I just feel chicken emotion.

Though Gundam has always been a big deal in Japan, Gundam Wing was when the franchise really found its foothold among overseas anime fans. Prior to Wing, just about every Gundam anime was a sequel or spinoff of the original Mobile Suit Gundam, meaning that to get the most out of them, you had to be familiar with the complex storyline of a 1979 TV show with a high episode count that already very much looked its age.

Then along came Gundam Wing, which was a breath of fresh air with its start-from-scratch alternate timeline story, contemporary visuals, and cast of handsome pilot boys. At the same time, Wing stayed true to the franchise’s military mecha/real robot roots (in contrast to the Street Fighter-esque Mobile Fighter G Gundam from a year prior), introducing international fans to the overarching themes and motifs of the Gundam franchise.

In other words, Gundam Wing has a special place in the hearts of many overseas anime fans for whetting their appetite for Gundam anime, and if some of those fans also have an appetite for fried chicken, they can enjoy both at once, thanks to a team-up between Gundam Wing and KFC Hong Kong.

The promotion, which kicked off on July 3, includes an offer in which diners who order one of two combo meals (priced at HK$139 (US$17.70) will receive two randomly selected stickers of a Gundam Wing pilot and his mecha. This part of the collaboration appears to be specifically targeted at customer pairs, since they not only include double portions of fried chicken, sandwiches, and sides, but also two soft drinks, which makes it unlikely that solo customers will order it for themselves and lug half home to eat later.

But the real appeal here is the other exclusive Gundam Wing merch KFC is offering, including what absolutely looks like a Gundam fried chicken bucket.

Officially, it seems that this bust of hero/Heero mecha Wing Gundam Zero is designated as an all-purpose light-up canister, but let’s be serious here. It’s a bucket-shaped container that you can only get at a fried chicken chain, so the temptation to stick a couple of pieces of Extra Crispy in there is going to hit much sooner than the idea to turn it into a pencil holder or popcorn container, and that temptation is going to be very hard to resist.

However, the KFC Gundam bucket isn’t a freebie like the stickers. Instead, it’s part of a batch of Gundam Wing items that can be purchased for an additional charge by customers who are also ordering HK$49 or more worth of food or drinks.

In addition to the HK$268 Wing Gundam Zero bucket, there are also acrylic character standees, lanyards, wireless charging pads, and coffee mugs.

The logic behind the promotion’s timing is a little fuzzy, since it’s being billed as a celebration of the 30th anniversary of Gundam Wing, which did indeed begin airing on Japanese TV in 1995. However, the design of the Wing Gundam Zero used for the bucket and promotional art is actually from Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz, the OVA sequel to the TV series which was released in 1997 and reedited into a theatrical feature in 1998. Either way, though, Gundam Wing’s KFC promotion runs through August 13.

Source: KFC Hong Kong, Gundam Info via Otakomu
Top image: KFC Hong Kong
Insert images: Gundam Info
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