The Japanese city of Yokohama, witnessed the testing of a giant robot based on a character from a classic anime series.
The massive humanoid resembles a “Mobile Suit Gundam” robot, a popular late 1970s TV series, and can be seen walking, kneeling and gesticulating in a test video posted on Twitter.
Life-sized Gundam in Yokohama is now in testing mode.pic.twitter.com/51HVoraPb7
— Catsuka (@catsuka) September 21, 2020
According to the company that created it, the robot, which has been in the works since 2014, stands nearly 60 feet high and weighs 24 tons, with more than 200 pieces made of a mixture of steel and carbon fiber-reinforced plastic.
The new attraction will allow fans to get up close and personal with the creation and learn how it was made. It was due to open for visitors at the Gundam Factory in October 2020, but now enthusiasts will have to wait slightly longer because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“This decision was made to ensure the health and safety of our fans and employees in response to the worldwide spread of COVID-19. We apologize to all of our fans who were looking forward to our grand opening and ask for your understanding,” the company said in a statement.
The team plans to open the factory “within the year,” and updates will be available on the website of the company.
In the early 1900s, Anime came into being when Japanese artists such as Oten Shimokawa started experimenting with short animated films through trial and error. But back then, animations were expensive to make and Disney’s popularity overshadowed works from Japan.
The genre grew during World War II, as the military government of Japan directed animators to produce propaganda films to influence the masses. More recently, commercial successes such as “Pokémon” and “Dragon Ball Z,” have introduced anime to worldwide audiences.
