SHADOW OF THE UNICORN – A Day in Odaiba

For the third day of our Tokyo trip as a family, we decided to visit Odaiba, a seaside entertainment hub in Tokyo Bay. We’re bringing the kids to the indoor Lego theme park, and the adults are doing some eating and shopping. As for me, I knew what I was going there for.

As an avid fan of the Gundam franchise, I’ve seen photos of the life-sized Gundam Unicorn online so, so many times! But those never prepared me for the moment we made that exit from Diver City food court, when suddenly I found myself in the shadow of a towering figure. A figure that, until then, I only enjoyed building with my hands, or displaying on the shelf.

I stopped in my tracks. Mouth agape.

Dar took a good look at me and said, “Ooh, someone’s crying…”

My eyes must have caught some dust, I’m not sure. But I was pretty sure I felt a stirring in my heart. Someone woke up. The little child inside of me was restless! So after we took our selfies and group pics, I asked my wife if I could have some time to roam around and take more photos. She grabbed our kid and headed straight back into the mall.

With my camera, I went ham! I admired it from every angle I could find in the limited time I had. Who knew a toy company would be able to build something so awesome! I noticed people beside me, behind me, and in front of me, also taking pictures, doing selfies, or simply admiring it. Geeking out would be the right word. I was in a moment of shared passion. Many were around the same age as me. Was the kid inside of them restless too?

I stayed around for the first transformation show. I stood amongst the crowd, watching in amazement. The transformation was made simpler than what the creators had originally intended. But that’s due to the limitations of the technology. Nevertheless, our imaginations filled in the gaps. We all clapped in gratitude for what we saw. Slowly, the crowd dispersed, each of us leaving with our hearts and the little child inside of us, smiling and content.

The Gundam Unicorn concluded its run at the end of August this year, and the statue was to be taken down afterward. Who knows when another one will rise in its place. For now, I can look back on the photos and remember the moment when I truly felt like a child again.

さようならユニコーンガンダム、本当にありがとうございました!