Friday, August 14, 2009

Odaiba 1:1 Scale Gundam!

It's been 2 months since I last blogged! I've been busy with a lot of things. But I got to go take a much-valued and wonderful two-week vacation with my loved ones. :)

Today, I went to see the 1:1 scale Gundam in Odaiba. I wasn't really planning to go, but a friend of mine insisted that I get him the limited-edition 1/144 HG Gundam RX-78-2 Gunpla that's on sale only there (and he asked for two of them!). So I went... and got tired in a fun way. :D

The Gundam was impressive, to say the least. Well-crafted and quite detailed. However, I didn't get to see its full range of movements. I only saw its head move and some smoke... but from afar, since they only make it move from time-to-time, and I didn't wait for very long.

So what was tiring about it? The lines/queues! There were so many people up and about as it is the summer break holidays here in Japan (yes, including us salarymen). ;)

Starting from the Yurikamome train station (the driverless train connecting Odaiba to the mainland) all the way to the Gundam park and back, one would have to line-up, line-up and line-up. But I have to admit I'm impressed at the respect and discipline Japanese people have at lining-up and being orderly & organized... unlike where I came from. :P

My longest wait there was the queue to enter the on-site official shop to purchase the Gundam stuff. Took me more than an hour waiting under a hot summer sun just to get in. And guess what, for the limited edition Gunpla, each person is allowed to purchase only one! So I got one for my friend who was probably sitting comfortably in his office chair at that time, while I was sweating in the sun - but now that I think about it, I guess I'm still better off than he is... Hahaha. :D (Jokingly, I just sent him an IM message telling him I'll definitely charge him 10x the cost of the Gunpla.) I got myself a host of other stuff, like the RX-78-2 Ecopla (which, I think, is made off recycled materials?), the official 30th anniversary book, a couple of cool G30th metallic stickers, and a plain Gundam fan. :)

On the other hand, the longest line was the queue to enter the Yurikamome train station on my way home. It was probably a kilometer long! In any case, the wait didn't take as long the official shop queue since trains arrive more or less periodically.

All in all, it was a fun but tiring day. I don't especially go on trips these days, so these rare occasions to stretch and get tired from something different other than carrying heavy grocery bags are welcome. :D

Featured above and below are some pics I took of the Gundam (click to enlarge). I tried to take pics where one can appreciate the actual size fo the statue. Hope you enjoy them! :)








A close-up of one of the decals.








A view from down under. This is actually the final leg of the viewing ("last touch"). :p








A closer look at the booster pack.

1 comment:

sun said...

cool! :) wish I could have been there too..