Bandai Namco’s store that’s all about anime Mobile Suits is moving into new territories.
There’s a Gundam-shaped, and also Gundam-sized, hole in the hearts of anime enthusiasts in Tokyo these days, as August 31 was the last day for the city’s life-size Gundam statue before the start of its dismantling process. But as Gundam fans in Tokyo dry their tears, it’s time for their counterparts in America to start smiling, because the U.S. is getting two new Gundam Base superstores this summer, and the opening of the first is happening in less than two weeks.
The Gundam Base Minneapolis will be opening inside the Mall of America on September 30, becoming America’s second Gundam Base, following the opening of Gundam Base Chicago in 2025. The harshness of winters in the American Midwest representing high potential demand for indoor activities such as anime and plastic model kits notwithstanding, it might seem a little unusual for the region to be getting both of America’s initial Gundam Bases, but the Mall of America is the biggest shopping center in the country, so it should provide ample space for a vast array of Gunpla model kits, figures, and other merch, as well as space for special in-store events and celebrations.
Opening on the same day, and right next door to the Gundam Base Minneapolis, will be a new Bandai Namco Cross Store, carrying a wide variety of otaku-oriented items from the many, many franchises the company does merchandising for, ranging from Gashapon capsule toys and high-end Tamashii Nations figures to lifestyle goods and stationery.
Bandai Namco is trumpeting that Gundam Base Minneapolis will have “exclusive merchandise,” though right now that seems to mean they’re exclusive to Gundam Base stores, not the Minneapolis branch specifically. Either way, the MG 1/100 The Gundam Base Limited RX-78-2 Ver. 3.0 [The Gundam Base Color] and RG 1/144 The Gundam Base Limited Wing Gundam Zero EW [Clear Color] do look very cool.
▼ Yes, we’ve now reached the point in the timeline where Gundam models have even longer names than the in-anime mecha.
Later this fall the Gundam Base will also be expanding outside the American Midwest to simply the American West, as Seattle is getting a Gundam Base of its own at Westfield Southcenter, though an exact opening date doesn’t appear to have been publicly announced yet.
It’s worth noting that no announcement has been made what’s going to become of the dismantled components of Tokyo’s Unicorn Gundam statue, and the whereabouts of the 1:1-scale original Gundam statue are also undisclosed following its stints in Yokohama and Osaka . Even if a full on-site rebuild wouldn’t be feasible in terms of space, the opening of new Gundam Bases in the U.S. would seem like a prime opportunity to at least display the statues’ heads, but Bandai Namco has only said that “grand opening celebrations, exclusive merchandise, and special events for each location will be announced closer to their respective opening dates.”
Source: Bandai Namco (1, 2)
Top image: Bandai Namco
Insert images: Bandai Namco (1, 2)
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