Thousands of Gundam fans flock to the Gundam Builders World Cup 2025 exhibition

From October 22 to November 2, the 13th Hobby Exhibition and Gunpla/Gundam Builders World Cup (GBWC) is taking place at AEON Mall Tan Phu (HCMC).

The symbol of this year's exhibition is the giant statue of Gundam GQuuuuuuX, the battle armor in the latest anime series of the Gundam franchise - Photo: TO CUONG

This year's Gunpla Builders World Cup event attracted hundreds of Gundam fans to visit and admire unique works from all over the country.

The exhibition area was packed with people as soon as the mall opened. The meticulously painted and crafted Gundam models became the center of attention for attendees.

At the same time, the contestants were also busy completing, installing and displaying their finished products in preparation for the judges to score.

The Vietnamese Gundam community is growing stronger and stronger.

According to the representative of the organizing committee Go Go Entertainment - Mr. NQH, this year's contest received hundreds of offline entries from all over the country, with many contestants traveling thousands of kilometers to Ho Chi Minh City to display their works.

Although it's not even the weekend yet, this place has welcomed thousands of visitors to come see and experience model assembly.

He added: "This is a positive effect for the Vietnamese market. If the Gunpla community and competitions like the Gunpla Builders World Cup continue to grow, the possibility of our country having its own Gundam Base in the future is completely possible."

Nguyen Gia Khiem's ​​work recreates the battle between two key characters of the Gundam universe - Char Aznable and Amuro Ray - Photo: TO CUONG

Among the young faces participating, Nguyen Gia Khiem - a first-time contestant in the U-20 category - said he invested about 10 million VND in his entry, from the materials to the painting process: "I did this entry in an extremely short time, about 2 months before the deadline. My goal is to win top 1 this year to have the opportunity to compete in the world championship."

As for Vinh - a contestant who participated in the previous season - the journey to the competition was a long 6-month process because painting and creating Gundam models was just his hobby outside of stressful working hours.

He also commented that this year's contestants' works were more massive and invested than last year's average.

Therefore, he also had to invest more time and effort in this year's exam because his level had improved a lot after many attempts.

Mr. Vinh is assembling his contest entry, inspired by the Gundam Build Fighters series, where characters can freely build the mecha they like - Photo: TO CUONG

Launched in 2011 by Bandai Spirits, Gunpla Builders World Cup is the world's largest Gundam/Gunpla model tournament, gathering thousands of "plastic builders" from many countries.

The winners of the national qualifiers will represent the country at the world finals - where young talents compete for the title of "Gunpla World Champion".

This year's competition is divided into three groups: Over-21 (21 years old and over), U-20 (16 to 20 years old) and U-14 (6 to 14 years old).

Not only is it a competition for adults, the products of the young contestants are also equally elaborate and unique - Photo: TO CUONG

The Vietnamese champions will have the opportunity to compete with top builders from Japan, the US or China - the world's leading "model powers".

In addition to the competition, the exhibition area also attracted a large number of visitors with booths to experience assembling Gundam, Pokémon, One Piece and many limited products that are only open for sale a few times a year.

One of the most unique entries this year, the PMX-003 The-O model is hand-painted with Thanh Hoa porcelain - Photo: TO CUONG

Every day, the organizers also give away hundreds of introductory model kits, helping newcomers easily access this hobby.

Participants just need to register to attend the workshop, assemble according to the instructions and can bring home a free Gundam or Pokémon model.

The appeal of Gunpla in particular and Japanese culture in general is increasingly spreading in Vietnam.

Contestants of the Gunpla Builders World Cup have completed their models, ready for display and scoring - Photo: TO CUONG

Over the past decade, anime and manga have become a familiar part of young people's lives, leading to a passion for collecting models and toys from their favorite series.

The Gunpla Builders World Cup in Ho Chi Minh City is not only a competition of skills but also a testament to the maturity of model culture in Vietnam - where Gundam lovers can proudly show off their imagination and passion through their amazing models.

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To Cuong

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hang-ngan-fan-gundam-do-ve-trien-lam-gundam-builders-world-cup-2025-20251023161309785.htm