If you grew up on a steady dose of cartoons about giant fighting robots, this news will surely make your day.
Recently, USA’s Megabots and Japan’s Suidobashi Heavy Industries – both manufacturers of huge robots – have agreed to have a friendly battle on 2016.
It all started when Matt Oehrlein and Gui Cavalcanti of Megabots posted a video on YouTube, showcasing their MegaBot Mark II’s capabilities and then eventually challenging the Japanese company for a fight.
Oehrlein said “Suidobashi, you have a giant robot, [and] we have a giant robot. You know what needs to happen. We challenge you to a duel… Prepare yourselves and name the battlefield. In one year, we fight.”
It didnt take long before Kogoro Kurata, CEO of Suidobashi, posted his own video as well. In his response, he implied they will be preparng their best Kurata, ending his message with “Megabots, organize the duel. We’ll be there.”
The news has driven the internet wild as robot enthusiasts across the world await for the much-anticipated match between the two human-controlled battle droids. Some are saying that MegaBot has the advantage because of its impressive firepower while others are leaning on the Kurata’s advanced targeting system and hand-to-hand combat expertise.
This is really very exciting!
Japan and its Fascination with Giant Robots
Of course, we all know Japan has always been associated with robotic technology. Besides, giant robots continue to be a staple feature among many manga and anime in the country. In particular, some of the popular series include Armored Trooper VOTOMS (by Ryosuke Takahasi), Mobile Suit Gundam (by Yoshiyuki Tomino), ans Super Dimensional Fortress Macross (by Shoji Kawamori). These iconic robots have become an important part of Japanese pop culture.
In 2012, a massive Gundam statue was erected in the DiverCity Tokyo Plaza. On the other hand, a Macross exhibit was held at Kyoto’s Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum last 2013.