Gipsy Danger Celebration: A reflection on Pacific Rim figure updates by KB Fan Fiction

Exactly one week before this post is written, the American Mark-III Jaeger, Gipsy Danger, is launched on July 10, 2017 in the Pacific Rim world. And three months to come (October 17), it will battle a very large Category III Anteverse Kaiju named Yamarashi (Japanese for "porcupine") in Los Angeles.

The KB Fan Fiction Community's Pacific Rim Jaegers as of November 2014. The first Gipsy Danger figure is in use till early 2015 when it is replaced by the Hong Kong Brawl version which is slightly taller and had a darker shade of blue.

The models KB used for its fan fiction works are made by NECA, that recently stopped making Pacific Rim figures. NECA had passed the torch to Bandai for the production of Pacific Rim figures and merchandise, so expect some of the new kaiju being 6-inch, movable PVC figures just like most of the kaijus from Ultraman and Godzilla made by them. If they are to venture further, also expect some SH Monsterarts Anteverse Kaiju to rival the superb detail of the original NECA versions! SH Monsterarts is a line by Bandai Tamashii that releases articulated figures of Godzilla kaiju, Gamera and even Aliens from the Alien films.

The KB fan fiction multiverse lists Pacific Rim into the Tsuburaya Cinematic universe which also contains fan fiction events based on Tsuburaya Productions' Ultra series. A showdown between Jaegers and Ultraman kaiju would be interesting. There is even a direct reference to this connection: the director of the original film, Guillermo del Toro, based the Pacific Rim kaijus off Ultraman kaijus! One notable proof is in the crocodile-like Category IV kaiju, Raiju ("lightning beast" in Japanese). Raiju has head armor comparable to that of the Powered version of the Ultra Kaiju, Gabora.

Left: Raiju; Right: Powered Gabora. Note the similarities. Picture snipped from a Google search.

Recently, Pacific Rim fans were in for a shocking reveal as the designs for the updated version of the mech named Gipsy Avenger were shown in Bandai Tamashii Nations' Japanese 10th Anniversary Expo 2017 event in July. 

A model of Gipsy Avenger displayed for the Bandai Tamashii Nations' Japanese 10th Anniversary Expo 2017 event. Picture credit: The Toyark

This Jaeger will appear in next year's Pacific Rim: Uprising. It will be released in theaters in February.

Happy Birthday to Usagi Tsukino!

This famous lady is celebrating her birthday on 30 June. Picture credit to Sailor Moon Collectibles.

Today, June 30th is the birthday of the protagonist of the Sailor Moon series, Usagi Tsukino! In KB's Fan Fiction multiverse, she's born in 2001, which means she turns 16 in 2017!

In the KB multiverse, Usagi has a deep passion for astronomy and is eager to explore the secrets of the great beyond. She has a childish personality but is very trusting and passionate. Together with the other eight Sailor Senshi, they make a formidable team of female power, enhanced by the nine major planets of the Solar System that rule them.

Also to note: today is also the birthday of Sailor Chibi Moon, Chibiusa Tsukino! She's about 900 years old although she looked like a small child! Joshua K from KB Productions was "bitten by Chibiusa" on March 19, 2017, three months prior to Chibiusa's hiring; the incident becoming a metaphor on how the K Brothers started having an interest to the Sailor Moon franchise.

Chibiusa and her induction mate, Autobot Sqweeks. They are hired by KB Fan Fiction at the same time.

Movie Time: Transformers: The Last Knight

Rethink your heroes. (From back to front) Steelbane, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee.

2017 is a year for Transformers! It also marks 10 years of the release of the first Transformers film back in 2007. KB Fan Fiction Productions had watched the film in theaters and, as hardcore Transformers fans, the K Brothers are awed by the visual effects and intense action scenes in the film! All-powerful Dragonstorm, adorable Sqweeks, Hot Rod and comical Cogman are the definite show-stealers.

And beside Hot Rod, Sqweeks, Cogman and Dragonstorm, the film contains a host of new characters which Joshua knew by heart before stepping into the theater to watch the film (WARNING: SPOILER ALERT):

• The knight Transformer discovered in the stasis pod by the group of children and giving a talisman to Cade Yeager is named Steelbane.
• The Long Haul-like Autobot downed by the TRF is named Canopy, because it provides shelter. He is voiced by Frank Welker, who also voiced Megatron and numerous other Transformers in the movies.
• The first knight transformer to awaken in the tomb is called Skullitron.
• Megatron's subordinates:
• Mohawk transforms into a Confederate motorcycle and is voiced by Reno Wilson, who also provided the voices for Frenzy, Mudflap, Brains and Sqweeks.
• Nitro-Zeus transforms into a jet fighter and is voiced by John DiMaggio, who also voiced Crosshairs.
• Onslaught (a Combaticon in G1) transforms into a tow truck and is also voiced by John DiMaggio.
• Dreadbot transforms into a Volkswagen van.
• Berserker transforms into a Chevrolet. He is not chosen as Megatron's subordinate, and is part of the first wave of the movie's toy line.
• The WWI tank transformer at the English mansion may be called "Bulldog". He is voiced by Mark Ryan, who voiced Jetfire and Lockdown.
• Baby Dinobots. When we have baby dinosaurs, why can't we have baby Dinobots?
• The combiner in the film is named Infernocus, made from six Infernocons. They are slaughtered by Optimus Prime in the final battle.

Recently, the film has been slammed with negative reviews, especially by "GEEWUNners", which is a term for hardcore fans of the Generation 1 series of Transformers production history. The reviewers criticized the film for its effect-heavy plot, acting and probably the new cast, and mostly about the setting that Transformers had been around outside Cybertron during Earth's history, which began during the previous film, Age of Extinction, with the theory of the Creators exterminating the dinosaurs millions of years ago. Due to these negative reviews, the film had a low box-office opening during its release in the USA. However, it is big in Asian countries such as China.

As a mixed-generation community, the KB Transformers Community is not biased to any generation, especially the Generation 1 and live-action movie franchise, and strives to promote unity in the world of Transformers fan fiction. The KB Transformers Community (dubbed in the universal cluster format as the Enermax cluster) contains characters from varying generations coexisting with each other (which includes an Animated and Movie Soundwave duo), albeit with the traditional Autobot-Decepticon conflict.

Introducing the Transformers Cross Country

In the KB Fan Fiction Community, the K Brothers' Transformers collection will be sent out every beginning of the year for an annual cross country event called the TRANSFORMERS CROSS COUNTRY. The event was held since 2009 and involves every Transformer in the K Brothers' collection racing against each other in an imaginary 7,000 km  track with locations named after random Transformers stuff. You could even try to spot a German restaurant or even a "Krabby Land" (from an episode of Spongebob Squarepants) in the course! Beginning 2016, the course is slightly changed.

The goal of the Transformers Cross Country is to promote health awareness not only to Transformers, but to everyone in the KB Community. Every Transformers Cross Country event has a slogan.

• 2009 (1st) - Transform and Roll Out
• 2010 (2nd) - They're Back to Run Again
• 2011 (3rd) - The Ultimate Race to Win
• 2012 (4th) - When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going
• 2013 (5th) - The Race For Cybertron
• 2014 (6th) - Transwarped
• 2015 (7th) - Age of Champions
• 2016 (8th) - Heavy Metal Race
• 2017 (9th) - The Racing Knights

Poster for the 9th Transformers Cross Country that was held on 22 January 2017.

The cross country event has two categories of awards, Autobots and Decepticons. Awards are proposed for the Mini-Cons and Targetmasters, who participated in the events since 2010.

This photo of some Autobots in the 2013 event is one of the most popular photos of the event. In this photo, Arcee (the pink Autobot) was awarded the first place winner in the Autobot category. Also in the picture are Ultra Magnus, Animated Jetfire and Revenge of the Fallen Jetfire.

In the Transformers Cross Country events, the contestants are divided into four houses based on their fan allegiance towards the "Big Four" clubs of the Barclays Premier League: Manchester United; Chelsea; Liverpool and Arsenal. Fans will be surprised when their favorite Transformers may or may not have the same fan allegiance with their favorite club! The idea is inspired by Joel K's school sports day in 2009, when Joshua K pictured the red house and blue house as "Manchester United players" and "Chelsea players" respectively.

In the events, contestants are given racing number plates (think of a Transformer version of a racing bib). The plate's number comprises of the initial of the fan club the Transformer is affiliated to, followed by a number generated based on the faction and the fan club. Beginning with the 2015 format, the plates must have the contestant's name. Custom plates are designed for Star Seekers and Mini-Cons.

Choose a side.

The Transformers Cross Country had spawned a host of sporting events by KB's fan fiction community, including the Great KB Race in 2011 which is a marathon that involves every KB fan fiction (including the Transformers) and OC character racing in a modified obstacle course. KB Fan Fiction Productions is looking forward to holding another Great KB Race involving the addition of the newer franchises (Pacific Rim, Frozen, The Good Dinosaur, Sailor Moon, etc.).

Welcome to KB Fan Fiction Productions!

Since 2008, KB Fan Fiction Productions (Formerly K Brothers Fan Fiction Productions before 2013) has been working hard on their action figure collection to make films, parodies, spoofs and life-based events.

The real-world franchises KB covers are:

• Transformers (Since 2008)
• WALL-E (Since 2008)
• Dinosaur King (Since 2010)
• Godzilla (Since 2011)
• Ultraman (Since 2011)
• Neon Genesis Evangelion (Since 2012)
• Pacific Rim (Since 2013)
• Walking With Dinosaurs (Since 2013)
• Disney's Frozen (Since 2015)
• Inside Out (Since 2015)
• Jurassic Park (Since 2015; We got our first Jurassic Park toys in 2005)
• The Good Dinosaur (Since 2015)
• Big Hero 6 (Since 2015)
• Sailor Moon (Since 2017)

The class of December 2016!