Toy No. 68

No, the number doesn't have any particular significance. This is literally toy no. 68 in my collection spreadsheet. Yes, collecting toys really does bring me closer to my inner child- the one that obsessively photographs and catalogs each of his possessions. Pulled from the depths of my vault today is the Real Type Guncannon, which is a Mobile Suit in Action (MSiA) figure produced and sold through Bandai America in 2002. Rather intriguingly, Bandai America chose to release U.S.-exclusive repaints of several One Year War MSiA in 'Real Type' color schemes (generally, the application of military-style coloration to a super robot toy). From what I gather, the RT MSiA were given very limited distribution. They were and remain fairly difficult to find. This Guncannon was hitting around $60 for a MOSC (mint on sealed card) specimen in 2005/06 when I was heavily into collecting Gundam toys- shockingly expensive for the cheaper American MSiAs. The Guncannon itself is a typical Gen 1 MSiA, meaning that its engineering is very simple by current standards. It is the Real Type color scheme that makes this toy a true gem in one's Gundam collection. The deep green and red accents of this RT scheme are highly reminiscent of Okawara Kunio's art style, with dark, yet dynamic, coloration- and radically different from the traditional Guncannon color scheme. While I cannot recommend this toy solely on its merits as an action figure, its status as a rare, U.S.-only release, and the nod to the Real Type tradition make it a worthwhile acquisition.