Hey everyone! I'm Oakii, a content creator who's completely obsessed with all things Gundam. First of all, a huge thank you to Doug for inviting me to write an article for the MSA Blog. I'm really excited to share a little bit about my Gundam journey!

Unlike a lot of longtime fans, I actually got into Gundam pretty recently during the Witch from Mercury era. I instantly fell in love with everything about it — the lovable characters, incredible soundtrack, gorgeous animation, and, of course, the mechanical perfection that is the Gundam Aerial. Before I knew it, I was completely hooked.

Naturally, one series wasn't enough. I dove headfirst into the Gundam rabbit hole and worked my way through many of the classics, including the original Mobile Suit Gundam, Char's Counterattack, SEED, 00, and Iron-Blooded Orphans. I even loved Build Fighters. If there's one thing I've learned, it's this: Gundam is an incredibly dangerous hobby. Your free time disappears, your wallet mysteriously empties, and you're convincing yourself that one more model kit is definitely a necessity.

If I had to pick a favorite today, it'd have to be Gundam Hathaway (and yes, I absolutely loved the second movie too, now bring on the final chapter!!).

Funny enough, I didn't come from a trading card game background either. I only discovered Gundam TCG because some friends invited me to the GD01 launch event. I had absolutely no clue what I was doing. I made every misplay imaginable, forgot effects, and probably confused my opponents as much as I confused myself.

But despite all of that... I had an amazing time.

The card art was stunning, the gameplay had so much depth, and more importantly, the community was incredibly welcoming. Everyone was happy to encourage and help new players improve. That supportive atmosphere made it impossible not to fall in love with the game.

Around that same time, I started my YouTube channel on a whim. I just wanted a place to share my pulls with friends and family and I never imagined it becoming anything more. But the deeper I fell into Gundam TCG, the more I wanted to improve my editing and share what I was learning with other players. Before long, what started as a casual hobby had grown into an amazing community of Gundam fans that I'm incredibly grateful for.

Of course, there was one small problem... I wasn't very good at the game yet.

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Since I couldn't always make it out to locals for practice, I started looking for other ways to improve. That's when I stumbled across MSA. It was still in its early days and didn't have all the awesome quality-of-life features it has now, but even then I could tell how polished it was. It quickly became my favorite way to test decks, practice matchups, and grind games whenever I had free time.

I'm genuinely grateful to Doug for dedicating so much of his own time to building something that's helped Gundam TCG players from all over the world learn, compete, and connect.

At that point, I hadn't won a single tournament, not even a Store Battle!

So after weeks of grinding Ranked on MSA, I was honestly shocked when I finally earned my very first black Winner Pack at locals. That moment felt surreal. Not long after, I managed to place Top 4 at the Haman NTC, and from there my Gundam TCG journey really took off.

As my channel continued to grow, so did my love for Gundam as a whole. I branched out into anime discussions, Gunpla, lore breakdowns, and just about anything Gundam-related that caught my attention. The more I explored, the more I realized just how massive and special this franchise really is. There's always another story to experience, another kit to build, or another theory to obsess over.

Looking ahead, I'm excited to keep creating even more content for everyone. Whether that's Gundam anime breakdowns, exclusive interviews, deck guides, or fun community projects. More than anything, I hope Gundam TCG continues to thrive for many years to come.

Thank you to everyone who's been part of this journey so far. Whether you've watched a video, played against me on MSA, or simply shared your love for Gundam, you've helped make this community such a fun place to be. I'll keep doing my best to help the game grow, welcome new players, and build a community that we'll all be proud to be part of.

See you on the battlefield fellow Newtype... and maybe in Ranked!