A Look Back at 2022

 Well, it seems bad news is the order of the day, even so early in the new year. As per my previous post, the family car was wrecked in an unfortunate accident at the tail-end of last year. No one was hurt, which is the best news possible. But everything else is downhill from there, pun unintended. Sadly a preliminary assessment of the car may see it being written off as a total loss. So we might be down a car with no means of obtaining a new one. So on to better news then, for 2022 was one of my more productive years in the hobby. I actually finished more than the five projects shown below, but I only had time to post details of the five below, so let's move on to a belated look back ...    

Scale Model and Miniature Figurine projects completed in 2022

 First project to be completed last year was the Bandai 1/12 scale Aratech 74-Z Military Speeder Bike. Part of a two-in-one kind of kit, the bike (see below) was included together with a 1/12 scale Scout Trooper figurine. The latter was completed way back in October 2020.

Bandai Star Wars 1/12 scale Aratech 74-Z Military Speeder Bike

 Second off the to-do-list was a custom paint job for an old non-scale Evangelion kit (see below), specifically the Bandai Limited High Grade (LM-HG) Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type. This project saw me attempting my first ever candy metallic finish on a mecha model kit.

Bandai non-scale Limited High Grade Evangelion Unit-01 Test Type

 Third to end up in the finished pile was another Evangelion kit, this time the smaller non-scale Bandai Real Grade Evangelion Unit-00 (see below). It was one of the few kits that I did minimal work on seeing that it looked good as a straight-out-of-the-box build. So I only applied some stickers and decals, plus added some panel lining. But no painting was done on it.

Bandai non-scale Real Grade Evangelion Unit-00

 Fourth to be completed was one half of the iconic Toy Story duo namely Buzz Lightyear (see below). It was a unique kit because Bandai ever made two in their Cinema Rise Standard line, and both were based on Toy Story 4 characters. Details of the non-scale Bandai Buzz Lightyear figurine model kit were uploaded on my blog sometime ago: for videos (click here) and for photos (click here).

Bandai non-scale Cinema Rise Standard Toy Story 4:Buzz Lightyear plastic scale model kit

 Woody, the other half of the iconic Toy Story duo was completed soon after (see below). Details of the non-scale Bandai Toy Story 4: Woody figurine model kit were also uploaded on my blog sometime ago: for videos (click here) and for photos (click here).

Bandai non-scale Cinema Rise Standard Toy Story 4:Woody plastic scale model kit

 Meanwhile, even in this productive period I still had projects when I just couldn't push over the finishing line. These slow going projects (see below) were the Hasegawa 1/12 scale Girls Rider female figurine resin kit and a Bandai 1/1000 scale Space Battleship Yamato (Cosmo Reverse Version). Hopefully 2023 is the year when both these get done once and for all.

Last thing I worked on for the Girls Rider resin figurine was to repair its damaged jeans color ...

... while for the Space Battleship Yamato it was to install the First Bridge & Missile Launch Tower.

 So 2022 was a promising sign of the 'hobby train' gathering momentum. Despite the aforementioned car setback, it is my hope that the ongoing work I generated for my hobby projects continues to gather pace rather than slow down. While it sucks to take such a major financial hit just as the year begins, I'll repeat ad nauseam that the most important thing is this year begins with everyone I love in good health. On that note, may you and your loved ones be well and happy as we begin 2023!