You don’t have to build Gunpla for very long before you’ll inevitably encounter a Bear’gguy. Heck, all you have to do is simply search for Gunpla online and you’ll probably find one.
I’m not an expert by any stretch, so my information is probably wrong, but as far as I can tell the original Bear’gguy appeared in Model Suit Gunpla Builders Beginning G, an OVA from the early 2000’s that was a sort of precursor to Gundam Build Fighters. The Bear’gguy was a highly modified version of the Acguy, made to resemble a teddy bear. The original is … not exactly adorable, but you get the idea (side note - the idea of making ita bear in the first place seems to stem from the fact that the Acguy is the butt of many fan jokes due to its “cute” design compared to other mobile suits).
After Beginning G, I don’t believe Bear’gguy garnered a whole lot of attention until it was revived in Gundam Build Fighters. This new version was genuinely cute, and is the basis of a new cottage industry of Bear’gguy model kits, each in different sizes and colors.
I’ll admit that initially I didn’t see the point of these Bear’gguys. They had no accessories, little detail, and limited articulation. It seemed more fitting for them to be traditional figurines than model kits. I had no interest in building one, until I found the Petit Panda’gguy at the bookstore. I’m … a bit of a sucker for pandas.
As you might have noticed, I said this was a “Petit” Bear’gguy, which is a variation on the form. It debuted in Gundam Build Fighter’s Try, as an even smaller bear that strapped to the back of a normal Bear’gguy. As such, Petit Bear’gguy model kits are also smaller than their regular counterparts. Really small. As in “three tiny runners, some polycaps and small decal sheet” small. This isn’t going to be much of a challenge.
Buy you know what? That’s okay. After all the troubles I had with my last build, it was nice to work on something so uncomplicated. The most difficult thing I had to do was some panel lining on the chest. Beyond that, there was no painting and no fuss. In half an hour the bear was complete.
The head of the bear is made of two large halves; a smaller black piece contained between the two make up the eyes and nose. The chest is built in a similar fashion; one thing I didn’t notice until assembly is that the panda has a tiny little tail on the back. The legs and feet are each made out of a number of small pieces, which combined give the appendages a smooth, round look. A couple polycaps keep them attached to the body.
In terms of accessories, the Panda’gguy has a small bamboo shoot that attaches to the arm, as well a a green bow in the back (the bow appears to be standard issue for all Bear’gguy’s now). It also has a small stand shaped like a puzzle piece; the idea is that you can attach the stands together to make a whole row of Petit Bear’gguys. The stand isn’t necessary, but is still appreciated.
The decal sheet is used to customize the bear’s face. There are three different types of eye decals, which allow you to make the panda look mad or frustrated. There’s also a stress mark you can attach to the forehead. I like the idea, but unfortunately you can’t change the decals without removing them. While the kit comes with two sets of each pair decals, sooner or later you’re going to run out of backups. I’m probably going to stick with the standard eyes and leave them be.
The Panda’gguy doesn’t have amazing articulation, but it’s good enough. The head can tilt a bit, and also rotates a full 360 degrees. The legs move enough for the bear to sit, and the arms can be made to wave. I don’t know what else it would need to do.
Overall, I like the Panda’gguy a lot, but I can’t help but feel like it should be even cheaper than it is. It cost 8 bucks and change at the bookstore, and the prices are only a dollar or two less (and I’m not buying something that small online). At five bucks, six tops, I’d probably collect them. At almost ten dollars, I probably won’t.
On the other hand, a Lego minifigure in a blind polybag costs $3.99 at the cheapest, meaning just two of them cost the same as the Panda’gguy. And while those polybag minifigs are very high quality, the panda still feels like a better deal in comparison.
I guess the big question is not “is a Petit Bear’gguy a good value?”, but rather “Do you find the idea of a cute bear figure that you can potentially customize and personalize to be appealing?” If you answer “yes”, then you probably don’t care about how it stacks up to a traditional Gundam model kit. It has a different purpose, and (I believe) it does it well. It is cute and charming, easy to build, and not at all prone to falling apart. I don’t see an army of bears in my future, but I’m glad I have this one.