On October 23, Bandai Namco Holdings unveiled the life-size Gundam statue at the site of the upcoming Osaka-Kansai Expo, alongside new information about their GUNDAM NEXT FUTURE PAVILION.

The pavilion, designed to resemble a futuristic space airport, stands next to the 17-meter tall life-size Gundam statue, "RX-78F00/E."

The exhibit envisions life in space and advanced technologies, ideas long depicted in the Gundam series, but now showcased as possibilities for humanity’s future. Visitors will be immersed in a newly created visual experience across seven phases, allowing them to experience a future where traveling to space via orbital elevators and living in space stations are part of everyday life. The Mobile Suits, traditionally portrayed as combat machines, will now be presented in a new light, taking on roles that reflect their coexistence with humanity.

STORY

The Mobile Suit Gundam series, which first aired in 1979, introduced the concept of the "Universal Century," a fictional era where humans live in space and Mobile Suits like Gundam exist.

The space depicted in the series wasn’t a distant fantasy, but rather a plausible future vision—a future many have dreamt of. This dream began to take form in reality with the creation of the 18-meter "Moving Gundam" in Yokohama in 2020, driven by the passion and technology of many devoted fans.

That project offered a small glimpse into the world of the Universal Century. Now, we are reimagining the Universal Century in today’s real world by blending Gundam with cutting-edge technologies, creating programs that turn dreams and hopes for the future into reality.

At the Osaka-Kansai Expo, we aim to take the vision of the future we saw with the "Moving Gundam" in Yokohama one step further and share it with the world.

Imagine easily traveling to space stations via orbital elevators or Mobile Suits becoming everyday companions, coexisting with humanity. The GUNDAM NEXT FUTURE PAVILION will portray a world where living in space is a natural part of life.

After experiencing this new vision of space, visitors will again face the life-size Gundam statue. Its pose—kneeling with its arm raised, pointing toward the sky—symbolizes humanity’s aspiration to pioneer the next era of space exploration together with Gundam.

The future where humans live in space is slowly but surely approaching. And when that day comes, we believe Gundam will no longer be a weapon, but a partner living alongside us, in this new vision of the Universal Century.

Official Site

Source : ORICON NEWS