and many accounts have had their questions disabled.
It's a very pointed comment, so they're going to bury it. Sunrise and Bandai or whatever control the thoughts of consumers with their power. That's how Sunrise and Bandai's true nature and identity is, plundering freedom of speech with money and power! This country is not a democracy. (lol)
If they honestly admitted that they were greatly influenced by Star Wars, then we could accept the plagiarism as an evolution of the masterpiece that is Star Wars in anime. I like Gundam model kits and collect them, but when I think of Tomino's face, I hate myself for collecting them.
The director of The Matrix admitted to being influenced by Akira, and Akira's Katsuhiro Otomo and Hayao Miyazaki have openly stated that they were influenced by Moebius. Otomo also said that he was influenced by American films such as Easy Rider.
Evangelion's Anno also said that Evangelion was influenced by Ultraman. The director of Star Wars also said that he was influenced by Kurosawa's films and Flash Gordon (a sci-fi work). Creators of other works that have had a huge impact on the world have dutifully revealed the works that influenced them.
Tomino is just an anime creator, and he is influenced by other works of the same era. People can only create things from what they see and hear. He's not a god. He plagiarized a lot of things, especially Star Wars. That's why he never acknowledges what his examples were. At 8:20 on ua-cam.com/video/_IlALI7JIUM/v-deo.html, he also claims to have been influenced by period dramas (Samurai) to hide the fact that he imitated George Lucas. (lol)
He claims that the setting is in space because the mobile suits are 20 meters tall and cannot be used on the ground, but then why are the giant robots from before Gundam set on the ground? Didn't they go on a rampage on Earth? lol
Gundam (the first one) was also active on the ground. The fact that Gundam is set in space is clearly an influence from Star Wars. He can't help but promote himself as a noble, noble, godly being who is not influenced by other commercial works. He released the trilogy of films, imitating the first one as if it were the Star Wars trilogy.
And when the remastered version of Star Wars came out, he released the Zeta Gundam film, which he had imitated and reworked. Still not satisfied, he drew Darth Vader's childhood, then Char's childhood. I wonder if Tomino is aware of this? Is he too stupid to see himself objectively and just copying what he sees?
Gundam aired after the first Star Wars movie was a big hit, so I'm sure he wrote the script for Gundam based on Star Wars, which he was moved by and couldn't come up with any ideas. Beam sabers are lightsabers, newtypes are the Force (Princess Leia and Obi-Wan Kenobi spoke to people's hearts like Luke), monoeyes are R2-D2, mass-produced mobile suits are stormtroopers, and Char is Darth Vader and Sayla is Princess Leia.
Before Gundam, which copied Star Wars, Tomino's anime never depicted conflicts such as differences in values between fathers and sons or brothers and sisters. But it's exactly the same, isn't it? Isn't it funny? Show your respect and homage to Star Wars and George Lucas! Hey! Tomino! Lol
The Zeon where Char was was the Imperial Army commanded by Darth Vader, and the Federation where Sarah was was the Allied Army commanded by Princess Leia. ua-cam.com/video/_IlALI7JIUM/v-deo.html 8:20, and it's embarrassing to see him trying to brush it off by saying that it's a common thing in period dramas.
The story of Star Wars was great, and Gundam, which was made by copying it, was inevitably a success. Most children at the time who couldn't get their hands on videos didn't go to the cinema to watch Star Wars, but instead watched Gundam on TV and were brainwashed by the novelty that was stolen from Star Wars. Even when they become old men, they still build Gunpla because of the brainwashing they did in their childhood.
The reason it's still popular today is because Bandai's elaborate plastic models have encouraged adults who were brainwashed as children at the time to still be enthusiastic about it. The quality of the video for First Gundam was so bad that I don't think it was loved. The later theatrical versions were watchable. In short, it's Bandai's elaborate Gunpla that's loved! (laughs) Gundam is really a very haphazardly animated work with too many things to criticize.
Some people say that Star Wars was influenced by Kurosawa's movies, but that's something that's been cultivated for hundreds of years. Like the samurai spirit. What Tomino copied was the superficial parts that Lucas and his gang created commercially in a few months or years. Star Wars was the first to do fantasy videos with swords of light and mass-produced humanoid weapons.
Don't you think that Gundam fans should say that they were moved by Star Wars and made Gundam because they made it, so that Gundam fans can continue to love Gundam? But it might be okay for a scumbag like Tomino Yoshiyuki to be there because a wonderful person like Otomo-sensei makes it look even more brilliant. (laughs)
Phenomenal video of this much overlooked toy. Bandai has recently announced modernized vintage gunpla for the 45th anniversary. Perhaps there’s a glimmer of hope for a reissue of this for the 50th. Though that’s unlikely.
Thanks for your support. Very excited about the Best Mecha Collection RX-78 Gunpla but for me this Clover toy had a time and a place and I appreciate it for what it was. If there are folks that would enjoy a reissue I guess that would be cool though.
I have a clover gundam toy with the box. It's almost impossible to find them without the chrome paint worn off. Mine is missing the beam rifle but has it's shoulder mounted gun, shield, and hands. I got a old used one for about 70 bucks a few months ago and it's missing a few stickers but honestly it's not too bad looking. I am mainly a gunpla collector but this toy has a important historical place in the history of gundam. The G armor wouldn't exist without Clover's involvement and I honestly love my master grade g armor.
After comparing how early Gunboy design looked like to other Gundam mech and human designs, I think Tomino and his Gundam team didn't outright scrap that design altogether, but instead they repurposed that design for GM and the space suits 🤔
This awesome, cool figure and rad vid!
Thanks!
someone has probably pointed this out already but the sword javalin looks *very* similar to the full armour unicorn gundam's hyper beam javalin, wonder if that was an intentional homage
$5800 yen in 1979? I am shocked by that number. Is that even possible? It wouldn’t matter if kids cared about the design because this wouldn’t be for them. Of course sales bombed, right?
@@jonathanrg3812 DX robots like chogokin were always this expensive.
That is a piece of history.
The thing about the transformers comparison, is that the toys are The source material. Gundam is the other way around
That's completely true, but I guess my point was more that if you look at it from the kids' perspective it was a similar scenario... in both cases they most likely became familiar with the animated representation first, then the toys, so there was a bit of imagination required to bridge the gap between the toy and the on-screen character.
Damn i never knew that OG gundam show was canceled?? It ended pretty nice IMO no??? WILD we missed out on 7 extra episodes!!
Is the power slide move referenced by the Gundam NT-1 Alex in 0080 War in the Pocket?
I can’t remember the NT1 doing a slide, but I guess it’s been a while since I’ve watched the series. Maybe time to give it another go… poor Al 😔
Will keep an eye out for it.
yo
the almost sunk gundam bit might be somewhat incorect
since according to the autobiographical manga Men who made Gundam (published by kodakawa, an autobiograhical fiction (it exaggerates some parts (but it is accurate to at least the ones they cite)) the cover Gundam was apparently cover's most profitable toy
and according to them at least tommino was the one that said that in an interview to use public opinion to pressure sunrise to green light the movies and give him more freedom
admittedly it has also been a while since i read that book, but it was something along those lines
Wow! Thanks for this; subbed!
Thanks for watching and subscribing 🙂
would be cool is for this year's 45th anniversary of Gundam, Bandai would make a model kit based on this original Clover Gundam. but oh wellllll
It would be cool to see but I don't know how popular it would be... But I'm definitely up for the Best Mecha Collection version that they've done, updating the original Bandai RX-78 mold but using all their latest design and production techniques. It looks incredible, possibly the perfect marriage of old school vibes and modern articulation and ease of build. I had started building an original 1980 1/144 model to show the comparison in this review but I just couldn't get the quality I wanted. Need to spend more time on my gunpla techniques first...
Yeah, that toy looks like it's called freedom fighter gunbou
Hey you know, that G Sky mode reminds me a lot of Star Saber.
Please make more content like this.. bukkake me with gundam ,across all Bandai
Sure! I think? 🫠
Its not as bad as i always imagined it to be. In fact, its quite awesome.
100%
Honestly I think Bandai needs to make a model kit of this, with the same proportions and all the weird transformations.
They kinda did. The 1980 1/100 Gundam kit has similar proportions and even gimmicks to this kit, such as the spring loaded bazooka. Some have even theorized that Bandai had reused the mold for the Gundam DX figure to make it.
Loved the video! btw what display case is that behind you?? looks fantastic!
Thanks for watching! It's from a shopfitter here in Australia called Showfront. Unfortunately it's a bit too cramped :(
While this toy was significant, I think you have it backwards. While the show would have run its full length if this toy had sold like crazy, it only ran as long as it did because of this toy as it was the main sponsor of the show. Clover paid the bills for 43 eps of a show nobody even watched. There would be no Gundam without this POS.
Also, saying it doesn't look very much like the anime...compared to other 70s die casts? I'd say its pretty much average. The Jumbo Machinder and Chougokin line has all sorts of goofy gimmicks and inconsistencies with the original subject matter, like giving Godzilla a Rocket Punch.
You're absolutely right, without a sponsor like Clover from the outset there would have been no way Nippon Sunrise would have gotten the green light for production. But in the realm of hypotheticals, say Clover came out with Bandai-style model kits around the time of (or instead of) the G-Fighter then it's likely the show would have run its full series (assuming the kits sold as well as the Bandai kits did). It was the toy company that got the show going and the toy company that saw it cut short.
great video, such an interesting topic too
i was surprised when i saw the sub amount i knew i had to subscribe
Thanks for your support!
incredible video
Thanks for watching!
The UA-cam algorithm reeeeaaly wanted me to watch this for whatever reason...
Oh wow I didn't realise it was pushing it. Did you enjoy the video? Or just clicked on it to shut up YT?
@@robotoyworld you've opened a new world I didn't know existed. I'm so glad you're doing what you're doing. This is a treasure time capsule with the perfect amount of love put into it. I didn't know what to expect but I was captivated the entire time. Bravo, and keep going!
Be kinda cool to recolor a Rx-78-2 with clovers colors
If they had just waited, this would be perfect for the zz gundam
What did Clover do for the other suits from the show?
All those features and they couldn't add a light-up beam saber to at least have something similar to the show
"People aren't buying our toys - what do they want?"
"We want model kits"
"No you don't"
Stupid business people, tale old as time
What was this thing's original market price? It's amazing what passed for "Bad Toys" Back in the day. This thing has features that would make it a rare gem in today's Sub $100 Toy market.
This thing seems crammed with play value.
Im sorry 300$!?! No wonder it almost sunk the whole series.
Literally watching this video while painting gunpla lol
The problem with saying G1 Transformers are inaccurate to the cartoon is it's the opposite, the cartoon is inaccurate to the toys. The toys were licensed from diacloneand microchange and whatever else from Takara, and the G1 cartoon was made with the animation models being stylized versions of the toys
Yep, you’re 100% correct that the toys were first and the show was created afterwards to support the line, but I meant it more in the order that it was consumed by kids - in most cases we were first exposed to the cartoon, which made us want to go and get the toy. I think for kids of the era if you mention G1 Prime the image that comes to mind is the anime not the Diaclone Convoy toy. But I absolutely get your point and I could have been clearer in the video 🙂
Which is the first Gundam Toy ever released? How can I find one in 2024? What signs should I look for in an authentic figure and its year of manufacturing?
I don't know for sure the first ever "toy" as it could have been something obscure but the first mainstream action figure was the Clover Gundam ST... this is the later DX which had a bit more detail and things going on. The DX is also about 1.5 times the height of the ST.
In terms of where to find one it would almost certainly be in Japan. Yahoo Auctions Japan is their leading marketplace (basically the Japanese eBay), and you can bid on that via a proxy like Buyee or From Japan. As far as authenticity, I would be very surprised if there were knock offs around... I would be suspicious if it looked too new. Good luck!
@@robotoyworld Thank you! Mazinger Z from this video piqued my interest. Do you know which was the first Mazinger Z toy in the 70’s? Unable to get a clear answer when searching online.
I don’t I’m sorry… I’m not a huge Mazinger fan personally
looks like they presented the gundam like a toy megazord or a toy transformer instead of a military vehicle.
Bandai didn’t have Macross. Jetfire was repurposed from Takatoku.
Wow I didn’t know this - thanks for the correction. I’ve not heard of Takatoku before but will have to look into them. Did Bandai end up with the Macross toys following Takatoku’s demise?
@@robotoyworld Yes, Bandai acquired the designs following Takatoku's bankruptcy, including Macross, Dorvack and Beetras toys. Bandai then licensed those molds to Hasbro for Transformers to make Jetfire, the Autobot Deluxe Vehicles and the Decepticon Deluxe Insecticons. This posed a problem for Takara, who wanted to bring Transformers to Japan and refused to give Bandai (their rival at the time) any publicity by featuring those toys in the cartoon. Hasbro tried to compromise by redesigning Jetfire and renaming him Skyfire, which didn't work, so Skyfire only appeared in 8 episodes of the cartoon This didn't affect the Marvel G1 comics, which featured Jetfire (with his redisign), Whirl and Roadbuster as Wreckers, while only half the Deluxe Insecticons appeared once (in Time Wars).
@@robotoyworld A lot of vendors have had licenses to sell Macross merchandise in Japan. Bandai has released their own Valkyries as part of the HI-Metal and DX Chogokin lines. Bandai also has bought many of the old molds for the model kits originally created by Imai and Arii. But the 1/55 toy that was sold as Jetfire was the Takatoku version which was never reprinted by Bandai as far as I know.
@@robotoyworld I double-checked and I was wrong about the reprints. Bandai has reprinted the Takatoku 1/55 Valkyries. But they were Takatoku when they repackaged as Jetfire.
@@jasonreynolds6643 Minor correction, Takatoku was already in the process of being acquired by Bandai when Hasbro placed Jetfire orders. For a small time, the molds for the 1/55 fell into the hands of Matsushiro, the company which originally engineered the 1/55 toy. So all first run Transformers Jetfires have the Matsushiro stamp with the Macross kite on their wings. After the acquisition, Bandai fulfilled the rest of Hasbro's Jetfire orders, adding the Bandai stamp and removing all allusions to Macross.
The G Parts have always befuddled me ever since my first watch of Mobile Suit Gundam. Like why did they ever think of turning a jack of all trades mobile suit into a clunky vehicle alt modes that didn't even take advantage of the fact that it's a mobile suit? They could've just made them seperate vehicles... which they eventually did when they realized they can modify them to not need the Gundam's parts. The scenes it was in all felt so forced. All of its scenes feel artifically long, it's very obviously just something the marketing execs cooked up.
In comparison, Gundam has done the support fighter archetype way better in subsequent installments. My favorite being the G-Falcon from Gundam X, and the 0 Raiser from Gundam 00.
It wasn’t $300 in today’s value. The yen had hyper inflation and you also need to calculate the FX impact. Those calculators aren’t correct.
Music is a little loud. But informative video.
Based for even making this! 🥰
Makes me wanna own the silly bot
It's definitely special for a number of reasons :)
Where can I buy that display case?
They’re custom made by a company here in Australia called ShowFront. They mostly do store fitouts but I think have realised there’s also a domestic market
Interesting toy, a lot to talk about, like a vintage toy, huy the relic. really interesting, very good collection, thanks friend, you give us a very, very interesting program.
Thanks for watching!
@@robotoyworld I will be here supporting this interesting channel friend.
Beautiful👌
also for some hilarious reason the G-Fighter returned in the Gundam Thunderbolt series, mind you a more mature and gritty take on the original Gundam series.
While the proportions are janky, the color scheme choices and sticker flare really are wacky. Accurate coloring would’ve really helped. Decisions were made…
Yeah true - the tools or whatever were set but surely it wouldn’t have been a huge task to change the paints… even for that later release with the RX78 on the front of the box.
Swole gundam vs swole kylo ren
I'm sorry, i see the chest of that toy is like the swole kylo meme
5,800 yen is approximately 40 dollars. Am I missing something?
I'm no financial expert but I think adjusting 5,800 yen for inflation makes it about 11,620 yen today, which is just shy of $80. So more than 40 but nowhere close to 300.
what's the music in this video?
I’ve been using Epidemic Sound recently for music beds
Whats that? You want show accurate toys? *Laughs in g1 transformers*
And then, yeah... - hahaha