Animation Blog

If the life-size likeness of a Gundam being finished in Japan is not enough testimony to how the concept of giant robots with massive firepower and fluid mobility has been scintillating the imagination of people for many years, then I don’t know what will. At one point in time, a person closely exposed to the television would have seen one of these robots in hit cartoon animations such as Gundam Wing, Gundam G, Gundam Seed – and so on and so forth, just add a Gundam in front, and a cartoon show can already pass for its newest franchise.

But let’s further the notion of science fiction. After all, this genre of literature and entertainment talks about the improbable not the impossible – so we have an iota of actuality to work in. What if Gundams actually exist?

Well, judging by how the world is moving along, it is easy to see that these mobile Gundam suits will be used immediately and exclusively for war. I mean, if you have those immense firepower at your disposal, wouldn’t you use them to give your bitter enemies a taste of shock and awe? Gundams are so powerful that they can shift the balance of power in the world – and eventually countries will start developing their own. It will be the new nuclear weapon. So let’s be a little creative. If Gundams would truly exist, let’s think of other ways in which they can actually benefit the world. Here are alternative and out-of-the-box possibilities for the usage of Gundams if they truly exist.

Let’s set our sights immediately on the life-size Gundam monument in Japan and see the buzz it has generated for months. If Gundams would truly exist then they can be used as tourist attractions – places where fanboys and fangirls can meet and profess their love for the mobile suit endlessly. It can spark an economy revolving around character licensing merchandise of the Gundam and sell their wares there. But of course, that would entail parking the Gundam and rendering it useless, not to mention the absurd costs it would take to develop an actual unit, so this one is for the dreamers in fanboys and fangirls.

But if a Gundam is actually operating yet cannot be used for warfare, a possible alternative would be to give it enough storage capacity and turn it into the personal carrier of the head of state which owns it – sort of a re-imagined version of Air Force One, or more bluntly, a glorified mascot of the country. That would be good for the morale of its citizens, but not so much on the taxes used to probably create that mobile suit.

Since we are in the discussion of mascots, a Gundam can be used as a personification of an urban legend/cultural icon such as Paul Bunyan, the giant lumberjack of North America. Gundams can be used as a huge repair bot for damaged bridges and the likes. Like the military, the Gundam can be used for humanitarian purposes such as helping out rescue operations during storms, blizzards, hurricanes, tsunamis – those intense natural phenomena which leave humans helpless as can be. Moreover, a Gundam can be an advocate for global warming in the exceptional scenario where it is to be powered by solar panels.

In all actuality, if such technology for a Gundam exists and deliberations for Congress or similar bodies of government are needed to pass its budget, I’m very sure that humanitarian reasons will be used as justification. But sadly, in all likelihood, this mammoth mobile suit will definitely used for warfare – so let’s be careful if we wish for a Gundam to be more than a figment of our imagination.