Interest

Video of Tetsuya Komuro Performing at Life-Size Gundam

Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web site posted a video of Avex musician/producer Tetsuya Komuro's live performance at the opening ceremony for the Gundam Front Tokyo entertainment complex on Wednesday.

The ceremony began at Tokyo's Odaiba island with Tohru Furuya, the voice actor of the first Gundam anime's lead Amuro Ray, showcasing the life-size statue of the original RX-78-2 Gundam. He noted the 18-meter-tall (about 59-feet-tall) Gundam was customized for Amuro with his personal insignia and magnetic coating on the joints (for faster mobility).

Komuro then took the stage to perform a new number, created just for the occasion, as well as the "Beyond the Time" theme from 1988's Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack film. (Komuro composed the film's theme as part of the group TM Network.)

Although not seen clearly in this video, the opening ceremony revealed a new feature of the Gundam statue. Unlike when the statue first appeared on Odaiba and later down south in Shizuoka, the statue now has an "opening" cockpit. No one can enter the cockpit though; the cockpit "opens" to reveal an image of Amuro at the controls.

Shuuichi Ikeda, the voice of Amuro's nemesis Char Aznable, appeared in a video message to "congratulate" Amuro. Ikeda also joked about when a life-size statue of Char's own personal ride, a red commander's Zaku II, might finally be built.

Update: Ikeda's video message is not in the video above.