最近當我打開臉書等社交軟體時，常常看到網紅或朋友們貼出巨型鋼彈的照片，當我上網一查，就知道，照片來自台灣萬代南夢宮（Bandai Namco Taiwan）的亞洲巡迴嘉年華「Bandai Namco Asia Journey in Taiwan」，而現場高達5公尺的ν鋼彈立像，更是人人必拍及人氣打卡點，難怪，我會被巨型鋼彈的照片洗版，不行，我也要去看看。
某個早晨，我就和朋友打算過去走走，我們還到的有些早，百貨商場要等到十一點才開門營業，本來我們想先從室內開始逛，但是沒想到，這個活動雖然橫跨商場的五個樓層，但是全在戶外，不過，看到鋼彈高高矗立在台北街頭，還是十分震撼，雖然只有上半身，不過，站在鋼彈下面往上看，還是能感受到它的巨大，小時候看著電視裡的鋼彈在宇宙中展開激烈戰鬥，總會忍不住幻想，如果現實世界真的出現一台鋼彈，那會是什麼樣子？可能就是我現在看到的樣子吧。
除了巨型鋼彈之外，還有一座５公尺高的ν鋼彈立像也很吸引人，因為看到它就表示來到了鋼彈主題館區，不過，場內則有展出每部鋼彈動畫各自代表的主角機體，展櫃的模型從MG到PG、組裝到成品，幾乎應有盡有，還有一些首度在台灣販售的商品，如MGEX 1/100攻擊自由鋼彈暮光鍍膜等，雖然我不算是鋼彈迷，但是現場有不少鋼彈迷，側耳就可以聽到他們在爭論一代的鋼彈最強，及討論每一次鋼彈的特色，顯著熱鬧非凡。
這個展覽甚麼都好，缺點就是場地不是室內的，沒有空調，讓人難受，而最近悶熱的天氣，讓排隊購買限量商品的粉絲與只是逛逛的民眾，都受盡了苦頭，聽說，就連在戶外展示的鋼彈也受罪了，有人發現，戶外展示區的鋼彈模型疑似不敵酷暑，居然出現融化變形的跡象，驚訝將其拍下並貼文上傳，照片曝光後，網友們議論紛紛，而主辦單位也透過增加現場遮光、降低反射等方式改善情況，這鬼天氣啊！
Lately, whenever I open Facebook or other social media platforms, I keep seeing photos of giant Gundam statues posted by influencers and friends. So I looked it up online and found out that the photos were from Bandai Namco Taiwan’s Asian touring event, “Bandai Namco Asia Journey in Taiwan”. The 5-meter-tall RX-93 ν Gundam statue was obviously the must-take photo spot and one of the biggest attractions there. No wonder my social media feed was completely flooded with giant Gundam photos. I thought, “Okay, I have to go check it out myself”!
One morning, some friends and I decided to head over and take a look. We arrived a little too early, though, because the department store didn’t open until 11 a.m. At first, we thought we could start exploring from inside the building, but we soon realized that although the event spread across five floors of the shopping mall, everything was actually set up outdoors! Still, seeing a giant Gundam standing tall in the middle of the streets of Taipei was pretty impressive. Even though it was only the upper half of the Gundam, standing underneath it and looking up really gave me a sense of how huge it was. When I was a kid, I used to watch Gundam battles in space on TV and wonder what it would be like if a real Gundam actually existed in the real world. Well, I guess what I was looking at now was probably pretty close to what I had imagined back then.
Besides the giant Gundam, there was also a 5-meter-tall ν Gundam statue that really caught my attention. Seeing it basically meant that I had arrived at the Gundam-themed area. Inside, they displayed the signature mobile suits from different Gundam anime series, with everything from MG and PG kits to assembled figures. There was pretty much everything a Gundam fan could ask for. They also had some products that were being sold in Taiwan for the first time, including the MGEX 1/100 Strike Freedom Gundam Twilight Coating Edition. I'm not exactly a hardcore Gundam fan myself, but there were plenty of serious Gundam fans at the event. Just by listening to their conversations, I could hear them debating which generation of Gundam was the strongest and discussing the unique features of each Gundam series. The whole place was definitely buzzing with excitement.
The exhibition itself was great, but there was one major problem: it was all outdoors, with no air conditioning. And with the hot and humid weather we've been having lately, both the fans lining up to buy limited-edition merchandise and regular visitors like me were suffering in the heat. Apparently, even the Gundam displays couldn't handle the heat! I heard that someone noticed one of the Gundam models in the outdoor display area showing signs of warping or even melting under the scorching sun. They took photos and posted them online, and the pictures quickly got people talking. The organizers eventually added more shade and took steps to reduce the amount of reflected sunlight to improve the situation. Seriously, what is up with this crazy weather?! Even Gundam can't handle it!
