With massive red-and-white shoulder protectors, powerful robotic legs and headgear reminiscent of a samurai warrior’s helmet, Ueda says he was hooked after building his first “Burning Gundam” model. And just like his first model, the Gerugugu kit has the logo of Bandai, the largest toymaker in Japan, on the box. The company’s earliest metal toy was a model of an American B-26 bomber, which had been deployed against Japan during the war. Over the following decades, Bandai manufactured toys with ties to the Kamen Rider TV character, the Space Battleship Yamato programme, Ultraman, the Power Rangers and the Gundam series. The company finally merged in 2005 with Namco, which develops video games and operates amusement facilities across Japan, with Bandai now a part of Bandai Namco Holdings.

Source: The Star December 23, 2018 06:35 UTC