A New Mobile Suit Gundam Movie Is Here, But Not Everyone Can Watch It (2025)

Attention all Gundam fans! If you are still craving more Mobile Suit Gundam content after the recent Netflix Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance series, get ready for an exciting winter surprise with a twist. A brand-new Gundam film, Mobile Suit Gundam: ALC Encounter, has landed on the big screen, but there's a catch – it's exclusively showing at LaLaport Mall Fukuoka - which is in Japan.

According to a press release from LaLaport Mall, the film screening coincides with a promotion for the life-sized Nu Gundam statue that dutifully stands guard at the mall entrance. The movie premiered on November 24, 2024, and, per the press release, will have two evening showings, at 7:00 PM and 8:30 PM. No end date was mentioned, so the film will presumably have nightly showings for the foreseeable future. The screenings will be projected onto the wall next to the statue, making it seemingly free for anyone in the area to watch.

New Mobile Suit Gundam Film Is A One Of A Kind

A Treat For Customers of this Fukuoka Mall

The official website for the Nu Gundam statue teases the film, stating,

"In a quiet mall just before closing time, two people - attracted by the voice of a woman singing - meet, a confrontation ensues that leads to the activation of the nearby mobile suit, and eventually into a fierce battle inside the mall facility - but who is the mysterious woman?"

Judging by the pulse-pounding teasers trailer posted on @gundam_45th - the official X account for the Gundam Series 45th Anniversary Project, promises the same high-octane action synonymous with the Gundam film and television franchises. Based on the times of the showings, the movie seems to run for about 30 minutes.

Japan Has a Whole Bunch of Life-Sized Gundams

This is not the first time a life-sized working Gundam mobile suit has taken position in Japan. Indeed, since 2009, Gundam mobile suits have been selectively stationed around Japan, to protect humanity and also promote the anime franchise that has probably done more for the mecha genre than any other story. The Nu Gundam statue stationed LaLaport Mall Fukuoka is the RX-93ff v Gundam. Debuting in the 1988 film Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterstrike, it was the newest - and most technologically advanced - mobile suit of the RX-93 v category. Piloted by Amuro Ray, the hope was that it would be able to overcome Char Aznable's MSN-04 Sazabi mobile suit.

While the Nu Gundam proved itself in Char's Counterstrike by destroying the MSN-04 Sazabi, that was then and this is now. There's no telling how it will hold up against whatever threat it will face in ALC Encounter. This unprecedented move has sparked both excitement and frustration among Gundam fans. While the exhibition promises a cinematic experience like no other, audiences must travel to Fukuoka to witness the iconic mecha series' latest adventure. Perhaps the film will eventually be made available to Mobile Suit Gundam fans worldwide.

Sources: LaLaport Mall Fukuoka, Nu Gundam Statue, @gundam_45th

Gundam

The Gundam franchise is a cornerstone of mecha anime, featuring giant robots known as "mobile suits" in various wartime settings. Originating with Mobile Suit Gundam in 1979, it explores complex themes of war, politics, and humanity through the struggles of pilots who navigate these massive machines. The franchise spans multiple timelines and universes, creating a rich tapestry of interconnected stories and standalone narratives.

Created by

Yoshiyuki Tomino

First Film

Mobile Suit Gundam I

First TV Show

Mobile Suit Gundam

Latest TV Show

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury

Spin-offs (Movies)

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED C.E. 73: STARGAZER , Mobile Suit Gundam Twilight AXIS Red Trace

TV Show(s)

Mobile Suit Gundam , Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam , Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ , Mobile Suit Victory Gundam , Mobile Fighter G Gundam , Mobile Suit Gundam Wing , Mobile Suit Gundam After War Gundam X , Turn A Gundam , Mobile Suit Gundam SEED , Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny , Mobile Suit Gundam 00 , Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn , Mobile Suit Gundam AGE , Mobile Suit Gundam Build Fighters , Mobile Suit Gundam-San , Gundam Reconguista in G , Gundam Build Fighters Try , Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin - Advent of the Red Comet , Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans , Gundam Build Divers , Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury , Mobile Suit SD Gundam , Superior Defender Gundam Force

Character(s)

Amuro Ray , Char Aznable , Bright Noa , Kamille Bidan , Judau Ashta , Heero Yuy , Kira Yamato , Setsuna F. Seiei