July 2, 2009: It's Just A Scale Model

Of course, when the scale is "1:1" and the item is question is a mech -- specifically, a RX-78-2 Gundam -- "model" becomes completely insufficient to describe it.

Bandai has built the 18 meter tall structure in celebration of Mobile Suit Gundam's 30th anniversary. There's 15 huge lights inside it, and the head actually moves. Here's a YouTube video of it, and plenty of still pictures here, here, and here.

While I'm not the biggest Gundam fan in the world, I do love giant mechanical humanoids. And just the sheer scale of this puts it firmly in the "cool" category, no matter what your level of geek is (or your opinions of the original series, or the spinoffs).

It certainly sets the bar on 30th anniversary gifts. I wonder what a 1:1 scale model of an Ogre would cost?

-- Paul Chapman