Out of all the anime I’ve rated there are 2 that stand out a lot from the rest, Transformers and Gundam Build fighters. While I can easily explain the former as being a childhood show, the latter’s placement has much more nuance to it. There is a very good reason why this show that seems like it was aimed for kids and a glorified gunpla ad is the only other Gundam that I’ve given this score to. Simply put, Build fighters is a Gundam that has an appeal that is far beyond the show itself. It is not a series you would completely “get” without very specific prerequisites.

To a regular Gundam fan who is looking for a serious story, Build Fighters looks like a childish entry of the franchise that misses the point, to a gunpla builder it is a glorified advertisement, and to the non-initiated it is a generic sports anime with a combinations of those other opinions. However, if you follow the main message of Gundam and understand all those perspectives, the true beauty of this show becomes apparent. Build fighters is a celebration of the Gundam culture as a whole and what it means to partake in it. The franchise is so much more than just the anime or the model kits or the other media holding the anime, it is all of those combined. What could count as being a Gundam fan is far more out reaching than with any other series. A fan could only watch the anime, or build the kits, or read the manga and play the games, it doesn’t really matter since they are all still Gundam fans. However, when you invest with all those different facets of the franchise together and join in the community discourse, you will get to appreciate what this show accomplishes.

Build fighters is a passion project and love letter to the whole Gundam culture made by Gundam fans. So many elements in the show reflect what it is like to be invested in the many sides of this franchise and be part of the community surrounding it. Aside from the countless references to the various anime and elements of the gunpla hobby, it showcases just how particularly passionate fans of the series can be. To the most enthusiastic Gundam fans, this show reaches a level of relatability and entertainment that can only come with a massive investment with the franchise.

Of course, a piece meant to appeal to Gundam fans needs a decent story to stand as a full show. Build fighters’ plot is that of your regular sports anime with multiple coats of pure Gundam goodness. While it may seem generic at first, the plot actually helps build upon the celebratory nature of the show. It allows for the different contestants to each represent all the shades of the Gundam fanbase. Aside from allowing a wide range of personalities, each character depicts all the different kinds of fans and their special relations to the franchise. Another unique quality that is strengthened by the sports anime format are the battles themselves. When the usual realism of Gundam is taken out of the picture, it allows for a much wider variety of exciting and unique fights. Despite the ridiculous concept of having the model kits fight using straight up magic, the battles are still still fought with a lot of tactics and intelligent moves. In addition, since the gunpla aren’t real mechs with pilots some of these fights are some of the most brutal and graphic in the whole franchise. Without the concern of human life, the kits sustain so much more damage than normal mobile suits. Furthermore, this element also plays a part in both the story as well as making for some emotional scenes.

If you weren’t addicted to plastic crack before then this show will make you interested in the hobby. It goes over all the essential information about building gunpla in a very entertaining way. Call is shameless advertisement, but is one that is fueled by pure passion. The joys of the hobby as well as interacting with like-minded people is expressed with so much heart that it is infectious. There is a level of satisfaction when your niche interest is shared with so many others that is perfectly captured by this show.

Even if you’re not a Gundam fan, Build fighters is a series with so much heart, passion and pure entertainment that anyone can enjoy it. If anything, it has the biggest chance of converting somebody into a fan of the franchise and its different areas that no other series comes close to having. The Gundam culture has so many avenues that extend past just the anime and this show expertly captures that. Thus, once you have familiarized yourself with all the things that come with being a Gundam fan, that is the point that building fighters becomes a masterpiece.

I will say that the passion is the strongest in the first season and later works do feel like more of a generic sports anime or a more blatant gunpla ad. They are still fun shows and have even improved in some areas that this season lacked, but none of them have been able to capture the magic that the original had.