30 Minutes note Missions (abbreviated as "30MM") is a model kit series developed by Bandai Spirits. It consists of mass-produced mecha units with modular runner placements, interchangeable parts and limitless possibilities of customization. True to its name, all the kits can be built in approximately 30 minutes, and the 3mm adapters are compatible with all of the previous High Grade model kits developed by Bandai, allowing the players to create their own Ace Custom units from scratch.
It is the year 2XXX. Several decades earlier, Earth's history was forever changed by the "Skyfall" incident, when a spatial transition portal known as the "Gate" briefly appeared in orbit. This mysterious Gate spurred the development of a new weapon of war: the Extended Armament & Module Assemble & Combine System, or EXAMACS, a type of mass-produced mecha unit with modular and interchangeable parts, allowing them to adapt to various environments and situations easily. With the rise of EXAMACS, Earth's balance of power shifted and countless new conflicts broke out. However, the subsequent appearance of a second orbital Gate brought with it a new threat in the form of an alien invasion force from the planet Bailon with its own EXAMACS of comparable sophistication. All of Earth's nations banded together as the Earth Alliance to defend against Bailon, and a war for control of the planet unfolded. Most recently, a third faction, Maxion, entered the fray via a third Gate after detecting Gate technology experiments being conducted by the Earth Alliance. Seeking to monopolize control of the Gates, Maxion dealt severe blows to the forces of both Earth and Bailon with its more advanced EXAMACS, turning the war into a three-way struggle with no end in sight.
Bandai Spirits debuted a sub-line called 30 Minutes Sisters ("30MS") in 2021, featuring Mecha Musume versions of the mecha akin to Frame Arms Girls, Megami Device and Busou Shinki. The storyline is implied to take place in the same universe as 30 Minutes Missions, but the setting is the year 3XXX. A device called the "Symbiosis Terminal" gives rise to digital lifeforms called "Sisters", who become indispensable assistants in the everyday lives of humans. One day, a Gate to another world appears, and humans must guide the Sisters in confronting the unknown threats of that world.
A second sub-line, called "30 Minutes Fantasy" ("30MF") is set to release in August 2024, featuring a more medieval theming with a base body that can have different knight-styled armor attached to it.
On October 28, 2023, Bandai announced a collaboration with FromSoftware to produce a line of Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon model kits under the 30MM brand. The first kits are planned to release in 2024.
The 30MM official website is found here
. The 30MS official website is found here.
30 Minutes Tropes:
- Ace Custom: Even though the units are meant to be mass-produced units, you can attach various armor parts and weapons to build your own unique unit.
- All There in the Manual: It's not till the third wave models (including the Alto Flight Type) that we start seeing the official storyline in the instruction manuals.
- Similar information is seen at the Official Japanese website.
- Some of the backstory was also made by fans who submitted 30MM models to Bandai for judging. You can see them here.
- Similar information is seen at the Official Japanese website
- Awesome Backpack: Option Parts Set 8 has a large, Ground Gundam-style container for storing a foldable bazooka.
- Badass Cape: Option Parts Set 14 Multi-Cloth features various capes and scarves for your ExAMACS.
- BFG: Various weapon and vehicle sets features guns bigger than the ExAMACS themselves. Played straight with the Cannon Bike EAV and Option Parts Set 11 Large Cannon/Arm unit.
- BFS: The giant swords from Option Parts Set 3, Energy Weapons and Heavy Weapons 1 Customize Weapon sets. The latter of which can be slightly extended with the included tomahawk.
- The Cameo: Their first appearance in live action media, as part of an otaku school doctor's collection in Girl Gun Lady (which incidentally has nothing to do with 30 Minutes Sisters)
- Crossover: Outside of the upcoming collaboration with Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, 30 Minutes Sisters has had two crossovers so far, one with Uma Musume and one with THE iDOLM@STER: Shiny Colors. Interestingly, while the model of Uma Musume's Tokai Teio kept with the more cybernetic aesthetic with the rest of 30MS, the crossover with Shiny Colors retains the franchise's more grounded and realistic designs that, minus the various compatibility parts, they probably would fit more in line with the Figure-Rise Standard line.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: For both 30MM and 30MS, early kits were very bare and limited on accessories, with more focus on additional expansion parts to alter the standard look of the units. As the lines progressed, kits included more accessories, particularly themed ones: For example the Spinatio coming with samurai, knight or ninja-themed parts, or Neverlia and Ilshana having a demonic theme. Colour variants of 30MM kits began to get rarer, where situations like the early Alto kits being produced in several colours per wave simply ceased to occur.
- Gatling Good: A small version was originally included in a weapon set for the Portanova. An even bigger one was included with the Gatling Unit set, complete with an ammo drum that can be mounted anywhere on the ExAMACS.
- Humongous Mecha: The kits are in 1/144 scale like the rest of the High Grade model kits made by Bandai/Bandai Spirits, meaning that they're almost as tall as a Mobile Suit. In universe, you have the Provodel, a gigantic mecha that can be piloted by an Alto unit.
- Mecha Expansion Pack: The Option Armor and Option Weapon sets provide additional armor parts and weapons for your EXAMACS units. They also happen to be literal expansion packs as they are sold separately.
- Mook Mobile: The major selling point of the series is that you can easily build an army of mass-produced grunt units, taking 30 minutes or less per unit if you skip the panel lining and painting.
- Palette Swap: The ExAMACS units and Option Armor parts are available in various different colors, allowing you to mix-and-match the color palettes if you have multiple kits with different colors. As of the start of 2020, they come in a total of 11 colors note , and every Alto shares a color with a Portanova, including the ones with add-on weapon setsnote . Not surprisingly, this also extends to the add-on sets (Alto and Portanova armor, and even the Mecha Expansion Pack vehicles) except for the weapons and parts (which are all a uniform grey).
- The later units were released in fewer color schemes, most notably the Espossito and Forestieri coming in two color schemes and both Gardonova and Revernova coming only in one color and part variants.
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Spiritual Successor: The idea of interchangeable sci-fi weaponry that attaches to the figures recalls the American toy line Centurions, as well as Mecha Musume franchises such as Busou Shinki, Frame Arms Girls and Megami Device. - This Is a Drill: The tip of a lance from Option Parts 3 can be swapped for a drill.
