China's Knockoff Gundam Suddenly Vanishes

John Funk

U.N. Owen Was Him?
Dec 20, 2005
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China's Knockoff Gundam Suddenly Vanishes



Japan's giant Gundam statue has triumphed in the battle of the giant robots, crushing an oddly-colored knockoff that stood above a Chinese amusement park in Sichuan.

Once upon a time, people in Japan built a 60-foot (18-meter) statue built a knockoff [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_225/6705-Pilgrimage-to-Mecha] version of the statue, albeit one that was smaller and considerably more orange.

Infuriated Japanese internet users raged at the theft of one of their national pop culture icons, reports the AFP [http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ie6_ai_DXEqpEWY3fdFXnJ7mZHGg?docId=CNG.35fe9afbf5c0253f885080ba82e9784c.271], with one saying that it should be named "Gansaku" (Japanese for "counterfeit") instead of "Gandamu," and another calling the knockoff out on its frankly horrendous coloring scheme.

With Japan's Sotsu Co. - the organization that handles merchandising and trademark issues for the iconic sci-fi franchise - mobilizing its suits, it seems that any potential battle has been forestalled: The Sichuan Gundam has vanished without a trace. Witnesses told the AFP that the statue had been removed from the premises.

Officials at Floraland theme park denied the statue's existence on Monday. This goes against earlier claims that the statue was an original design - despite the prominent "EFSF" and "WB" logos on its shoulders (standing for "Earth Federation Space Force" and "White Base," respectively). Of course, it also goes against all photographic evidence, but who's counting?

I'm going to choose to believe that the statue hasn't actually gone anywhere; it was merely equipped with a Mirage Colloid system allowing it to turn invisible. Granted, that doesn't make much of a tourist attraction, but it's the principle of the thing.

Even without the Gundam statue, Floraland may not be out of hot water yet: Japan's Fuji TV network captured images of statues of characters from the classic action series Ultraman.

(The AFP [http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ie6_ai_DXEqpEWY3fdFXnJ7mZHGg?docId=CNG.35fe9afbf5c0253f885080ba82e9784c.271])

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Apr 28, 2008
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It was highjacked by a scrappy young hero who's now using it to cruise around the solar system righting wrongs and discovering new things with a rag-tag bunch of friends.

Or thats what I would do... and unless some more solid evidence comes forward, thats what I'm going with.
 

DeadlyYellow

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Jun 18, 2008
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Pfft. China is the Somalia of intellectual property. I'm surprised they're still fazed by these stunts anymore.

Although China and Japan do have a pretty hostile relationship.
 

Evilsanta

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Apr 12, 2010
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They said that it never existed? They really dodged that bullet.

Damn...I want a big robot statue in my country too...
 

Sinclair Solutions

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Jul 22, 2010
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Who the FUCK would steal a giant model robot? How could they? It's just under 60 feet! It's not like someone can just sneak it under their shirt.
 

John Funk

U.N. Owen Was Him?
Dec 20, 2005
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Irridium said:
It was highjacked by a scrappy young hero who's now using it to cruise around the solar system righting wrongs and discovering new things with a rag-tag bunch of friends.

Or thats what I would do... and unless some more solid evidence comes forward, thats what I'm going with.
Oh damn, I should totally have made the Gundamjack joke instead of the Mirage Colloid one.
 

Armored Prayer

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Mar 10, 2009
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Maybe the robot got bored of standing there and blasted off to the stars.

That or a really sneaky thief.
 

Jandau

Smug Platypus
Dec 19, 2008
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Chinese have a pretty solid track record for pretending stuff never happened, be it student protestors on certain squares or giant robot statues... :p
 

whaleswiththumbs

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Feb 13, 2009
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I love the stereotype that was involved at this amusement park. They just claimed it was never there.... haha, it reminds me of some movies.
 

matrix3509

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Sep 24, 2008
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China just can't let anything go. They always have to place first in the "Who has the biggest dick" contest. Frankly, its getting tiring.
 

-IT-

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Feb 5, 2008
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mazzjammin22 said:
Who the FUCK would steal a giant model robot? How could they? It's just under 60 feet! It's not like someone can just sneak it under their shirt.
Who wouldn't?
 

SomeLameStuff

What type of steak are you?
Apr 26, 2009
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You know China, the "it was never there" excuse only works if there's one crazy guy babbling about it or one hazy photograph. If you have a whole bunch of people who see it and a clear as day picture, THINK OF SOMETHING NEW!

Then again, it is the same country who explained that one guy got bruises and broken bones from sunstroke.

On an off note, what was the robot model made of? Plastic or metal?
 

icame

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Aug 4, 2010
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This whole cover up scheme works about as well as when in Transformers 2 they said that the government covered up the giant robot attack that was literally in front of THOUSANDS of people.
 

HentMas

The Loneliest Jedi
Apr 17, 2009
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"hey man, where is that robot??"
"Which one?"
"The one 60 ft tall!!"
"OH!!! the one we painted yellow??"
"YEAH!"
"Oh, yeah, it never existed"
...
...
...
"riiiiiiiiiight"

hahaha

this seems like an amazing premise fore a movie, like "Dude, where is my gundam?"

hahaha
 

TheAmazingHobo

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Oct 26, 2010
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Dammit, this was our ONE chance to have Japan and China settle their disputes via the medium of giant robots punching each other.
But people HAD to fuck it up with their copyright whining.

Also, there is a Monty Pyton sketch somewhere in there...

HentMas said:
"hey man, where is that robot??"
"Which one?"
"The one 60 ft tall!!"
"OH!!! the one we painted yellow??"
"YEAH!"
"Oh, yeah, it never existed"
...
...
...
"riiiiiiiiiight"
Ah, there it is.