Kanata Hongo becomes Gunpla ambassador! GUNPLA EXPO TOKYO 2020 feat. GUNDAM conference" Opening Ceremony Report

GUNPLA EXPO TOKYO 2020 feat. GUNDAM conference," where the latest Gunpla models are gathered under one roof, started on November 12, 2020. Kanata Hongo, Teruyuki Tsuchida, and ROLAND attended the opening ceremony held before the general admission.

This event will be held from November 12 to 15 at the Triangle Plaza of Sumitomo Mitsui Building in Tokyo, under the theme of "GUNPLA FACTORY NEXUS," a future Gunpla factory as a thank you from Gunpla to its fans for the 40th anniversary, and will include an exhibition of Gunpla 40th anniversary items, "Senko no Hathaway" and "the latest SD Gundam series," and experience assembling new products.

In addition, a virtual exhibition hall will be open to the public for online enjoyment.

On November 12, Kanata Hongo, ROLAND, and Teruyuki Tsuchida took the stage at the "Opening Ceremony & Gundam New Lineup Information Release" held prior to the event. They enjoyed the appeal of this event and the new lineup information with fans watching online.

The first speaker was Hirotake Taguchi, General Producer of the Gunpla 40th Anniversary Project, Hobby Division, BANDAI SPIRITS Co. After thanking the fans and introducing the highlights of the event, the "Gunpla 40th Anniversary Build Ambassador" appointment ceremony was held. The Ambassador Kanata Hongo appeared on stage.

Mr. Hongo, who himself is an avid Gunpla fan and has played the role of Julian McKenzie in "Gundam Build Fighters," said, "Gunpla is fascinating to build. I would like to continue to communicate this as an ambassador," he commented.

Producer Naohiro Ogata of Sunrise Inc. took the stage next.

He announced that "Mobile Suit Gundam: Senko no Hathaway" would be released on May 7, 2021 and "G no Reconguista III" would be released in summer 2021, both of which had been postponed. It was also announced that the worldwide anime "SD Gundam World Sangokusekiden" will start broadcasting and distribution in Japan from February to March 2021.

It was also announced that a new anime series "SD Gundam World" will begin broadcasting in 2021. It was also announced that a new SD Gundam kit would be released along with the series.

In addition, it was announced that "Gundam Build Divers Battle Rogue," in which Gundam models that have been voted as favorite models for battle, will be unveiled for the first time at the "GUNPLA EXPO TOKYO 2020" special stage starting at 10:30 on November 13, giving the impression of an increasingly exciting Gundam World The audience was impressed with the ever-increasing Gundam world.

From here, the guests were invited to talk about Gunpla. On stage were Kanata Hongo, who had just been appointed as the 40th anniversary build ambassador for Gunpla, Teruyuki Tsuchida, who says he loves Gundam more than anyone else in the entertainment industry (after this introduction, Mr. Tsuchida changed his name to about third in the entertainment industry), and ROLAND, who is a Gundam beginner.

I bought a plastic model of SD Gundam when I was in elementary school, and I've been making them for about 20 years since then. I have made about 100 so far. When I was in the 2nd or 3rd grade of elementary school, I heard that my older brother, who was posting with me, said that Gundam was interesting, so I made a reservation and bought a Gundam and a Guv myself. While Mr. Tsuchida is of the 1st Gundam generation, Mr. Roland said that this was the first time he had seen Gundam after being asked to participate in the event.

I'm the type of person who values memories more than tangible things (I've never made a plastic model). But it's amazing that a company can last for 40 years while others go out of business after a year or two. I wonder if this is a good opportunity for me to do something that will remain in the form of a tangible object.

The centerpiece of "GUNPLA EXPO TOKYO 2020" was the announcement of new Gunpla models and a new anime.

In particular, he spoke of "Senko no Hathaway," the release date of which was finally announced, saying, "I'm really looking forward to it because it is a new visual work of my favorite universe century. I bought a ticket and attended the first day of "Gundam UC" stage greeting at ......" (Hongo), and "Anyway, (Cushy Gundam) is cool. Kazu Laser said that the original novel is quite interesting, so I want to go see it too" (Tsuchida?). (Tsuchida?) "I want to go see it, too," he said.

As for the new "SD Gundam" movie, Hongo said, "SD Gundam movies are rare, so it would be great if this could be an opportunity for young people to get interested and try their hands at Gunpla. I'm not very good with my hands, so I'd like to start with something simple," said Roland, who was eager to make his Gunpla debut.

When asked about the appeal points of "GUNPLA EXPO TOKYO 2020," all the participants responded, "I'm not very good with my hands, so I'd like to start with an easy one.

Mr. Hongo answered, "The 1/1 scale beam saber and shield. They were so big, I thought it would be scary if something like this came out. （I could understand how Daguza-san felt when he was cut by Sinanju's beam axe (in "Gundam UC")." They laughed at the maniacal metaphor, and Mr. Tsuchida mentioned a nice bonus: "You get a different color Gundam model (entry grade Gundam) every day as an entrance bonus. Roland seemed to enjoy the exhibit in his own way, saying, "I'm not the type to keep photos, but I took pictures at the photo spot.

The stage came to a close with all three enjoying the Gunpla in their own unique ways.

Akiba Research Institute plans to introduce the new Gunpla models that will be unveiled at the event, along with photos. Please look forward to it!

Event Summary

GUNPLA EXPO TOKYO 2020 feat.

Duration: Thursday, November 12, 12:00 - 21:00,

November 12 (Thu) 12:00-21:00, November 13 (Fri) 10:00-21:00, November 14 (Sat) 9:00-9:00

Saturday, November 14, 9:00 - 20:00

November 15 (Sun.) 9:00 - 20:00

Last admission is 30 minutes before closing time on each day.

Venue: Shinjuku Sumitomo Building Triangle Plaza (2-6-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo)

Admission: ¥1,000 (tax included) for adults (high school students and older), free for children (elementary and junior high school students)

Admission privilege: Visitors to the event venue will receive a different "GUNPLA EXPO TOKYO 2020 feat. GUNDAM conference" exclusive admission privilege for each day during the event period.