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New Unicorn Gundam Is Almost Complete

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In a move reminiscent of the endless waltz of Gundam sequels, the statue of the RX-78-2 Gundam, which appeared in the original Mobile Suit Gundam TV series from 1979, is being replaced with a 1:1-scale recreation of the even bigger 19.7-meter (64.6-foot) RX-0 Unicorn Gundam, which debuted in 2010’s Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn.

With construction projected to be finished in fall 2017, the components are already being gathered outside the Diver City entertainment complex, and some passersby have been snapping photos of the robot’s progress, starting with its intricately detailed head unit.

It looks plenty cool in still photographs, but the real awesomeness happens when you see video of it, because the antenna-like protrusions attached to the head can actually move!

In the anime, the Unicorn Gundam has a special function that allows it to shift from its standard Unicorn Mode into a high-performance Destroy Mode. The shift also causes certain changes in its appearance, such as a single protrusion on the head unit splitting into two.

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