Jᴀᴄᴜʀᴜᴛᴜ - Tʜᴇ Cᴀsᴛ Oᴜᴛ

Okay, perhaps we already knew that. But the Japanese have built a full sized giant robot statue, known as the Gundam (a popular giant robot from an ongoing and near 30-year-old franchise of animated children's shows).

18.5 meter Gundam statue built upon Odaiba, a large artificial island in Tokyo, Japan

Now, my unhealthy love for science fiction robots (giant or otherwise) is well known, but even I would have to question the choice of building a 1/1 scale giant robot just for display. I mean, sure there is precedent with statues and monuments. But statues are supposed to be built only for boring, old, dead guys...and Freddie Mercury. Perhaps there is some cultural background I'm missing. I know the Japanese have an obsession with robots and technology that rivals even my adoration, but to build a statue of a kid's show that isn't inside a theme park? SandChigger, care to enlighten us?

Connection's too slow to view the viddy now, but there was a short article with a photo on the next-to-last page of Asahi Shimbun this morning.

Evidently it's to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the animé and it's also being used in tie-ins with the Tokyo Olympic bid (I forget for what year; something about the proposed logo to show up on it at some point) and some "GREEN TOKYO" eco campaign.

They're still putting the finishing touches on it; supposedly there will be lights at 50 locations on the statue. Blah blah blah.


Yes, they're insane, but that shouldn't come as news and it's a big part of their lovableness. The norms are so boring that talking to them for more than five minutes usually causes your head to implode.

That thing... is AWESOME! Of course, I'd probably be one of the innocent civilians that would need to be avenged than its kick-ass pilot.

My Chigga
Wow. I mean it's cool, don't get me wrong. I just didn't realize it had so much significance. I mean, it would be like us building a giant Homer Simpson statue in a bid for the Olympic Games. Not saying some wouldn't, but in an official, national capacity? Probably not

Tleszer
The requirements to be a Gundam pilot aren't that high

BB
If you build it, I will come over for the BBQ

Now Why don't they build a 1:1 model of the Macross SDF-1 !! (better if it was functional) And you guys in America build a 1:1 NCC-1701 Enterprise!

SandChigger wrote:The norms are so boring that talking to them for more than five minutes usually causes your head to implode.

thinking about it, i won't say a word of what you said about japanese to my wife
she'll implode your head, or mine more likely

(watashi no tsuma wa nihon-jin desu)

As is usual these days the rest of the World follows where the United Kingdom of Great Britain leads the way. We've been honouring Sci-Fi T.V. creations in our civic centres for years now, I can't think of a major Town without a 1:1 representation of a T.A.R.D.I.S.

ionah wrote:thinking about it, i won't say a word of what you said about japanese to my wife
she'll implode your head, or mine more likely

Oh, dude, no! You're not supposed to MARRY them!

(watashi no tsuma wa nihon-jin desu)

Sore wa sore wa, gokurousama desuuuuuuuu!

GamePlayer wrote:My Chigga
Wow. I mean it's cool, don't get me wrong. I just didn't realize it had so much significance. I mean, it would be like us building a giant Homer Simpson statue in a bid for the Olympic Games. Not saying some wouldn't, but in an official, national capacity? Probably not

That's an inspired idea.

ionah wrote:

SandChigger wrote:The norms are so boring that talking to them for more than five minutes usually causes your head to implode.

thinking about it, i won't say a word of what you said about japanese to my wife
she'll implode your head, or mine more likely

(watashi no tsuma wa nihon-jin desu)

Obviously, you didn't read the fine print before you married.
(Btw, very polite Japanese usage...yep, she's got you whipped already. )
There's a saying in Japan..."A good husband is healthy and gone."
Ask her about the quote and notice the eyes hardening as you do.
"Then you'll know...Oh, then you'll know"<cheesy Baron impersonation>.
Yuz screwed.

Mr. Teg wrote:Obviously, you didn't read the fine print before you married.
(Btw, very polite Japanese usage...yep, she's got you whipped already. )
There's a saying in Japan..."A good husband is healthy and gone."
Ask her about the quote and notice the eyes hardening as you do.
"Then you'll know...Oh, then you'll know"<cheesy Baron impersonation>.
Yuz screwed.

soooooooo true

may i place an annoucement here about me looking for another wife ?

Not impressed. Looks like it's made of Styrofoam. I prefer the metalic "mech" style robots, at least from a visual perspective. How mech's are used in certain stories is another matter.

ionah wrote:

Mr. Teg wrote:Obviously, you didn't read the fine print before you married.
(Btw, very polite Japanese usage...yep, she's got you whipped already. )
There's a saying in Japan..."A good husband is healthy and gone."
Ask her about the quote and notice the eyes hardening as you do.
"Then you'll know...Oh, then you'll know"<cheesy Baron impersonation>.
Yuz screwed.

soooooooo true

may i place an annoucement here about me looking for another wife ?

Hmmm...not getting through here.

inhuien wrote:As is usual these days the rest of the World follows where the United Kingdom of Great Britain leads the way. We've been honouring Sci-Fi T.V. creations in our civic centres for years now, I can't think of a major Town without a 1:1 representation of a T.A.R.D.I.S.

My local one is at the BP garage - tucked away next to the car wash...

inhuien wrote:As is usual these days the rest of the World follows where the United Kingdom of Great Britain leads the way. We've been honouring Sci-Fi T.V. creations in our civic centres for years now, I can't think of a major Town without a 1:1 representation of a T.A.R.D.I.S.

Actually, I think the British doing something that everyone has already seen is called simply "low budget"

chanilover wrote:

GamePlayer wrote:My Chigga
Wow. I mean it's cool, don't get me wrong. I just didn't realize it had so much significance. I mean, it would be like us building a giant Homer Simpson statue in a bid for the Olympic Games. Not saying some wouldn't, but in an official, national capacity? Probably not

That's an inspired idea.

Maybe for a Bar Mitzvah

Baraka Bryan wrote:

GamePlayer wrote: BB
If you build it, I will come over for the BBQ

it i were to build a giant robot for my backyard, it would probably be of Bender from Futurama.

Uh, maybe it would be better to build the lobster-looking guy? You know, lobster - bbq? BBQ - lobster? Yeah, THAT!

Mmmmm, lobster-making robot

Some fella at an image website I visit posted pictures of the Gundam statue, with all the lights SC was talking about.

The Gundam statue at night

That is just so cool, I want one!

Finally watched the video.

Definitely looks better at night, I'd say.

(Hey, Teg, you make it down to Odaiba much these days? I ... can't remember the last time I was in the Tokes. I guess I'm supposed to be going down sometime in the next few months to meet some record guy? )

The Robot looks cool:) I would expect an UltraMan next...

and have wondered for years why there hasnt been a gigantic Godzilla made near or over the bay entry to Tokyo... who knows.

interesting to say the least..

trang wrote:and have wondered for years why there hasnt been a gigantic Godzilla made near or over the bay entry to Tokyo... who knows.

Maybe it'd give old people heart attacks?