The Final Showdown [Part 3] (Area 88)
The finished model:
The scene:
Shin’s F-20 Tigershark vs. Kanzaki’s F-18… in the final fight… to the death. That’s it.
Check out the original manga scene from the FINAL Chapter 172 “Battlefield of Sand” here:
The story:
Really… what is there to say about this? It’s all come down to this, the FINAL final showdown, as Ryoko rushes to Asran, Shin takes off in his F-20 Tigershark one last time to finally take down Satoru Kanzaki, the man who betrayed him and left a path of destruction and tears in his wake. There’s basically no way this wasn’t going to make it into my Area 88 1/144 project. Like, none at all. The only real question was – which kit? For the F-20, the choice is pretty clear… there’s only one game in town, the LS tool (in a variety of boxes and some inspired copies). However, for the F-18 there’s a few choices. Even though I have a couple of the Ace Corporation (Revell) boxes of a very fine tool, it just didn’t seem right to give Kanzaki the upper hand in the final battle. So, ultimately I decided to keep everything fair and square, and and went with an LS tooled similar vintage for the F-18 as well.
The only problem was, after I’d already started the kit, I realized WHY it had been so cheap at the second-hand shop in Tokyo where I found it. It was missing the correct clear canopy piece. That would have been bad enough, but some enterprising soul decided to trick me by putting a spare Academy F-15 canopy in the box. So, a) I didn’t know it was missing, and b) I spent a long time trying to get “that old kit with fit issues” to take a canopy that was never designed for it. Once I figured out the problem, I was in a bit of a bind. I didn’t really want to swap out the kit for the same reason I chose it in the first place, but what else could I do? Luckily, a kind soul named Erik at the Kampfgruppe144 forum took pity on me and sent me a replacement canopy, free of charge from his spares box. Without his kindness, this build wouldn’t have happened. Thanks again Erik!
The kit(s):
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- F/A-18 Hornet by Arii
- F-20 Tigershark by CC Lee
The build:
I’m really starting to love these old LS molds. Sure, they’re showing their age… but there’s something special about opening an old box and finding some treasure inside. The tools might not be of the same quality or standard as more modern offerings, but hey’ expectations got class! Or… nostalgia… but whichever.
I was happy to have Shin and Kanzaki face off in the last dogfight in kits of a similar vintage, but they did mean Inhad my work cut out for me. Older kits love putty, so there was some substantial gaps on both kits that needed filling, sanding and some rescribing. All in all though, I expected it, so I can’t really complain.
I’ve already mentioned the canopy issue, but the one good thing about it was it somewhat forced me to focus on one kit at a time, rather than building them side by side. I think hey both benefitted from the attention.
The painting was a bit of a tale of two kits. I think I discovered why most 1/144 builders choose to go with the anime version of the F-20… it’s quite a bit easier. Masking all those tiny stripes was a real challenge, but after multiple touch ups, I’m happy enough with the result. The F-18, on the other hand, was as simple as the F-20 was complex – paint grey.
The only other thing worth mentioning was the decals. I always have trouble with small 1/144 markings over dark paint. This time, I used white-backed DIY decal paper and left a bit of a blue outline (as close to the paint colour as I could manage). After application, I added a bit of paint around the edges to try and blend it in a bit. It worked alright, but with a bit more practice, I think it could be the closest hint to a winning formula as I’m likely to get.
Anyway, I’m pretty satisfied with the result. I think it does justice to the dramatic conclusion to an awesome manga story, but feel free to tell me what you think.
The Supplies:
XF-01 Flat Black
XF-20 Medium Grey
X-19 Smoke
X-26 Clear Orange
Absolutely fantastic work! Truly, all your projects are inspirational, and this one is no different. That Hornet might have given you trouble, but it came out really well. And that F-20? Beautiful! Also, this is the first time I’ve seen the ending of Area 88 in English!
Thanks Ryan. I couldn’t wait to depict this scene since it really is the climax of the whole story. I’m glad you enjoyed the ending… I’m pretty sure you won’t find it in English anywhere else. 😉
Hey strobez. Awesome work on the model. This is also my first time seeing the end of Area 88 in English. Do you know where I can purchase the full volumes of the manga, or at least have a link to the whole thing in English? I wasn’t able to finish reading the whole thing myself, and I’m dying top find out. Once again, great work.
– M. Ramer
Thanks Matthew! Glad you like the model. The ending of the Area 88 saga is so epic (and a bit heartbreaking), so I’m glad you got to see the end of it. It’s not available in English, but if you send me an email at strobez @ strobez.ca I might be able to give you some tips.
– Greg
Hey strobez. Sorry for the late reply, but I just sent the email asking where to find the complete manga of Area 88. Once again, great job 👏.
Matthew — The first 42 issues were translated into English by Eclipse and Viz Comics back in the 1980s. A few more issues were translated into English in Animerica magazine back in the 1990s. Issues 1-60 are available for free reading at Mangabuddy, and you can probably find hard copies on Amazon or eBay.
About 20 years ago, a fan translated the last 12 issues of the manga into English here. It’s text with no images: plotong.tripod.com/a88.html
Ah, that old Tripod page. Thanks to the lack of visual context I spent *2 decades* assuming Roundel was aboard Asran’s carrier & went down with it (instead of managing to catch & die stopping that Exocet missile but saving the ship). Our host has my thanks for clarifying that (plus much more later-installment stuff) on *their* fanpage, and thank *you* for the suggestions.
Awesome!!!
Illuminating to see the comparative size difference between the two aircraft.
Incredible linework on the F-20’s paint scheme, and there’s something morbidly hilarious about the Hornet’s final villain vehicle role here given its scads of Hollywood mil-industrial marketing roles from ‘Independence Day’ through that goddamn ‘Top Gun’ sequel. I’ll admit to headscratching WRT Shin still lugging drop tanks (or missiles) around at this juncture of the duel.
Thanks for the comment! Masking that tiny little F-20 was a pain, but it was a labour of love. As for the drop tanks/missiles. Shin is a bit “out of it” at the end of the manga (for reasons which become apparent in the story). So I suspect he just jumped in the cockpit as is… the red fog descended and he just didn’t care anymore.
Guess squinting at these panels just gave me a ‘wait, did Shin drop or shoot all that while Kanzaki was expositing??’ moment, though losing the fuel tanks off-panel makes sense enough. Also a bit funny Satoru’s conniving ass didn’t stack the deck with a bunch of Sidewinders or radar missiles, but hey, it’s clear he was in something of a rush about this too. I do like how this series is capped off with the *potential* that cycles of violence can be laid down.
Actually, probably my biggest complaint about the Area 88 manga is the idea that Shin basically has amnesia and forgets all about his experiences (both good and bad) at Area 88. It feels like such a copout… both in terms of being disrespectful to the memory of his friends and colleagues (if he doesn’t remember it, then their sacrifices meant nothing to a degree), and also to his own character development. Shin goes through several stages… sullen dupe… desperate to return… accepting of his fate… realizing he’s addicted to the mercenary lifestyle… finally getting past his addiction… realizing he still has a job to do… and numb to the pain. At the end he does try to break the cycle of violence… and then winds up forgetting everything.
In my “head cannon” Shin’s amnesia is only temporary, he goes through a period of mourning/reflection and then comes out the stronger for it… He and Ryoko go on to change the world… and then invests in a Formula 1 team and is the secret backer behind the Heart Group in Shintani’s manga, Gentle Man. 😉
BTW, HC… I sent you an email (to the address you’ve posted under).
Fair point(s) about the amnesia not really working with this story’s theme(s) unless it was framed as yet another tragedy. All told I suppose the plotlines driven by Taeko & Ryoko seem to get tied off in more satisfying fashion.