Gundam Fan Apprehended After Stealing Gunpla Models

By Evan Valentine

Mobile Suit Gundam remains one of the most beloved anime franchises focusing on mech suits in Japan and worldwide. Thanks in part to the popularity of The Witch From Mercury, the hottest merchandise associated with the franchise, Gundam Plastic Models, have been selling like hot cakes. With over five hundred million models sold to date since the series premiered in the late 1970s, it would seem that Gunplas' popularity has landed one fan in hot water. A Gundam fan in Japan has been arrested for the crime of stealing Gundam Plastic Models.

Mobile Suit Gundam has been able to create countless plastic models thanks to its ability to create new mechs in various stories and universes over the course of decades. Specifically, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury has helped push sales to record levels and with good reason. The series has made a splash when it debuted, currently in its second season, focusing on the franchise's first female protagonist and creating a story that was specifically fashioned to reel in younger audiences. Suletta Mercury and her surroundings are unlike anything seen in the anime franchise to date, and it's clear that The Witch From Mercury has become one of the most popular Gundam animes in recent memory.

You Do The Crime, You Do The Gundam Time

The incident seemingly took place earlier this month on May 1st in Japan, wherein a 22-year-old office worker allegedly stole around $350 USD worth of Gundam plastic models. Taking place in a bookstore in Hakodate, Japan, the stolen items were apparently sold in second-hand stores nearby, leading to the perpetrator being arrested days later. The suspect stated that he did in fact commit the crime, telling the police, "I stole them for the purpose of reselling it because I wanted money to play." 

It doesn't seem as though Gundam Plastic Models will be going anywhere any time soon as they continue to make some serious bank for Bandai Namco. As the Gundam anime franchise continues to create new stories from alternate universes, Gunplas will be forged in response. With the Witch From Mercury's popularity skyrocketing, it will be interesting to see how many additional seasons Suletta might have in store.

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What has been your favorite Gundam plastic model to date? Have you been digging the story of Suletta Mercury so far? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Gundam. 

Via Crunchyroll

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