It’s the season for winter illumination attractions in Japan, and Gundam Factory Yokohama announced one. The site hosts the famed Moving Gundam, a full-sized animatronic model of the original RX-78-2 Mobile Suit. For 2022, the attraction will feature the latest Gundam franchise entry, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury. It is calling the attraction the “GFY Winter Illumination 2022 feat. Mobile Suit Gundam The Witch From Mercury.” It opens on November 24, 2022 and runs through early 2023. [Thanks, Comic Natalie!]
The Moving Gundam winter illumination attraction will consist of a special show featuring lights and lasers and taking place at night. The main show will occur outside the Gundam Factory Yokohama facility at the Gundam-Dock attraction. The viewers standing near the dock or from the second floor of the Gundam Lab area of the facility can see the full-scale model set up in its vertical paddock. The show will be synced to the “Night Viewing” light show coordinated over the whole Yokohama coastal area, which encompasses many seaside spots.
The Moving Gundam show itself will incorporate the opening theme from Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury. The song is “The Blessing” sung by YOASOBI. During the show, the Gundam model will take a kneeling pose that replicates the one from the Witch from Mercury poster. In the poster, the show’s main Gundam, Aerial kneels behind protagonist Suletta Mercury while set against a background of stars.
Here’s a mockup illustration of the pose, with the poster art for comparison.
In addition to the show, which runs from November 24, 2022 to January 9, 2023, Gundam Factory Yokohama will run promotions related to another recent Gundam production, Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan’s Island. Visitors will be able to acquire special illustrations, and watch a special video presentation narrated by Toru Furuya, who voices Amuro Ray.
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury is currently airing on Crunchyroll and other streaming services.
