Curated by our passionate team at Kikatek, we have the latest and best official Bandai Gunpla kits brought over from Japan. We stock kits of all grades and sizes, from the cute SD line, 1/144 scale High Grade and Real Grade, to 1/100 scale Master Grade. There's something for everybody whether you are a newbie builder trying out the hobby, a casual builder looking for a cheap and easy to build kit, or a Gunpla veteran looking to build your next masterpiece.
All in-stock kits are right here in our UK warehouse ready to ship so you can start building in no time. There's no additional tax, import duty, customs clearance charge or foreign currency transaction fee.
Remember to check back often as we bring over new releases and re-stock sold-out kits regularly!
"Mobile Suit Gundam" first debuted as a TV anime series back in 1979. Bandai began producing Gundam merchandise for the show in 1980 in the form of plastic model kits. These model kits were extremely well received and the hobby has since become a phenomenon across the globe and is one of the many things closely associated with the modern culture of Japan.
Over the years, Bandai has perfected the art of Gunpla design and manufacturing through continuous innovation. Their Gunpla kits are a joy to build and bring enormous satisfaction to hobbyists around the world.
Gunpla (ガンプラ / GA-N-PU-RA in Japanese) is coined from the phrase "Gundam Plastic Model". They are plastic injection model kits manufactured by Bandai Japan based on robots from the beloved Gundam franchise. They are sold as kits of individual parts created through plastic injection moulding technology to be assembled by the kit builder.
Using injection moulding machines, the components of the model kit are created in sprue grids (also called runners). The builder cuts away the required parts from the runners using a pair of side cutter/nipper and snap-fit them together. After all the parts are assembled, various stickers and decals are applied, and you have the final fully articulated Gundam figure. For most casual builders, the Gundam is now complete and should look pretty amazing.
But for the more seasoned builders, there are further steps you can take to enhance the kit and take it to a whole new level.
For example:
Although Gunpla kits already have pretty good colour separation, painting them will significantly improve the final look and allows for customisation. If a full paint job is not an option, simply top coating in a matt clear coat will give your kit a much more realistic, less plasticky finish.
This is the process of lining the grooves on the surface of the armour pieces to accentuate surface details. This can be done using Gundam Markers, as well as using thinned enamel paint or dedicated panel line accent paint.
Panel line scribing is the deepening of the panel lines or etching custom panel lines using a scriber. This allows more defined and complex surface details to be created.
A combination of painting, etching and drilling techniques to simulate wear and battle-damage that would be present on an active mecha that's been in combat.
These additional steps are completely optional, and you can always go back and apply them to your previous kits at a later time.
Check out the following video for a fascinating glimpse at the Gunpla production base located in Shizuoka, JAPAN.
SD Gundams are cute, chibi versions of their full-sized counterparts featuring a disproportionately large head. In 2018, Bandai added the SD Gundam Cross Silhouette (SDCS) line which features a relatively taller proportion with much-improved articulation.
Entry Grade is the most affordable 1/144 scale Gunpla line from Bandai first released in 2011. The EG Gunpla line was rebooted in 2020 with much improved articulation and proportions similar to High Grade. The first Gunpla model released in the rebooted EG line is the RX-78-2. Bandai is also releasing Entry Grade kits for other series such as Kamen Rider, Detective Conan, Dragon Ball, My Hero Academia and Doraemon. However, those kits tend to have limited or no articulation unlike EG Gunpla.
High Grade Kits were first introduced in 1990 and are the most common Gunpla.
First introduced in 2010, Real Grade kits are 1/144 scale like HG, but features details and features previously found only in the larger Master Grade kits.
Master Grade kits were introduced in 1995 and come in larger size 1/100 scale. MG kits designated as "Ver.Ka" are designed by Hajime Katoki — the famous Japanese mecha designer. The premium MGEX (Master Grade Extreme) line introduced by Bandai in 2020 pushes Master Grade to a whole new level. Distinguished by exceptional quality surpassing that of standard Master Grade releases. These kits boast enhanced details, advanced articulation mechanisms, and often incorporate unique gimmicks such as dynamic LED lighting systems and metal etched parts.
Introduced in 2023, the MGSD line combines Master Grade (MG) and Super Deformed (SD) elements to create kits with high level of detail and articulation, while featuring Super Deformed's chibi proportions.
First introduced in 1998, Perfect Grade is the pinnacle of graded Gunpla kits both in terms of scale and complexity. It further improves on Master Grade in every aspect. In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Gunpla in late 2020, Bandai further expands this line by introducing the PG Unleashed releases. PG Unleashed pushes the level of details and gimmicks to an extreme level, even featuring some metal parts. It's a monumental leap forward in the world of Gundam model kits.