The life-size Gundam robot has been finally completed in Yokohama, with a ceremony and Shinto priests blessing its massive head.

During such challenging times, don’t you think we all need superheroes? The world better be prepared to welcome the newest, fully functional 55,000-pound mecha robot!

While we previously shared footage of Japan’s full-sized Gundam robot testing the functionality of its legs in the Port of Yokohama, it now seems that the robot is fully complete!

Early this year, engineers at the Gundam Factory Yokohama stated that they are working on a life-sized, advanced humanoid robot based on the RX-78F00 Gundam, from Yoshiyuki Tomino’s iconic 1979 anime series.

The huge moving statue stands at a towering 59 feet and weighs 55,000 pounds.

While the coronavirus has slowed the process down, the footage that emerged about a month ago showed the huge torso of the robot, lifting the legs, but it lacked a head and hands.

The massive construction has been in planning and development stages since 2014, and it has now been completed with a “head installing ceremony,” on July 29.

However, the new images of Shinto priests blessing the Gundam’s massive robot head in a jotoshiki (roof-installing) ceremony before the head was finally placed on the mecha’s hulking body make many overjoyed!

The robot, when complete, will be able to move the arms and legs thanks to the mechanical skeleton beneath its outer armor.

Weighing upwards of 25 tons, the massive creation will have 24 degrees of freedom, so it can walk wherever it pleases. The large hands, stretching 6.5 feet with fingers, will have fully functional fingers.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gundam Factory Yokohama canceled the preview events, scheduled for this summer.

Currently, the plan is for the Gundam Robot Factory Yokohama to have a grand opening in October.

The lead designer, Masaki Kawahara, has created three other life-sized Gundam mechas so far, including the towering RX-0 Unicorn Gundam replica from the Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn series, parked in front of DiverCity Tokyo Plaza.

In the last four decades, Yoshiyuki Tomino’s Gundam series has been among the most celebrated and recognizable Japanese pop culture icons.

The ultra-popular mecha robots who fought each other with swords and advanced gun blasters have triggered a massive manga, anime, plastic model franchise and video game franchise, and have inspired almost 50 official series and films.

Source: hypebeast.com