Gundam, Gundam Everywhere!
http://firefox.org/news/articles/1336/1/Gundam-Gundam-Everywhere/Page1.html
Phyl Good
By Phyl Good
Published on 03/25/2008
Lots of news for Gundam fans: unveiling of a bronze Gundam statue in the district of Tokyo near Sunrise Studios, upcoming Blu-Ray release of the Mobile Suit Gundam 00 series, and impending release of Season Two of the SD Gundam Force series. It's a great time to be a Gundam fan.
Gundam, Gundam Everywhere!
For fans of the various Gundam series, there's been quite a bit of news recently. Most of the sites reporting these developments tend to be Japanese, which is a bit problematic for those who don't read the language, but we'll summarize the important details here.
First, the new bronze Gundam monument was unveiled at Tokyo's Kamiigusa train station this past Sunday (March 23). The station is located in the city's Suginami ward, which many residents think of as "Gundam's town," since the Sunrise studios are situated nearby. In fact, so strongly do the residents identify with the several Gundam series that 2,400 of them signed a petition to have the statue erected. Two years and 20 million yen ($200,000 US) later, they finally have their wish.
The unveiling of the three-meter tall (approximately nine feet) statue was attended by Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise president Takayuki Yoshoii, among other dignitaries. The Japanese Gundam.Info site shows photos of the street, the crowds, and the statue itself towering over everyone. Even if you don't read Japanese, the photos clearly express the excitement surrounding the event, while the statue itself is very impressive.
TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System) News, meanwhile, provides a short video of the unveiling, and several live views of the statue and the crowd.
In other news, the official Japanese site (again you need to read the language) for the Mobile Suit Gundam 00 anime show has announced that the first two volumes of the series will be released for sale on Blu-Ray disc on August 22. Volume one will contain two episodes and cost about $50 US (5,040 yen), while the second will have four episodes for about $73 US (7,350 yen). The remaining five discs will be released one-per-month after that, for the same $73 / 7,350 yen price each.
Gundam 00 is the first Gundam series ever to be broadcast in high definition, so this release will be a big milestone for the anime franchise.
And thirdly, on a little lighter note, the RightStuf/Nozomi Entertainment site is allowing pre-orders of the DVD for the second season of the SD Gundam Force series. The second season of this show, which generally targets a younger audience than other Gundam series, has never yet been shown or officially released in North America, so this, too, will be a first for fans of all types of Gundam series. The retail price will be $49.98 US, but RightStuf is offering it for $37.49.
All in all, it's rather a nice time to be a Gundam fan.
First, the new bronze Gundam monument was unveiled at Tokyo's Kamiigusa train station this past Sunday (March 23). The station is located in the city's Suginami ward, which many residents think of as "Gundam's town," since the Sunrise studios are situated nearby. In fact, so strongly do the residents identify with the several Gundam series that 2,400 of them signed a petition to have the statue erected. Two years and 20 million yen ($200,000 US) later, they finally have their wish.
The unveiling of the three-meter tall (approximately nine feet) statue was attended by Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise president Takayuki Yoshoii, among other dignitaries. The Japanese Gundam.Info site shows photos of the street, the crowds, and the statue itself towering over everyone. Even if you don't read Japanese, the photos clearly express the excitement surrounding the event, while the statue itself is very impressive.
TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System) News, meanwhile, provides a short video of the unveiling, and several live views of the statue and the crowd.
In other news, the official Japanese site (again you need to read the language) for the Mobile Suit Gundam 00 anime show has announced that the first two volumes of the series will be released for sale on Blu-Ray disc on August 22. Volume one will contain two episodes and cost about $50 US (5,040 yen), while the second will have four episodes for about $73 US (7,350 yen). The remaining five discs will be released one-per-month after that, for the same $73 / 7,350 yen price each.
Gundam 00 is the first Gundam series ever to be broadcast in high definition, so this release will be a big milestone for the anime franchise.
And thirdly, on a little lighter note, the RightStuf/Nozomi Entertainment site is allowing pre-orders of the DVD for the second season of the SD Gundam Force series. The second season of this show, which generally targets a younger audience than other Gundam series, has never yet been shown or officially released in North America, so this, too, will be a first for fans of all types of Gundam series. The retail price will be $49.98 US, but RightStuf is offering it for $37.49.
All in all, it's rather a nice time to be a Gundam fan.