No doubt, Gundam is Japan’s favorite anime. They opened a Gundam Cafe in Akihabara, they erected a 1:1 scale Gundam statue in Tokyo bay, and they keep offering tons of Gundam-powered stuff on a monthly basis.  The 1/60 Gundam statue replica (30cm) we showed you last November, for example, wasn’t bad, but today Bandai unveiled something even cooler: a Gundam model that stands an impressive 1.5 meters (5′) and weighs 35kg.

It’s a 1/12 scale version of the RX-78-2 Gundam and based on another 1/12 Gundam model Bandai introduced in 2006 (that older model sold a solid 1,500 units, Bandai says). The new replica will be shipped with a beam rifle, a beam saber, and a shield (as you can see on the pictures).

Bandai will start offering the RX-78-2 Gundam tomorrow, exclusively through the “Premium Bandai” online shop [JP]. The models are build-to-order and will cost $3,400 each.

Via MyCom Journal [JP]