Mobile Suit Gundam Takes Over Japan’s Skies With Epic Drone Show

Mobile Suit Gundam recreated one of its most talked about scenes from the original series in the Japanese skies.

April 2, 2024, 12:25pm

Mobile Suit Gundam has had a big 2024 so far, not just thanks to some major projects, but the shuttering of an amazing real world spectacle in Japan. The Walking Gundam at the Gundam Factory Yokohama has shut down as of March 31st this year, meaning that we might never again see a life-sized mech walking the Earth. Luckily, the Gundam franchise might have lost a major attraction, but anime fans in Japan have not forgotten the beloved anime franchise. A new drone show in Japan has recreated a classic moment from the first series.

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When the Mobile Suit: Gundam franchise began in the late 1970s, the mech story began by focusing on the Earth Federation’s war against the Principality of Zeon. Fighting on the side of Earth, the young mech pilot Amuro was attempting to fight for his planet’s future while also being the only one who piloted the legendary Gundam unit. On the flip side, the pilot Char was arguably Zeon’s strongest pilot, routinely coming close to defeating Amuro even though his mech, Zaku, wasn’t as powerful as the Gundam. During one scene, the two opponents butt their helmets together, creating a pivotal moment in the original anime series.

Mobile Suit Gundam’s Drone Show

Drone Shows have been a big attraction in recent memory, and while Yokohama might have shut down the Walking Gundam it is still honoring the franchise in unique ways. Dubbed “Charmuro” around the world for those thinking that the relationship between the two opponents might have been deeper than many thought, the drone show recreates the moment wherein Amuro and Char’s helmets butt against one another.

The Gundam drone show in Yokohama included a recreation of the famous scene in which Amuro Ray and Char Aznable bumped helmets. Some fans are interpreting this as a nod to fujoshi who have created so much "Charmuro" fan fiction over the years. pic.twitter.com/2ivzZnI09Z https://t.co/jygyonEse9
— Jeffrey J. Hall 🇯🇵🇺🇸 (@mrjeffu) March 31, 2024

While Amuro and Char haven’t been confirmed for an anime comeback, Mobile Suit Gundam is bringing back their universe later this year. Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem For Vengeance will take us back to the universe that started it all, following a new cast of characters and using CG animation to tell a new tale of the first Gundam universe. Thanks to the anime franchise’s ability to create new universes and revisit beloved stories, the mech series will most likely be able to tell new stories for years to come.

Do you think we’ll see the Walking Gundam return in the future to join this drone show? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Gundam.