Japan's Life-Sized Gundam to Make a Return

John Funk

U.N. Owen Was Him?
Dec 20, 2005
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Japan's Life-Sized Gundam to Make a Return



Did you miss the giant 1:1 scale Gundam statue in Odaiba, Japan? You'll have a second chance soon enough, as the life-sized Mobile Suit will be making an encore appearance next summer.

When work finished last June [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/92322-Japan-Finishes-Life-Size-Gundam] on the 59-foot, full-scale statue of the iconic RX-78-2 Gundam from the groundbreaking mecha anime Mobile Suit Gundam, viewers here in the West naturally had more than a few questions. But beyond questions like, "How much did this thing cost," and "Why the hell would you build something like this," (the answers to which are "quite a bit" and "because it's awesome," respectively), the weirdest thing about the statue was that it was only a temporary thing. They were building something that was incredibly expensive and incredibly badass, and they were going to take it down after only a few short months.

Despite according to Japanese news site Sanspo [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/94397-Typhoon-Delays-Deconstruction-of-Gundam-Statue].

This time, though, the Gundam won't be standing guard over Odaiba, but rather the city of Shizuoka. To be precise, it will be standing at the eastern exit of the Japan Rail Higashi-Shizuoka Station, which serves about 60,400 commuters every day (at least, if Wikipedia is to be believed [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shizuoka_Station]). While this might seem random, Shizuoka actually has a connection with the Gundam franchise, as it is home to the factory that produces all of Bandai's model kits. So those tiny plastic Gundams (14 of which are sitting on my desk right now) will be getting a very, very big brother soon enough.

It's unclear if this will be a permanent home for the statue or merely a temporary one like its appearance in Odaiba - personally, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the former. Something this cool should be made to stand tall through the ages, so that in the distant future after humanity has all but wiped itself out in nuclear war and our distant descendants (after rebuilding) unearth the remains in an archeological dig they can label it as one of the gods that their ancestors must have worshiped. One thing is clear, though: I believe I speak for everyone here when I say, hell the f*ck yes!

Mobile Suit Gundam was a 1979 anime set in a future where humanity had established space colonies, several of which rebelled and fought to destroy those still living on Earth. Directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, the series would establish the "real robot" genre, which treated giant robots as military hardware rather than the magical superheroes of the "super robot" genre like Voltron. The Gundam metaseries is one of Japan's longest-running and most prolific animated franchises, and is a perfect example of why Japanese mecha are infinitely more badass than the walking crates-on-legs that make up the majority of "Western" mecha.

Megas XLR exempted, of course.

(Kotaku [http://www.dannychoo.com/post/en/25329/Gundam+Shizuoka.html])

(Image [http://www.flickr.com/photos/dannychoo/4207084399/])

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Aeryn Seoung

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Aug 21, 2009
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The first one was bad enough.
If they're going to build the damn things, at least make them semi-operational?
 

Emphraim

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Mar 27, 2009
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Everytime I hear about this, my heart crys out in nerdgasmic joy.

I hope it does eventually find a permanent home, so that one day in the hopefully not too distant future I can visit Japan and see this awe-inspiring giant myself.
 

Armored Prayer

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Mar 10, 2009
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Awesome there going to rebuilt it.
and is a perfect example of why Japanese mecha are infinitely more badass than the walking crates-on-legs that make up the majority of "Western" mecha.
I can care less which are more badass than the other. All giant robots/walkers/mechs are badass in my book regardless of where they hail from.
 

Distorted Stu

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Sep 22, 2009
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I wish i could see that, is a once in a lifetime chance to see somethign that cool. I hope it stays there, its a nice tribute to the toy manifacturer & a good warning to Godzilla if he ever wants to try and fuck with Shizuoka.
 

Amnestic

High Priest of Haruhi
Aug 22, 2008
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Funk said:
One thing is clear, though: I believe I speak for everyone here when I say, hell the f*ck yes!
You took the words right out of my mouth
Must have been while you were - ah, nevermind.

Funk said:
The Gundam metaseries is one of Japan's longest-running and most prolific animated franchises, and is a perfect example of why Japanese mecha are infinitely more badass than the walking crates-on-legs that make up the majority of "Western" mecha.
To add to this:
Gundam Unicorn (luls) starts its animated run in March, with the Gundam 00 film also running sometime in 2010.

Shuichi Ikeda (aka Char) is making a return to the Gundam series (after his last role as Gundam SEED Detiny character Gilbert Dulandal) as the 'Masked Man' character in Gundam Unicorn and if the trailer is anything to go by, it'll be awesome.

Here's to 30 years of Gundam.
 

Jared

The British Paladin
Jul 14, 2009
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Emphraim said:
Everytime I hear about this, my heart crys out in nerdgasmic joy.

I hope it does eventually find a permanent home, so that one day in the hopefully not too distant future I can visit Japan and see this awe-inspiring giant myself.
Much the same here! To be able to see it in person would be so much of an honour!!!
 

dalek sec

Leader of the Cult of Skaro
Jul 20, 2008
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Kalezian said:
[blockquote]Megas XLR doesn't count.[/blockquote]

AHAH! GET Hi-wait, doesnt count? awww, now I have to put back my pillaging bucket.

it was a good show anyways.


OT: why is Japan still teasing us, I bet anything that its a real working war machine. The only reason why they are showing it off is for us to think its only a statue, and then :boom: Zaku's everywhere.



you heard it here first, I call it!
Why do those Zaku's look cheap as hell?
 

hansari

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May 31, 2009
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I remember saying how crazy they were for dismantling the Gundam...this just goes to show they were lying the whole time. In fact, I bet their preparing a whole fleet of Gundams as we gawk at this one...
 

John Funk

U.N. Owen Was Him?
Dec 20, 2005
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lordlee said:
We move ever closer to the day of the giant robot. I am happy about this.
Gildan Bladeborn said:
This story would be so much cooler if the mech in question was an Imperator Titan. Just saying.
And it begins. Christ guys, I like 40k too, but there's no need to harp on about Western Mechs vs Eastern Mechs all the time.

And as for you John, you know as well as any that Megas is really from the Eastern school.
Well, yes. And to be fair, I did start it :p

Simriel said:
I would still rather see a 1:1 scale Battletech Atlas.
Gildan Bladeborn said:
This story would be so much cooler if the mech in question was an Imperator Titan. Just saying.
I think Titans just look silly, myself. And the Atlas isn't even one of the good-looking Battletech designs :p
 

Gigaguy64

Special Zero Unit
Apr 22, 2009
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Awesome.
This is really cool, and i was wondering what was going to happen to it after they had it taken down.

Now all we need is the God Gundam and a Buster G.....just saying.
 

Amnestic

High Priest of Haruhi
Aug 22, 2008
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hansari said:
I remember saying how crazy they were for dismantling the Gundam...this just goes to show they were lying the whole time. In fact, I bet their preparing a whole fleet of Gundams as we gawk at this one...
Not just Gundams. Don't forget that Gigantor statue they made/are making (I forget if they finished it. I'm fairly certain they did.)

CantFaketheFunk said:
I think Titans just look silly, myself. And the Atlas isn't even one of the good-looking Battletech designs :p
I'll take Timber Wolf for 300, John.