Mizu Minamo is a Japanese singer and actress, known in Japan as an “idol.” Her social media accounts are very popular, and she has over 9,000 followers on her Twitter. Her usual content is what you would probably expect, like fashion, selfies, and places she visits. What you might not expect is her other hobby - making customGundamfigures using Gunpla (Gundamplastic models).Making Gunpla modelsis not an uncommon hobby in Japan, and there are huge stores dedicated to the pastime. you may buy kits, customization equipment, displays, and more. Many people just follow the standard instructions, or make a model to match their favoriteGundamfrom the anime or games. Others, though, like to really customize their designs, which is exactly what Minamo has been doing.RELATED:Gundam: Every Series And Where To Watch ThemShe first posted her cute, original Gunpla design on her Twitter this past spring. Minamo used the ASW-G-08 Gundam Barbatos, fromMobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans, to model some cherry blossoms that had fallen from the trees, along with a cute pink and gold ribbon accessory. Minamo calls these custom designs “kawaii Gunpla,” with “kawaii” meaning “cute” in Japanese and often used to refer to this kind of aesthetic in design.
The tweet became very popular, and Mizu Minamo began to share more of her kawaii Gunpla on her Twitter account. She has made posts with other Gunpla models complete with addedsparkles, ribbons, and more accessories, always coordinated to match the model’s original color scheme and compliment the original design while making it arguably much cuter.
Minamo says that combining theseGundamwith the cute aesthetic is actually easier than you would think. She often uses magical girl-inspired ideas in her designs. Her latest post featured her customized SEED’s StrikeGundamfromMobile Suit Gundamcomplete with a magical girl wand and flowing ribbon on its back, and plenty of gemstones, too.
Minamo’s designs have continued to garner a lot of attention on social media, even internationally, and she has begun to make some posts in English for her new fan base abroad, too. Hopefully her designs will inspire others to not be afraid to share their interests, no matter how strange other people may think they are - and that there is nothing wrong with making things cuter if they make you happy.
Minamo’s latest design of the SEED’s StrikeGundam, which she has titled “Fantasy Strike,” is currently on display for the public inGundamBase Tokyo, a store in Odaiba. Odaiba is already a pilgrimage spot forGundamfans because it features a life-size,movingGundamUnicorn model. Minamo’s “Fantasy Strike” gives fans something new and exciting to see there, too, at least for a little while.
