Giant Gundam statue returns with beam saber to threaten Mt. Fuji

Want to make a giant Gundam monument more better? Give it a beam saber and erect it just 45 minutes outside of Tokyo by bullet train. The resurrected 18-meter (59-foot) tall RX-78-2 mech will replace the dismantled 30th anniversary statue built at Shiokaze Park, complete with smoke, dramatic lighting effects, and animatronic head. Look for it outside of the Shizuoka station in July assuming the latest LHC collisions don't delay things by inadvertently destroying the mecha in a cloud of Minovsky particles. One more mock-up after the break.

[monster Posted Mar 22nd 2010 7:49AM]

Robots with lightsabers will be cool forever

[PlatinumSkeet Posted Mar 22nd 2010 10:39AM]

@monster

I'm just a fan of bigass robots... GO VOLTRON!!!

[Kavoriken Posted Mar 22nd 2010 12:00PM]

@monster

Looks like hes wiping the floor. Housekeeper Robot to the rescue!

[Samurai Jack Posted Mar 22nd 2010 1:25PM]

@monster Chicks dig giant robots.

[JS Posted Mar 22nd 2010 7:50AM]

45 minutes by bullet train or even car is still quite a distance away.

[Prevacator Posted Mar 22nd 2010 7:53AM]

I just got a smile from the Minovsky particle comment. Somebody knows his Gundam terminology. :)

[num0 Posted Mar 22nd 2010 8:01AM]

@Prevacator
Did you integrate the Gawaraski Circuitly I gave you to your Gundam?

[Kamokazi Posted Mar 22nd 2010 12:05PM]

@Prevacator

Ditto. I want to go home and start watching all the UC series in sequence now. I just know that will consume the better part of a month...

[lecti Posted Mar 22nd 2010 2:22PM]

@Prevacator nerd_point++

[MosesusedaniPad Posted Mar 22nd 2010 8:03AM]

Those Japanese are really into that weird robot stuff.

[Twoleaf Posted Mar 22nd 2010 10:09AM]

@MosesusedaniPad
yeah.. I'm waiting for someone to marry this giant robot. imagine the honeymoon on the bahamas

[Tagbert Posted Mar 22nd 2010 11:36AM]

Gundam + Swiffer > Roomba

[canarsieville Posted Mar 22nd 2010 8:05AM]

Is that a real robot?

[Don G Posted Mar 22nd 2010 8:19AM]

Not yet..
But they've built it once, planning to do it again... i see Japan as the new world power :-)

[MeepMo Posted Mar 22nd 2010 9:27AM]

@canarsieville
Wait till Google gets a hold of it...

[onlymyrailgun Posted Mar 22nd 2010 11:33AM]

@MeepMo
Google Gundam....

SOMEBODY STOP THEM!

[HikaKao Posted Mar 22nd 2010 8:11AM]

How old is the Gundam series now? Also, sorta cool, even though I haven't gotten around to see any Gundam series.

[GenericMessage Posted Mar 22nd 2010 8:25AM]

@HikaKao

First started in 1979 so........31 years old.


And STILL awesome

[Wiggy Fuzz Posted Mar 22nd 2010 8:15AM]

when it's dark i'm gonna totally the nearest equivalent to car jack this thing.

[TheBennettBrigade Posted Mar 22nd 2010 8:34AM]

This should be the Japanese Statue of Liberty.

[Bratyr Posted Mar 22nd 2010 9:22AM]

@TheBennettBrigade
There's already a japanese statue of liberty on Odaiba, Tokyo bay, certainly made me go WTF when I saw it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Replicas_of_the_Statue_of_Liberty#Japan

[TypeMRT Posted Mar 22nd 2010 10:27AM]

I know what you mean. It's like how are you RWALLY supposed to know that there's a Statue of Liberty in Tokyo.

[Chad Posted Mar 22nd 2010 11:21AM]

@TheBennettBrigadeFrom the right angle you can get a picture of the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower (and the Rainbow Bridge) in the same shot.

[onlymyrailgun Posted Mar 22nd 2010 11:37AM]

@TheBennettBrigade
The one in Odaiba is bigger than the Statue of Liberty over there :p

[TheBennettBrigade Posted Mar 22nd 2010 11:43AM]

@onlymyrailgun

I realize that the Statue of Liberty might not hold the same cultural or historical meaning to the Japanese, but it warms my heart to see where their priorities lie.

[manIK Posted Mar 22nd 2010 8:53AM]

Ugh. Why? *facepalm*

[shadowj0 Posted Mar 22nd 2010 9:11AM]

@manIK

Have you watched any Gundam series?

[dingus Posted Mar 22nd 2010 9:20AM]

It's Mega-Maid!

[grahamj Posted Mar 22nd 2010 10:36AM]

@dingus She's gone from suck... to blow!

[manIK Posted Mar 22nd 2010 9:20AM]

I'm sure that would only make it any less ridiculous if I had.

[n1hmrd Posted Mar 22nd 2010 9:50AM]

giant robots will be bringing terror to a high street near you soon!

[grydlok Posted Mar 22nd 2010 10:10AM]

This picture really looks like something from Robot Chicken

[kiden Posted Mar 22nd 2010 10:29AM]

I WANT ONE!

[Post31 Posted Mar 22nd 2010 10:36AM]

IT'S A GUNDAM!!!!!!!!

[Prevacator Posted Mar 22nd 2010 3:20PM]

@Post31
THERE'S A GUNDAM DOWN HERE!

Oh shit, this reminds of me of the commercials Toonami used to air for Gundam Wing. My favorite part was the portion with Zechs where he screams "FOOOOOLS!" and powers up his Tallgeese into full force.

Shit, I just nostalgia'd.

[inertone Posted Mar 22nd 2010 10:39AM]

they should totally give the statue a liberty a light saber too!

[Eternal Density Posted Mar 22nd 2010 7:30PM]

@inertone
But Liberty's a girl, so an erect beam saber wouldn't apply.

[TypeMRT Posted Mar 22nd 2010 10:40AM]

Well now this is awkward. I already used  the "once in a lifetime giant robot in Japan" excuse on my fiancée last year when I went. She's too smart to fall for that twice. But that doesn't mean I won't try to go again.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2576/3787346213_4421932cef_b.jpg

[inertone Posted Mar 22nd 2010 11:30AM]

@TypeMRT
hahaha
wont hurt to try!
im totally using that excuse on my girlfriend!

[Guardius Posted Mar 22nd 2010 11:37AM]

You guys keep sleeping on the Japanese. They are building the tools of our demise right before our very eyes. Let me guess, the next ones will be able to walk. Then they'll take pilots.

[onlymyrailgun Posted Mar 22nd 2010 11:40AM]

Out with a new series already! The current season doesn't seem to feature any mecha series, but the next season should begin in a week or two. Maybe I'll pick up a magazine to see what they have in store.

[washingtonegasgmailcom Posted Mar 22nd 2010 11:46AM]

I want Mazinger-Z the original giant robot

[Harrison Posted Mar 22nd 2010 1:14PM]

Japan is the coolest country ever.

[Sieg Posted Mar 22nd 2010 1:31PM]

Any way Engadget could do a contest giveaway to go see this thing? I have been a Gundam nerd all my life and have always wanted to see this thing.

[ineser Posted Mar 22nd 2010 5:14PM]

Ahh the huge gundam display is back!

[Alaind Posted Mar 22nd 2010 6:34PM]

Métamorphose !

Goldorak GO !
Goldorak, transfert !

autolargue !

Goldorak, fulguro-poing !

Goldorak, corno-fulgur !

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xlkmu_goldorak-65-un-grand-entre-les-gran

[Inspector Gadget80 Posted Mar 22nd 2010 9:36PM]

IT'S A GUNDAM, AHHHHHHh!!!!!! I would love to have that GIANT ROBOT. Original Gundam better than WING ZERO.