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Uncategorized Tuesday, June 26th 2012 at 8:11 pm

Japanese Politicians To Discuss Building a Full-Sized, Working Gundam

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Giant, bipedal war machines are one of those traditional sci-fi staples that we just haven’t seen yet. Where’s my flying car? Where’s my jet pack? Where’s my Gundam? Well if politicians from Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party have anything to say about it, we’ll be catapulting into a sci-fi reality very soon. Two members, Tadamori Oshima and Bunmei Ibuki, are going to discuss the ins and outs of building a full-sized, working Gundam.

In a forthcoming broadcast on Nico Nico Live, a Japanese video platform, the two are scheduled to discuss constructing the massive metal beast — apparently in quite a serious manner — regardless of whether or not it may be economically feasible. Hopefully, if nothing else, they can quickly agree to abandon both the term and the concept of the “Gundam” considering that sophisticated control of arms and hands would be as complicated as it would be useless, and having bipedal tanks walking around holding swords or guns is likewise completely insane.

Instead, opting for a more stripped back Mechwarrior approach seems like it would be a little more sensical. I mean really, what do you really need it to have opposable thumbs for? If you’re going around using a mech to pick things up gingerly, you are doing something seriously wrong. After all, the bipedal monster is probably being considered as some sort of theoretical addition to the nation’s military, and the proper use of a first generation bipdal mech would probably be as a plodding missile boat, not a hulking metal samurai.

Whether this is just an exercise in insanity, or a bid to attract younger, more Gundam-loving people to Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party, is anyone’s guess, but if it actually does go down as planned, it’s bound to be interesting. Despite the fact that none of this is ever going to happen, I’d like to see them settle on something decidedly more Star League than Earth Federation.

(via Kotaku, image via punynari)

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  • Reece

    OH FUHHHHHHHH!!!!!

  • Goobs

    And it begins

  • http://lnk.co/I1G74 Michelle M. Stgeorge

    as a plodding missile boat, not a hulking metal samurai...DemoforFrank.blogspot.com

  • Lilly Mossiano

    Let the new arms race begin

  • Gerard

    I welcome our new Japanese Gundam Overlords.
    ALL HAIL!

  • Kwloy

     All hail Zeon…. I mean Japan.

  • Lady Emberheart

    Well then, bring on the Second Impact!

  • Anonymous

    I WANT MY ATLAS!!! MUAHAHAHA!!!

  • Dvine18

     Sieg Hail!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Lito-Tam/100003353231749 Lito Tam

    I watched every episode as a kid thus I am the most qualified pilot; SIGN ME UP!

  • Dude

    ”
    Instead, opting for a more stripped back Mechwarrior approach seems like it would be a littlemore sensical. I mean really, what do you really need it to have opposable thumbs for?”

    ..Yes, because a 50 foot tall target without thumbs is _so_ much more useful than a 50 foot tall target with thumbs. 

  • Mech vs. Mecha derp durp derp

    dear article writer – mechwarrior is based off of battletech, and there are mechs with hands. they can pull metal shards out of knee joints, etc.

    if you think hands are useless, you’re doin’ it wrong.

  • Djnp

    If anybody can do it, JAPAN CAN!

  • Greg

    They could at least start with freakin’ sharks with freakin’ laser beams attached to their freakin’ heads!

  • Reece

     I just said “OH FUHHHH…!!!!!” Stop putting unnecessary words in my comments, or I’ll send you to A Baoa Qu in a Ball.

  • Some guy.

     The author of this article is clearly an uninformed, misguided retard.

    Can’t believe people are allowed to post articles like this without ever doing research.

    Anyway, I’d rather my mechs wield swords and other cutlery, that would be pretty sick.

  • Christopher Patrick

    If they can make a Gundam-sized, well, Gundam with the following: the proportional speed, strength, and agility of a human; the equivalent of an M-16 in 120mm form; a way to make said machine run, jump, and juke without killing its pilot or suffering from lag-prone control inputs; they’ll be on to one of the most powerful land-based weapons systems ever fielded.

    I wish them well with destroying the laws of physics to do it.

  • Ghost

    I call Gouf Custom, Dom, or Kampfer when they roll out

  • ThatGuy

    In our current reality yes “if nothing else, they can quickly agree to abandon both the term and the concept of the “Gundam” considering that sophisticated control of arms and hands would be as complicated as it would be useless, and having bipedal tanks walking around holding swords or guns is likewise completely insane.” but just like how everyone made fun of how useless the iPad be, and how no one would want an “over-sized smartphone” the uses became quickly apparent upon release, and now tech companies are releasing their own tablets left and right in an attempt to not get left behind. We can’t be so quickly dismissive of this…

  • Trent

    Use the Mobile Tray System Cockpits are bull@#$%
    and give it a solar charged nuclear hand weapon!!!

  • Vinti

    I have to agree with you, sure it would be a monumental task but it can’t be dismissed also, many people assume that the first gundam will be a war machine, gundams can also be used for rescue purposes, pilots would be able to enter dangerous areas otherwise blocked off, if we could create gundams. There are many other uss for a gundam other than war, and for rescue purposes they wouldn’t even need to work out the weaopns mainframe only the skeleton and structure.