Barbie Gets a Gundam Girl Makeover

A new custom made Barbie doll shows what she would look like if were to pilot -- or become -- a Gundam suit.

The concept was put together by model maker Akira Tange, and published by Kotaku. The figure is titled "Gundam Shojo," and was made for the Wonder Festival figure event in Japan. However, Twitter users noted with disappointment that it did not end up in the festival.

〈お知らせ〉#タンゲ・アキラ 氏が7月29日のワンフェスでカスタム創作品『ガ〇ダム少女』を展示するそうです。卓番は「6-22-05」（完成品工房アトリエ）。ぜひ、お立ち寄りください。 pic.twitter.com/QeZvj9SEBj

— おおこしたかのぶ (@octopus_catcher) July 8, 2018

The figure shows Barbie with shortened hair, painted a silvery color and arranged in typical anime spikes. It peeks out from beneath a sort of helmet, though parts of her body appear to be have been entirely replaced with mecha parts.

Wielding a massive rifle with one of her robotic arms and a shield with the other, Barbie is shown striking a couple of poses. She bears the red, yellow and blue colors of the RX-78 Gundam, and a removable mask to hide her mouth and nose.

Whatever the particulars of this concept, fans had a ball with it on social media. One fan even gave Barbie's theme song a Gundam twist.

"~I'm a Barbie girl / in a Gundam world / Life's fantastic / When your blastin' / You can come my hair / And shoot people out the air~!"

Fans also compared the firgure to other iconic feminine warriors from anime, and speculated on what this version of Barbie would be able to achieve in an honest-to-god mecha battle.

"I want... I don't know why though?" mused one fan. "Can I just have it? Please?"

One person even suggested that the figure would be perfect inspiration for an ambitious cosplayer.

The Gundam franchise has been a fixture in the anime world since 1979. As previously reported, the Gundam world is slated to make its live action debut in the coming years, nearly four decades after it first hit the scene. According to a translation by Gundam Universe, Sunrise -- the company that owns Gundam -- has decided that the world is ready for a major motion picture.

"As for why it was decided to approve a live-action film now, Sunrise's president was very clear. In recent years, Sunrise has consolidated in the Asian market specifically," the translation read. "Already, about 30-40% of Gundam products are sold abroad. Now, it is time to return to the North American market which Sunrise moved away from in recent years. To be able to enter that market, a live-action project feels necessary."

There are no details to speak of just yet, and a release date is probably far off. However, after 40 years, Gundam fans have shown a knack for patience.