The life-sized replica of the classic RX-78-2 Gundam, which has been a major attraction at the Yokohama Gundam Base in Tokyo Bay since December 2020, has bid its final goodbye. The 18-meter tall mechanized marvel, known for its advanced mechanics and ability to perform rudimentary movements, was a tribute to the original main mobile suit of the 1979 anime.
The Gundam, which saw nearly 2 million visits during its run, was sent off with a grand finale exhibition. The event featured luminaries from across the franchise’s history, including a few words from Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino. A combined fireworks and drone display lit up Tokyo Bay with moving recreations of key moments from the franchise’s history, such as Amuro’s duel with Char at the climax of the original Gundam, and depictions of several major characters from across the franchise’s now 45-year history.
While the Yokohama Gundam is no more, there are still several life-sized robotic tributes to Mobile Suit Gundam across Japan. The future may see another giant Gundam come to Japan, but for now, it’s goodbye to the country’s most famous attempt to bring the dream of a life-sized functional extrapolation of humanity’s capacity to commit violence on its own form to reality.
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