Anime merchandise and toys are a big industry in itself and have a huge line of customers who like to purchase products that are linked to their favorite characters, anime, manga, etc. One such anime that has a huge collection of toys is Mobile Suit Gundam which started airing in Japan in April 1979.
Mobile Suit Gundam, another name for First Gundam, is an anime television series that Yoshiyuki Tomino created and directed. It is produced and animated by Nippon Sunrise. It was the original Gundam series, which has since been expanded upon and adapted into a large number of spin-offs and sequels.
Despite the series’ initial low ratings, which resulted in its cancelation, Gundam’s popularity grew with the launch of Bandai’s Gunpla models in 1980, as well as reruns and the anime’s theatrical release. And now the series has released another vintage color plastic model that is made out of recycled wood. This model has gone viral among Gundam fans.
Mobile Suit Gundam Became Popular Because of Gunpla Models
The story of Mobile Suit Gundam revolves around the fight between the Principality of Zeon and the Earth Federation, which is set in the futuristic “Universal Century” 0079. The Earth Federation is the one who unveiled the RX-78-2 Gundam, a new, massive robot that is operated by Amuro Ray, a teenage civilian mechanic.
The series is well-known for reinventing the huge robot genre by treating mobile suits as weapons of war and portraying its pilots as ordinary soldiers. This characteristic contrasts with the earlier trend of depicting hero pilots and their massive superhero robots. And the Plastic model toys helped the series in growing its audience.
Gundam Plastic models are model kits that represent the mechas and people from Bandai’s fictional Gundam world. Bandai Namco sold 714.84 million Gundam plastic model units as of March 2021; this figure included 538.24 million normal Gundam units and 176.6 million SD Gundam units.
Bandai Launches New Gundam Plastic Models Made of Recycled Wood
Bandai Namco, the Gunpla manufacturer, will issue a 1/144 scale RX-78-2 Gundam Vintage Color model for the HYPER PLAMO Fes. 2024 event. This model is unique because it is constructed from repurposed wood. The model since its announcement has gone increasingly viral among Mobile Suit Gundam fans.
This product is the first to utilize wood chips that are typically thrown away, such as sawdust from sawmills, thinning wood, and construction wood offcuts, as a raw material for plastic that contains wood powder. The RX-78-2 Gundam Vintage Color model will cost 1,650 yen and will be available at HYPER PLAMO Fes. 2024 from Friday, March 22 to Sunday, March 24.
The model was revealed on February 21st on the Gundam series’ official website. Additionally, the website states that the models contain 20% wood and a resin mixture, significantly lowering the percentage of plastics originating from petroleum in the model. On the other hand, no details are available on the number of models that will be on display at the event or whether they will be offered for sale thereafter.
