Fujimi is one of the big four of the Japanese kit builders. ALL four make brilliant kits- none of them are best, they're all AAA+. I was looking at their 1/700 Shokaku on Amazon when this video dropped. I've built their Kumano, Soryu and Nagara. All are beautiful.
I had some of their 1/76 armor kits when I was in school. I seem to recall that unlike Airfix kits, many of the Fujimi kits came with interiors and even engines. Thanks for posting this!
Many moons ago, 1974 ? I discovered Fujimi 1:76 scale "Battlefield Diorama Kits". The kits contained two vehicle kits (like a T-34 and a SU-85), a plastic base, some infantry, a couple plastic trees that you could assemble and some flocking to make a leaf effect. The box art was exceptional, like the Russian front scene. There was also one of a Sdkfz 222 crew doing maintenance at a road checkpoint, with a little guard post, while you can see U.S. infantry maneuvering in the background. I still have the box art of a King tiger and a 105 easy 8 Sherman in the snow. I liked the Fujimi armour kits, but those soft plastic tracks were useless. Of particular note was their 1:48 BF-109 E/G which had many options, like a late wooden tail, and a huge assortment of weapons.
Their quality varies greatly as they still put out old kits in shiny new boxes. I built an enthusiast series BMW in the 80s. It was astounding. It even had studs on the wheel hubs. And their A6 Intruder was a fantastic kit when it came out. It had pilot figures with separate heads with hoses attached to the mask that looked great in the cockpit.
Counter to your assessment of Fujimi competing with other big 3 Japanese kit manufacturer, Fujimi's 1/700 waterline series of ships were jointly developed & launched together with Tamiya, Hasegawa & Aoshima in the 1970s. Which goes to explain why none of the offerings overlapped. For the most part at least in the beginning, the selection was focused mostly on WWII Japanese Imperial navy, until Allies & German ships were added later. Over the years, they continue to release small numbers of ships further expanding the series along with small kit manufacturers like Skyware filling the gap with other naval ships outside of IJN .
One of my first 1/700 scale Fujimi ships was the Akizuki AA destroyer, I built in 1986. In the late 80's, I collected a few hundred Waterline ships from all the makers, with the intent to build them in my later working life and retirement. Thanks to being side tracked with scratch building, that collection will keep me busy in retirement - in about 13 years.
Hello, im just a random stranger but i came across your comment on a frank sinatra video and wanted to say that i hope you are doing well and hope your health is getting better!
Enjoying your video model histories. I understood that with the advent of the 1/700 scale waterline Japanese ship models, the four? major manufacturers had come to an agreement as to which models would be done by each company, thus no direct competition, and yet a complimentary advantage to all of the companies. A smart move, unlike the rest of the worlds' manufacturers who either molded to their own "box" scales or duplicated each other's efforts. Or both....
They were part of the 1/700 waterline partnership. They withdrew in the 1990's or early 2000's, I don't remember exactly at the moment. Their current 1/700th line is actually really good.
In the times we are in I've got to do a lot of CZcams. Yours are some of my favorites. Was an avid kit buyer back in the day. Sadly they almost never got finished. While others don't seem to like the musical part of the vids I love them. Keep up the good work and helping remind me of the enjoyments of the past.
geez, your videos are really a time travel to me, realizing how many different kits I had built... Not many from Fujimi because they were a little more pricey here than Hasegawa and I'm mostly a WWII guy. But their F-86 Sabre was so tempting I couldn't resist. The Vought F7U Cutlass was only in their catalogue, so that came as well and an A7 Navy Corsair too.
I did not realise they bought up the Nitto 1/72 armour range. Those were very nice indeed. Some of the later Fujimi 1/48 planes were great. I have built most of them.
Recently built their 1/350 Kongo(Still have to finish building her sister, Haruna; they are part of the Shō-Gō 1 pack). Possibly one of the best 1/350 ship kit I have built. Superb detail. Fujimi are my preferred brand for 1/350, in part because they offer a lot of ships that Hasegawa and Tamiya do not but also due to there excellent quality. Though I am not a fan of the out-of-the-box mounts for the ships, as I prefer cradle mounts over pin mounts, but of course that can be handmade for the ship during the build.
agreed - their range of 1/350 Scale Ships from the IJN is great ( they are also the only company that does the Kaga and Hiryu -but NO-ONE makes the Soryu , which I found strange .
@@73north If they released a line of 1/350 WWII USN ships, I would jump at them. I am actually about to purchase their 1/350 Fusou. It is odd that practically no one else makes the other battleships(I do have the 1/350 Hasegawa sitting in my "to build" pile, but also props to Hasegawa for making some of the IJN cruiser fleet in 1/350); but I suppose ships like Yamato and sell better than the older IJN battleline.
Big thanks from the Netherlands Max. In my 66 years (56 0f them as a modeller) I've build a few Fujimi cars like the Porsche 934 and Alfa Romeo's. The detail is indeed fantastic and sometimes fidly. I love these kits and I rank them the same as the Tamiya cars.
Love Fujimi aircraft kits, but dang they are getting hard to get a hold of for the past couple of years. My favourites include their 1/72 Mig 21s and Stukas.
I've got hooked on their Chibi Maru kits (egg shaped ships, mostly IJN of WW2): nice thing to build between big builds (too bad that the only way to get them is to order from Japan and instruction sheets are only in Japanese. Glad that Google Translate App has a mode where you point a phone at the text and it translates it to the language of your choice) However modern generation of their ship kits is beautiful and while detailed either on the same level as other manufacturers or even better are snap-fit-ish and joy to build. A recent incarnation of the Akagi kit (Next004 if my memory serves right) would be a good example of that... However there are quite a bit of parts so lot of patience is recommended.
I used to build a lot of 1/72, and 1/76 scale WWII armor kits as an adult. I had a war game, based on Avalon Hill's ''Tobruk'' rules, but liked the 3-4'' tanks and AFVs instead of stacks of 1/2'' cardboard gaming chips. With a length of parachute cord knotted every foot, I had a scale ''hex-counter'' for determining ranges and movement points. Since I live in Tucson, the bare desert ground of my front yard became North Africa. I was pleased with Fujimi's Panzerjager I. Matchbox had the best M3 Stuarts, and Panzer IIs. You had to buy Airfix to get M3 Lee tanks. Their Panzer IV "Special" was good too. Hasegawa made a Grant. Nitto often had 3 little kits in one box: a small vehicle [Kubelwagon], BMW R75 and sidecar, and a PAK 37, plus some soldiers [who sucked]. Nitto also had some artillery: FLAK Vierling, 37mm, and 20mm, that looked good "in-portee'' on the back of an Opal truck or halftrack. Squadron Shop had deals on NItto kits. Hasegawa made a Crusader tank. Esci had Marder IIIs and Italian tanks. Usually played in full daylight with a cooler full of Beck's bombers. Khakis and DAK Feldmutze or pith helmet optional. When I got a German Shepherd puppy, I had to quit building small scale models, as he would have chased after a slipped off roadwheel, chewed on it and choked. So shoeboxes of my Panzer Armee Afrika went into the storage shed. Fun times.
Thanks so much for doing these model manufacturers' histories. There was a time when Testors reboxed a lot of Fujimi kits. Their 1/48 Aichi Val kit was really good for its day, as well as their Bf110 C/D kit. The only thing that held them back was the lack of cockpit detail, with the number of kits still available to this day, really wish the aftermarket resin & PE companies would release or re-release upgrades.
I built the 1/76 Fujimi Model Tanks - and the box art was brilliant , and the kits went together well with no fuss -I would also point out that they do 1/350 scale WW2 IJN Ships that no-one else makes - like the Kaga Carrier , the Kongo Class and the Ise / Haruna - and they are very well made
I grew up with plastic models and after more then 70 years still make models, now of paper, not plastic. How about a review of paper modeling? There are paper models for all levels of skill and at the top leave nothing to question. Glad to help, tell me what you might need.
Good video again, Max! I've had just a short affair with Fujimi, as their 1/48 FW-190D and BF-109G both suffered several basic accuraqcy problems... the 1/72 F-4 and F-14 less, but some. Detail and fit was typical Japanese good. Only the F-7U Cutlass I really liked, as there was no other serious one... but I can confirm, all my 1/24 car enthusiast friends praised Fujimi to the heaven.
Many of us in the car modeling community still consider the "Enthusiast Series" as the best kits ever produced about automotive subjects. They can be a bear to build but the results are always spectacular.
Just made Fujimis Ki43-I in 1:72. A kit frpm 1995 . Its superbly fitted with excellent engraved panel lines, Dream to build and looks perfect on the shelf....
I miss Fujimi aircraft.. they are tough to find around here and the selection has decreased. I really enjoyed some of their 1/72 US Navy stuff in the early 80's. I still have a couple of their Mitsubishi T-2's in the stash... will be nice to be reminded again of Fujimi and see how they look today.
I remember building a 1/72 scale model of a Japnese F1 jet fighter made by Fajima and I gottao say I was amazed at the fine detail and great fit of parts
Built the 1/72 VAL DIVE BOMBER. Used Eduard photo etch detail set . It’s a great kit. Bought it at a toy fair. Got the photo etch from SQUADRON MAIL ORDER
Ryujyo, Jintsu, and Matsu were great kits! I really enjoyed Fujimi's Waterline series. Than you Mr. Max, and your music pick was awesome as usual. Health to you and yours.
@@vibeforge Hasegawa have their own lineup of SF3D kits. Some are in 1/20th scale to fit old Nitto's models in that scale and a whole range of mainly resin figure kits of Japanese origin. Others are in 1/35th scale (which Nitto didn't do). Only a select few of those replicate some of Nitto's old 1/20th scale models in that smaller scale to go with Hasegawa's own interpretation of other Ma.K. war machines. All Hasegawa models have their logo on the sprues.
@@colintamiya thanks for clearing the situation... hopefully Mr. Kow Yokoyama gets respectful royalty. Interesting where Nitto molds went, are there any chance we will see those kits reappear...
@@vibeforge Mr. Yokoyama is revered by a very respectful Japanese fanbase. And as honour and respect are very important in Japan, he will get respectful royalty. One can still buy some of those old NITTO-kits new. WAVE are to release the Panzer Kampfanzug Ausf. F Friedrich in 1/20th scale in May. Otherwise one can still get those old NITTO-kits from Japanese dealers. These may not be cheap, but service is first class!
5:22 I remember going to a church rummage sale with my mother when I was like 11 and I found a model kit of a pagoda or something with gold plated accents. It was like 25 cents or something so I bought it. My mother looked at me like I had 2 heads lol.....it was basically a base, middle sections and the layers simply stacked on top of one another. It was fun and easy to build. I made a little diorama with a cable car that ran on thread up to the top level. I can't remember the kit maker name or the name of the structure, I've been looking around hoping to come across it somewhere. I bet it's still buried in my mother's basement somewhere, she never throws anything out. That's 48 years ago haha. I also built a vostock russian launch vehicle that was able to be rocket engine powered. I thought I'd find it in your russian kit video but didn't. Been looking for pics of that as well. Again, it was bought at a church rummage sale for a quarter or thereabouts. Buying kits at rummage sales was always a gamble because they never were wrapped in celophane so the odds of it missing parts was high. I remember buying a model of the wankel rotary engine with no instructions. I never could put it together. Now I probably could with my knowledge of how engines work.
Nice intro! Like it!! Yes, I have a couple Fujimi Mirage III and they are okay. A good canvas on which to build more detail. They are in the stash awaiting the light of day to be built in IDF (IAF) colours.
I've built a pair of Fujimi kits. One of their Waterline series kits of the IJN Chuyo and one of their old kits imported by Bachmann of a 1/76 Matilda II. Nice details for the size, but man were they a pain to get together with all of those tiny parts.
Looking back at my old builds it looks like only one Fujimi kit was built even though I had a few kits in my stash. I built their 1/50th Spitfire Mk. V...in their later packaging it was relabeled as 1/48th....believe me it is not 1/48th but it is still that way today....their first releases had electric motors to make the prop spin....something that FROG, Lindburg, and Monogram did on some of their kits.....remember Monogram's phantom 1/32 Mustang and Heuey Chopper....I did like Fujimi's Spitfire and built it again in later years (with no motor) and used it for club and local contests which did well back then. Their later stuff are pretty nice. Again thank you for making this video! 👍
@@tinmansscalemodels great stuff for that time....my Chopper sounded great and on my F-100 from Lindberg we had to put the electric motor together...my father help me to make sure that worked....I was probably 9 at that time....we got to learn a few tricks back then.... Oh by the way, the phantom mustang was the best one from that whole bunch!
I got mine in Japan in the 80s. The exchange rate was better then 270y to the dollar. When I was there I was druling over a 150th scale carrier. Didn't have the 💸 at the time. Missed out as was gone. Great mantle piece.
Funny you should post this video, today. I was looking through my stash and came across several of my Fujimi models. I especially like the 1/48 P-51D Mustang, its extremely well detailed and includes a Merlin engine. I was tempted to ask if you had done a video about them. This answers my question. 😁
Regarding the Fujimi HQ pic: If you enter the address listed on their website (静岡県静岡市駿河区登呂4-21-1) in Google Maps and switch to satellite view, you can see that there are more and larger buildings behind this one. ( www.google.nl/maps/@34.9566103,138.4124098,83m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=nl ) Go into Streetview for more detail and a few peeks into their doors. It still seems small though. None of the houses in the block with visible names, the ones that Google didn't blur out, seem related to the company, as far as I can tell. Across the road from the building in the HQ picture is company housing for a manufacturer of hospital beds etc. Looking at the parking lot, I would not be surprised if Fujimi had some company housing nearby as well. I would also not be surprised if they had other production facilities as well, but this is the only address on their website. If you want to live in this neighborhood, I found an apartment of 41 square meters for 48000 yen per month (445 USD) ( www.chintai.net/detail/bk-2000005810000000000051410001/?sidesFlg=1 ) One note about the pronunciation of Japanese names: they don't do a lot of diphthongs, so a name like Shizuoka will leave the "u" and the "o" in the middle recognizable as separate sounds (Shizu-oka).
@@maxsmodels No, that sounds definitely wrong. I have been living in Japan for 29 years now, and it's definitely Shee-zoo-oh-kah (unofficial Americanized phonetic spelling; your mileage may vary). The two characters the name is made up from also break between the "u" and the "o": 静岡 that is to say 静 ("shizu" meaning quiet, tranquil) and 岡 ("oka" meaning hill(s)). Thanks for the videos by the way. I used to make model kits when I was a kid. Stopped when I went to college, but two years ago, I gave a Mitsubishi Raiden by Zoukei-mura (www.zoukeimura.co.jp/en/products/sws05_raiden.html) as a birthday gift to an old highschool friend who had continued our old hobby on and off over the past 30 years. Made me want to sniff the glue again as well, but I haven't found the courage yet to take the jump. I think I would if there was a 1:35 model of the Citroën Dyane around, because I've always wanted to build a diorama of my mom and dad and my little brother and me on holiday in France in the 70's... No drug as powerful as nostalgia, Max...
I built a few Fujimi ship kits in 1/700 in the early seventies as they were the same scale as Tamiya and Aoshima. But I stuck with tanks in 1/76th for wargaming. I did build a1/200 Nitto Bismarck back in 74 I think. I remember the box was huge but I didn't see a scale on it and assumed it was 1/350th like the Hasegawa ones I'd built. Yep was a surprise when I opened it.
Yup most in the 1/76 scale armor. Infact some of their 1/76 came with a mini diorama similar to matchbox. If people are saying Fujimi kits are hard to build they have not come across a kit company called AFV. AFV really gave me nightmares. Infact 1 of their kit a 1/35 M88 took me over 10years to finish.
Agreed. I bought a couple AFV Club WWII German tanks, but they've remained boxed and unstarted the last couple years. It's a daunting build for my 63 year old eyes and XXL fingers! Model building should be fun and relaxing, good stress relief. Not stress inducing! I like Max's music selections. I guess we share a certain quirky sense of humor. 👍
I have a very old wasp helicopter in 1/48 in my stash... doesn't look great but hey, it is an old moulding no doubt, basic platform for showing our modelling skills. Besides, it is the best in 1/48 as long as I know, since it is the only one... (I think) Great video and research once again! Thanks a lot Max.
Oddly enough I don’t think I’ve ever built a Fujimi kit. I can remember back in the early 80’s that they seemed to have cornered the market in helicopter kits for some reason . The island in the upper right corner @5:22 appears to be a long abandoned island that mined coal from underneath it for many years. The structures were mainly apartments for the workers. There was something like 6,000 people jammed onto the island. It was covered in an episode of “abandoned engineering” which is possibly available here on CZcams.
The Maverick : My grandparents had his & hers Mavericks, LOL. Grandpa's was a red V8 and grandmas was a yellow 6 cyl. I don't know what happened to the V8, but the inline 6 was handed down to my brother and got him through his college years in the '80s.
Love their Sports Racing prototype models, in particular the Gulf Porsche 917 and Ferrari P4... My Girlfriend rode her kiddie bicycle into the back of her uncle’s orange Maverick, ruptured her kidney.... I should build that kit and give it to her!!!
My sister had a real Maverick for a time, but it was a POS. I built several Fujimi 1/48 scale aircraft kits, WWII and Vietnam Era. Fairly ok kits, comparable to Revell/Monogram. Checked on Amazon (no, I do NOT do ebay!) and prices for Fujimi car and ship kits are pricey! There is a 1/72 scale F-86 for a reasonable price, I might order. Max, great song, perfect for our times.
I have completed two "enthusiast series" kits. Dino 246 coupe and (3 weeks ago) Ferrari Daytona Spyder. Several others in the partial stage, where they can possibly remain 30 years. Started the Daytona in 1990, finished in 2020. Great detail in both, and I remember the Dino being problem free, but I finished it in 1989, so I might not remember it all. The Daytona had major fit issues between chassis and body, agrivated by my making the trunk lid operate. They give you the tool roll and spare tire, so you can't hide them, can you?
I'm a big fan of their 1/24 sport Cars, I've built several, hope they keep the high standard and can be a profitable company, I realy like Fujimi 1/24 cars!!!
My first experience with 1/24 scale model cars is when i bought a Fujimi mazda RX-8 mazdaspeed from a mall that has alot of hobby stores. I wanna try something new by building a model car
@maxmodels I love these videos but I've got to give some constructive criticism. I may be a bit of a CZcams addict so I watch quite a few videos. Whenever I see new content from Max I have to watch it but I know I'll need to turn up every volume slider at my disposal in order to hear the narration. I do because it's worth it. I'm not a video creator, so I don't know how all the magic of putting together quality content but I know your narration is several notches quieter than any other CZcams content I watch.
I have heard this but sounds so loud on my end. Not sure what gives. The volume seems to hop around from viewer to viewer. Some say it is too loud. I will keep playing with it.
@@maxsmodels . Definitely need to be louder. I think CZcams did something to the volume level of videos because I've noticed my uploaded videos are quieter than the original recording. I didn't notice this for some and received thumbs down on some videos because of it. I now have to pretty much yell for the uploaded video to be heard
Their WWII aircraft are a mixed bag. Some like the Mustang are pretty good. Their Fw-190D is in 1/50 not 1/48. Their Bf-109 G-K was ambitious for the time. It was supposed let you model every G-K varient. It was good for the time and makes into a reasonable model now, if not as accurate as the modern offerings. The decal sheet from that kit though is still outstanding. It has an incredible amount on it from stencils to a/c numbers, staffed designators and a comprehensive selection of Jagdgeshwader badges. However, mine cam with the swastikas cut off. They did a couple of new gen 109s but I haven’t seen them in years. They had some 1/48 jets that were really nice, F-15A, F-15C and F-14A. Both of the A models were co-boxed with Testors. I haven’t seen these kits in years. I also heard they were severely affected by an earth quake. Thank you for “doing” Fujimi. I planned to ask you for this.
My dad had a 73 blue Maverick he bought new. Dad could have spend an extra $600 and gotten the 8 cylinder and air conditioning but dad was too cheap. After that my mother picked out the cars.
A Maverick was a car that if you didnt, you know someone that had one. My best friend, next door neighbor, and ex-wife (3 different people) all had them. During the '70-'80s, the same could be said for Dusters, Hornets, Gremlins, and Novas.
Is a video on Squadron Signal model distributor on the horizon? Retailers and distributor could be another video outlet would be nice to see some alongside with the manufacturers. Reference and forum websites are another option to cover.
I've only finished 2 of my half-dozen Fujimi kits (Fer F-40 LM, & Garage tools). I don't have any of their high-end kits. Of the 2 built and from test-fitting of unfinished kits, I'm generally pleased with the part fit. Of the accuracy I've checked, they are really good. But one surprising thing, on the F40 kit, the dashboard did not fit well. Having been lulled into an expectation of good part fit, I did not dry fit first - went straight to glue... and what a mess as the dashboard drifted around and marred the windshield.
The enthusiast series is the greatest car kits ever made. They're difficult to build but well worth it..... I've built about 20 of them so far. The thing I found most interesting about those kits is the fujimi made all the part trees where they could just produce the same parts trees but a different body and come out with about 15 different Porsche 911s that cover everything from the beginning ones to the current ones all with the same basic parts that's why you always had leftover parts.
Fugime had the distinction of being the only company to make the AH-1J in both 1/48 and in 1/72 and they're both hard to find now , especially the 1/48 .
I had ALL of the EM series and never got to build one. Had them in a storage locker that I lost due to divorce. Seeing the prices they get now, I don't want history to repeat itself if I bought one. But on the bright side, I did trade my '61 in on a newer, faster '85. Lost my a**, but worth every minute!
I built their 1/48 Mitsubishi T2 from the national Blue impulse aerobatic team and 3 x 1/16 cars, the F40LM, the Koenig Testarossa twin turbo and the Lamborghini Koenig Countach with monstrous aero kits. Nice stuff. I was drooling with their F7 cutlass too. Are you going to document Doyusha?
I purchased a Fujimi Porsche 356 B/C kit but don't plan to build until I'm more experienced. They have the friggin camshafts inside the engine! You ain't going to see them! They are insane.
I got a Fujimi A-4 Skyhawk direct from Japan about 1968-9. The box distinctly said 1/50 scale. When they came to American shelves they said 1/48. Didn't matter, t'was the best kit in anything near 1/48 at the time and everyone wanted them. This kit looks primitive now, Fujimi's come a long way.
I’m currently building the Fujimi 1/350 IJN Hyuga. The detail is amazing but some of the parts are tiny and rather brittle. Like Trumpeter the parts don’t always line up correctly. Experience will save the day. It’s not a kit for someone who is just starting out. The directions are in Japanese and the arrows don’t always give a clear indication. Still it’s coming out well. I suggest the aftermath photo etch for more detail and just in case a plastics part snaps you’re covered. Next kit will be the 1/350 Hurana battle cruiser. Also don’t buy the wood decks from China. Three weeks and waiting. Buy them from Japan. It’s more than twice the price but the Japanese deliver what the promise on time.
I have the Countach model box. The model wasn't in it - LOL - there is a bit of a long story for that. One reason that I'm leery of online shopping. The instructions were in the box but as expected, everything was in Japanese. The English directions were on a single typewritten and photocopied sheet. It had been "literal translated" to one line directions for each build portion. I have a photo of it you want to have a great laugh!!! It was almost as if they realized just before the model was to be shipped out - "oh yeah, Americans can't read Japanese!" and just shoved the sheet in. Anyways, final opinion - 700 scale Fujimi ship models are great! Out of curiosity, was one of those buildings (the top one on the right) on an island - Alcatraz???
The island you are referring to is called Hashima. It was a rocky outcrop southwest of Nagasaki that had the redeeming feature that it gave access to a rich coal seam under the coastal waters, which was very valuable to Japan as a newly industrializing nation without many natural resources. Coal had been mined there since the start of the 19th century, but in 1890, the mining arm of Mitsubishi took over, and over the years, the mine itself and the offices and personnel quarters grew to occupy the whole rock. From a distance, the contours of the island started to resemble a battleship of the day, and that became the nickname for the island: Battleship Island, or Gunkan-jima. Operations wound down in 1974 and the island became an eerie, seabound ghost town; a Flying Dutchman forever anchored in place. Before and during the war, the mine had made use of forced labor, notably from Korea and China, and there was therefore some resistance from Korea against including the island in a list of early Japanese industrial sites put up for consideration to be recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. After the Japanese side had said they would put up information about the forced labor issue, Korea acquiesced and in 2015 "Gunkanjima" (Battleship Island) was elevated to the status a World Heritage Site. If you are interested to see some more pictures of the island and the buildings, you can watch the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall, in which it is part of the villain's lair, I think, or go to Google Streetview ( www.google.nl/maps/@32.6267688,129.738845,3a,75y,338.41h,96.47t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipMWiR_doBpxiAY08WH554gbCKDhI2kEU_u_KQ4P!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipMWiR_doBpxiAY08WH554gbCKDhI2kEU_u_KQ4P%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-5.140894-ya116.57258-ro-1.3439301-fo100!7i5376!8i2688?hl=nl )
I'd like to know why many of their most popular 1/24 scale Ferrari kits are always back ordered. Don't they make enough? I went to the Fujimi website, and could not find ONE Ferrari kit listed. Do they even make them anymore?
I see you touched on Nitto by proxy, which I was asking about before. I still say I found Fujimi to be closed-off, isolationist, and unresponsive when I tried to talk to them about a quality problem with my DOME ZERO kit.
I love Fujimi, specially the 1/700 ship collection. I prefer them compared to Tamiya that are excellent too but less detailed, Hasegawa is also extremely detailed. One thing on old model ships, all brands, sometimes when you open the box, you feel disappointed, very few parts, deck attached to the hull, etc I had this experience with the destroyer Hatsushimo, it looked like it came out of a cereal box, don't give-up, build it to the best of your abilities put railings on it and the magic will happen...
I occasionally take out my Fujimi Enthusiast Model car kits to pore over the fine intricacy of their engineering. The latter is worth every cent but each minute part is a chance to screw things up totally. So I've yet to develop courage to start building them LOL.
Fujimi is one of the big four of the Japanese kit builders. ALL four make brilliant kits- none of them are best, they're all AAA+.
I was looking at their 1/700 Shokaku on Amazon when this video dropped.
I've built their Kumano, Soryu and Nagara. All are beautiful.
I had some of their 1/76 armor kits when I was in school. I seem to recall that unlike Airfix kits, many of the Fujimi kits came with interiors and even engines. Thanks for posting this!
Those were the ones they got from Nitto. The original Fujimi armor kits were nice, but not to the point of interiors.
I loved fujimi 1/76 armor kits. Lots of fun with them,& looking for some to build again. Thanks.
Yes , Fujimi is a very detailed kit. I have the Countach still in box.
Many moons ago, 1974 ? I discovered Fujimi 1:76 scale "Battlefield Diorama Kits". The kits contained two vehicle kits (like a T-34 and a SU-85), a plastic base, some infantry, a couple plastic trees that you could assemble and some flocking to make a leaf effect. The box art was exceptional, like the Russian front scene. There was also one of a Sdkfz 222 crew doing maintenance at a road checkpoint, with a little guard post, while you can see U.S. infantry maneuvering in the background. I still have the box art of a King tiger and a 105 easy 8 Sherman in the snow. I liked the Fujimi armour kits, but those soft plastic tracks were useless. Of particular note was their 1:48 BF-109 E/G which had many options, like a late wooden tail, and a huge assortment of weapons.
Their quality varies greatly as they still put out old kits in shiny new boxes. I built an enthusiast series BMW in the 80s. It was astounding. It even had studs on the wheel hubs.
And their A6 Intruder was a fantastic kit when it came out. It had pilot figures with separate heads with hoses attached to the mask that looked great in the cockpit.
Counter to your assessment of Fujimi competing with other big 3 Japanese kit manufacturer, Fujimi's 1/700 waterline series of ships were jointly developed & launched together with Tamiya, Hasegawa & Aoshima in the 1970s. Which goes to explain why none of the offerings overlapped. For the most part at least in the beginning, the selection was focused mostly on WWII Japanese Imperial navy, until Allies & German ships were added later. Over the years, they continue to release small numbers of ships further expanding the series along with small kit manufacturers like Skyware filling the gap with other naval ships outside of IJN .
good stuff
I believe at some point Fujimi left the waterline series partnership to go their own way.
One of my first 1/700 scale Fujimi ships was the Akizuki AA destroyer, I built in 1986. In the late 80's, I collected a few hundred Waterline ships from all the makers, with the intent to build them in my later working life and retirement. Thanks to being side tracked with scratch building, that collection will keep me busy in retirement - in about 13 years.
Some of my favorite kits I've built to many to list love your channel thank you thumbs up stay awesome and have an excellent day
Always loved the kits I got/built from Fujimi! I think my favorite series is their 1/72 Cold War jets - they make GREAT Phantoms & MiG-21's!!
Hello, im just a random stranger but i came across your comment on a frank sinatra video and wanted to say that i hope you are doing well and hope your health is getting better!
Enjoying your video model histories. I understood that with the advent of the 1/700 scale waterline Japanese ship models, the four? major manufacturers had come to an agreement as to which models would be done by each company, thus no direct competition, and yet a complimentary advantage to all of the companies. A smart move, unlike the rest of the worlds' manufacturers who either molded to their own "box" scales or duplicated each other's efforts. Or both....
They were part of the 1/700 waterline partnership. They withdrew in the 1990's or early 2000's, I don't remember exactly at the moment. Their current 1/700th line is actually really good.
In the times we are in I've got to do a lot of CZcams. Yours are some of my favorites. Was an avid kit buyer back in the day. Sadly they almost never got finished. While others don't seem to like the musical part of the vids I love them. Keep up the good work and helping remind me of the enjoyments of the past.
thanks. I put the 5 sec countdown so they can stop watching if they do not like it.
That 1:16 Maverick kit is one of my Holy Grails, they almost never come up for sale and when they do, the price is astronomical.
geez, your videos are really a time travel to me, realizing how many different kits I had built... Not many from Fujimi because they were a little more pricey here than Hasegawa and I'm mostly a WWII guy. But their F-86 Sabre was so tempting I couldn't resist. The Vought F7U Cutlass was only in their catalogue, so that came as well and an A7 Navy Corsair too.
I did not realise they bought up the Nitto 1/72 armour range. Those were very nice indeed. Some of the later Fujimi 1/48 planes were great. I have built most of them.
Thanks Max, enjoy all your videos. You often mention the molds, could you do a video about them? How they're made and the people who make the best.
working on it
Recently built their 1/350 Kongo(Still have to finish building her sister, Haruna; they are part of the Shō-Gō 1 pack). Possibly one of the best 1/350 ship kit I have built.
Superb detail. Fujimi are my preferred brand for 1/350, in part because they offer a lot of ships that Hasegawa and Tamiya do not but also due to there excellent quality. Though I am not a fan of the out-of-the-box mounts for the ships, as I prefer cradle mounts over pin mounts, but of course that can be handmade for the ship during the build.
agreed - their range of 1/350 Scale Ships from the IJN is great ( they are also the only company that does the Kaga and Hiryu -but NO-ONE makes the Soryu , which I found strange .
@@73north If they released a line of 1/350 WWII USN ships, I would jump at them.
I am actually about to purchase their 1/350 Fusou. It is odd that practically no one else makes the other battleships(I do have the 1/350 Hasegawa sitting in my "to build" pile, but also props to Hasegawa for making some of the IJN cruiser fleet in 1/350); but I suppose ships like Yamato and sell better than the older IJN battleline.
Big thanks from the Netherlands Max. In my 66 years (56 0f them as a modeller) I've build a few Fujimi cars like the Porsche 934 and Alfa Romeo's. The detail is indeed fantastic and sometimes fidly. I love these kits and I rank them the same as the Tamiya cars.
Love Fujimi aircraft kits, but dang they are getting hard to get a hold of for the past couple of years. My favourites include their 1/72 Mig 21s and Stukas.
I built 3 Fujimi kits. They were the 1/48 F-4E Phantom and A-4E Skyhawk jets and the 1/72 E-2C Hawkeye carrier AEW plane. They were great kits. 👍
I'm so glad they salvaged the Nitto 1/76 armor, still great kits!
I've got hooked on their Chibi Maru kits (egg shaped ships, mostly IJN of WW2): nice thing to build between big builds (too bad that the only way to get them is to order from Japan and instruction sheets are only in Japanese. Glad that Google Translate App has a mode where you point a phone at the text and it translates it to the language of your choice)
However modern generation of their ship kits is beautiful and while detailed either on the same level as other manufacturers or even better are snap-fit-ish and joy to build. A recent incarnation of the Akagi kit (Next004 if my memory serves right) would be a good example of that... However there are quite a bit of parts so lot of patience is recommended.
'patience is recommended' seems to be their motto but I hear they are great kits.
I used to build a lot of 1/72, and 1/76 scale WWII armor kits as an adult. I had a war game, based on Avalon Hill's ''Tobruk'' rules, but liked the 3-4'' tanks and AFVs instead of stacks of 1/2'' cardboard gaming chips. With a length of parachute cord knotted every foot, I had a scale ''hex-counter'' for determining ranges and movement points. Since I live in Tucson, the bare desert ground of my front yard became North Africa.
I was pleased with Fujimi's Panzerjager I. Matchbox had the best M3 Stuarts, and Panzer IIs. You had to buy Airfix to get M3 Lee tanks. Their Panzer IV "Special" was good too. Hasegawa made a Grant. Nitto often had 3 little kits in one box: a small vehicle [Kubelwagon], BMW R75 and sidecar, and a PAK 37, plus some soldiers [who sucked]. Nitto also had some artillery: FLAK Vierling, 37mm, and 20mm, that looked good "in-portee'' on the back of an Opal truck or halftrack. Squadron Shop had deals on NItto kits. Hasegawa made a Crusader tank. Esci had Marder IIIs and Italian tanks. Usually played in full daylight with a cooler full of Beck's bombers. Khakis and DAK Feldmutze or pith helmet optional.
When I got a German Shepherd puppy, I had to quit building small scale models, as he would have chased after a slipped off roadwheel, chewed on it and choked. So shoeboxes of my Panzer Armee Afrika went into the storage shed. Fun times.
ah the memories
Thanks so much for doing these model manufacturers' histories. There was a time when Testors reboxed a lot of Fujimi kits. Their 1/48 Aichi Val kit was really good for its day, as well as their Bf110 C/D kit. The only thing that held them back was the lack of cockpit detail, with the number of kits still available to this day, really wish the aftermarket resin & PE companies would release or re-release upgrades.
I built the 1/76 Fujimi Model Tanks - and the box art was brilliant , and the kits went together well with no fuss -I would also point out that they do 1/350 scale WW2 IJN Ships that no-one else makes - like the Kaga Carrier , the Kongo Class and the Ise / Haruna - and they are very well made
Fujimi 1/76, Nitto, and Matchbox Sherman’s where the mainstay of my British Guards RTR for the miniature war game I used to play.
I grew up with plastic models and after more then 70 years still make models, now of paper, not plastic. How about a review of paper modeling? There are paper models for all levels of skill and at the top leave nothing to question. Glad to help, tell me what you might need.
I love your channel the music is always the cherry on top.
Good video again, Max! I've had just a short affair with Fujimi, as their 1/48 FW-190D and BF-109G both suffered several basic accuraqcy problems... the 1/72 F-4 and F-14 less, but some. Detail and fit was typical Japanese good. Only the F-7U Cutlass I really liked, as there was no other serious one... but I can confirm, all my 1/24 car enthusiast friends praised Fujimi to the heaven.
I have built Fujimi1 /48 Royal Navy Westland Wasp a nice model, also have a unbuilt one as well which I hope to do as Royal New Zealand Navy one.
Many of us in the car modeling community still consider the "Enthusiast Series" as the best kits ever produced about automotive subjects. They can be a bear to build but the results are always spectacular.
Just made Fujimis Ki43-I in 1:72. A kit frpm 1995 . Its superbly fitted with excellent engraved panel lines, Dream to build and looks perfect on the shelf....
That M48 Patton Combo boxing Kit looks very familiar. Thanks again, Max! You bring my past to light time and again. ;o)
I miss Fujimi aircraft.. they are tough to find around here and the selection has decreased. I really enjoyed some of their 1/72 US Navy stuff in the early 80's. I still have a couple of their Mitsubishi T-2's in the stash... will be nice to be reminded again of Fujimi and see how they look today.
The car models are really great! Thanks for the wonderful video! Keep 'em coming!
Nice video Max!!!
I purchased and built some of their 1/700 scale, skywave series, back around 1980, or so.
Very nice.
I remember building a 1/72 scale model of a Japnese F1 jet fighter made by Fajima and I gottao say I was amazed at the fine detail and great fit of parts
Built the 1/72 VAL DIVE BOMBER. Used Eduard photo etch detail set . It’s a great kit. Bought it at a toy fair. Got the photo etch from SQUADRON MAIL ORDER
Ryujyo, Jintsu, and Matsu were great kits! I really enjoyed Fujimi's Waterline series.
Than you Mr. Max, and your music pick was awesome as usual. Health to you and yours.
U2
@@maxsmodels , my household is on Day 69. Your vids help to keep me sane. :)
Those SF3D or Ma.K. (Maschinen Krieger) kits of old NITTO-origin went mostly to model company Wave, who do occasional rereleases.
Now Hasegawa owns them and many are on sale.
@@vibeforge Hasegawa have their own lineup of SF3D kits. Some are in 1/20th scale to fit old Nitto's models in that scale and a whole range of mainly resin figure kits of Japanese origin. Others are in 1/35th scale (which Nitto didn't do). Only a select few of those replicate some of Nitto's old 1/20th scale models in that smaller scale to go with Hasegawa's own interpretation of other Ma.K. war machines. All Hasegawa models have their logo on the sprues.
@@colintamiya thanks for clearing the situation... hopefully Mr. Kow Yokoyama gets respectful royalty. Interesting where Nitto molds went, are there any chance we will see those kits reappear...
@@vibeforge Mr. Yokoyama is revered by a very respectful Japanese fanbase. And as honour and respect are very important in Japan, he will get respectful royalty.
One can still buy some of those old NITTO-kits new. WAVE are to release the Panzer Kampfanzug Ausf. F Friedrich in 1/20th scale in May. Otherwise one can still get those old NITTO-kits from Japanese dealers. These may not be cheap, but service is first class!
They were the first to make the"family" of a certain type of aircraft, in e. the A6, Ju87, F4 (theirs' was the first decent F4B) etc.
5:22 I remember going to a church rummage sale with my mother when I was like 11 and I found a model kit of a pagoda or something with gold plated accents. It was like 25 cents or something so I bought it. My mother looked at me like I had 2 heads lol.....it was basically a base, middle sections and the layers simply stacked on top of one another. It was fun and easy to build. I made a little diorama with a cable car that ran on thread up to the top level.
I can't remember the kit maker name or the name of the structure, I've been looking around hoping to come across it somewhere. I bet it's still buried in my mother's basement somewhere, she never throws anything out. That's 48 years ago haha.
I also built a vostock russian launch vehicle that was able to be rocket engine powered. I thought I'd find it in your russian kit video but didn't. Been looking for pics of that as well. Again, it was bought at a church rummage sale for a quarter or thereabouts.
Buying kits at rummage sales was always a gamble because they never were wrapped in celophane so the odds of it missing parts was high. I remember buying a model of the wankel rotary engine with no instructions. I never could put it together. Now I probably could with my knowledge of how engines work.
Nice intro! Like it!! Yes, I have a couple Fujimi Mirage III and they are okay. A good canvas on which to build more detail. They are in the stash awaiting the light of day to be built in IDF (IAF) colours.
Their 1/72 scale jets are quite nice, especially the A-4 Skyhawk series.
I've built a pair of Fujimi kits. One of their Waterline series kits of the IJN Chuyo and one of their old kits imported by Bachmann of a 1/76 Matilda II. Nice details for the size, but man were they a pain to get together with all of those tiny parts.
that is what everybody says
Hard to get in my neck of the woods but I would like to get the 1/770 Japanese carriers molded by Fujimi and Aoshima. I have the Tamiya ones.
Started with the 48th Bf110 Dachshund and the Bf109.Love there kits!!
Antother great video. Thank you for posting.
Looking back at my old builds it looks like only one Fujimi kit was built even though I had a few kits in my stash. I built their 1/50th Spitfire Mk. V...in their later packaging it was relabeled as 1/48th....believe me it is not 1/48th but it is still that way today....their first releases had electric motors to make the prop spin....something that FROG, Lindburg, and Monogram did on some of their kits.....remember Monogram's phantom 1/32 Mustang and Heuey Chopper....I did like Fujimi's Spitfire and built it again in later years (with no motor) and used it for club and local contests which did well back then. Their later stuff are pretty nice. Again thank you for making this video! 👍
I loved my Phantom Mustang.
Did many flying hours and take off and landings
@@tinmansscalemodels great stuff for that time....my Chopper sounded great and on my F-100 from Lindberg we had to put the electric motor together...my father help me to make sure that worked....I was probably 9 at that time....we got to learn a few tricks back then.... Oh by the way, the phantom mustang was the best one from that whole bunch!
@@767bob . I was fifteen when I built the Phantom Mustang.
It definitely was my favourite kit build
I got mine in Japan in the 80s. The exchange rate was better then 270y to the dollar. When I was there I was druling over a 150th scale carrier. Didn't have the 💸 at the time. Missed out as was gone. Great mantle piece.
I haven't built one yet but I have a 1/48 scale BF109 that my Dad bought for $1.25 at Pic and Save when I was kid. 😀 Love the videos Max!
Fujimi kit that is.
Funny you should post this video, today. I was looking through my stash and came across several of my Fujimi models. I especially like the 1/48 P-51D Mustang, its extremely well detailed and includes a Merlin engine.
I was tempted to ask if you had done a video about them. This answers my question. 😁
👍
Their 1/48 P-51D is still very nice to this day. Even though Hase, Airfix, Tamiya, and Eduard have superior kits.
Regarding the Fujimi HQ pic: If you enter the address listed on their website (静岡県静岡市駿河区登呂4-21-1) in Google Maps and switch to satellite view, you can see that there are more and larger buildings behind this one. ( www.google.nl/maps/@34.9566103,138.4124098,83m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=nl ) Go into Streetview for more detail and a few peeks into their doors. It still seems small though.
None of the houses in the block with visible names, the ones that Google didn't blur out, seem related to the company, as far as I can tell. Across the road from the building in the HQ picture is company housing for a manufacturer of hospital beds etc. Looking at the parking lot, I would not be surprised if Fujimi had some company housing nearby as well. I would also not be surprised if they had other production facilities as well, but this is the only address on their website. If you want to live in this neighborhood, I found an apartment of 41 square meters for 48000 yen per month (445 USD) ( www.chintai.net/detail/bk-2000005810000000000051410001/?sidesFlg=1 )
One note about the pronunciation of Japanese names: they don't do a lot of diphthongs, so a name like Shizuoka will leave the "u" and the "o" in the middle recognizable as separate sounds (Shizu-oka).
I used to say it that way until I got a message from a local resident who said they call it like Shazooka like Bazooka. Oh well. Maybe I got pranked.
@@maxsmodels No, that sounds definitely wrong. I have been living in Japan for 29 years now, and it's definitely Shee-zoo-oh-kah (unofficial Americanized phonetic spelling; your mileage may vary). The two characters the name is made up from also break between the "u" and the "o": 静岡 that is to say 静 ("shizu" meaning quiet, tranquil) and 岡 ("oka" meaning hill(s)).
Thanks for the videos by the way. I used to make model kits when I was a kid. Stopped when I went to college, but two years ago, I gave a Mitsubishi Raiden by Zoukei-mura (www.zoukeimura.co.jp/en/products/sws05_raiden.html) as a birthday gift to an old highschool friend who had continued our old hobby on and off over the past 30 years. Made me want to sniff the glue again as well, but I haven't found the courage yet to take the jump. I think I would if there was a 1:35 model of the Citroën Dyane around, because I've always wanted to build a diorama of my mom and dad and my little brother and me on holiday in France in the 70's... No drug as powerful as nostalgia, Max...
1/48 BF 110. Great kit. Fit was awesome. Detail and kit decals excellent. Fujimi is quality in my opinion.
Just bought their 1/72 BF110 hope it will be good quality too.
I built a few Fujimi ship kits in 1/700 in the early seventies as they were the same scale as Tamiya and Aoshima. But I stuck with tanks in 1/76th for wargaming. I did build a1/200 Nitto Bismarck back in 74 I think. I remember the box was huge but I didn't see a scale on it and assumed it was 1/350th like the Hasegawa ones I'd built. Yep was a surprise when I opened it.
Yup most in the 1/76 scale armor. Infact some of their 1/76 came with a mini diorama similar to matchbox. If people are saying Fujimi kits are hard to build they have not come across a kit company called AFV. AFV really gave me nightmares. Infact 1 of their kit a 1/35 M88 took me over 10years to finish.
Agreed. I bought a couple AFV Club WWII German tanks, but they've remained boxed and unstarted the last couple years. It's a daunting build for my 63 year old eyes and XXL fingers! Model building should be fun and relaxing, good stress relief. Not stress inducing!
I like Max's music selections. I guess we share a certain quirky sense of humor. 👍
@walt7500????? Cannot translate.
My first Fujimi kit was in 1988, a 1:24 scale garage kit to compliment my Tamiya 911 Turbo... ; )
I have a very old wasp helicopter in 1/48 in my stash... doesn't look great but hey, it is an old moulding no doubt, basic platform for showing our modelling skills. Besides, it is the best in 1/48 as long as I know, since it is the only one... (I think)
Great video and research once again! Thanks a lot Max.
Wow I must show you what I have because I watched this video and I have that very black Lamborghini countach kit you showed
I love there mig 21 lines... I must have baught 8 kits so far my favorite.
Very good kits with great detail.
Oddly enough I don’t think I’ve ever built a Fujimi kit. I can remember back in the early 80’s that they seemed to have cornered the market in helicopter kits for some reason . The island in the upper right corner @5:22 appears to be a long abandoned island that mined coal from underneath it for many years. The structures were mainly apartments for the workers. There was something like 6,000 people jammed onto the island. It was covered in an episode of “abandoned engineering” which is possibly available here on CZcams.
cool
Just looked it up, it’s called Hashima island. Would seem an odd choice for a kit but that’s Fujimi.
I've built the 1/76 KV-II and the Sherman. They were very good kits,- infinitely better than Airfix.
The Maverick : My grandparents had his & hers Mavericks, LOL.
Grandpa's was a red V8 and grandmas was a yellow 6 cyl. I don't know what happened to the V8, but the inline 6 was handed down to my brother and got him through his college years in the '80s.
Love their Sports Racing prototype models, in particular the Gulf Porsche 917 and Ferrari P4...
My Girlfriend rode her kiddie bicycle into the back of her uncle’s orange Maverick, ruptured her kidney.... I should build that kit and give it to her!!!
My sister had a real Maverick for a time, but it was a POS.
I built several Fujimi 1/48 scale aircraft kits, WWII and Vietnam Era. Fairly ok kits, comparable to Revell/Monogram. Checked on Amazon (no, I do NOT do ebay!) and prices for Fujimi car and ship kits are pricey!
There is a 1/72 scale F-86 for a reasonable price, I might order.
Max, great song, perfect for our times.
Agree. The Ford Maverick was a POS.
I have only built a few Fujimi kits. Namely aircrafts and a helicopter in 1/72 scale. Overall I have a good impression and had fun building them.
I loved the waterline ships..
"Fiddly" British slang for "F**king Impossible!"
Fujimi 1/144 B-29 kits are very cool. Much better than Crown/Revell/Academy kit in the same scale.
thanks a lot for these videos they are very intesreting
I have completed two "enthusiast series" kits. Dino 246 coupe and (3 weeks ago) Ferrari Daytona Spyder. Several others in the partial stage, where they can possibly remain 30 years. Started the Daytona in 1990, finished in 2020. Great detail in both, and I remember the Dino being problem free, but I finished it in 1989, so I might not remember it all. The Daytona had major fit issues between chassis and body, agrivated by my making the trunk lid operate. They give you the tool roll and spare tire, so you can't hide them, can you?
The buildings with Godzilla is a great idea! 🐉
Me thoughts so
I'm a big fan of their 1/24 sport Cars, I've built several, hope they keep the high standard and can be a profitable company, I realy like Fujimi 1/24 cars!!!
i have built several of their high
end Countach's for customers, cant afford one for myself though.
My first experience with 1/24 scale model cars is when i bought a Fujimi mazda RX-8 mazdaspeed from a mall that has alot of hobby stores. I wanna try something new by building a model car
Ginkakuji was na interesting build (a gift to me).. I liked Nitto's Panzer-mecha, other than the odd scale., but they were funky kits.
@maxmodels I love these videos but I've got to give some constructive criticism. I may be a bit of a CZcams addict so I watch quite a few videos. Whenever I see new content from Max I have to watch it but I know I'll need to turn up every volume slider at my disposal in order to hear the narration. I do because it's worth it. I'm not a video creator, so I don't know how all the magic of putting together quality content but I know your narration is several notches quieter than any other CZcams content I watch.
I have heard this but sounds so loud on my end. Not sure what gives. The volume seems to hop around from viewer to viewer. Some say it is too loud. I will keep playing with it.
@@maxsmodels . Definitely need to be louder.
I think CZcams did something to the volume level of videos because I've noticed my uploaded videos are quieter than the original recording.
I didn't notice this for some and received thumbs down on some videos because of it.
I now have to pretty much yell for the uploaded video to be heard
Totally agree, great videos but you need a hearing aid to hear what he says.
Their WWII aircraft are a mixed bag. Some like the Mustang are pretty good. Their Fw-190D is in 1/50 not 1/48. Their Bf-109 G-K was ambitious for the time. It was supposed let you model every G-K varient. It was good for the time and makes into a reasonable model now, if not as accurate as the modern offerings. The decal sheet from that kit though is still outstanding. It has an incredible amount on it from stencils to a/c numbers, staffed designators and a comprehensive selection of Jagdgeshwader badges. However, mine cam with the swastikas cut off. They did a couple of new gen 109s but I haven’t seen them in years. They had some 1/48 jets that were really nice, F-15A, F-15C and F-14A. Both of the A models were co-boxed with Testors. I haven’t seen these kits in years. I also heard they were severely affected by an earth quake. Thank you for “doing” Fujimi. I planned to ask you for this.
My friends parents had a maverick. Held together by rust.
My dad had a 73 blue Maverick he bought new. Dad could have spend an extra $600 and gotten the 8 cylinder and air conditioning but dad was too cheap. After that my mother picked out the cars.
A Maverick was a car that if you didnt, you know someone that had one. My best friend, next door neighbor, and ex-wife (3 different people) all had them. During the '70-'80s, the same could be said for Dusters, Hornets, Gremlins, and Novas.
Love that song now thanks.
The 1/76 scale tanks had some sort of interior detail. They could be built with some hatches open. Detailed foe scale but flimsy at times. Tks max.
Is a video on Squadron Signal model distributor on the horizon? Retailers and distributor could be another video outlet would be nice to see some alongside with the manufacturers. Reference and forum websites are another option to cover.
I am considering it but unless I can get more info it would be a short video
I've only finished 2 of my half-dozen Fujimi kits (Fer F-40 LM, & Garage tools). I don't have any of their high-end kits. Of the 2 built and from test-fitting of unfinished kits, I'm generally pleased with the part fit. Of the accuracy I've checked, they are really good. But one surprising thing, on the F40 kit, the dashboard did not fit well. Having been lulled into an expectation of good part fit, I did not dry fit first - went straight to glue... and what a mess as the dashboard drifted around and marred the windshield.
we have all done it
The enthusiast series is the greatest car kits ever made. They're difficult to build but well worth it..... I've built about 20 of them so far. The thing I found most interesting about those kits is the fujimi made all the part trees where they could just produce the same parts trees but a different body and come out with about 15 different Porsche 911s that cover everything from the beginning ones to the current ones all with the same basic parts that's why you always had leftover parts.
Beautiful music !
Another great video !!!!
Thanks !!
AND another great song !!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fugime had the distinction of being the only company to make the AH-1J in both 1/48 and in 1/72 and they're both hard to find now , especially the 1/48 .
I had ALL of the EM series and never got to build one. Had them in a storage locker that I lost due to divorce. Seeing the prices they get now, I don't want history to repeat itself if I bought one. But on the bright side, I did trade my '61 in on a newer, faster '85. Lost my a**, but worth every minute!
I built their 1/48 Mitsubishi T2 from the national Blue impulse aerobatic team and 3 x 1/16 cars, the F40LM, the Koenig Testarossa twin turbo and the Lamborghini Koenig Countach with monstrous aero kits. Nice stuff. I was drooling with their F7 cutlass too. Are you going to document Doyusha?
I doubt I will get to them before my surgery.
Doyusha, the Lindberg of Japan.
@@maxsmodels no hurry. Thanks.
I purchased a Fujimi Porsche 356 B/C kit but don't plan to build until I'm more experienced. They have the friggin camshafts inside the engine! You ain't going to see them! They are insane.
I got a Fujimi A-4 Skyhawk direct from Japan about 1968-9. The box distinctly said 1/50 scale. When they came to American shelves they said 1/48. Didn't matter, t'was the best kit in anything near 1/48 at the time and everyone wanted them. This kit looks primitive now, Fujimi's come a long way.
they all have...except Lindberg. O think Round2 still uses the old molds. Probably for nostalgia.
Best scale models car .line EM with over 200 parts. Amasing details and Chrome finish parts.
I seem to remember that they made a nice 1/48 th
ROYAL NAVY Westland Wasp HAS in dark blue plastic ?
I’m currently building the Fujimi 1/350 IJN Hyuga. The detail is amazing but some of the parts are tiny and rather brittle. Like Trumpeter the parts don’t always line up correctly. Experience will save the day. It’s not a kit for someone who is just starting out. The directions are in Japanese and the arrows don’t always give a clear indication. Still it’s coming out well. I suggest the aftermath photo etch for more detail and just in case a plastics part snaps you’re covered. Next kit will be the 1/350 Hurana battle cruiser. Also don’t buy the wood decks from China. Three weeks and waiting. Buy them from Japan. It’s more than twice the price but the Japanese deliver what the promise on time.
I have the Countach model box. The model wasn't in it - LOL - there is a bit of a long story for that. One reason that I'm leery of online shopping.
The instructions were in the box but as expected, everything was in Japanese. The English directions were on a single typewritten and photocopied sheet. It had been "literal translated" to one line directions for each build portion. I have a photo of it you want to have a great laugh!!! It was almost as if they realized just before the model was to be shipped out - "oh yeah, Americans can't read Japanese!" and just shoved the sheet in.
Anyways, final opinion - 700 scale Fujimi ship models are great!
Out of curiosity, was one of those buildings (the top one on the right) on an island - Alcatraz???
No, it is a Japanese island but it does have that look.
The island you are referring to is called Hashima. It was a rocky outcrop southwest of Nagasaki that had the redeeming feature that it gave access to a rich coal seam under the coastal waters, which was very valuable to Japan as a newly industrializing nation without many natural resources. Coal had been mined there since the start of the 19th century, but in 1890, the mining arm of Mitsubishi took over, and over the years, the mine itself and the offices and personnel quarters grew to occupy the whole rock. From a distance, the contours of the island started to resemble a battleship of the day, and that became the nickname for the island: Battleship Island, or Gunkan-jima.
Operations wound down in 1974 and the island became an eerie, seabound ghost town; a Flying Dutchman forever anchored in place. Before and during the war, the mine had made use of forced labor, notably from Korea and China, and there was therefore some resistance from Korea against including the island in a list of early Japanese industrial sites put up for consideration to be recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. After the Japanese side had said they would put up information about the forced labor issue, Korea acquiesced and in 2015 "Gunkanjima" (Battleship Island) was elevated to the status a World Heritage Site.
If you are interested to see some more pictures of the island and the buildings, you can watch the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall, in which it is part of the villain's lair, I think, or go to Google Streetview ( www.google.nl/maps/@32.6267688,129.738845,3a,75y,338.41h,96.47t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipMWiR_doBpxiAY08WH554gbCKDhI2kEU_u_KQ4P!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipMWiR_doBpxiAY08WH554gbCKDhI2kEU_u_KQ4P%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-5.140894-ya116.57258-ro-1.3439301-fo100!7i5376!8i2688?hl=nl )
very nice video mister max :)
I'd like to know why many of their most popular 1/24 scale Ferrari kits are always back ordered. Don't they make enough? I went to the Fujimi website, and could not find ONE Ferrari kit listed. Do they even make them anymore?
I see you touched on Nitto by proxy, which I was asking about before. I still say I found Fujimi to be closed-off, isolationist, and unresponsive when I tried to talk to them about a quality problem with my DOME ZERO kit.
does not shock me
That sucks
I love Fujimi, specially the 1/700 ship collection. I prefer them compared to Tamiya that are excellent too but less detailed, Hasegawa is also extremely detailed. One thing on old model ships, all brands, sometimes when you open the box, you feel disappointed, very few parts, deck attached to the hull, etc I had this experience with the destroyer Hatsushimo, it looked like it came out of a cereal box, don't give-up, build it to the best of your abilities put railings on it and the magic will happen...
I occasionally take out my Fujimi Enthusiast Model car kits to pore over the fine intricacy of their engineering. The latter is worth every cent but each minute part is a chance to screw things up totally. So I've yet to develop courage to start building them LOL.
I feel ya bro
Love the series of videos. Where did you get the shirt?
my wife got it for me online at cafepress.com