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Gundam Club Rules:
1) Have fun
2) Safety first
3) You don’t talk about Gundam Club
4) Tell everyone about Gundam Club
5) All nerds are welcome
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In Episode 23 of Gundam Build Fighters, Tatsuya Yuki explains, “Gunpla is freedom. You can build as you like.” Do the members of East Side Games’ Gundam Club know this quote or care? Probably not. Have they all watched the series and know the source material for Gunpla? Definitely not. Do they all enjoy hanging out and building tiny plastic robots? Hell yes, they do.
The most special thing about Gundam Club is the diverse set of people in it. While some have built Gunpla before, many are just getting into it. The majority bought their first model for the club, and this was their introduction to the hobby. Heck, they even got one of our off-site workers to buy a kit. As of writing this, over 12 Gunpla kits have been assembled with more on the way. The Gunpla Slack channel has turned into one of the more active channels in the studio. It’s full of people sharing their projects, memes, professional builds, and potential future purchases. It’s really something else.
Some members have even taken it one step further. Two of the Gundams have been bedazzled. A couple have been panel lined and top coated. Others have even been painted. You can see them peppered throughout the office, displayed on desks for all to admire.
The club is one of many things that makes working at East Side Games unique. It may be a silly past time, but being able to take your lunch and bond with your coworkers over a shared hobby is special. What the club gathers around isn’t what’s important; it’s the comradery it births. Whether it’s model robots or crocheting, it doesn’t matter. What matters is the time spent with others, strengthening bonds, and boosting morale.
So they will keep building, keep laughing, and they will welcome anyone who wants to join with open robo-arms
