THE Mobile Suit Gundam property has a long history with a lot of influence in Japanese popular culture, but the newest form of the franchise takes things to divine new heights. While there are certainly several hardcore Gundam fans all over the world, buying the brand's newest kit model is a totally religious situation.

Based on the armor of real-life military leader Tokugawa Ieyasu, which is housed at the Nikko Toshogu shrine in Japan, the new Master Grade Musha Gunpla is more than just a model kit. Celebrating Japanese cultural and religious history, the legendary figure and the shrine he now represents are turning 25. There will even be a ceremony to dedicate the Gunplawith the kit pre-sale happening later.

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Newest Gundam Model Kit Represents Real-Life Japanese History

The MG Musha Gundam Mk-II Tokugawa Ieyasu Nanban Dogusoku Ver. is, appropriately, an imposing collectible. Cast in black and red, the armor’s design is based on the similar armor worn by Ieyasu during the Battle of Sekigahara – a figure and event that may be familiar to fans of the 2024 television miniseries. Shogun, with the character Lord Toranaga being based on Ieyasu himself. After Ieyasu's death in 1616, his remains were reburied at Nikko Shrine, where they remain to this day.

The Mk-II features red components covered in Japanese paper stickers, as well as a Mitsuba-aoi (Three Leaves Hollyhock) family crest in sticker form. Along with the weapons, it also features several bladed weapons befitting the era. Even the overall design is based on the Nanban Do Gusoku armor worn during the Japanese feudal period. The Gunpla kit will be dedicated on May 26, 2024, at the Nikko Toshogu Shrine, in honor of the 25th anniversary of the registration of the “Shrines and Temples of Nikko” as a World Heritage Site. Pre-sale will take place at the shrine the following day, with The Gundam Base and Premium Bandai holding it afterwards. The item will retail for 7,700 yen, or about US$$50. When displaying it on their shelves, Gundam fans can have a cool model kit and a piece of Japanese history in their collection.

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Gundam is a Japanese cultural gem

THE Mobile Suit Gundam The franchise began in 1979 with the release of the brand’s first anime series. This spawned a successful line of “Gunpla” plastic model kits that have since become the property’s bread and butter. Along with Gunpla specifically based on mobile suits from various anime, there are also several “special” model kits featuring more unique designs. These include the SD Gundam figures, which reimagine familiar mechs in super-deformed “chibi” sizes. The brand as a whole is now 45 years old, with several new kits and projects on the way.

The most recent main Gundam project is the movie Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedomwhich continues the Cosmic Era timeline that began in the original Mobile Suit Gundam SEED anime. There is also the next one Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance anime coming to Netflix in late 2024. Of course, Gunpla remains one of the biggest parts of the franchise, with several stores and hobby shops around the world (especially in Japan) selling the figures. So it's no surprise that even a Shinto shrine is involved in the franchise in some way.

Mobile Suit Gundam

Mobile Suit Gundam follows Amuro Ray as he learns to pilot an experimental mobile suit called the Gundam. After his home is destroyed in an attack by the Principality of Zeon, Amuro joins the crew of the aircraft carrier White Base as they attempt to regroup with the Earth Federation. The show is both a Saturday morning cartoon and a somber meditation on the cost of war and the arbitrary lines it draws between humanity. MSG set the stage for the rest of the entire Gundam franchise, which spans over 40 years of TV shows, manga, movies, and video games.

Source: Mantan-web.jp