The official Sunrise Gundam portal website Gundam Info recently held a poll in their “Gundam Census” series asking netizens which Gundam topic for 2022 they were most interested in.
With 1,347 total votes, Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury topped the poll with 39.9%.
Announced during the “2nd Gundam Conference” on September 15 by the Bandai-Namco Group, Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury is the highly anticipated first new Gundam TV anime series in seven series, since the broadcast of Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans. The series is currently shrouded in mystery as far as plot or staff, but is stated to focus on attracting teenagers. Bandai-Namco Group will be working with external “G-PARTNER” members on the series to aim for “large-scale deployment than ever before”. The series is set to release this year in 2022.
Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans G comes in at 2nd place with 19.4% of the poll.
Announced in 2019, Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans G is a new smartphone app set to release spring 2022 where players can re-experience seasons one and two of the TV series through gameplay and the spin off story, Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans: Urðr-Hunt.
Developed by Bandai Namco and Sunrise BEYOND, Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans: Urðr-Hunt takes place between seasons one and two of the Iron-Blooded Orphans series, set on the Venus colony of Radonista, following protagonist Wistario Afam piloting the mysterious Gundam Hajiroboshi. Urðr-Hunt will feature anime and gameplay components, with staff members from the original series such as Tatsuyuki Nagai and Masaru Yokoyama returning to their roles for the spin-off game.
A special edition of Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans will air to coincide with the release of Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans G, totaling nine episodes and will feature part of Urðr-Hunt.
With 13.6% of the votes, Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan’s Island is the third place winner in the poll.
Announced as well during the 2nd Gundam Conference, Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan’s Island is a new anime film directed by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, the character designer and chief animation director of the original 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam series, as well as chief director of the 2015-2018 Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin OVA series. The film will be a new perspective on the fifteenth episode of the same name from the 0079 series and is set to release summer 2022.
In the original series, the episode depicts protagonist Amuro Ray meeting Principality of Zeon deserter Cucuruz Doan. Stricken with guilt over his actions in a past battle involving killing civilians, Doan has secluded himself on an island taking care of war orphans.
In fourth place with 13.3% of the votes is the life-sized RX-93ff Nu Gundam statue.
Bandai Namco’s Koji Fujiwara, the CGO (Chief Gundam Officer), announced in mid-June 2021 that a new life-sized Gundam statue project was underway. The project was fully unveiled September 15, 2021 as the RX-93ff Nu Gundam.
The statue reached near completion in December and a jotoshiki(roof-laying ceremony), or “head raising ceremony” was held December 22, in which the mobile suit’s head was blessed by a Shinto priest before being hoisted with a crane and attached to the Gundam’s body.
Based on Amuro Ray’s RX-93 Nu Gundam from the 1988 Mobile Suit Gundam Char’s Counterattack film, originally designed by Yutaka Izubuchi, the RX-93ff version sports a new long-range Fin Funnel and tricolor markings designed under the supervision of Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino.
Constructed in conjunction with Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd., Kyushu Electric Power Company, Inc., Nishi-Nippon Railroad Co., Ltd., and NOMURA Co., Ltd, the 24.8 meter statue is scheduled to be fully exhibited April 2022 at Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport FUKUOKA in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City. Accompanied with the statue at Mitsui Shopping Park Lalaport FUKUOKA will be “Gundam Park Fukuoka”, a new Gundam-themed entertainment complex developed and managed by Bandai Namco Amusement Inc. and Bandai Spirits.
The other results as followed:
- Mobile Suit Gundam 00- Awakening By Destruction- Re:(in)novation Stage Play- 3.7%
- Yoshikazu Yasuhiko/Mobile Suit Gundam THE ORIGIN Exhibition- 3.4%
- Mobile Suit Gundam Arsenal Base– 2.4%
- GGGP2022- 1.6%
- Gundam Evolution– 1.6%
- Mobility Joint Gundam- 1.2%
Source: Gundam Info
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