New Info on the Gundam Pavilion and Latest Products & Events Celebrating GUNPLA’s 45th Anniversary! Report on GUNDAM NEXT FUTURE -FINAL- Opening Ceremony

GUNDAM NEXT FUTURE -FINAL-, a large-scale event showcasing the future of the Gundam series, kicked off today, Friday, February 21, at Shinjuku Sumitomo Building Sankaku Hiroba, Tokyo, with an opening ceremony.

At the ceremony, Takanori Tsujimoto, the director of the new video screened at the pavilion, and Kentaro Morishita, the producer from Bandai Namco Filmworks, took the stage to introduce the latest information on GUNDAM NEXT FUTURE PAVILION, the private pavilion by Bandai Namco Holdings for World Expo 2025.
Also, Shohei Ochiai and Taro Inayoshi from the Hobby Division of BANDAI SPIRITS unveiled latest products and events to celebrate GUNPLA’s 45th anniversary, followed with a live concert by LINKL PLANET, the plastic model official PR ambassador.

Without further ado, let’s get right into the report!

[GUNDAM NEXT FUTURE -FINAL- Tokyo Venue Report]
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Opening Ceremony Report (this article)

The session began with an introduction of Director Takanori Tsujimoto, who is making his debut in the Gundam franchise with this project. Recalling when he first received the offer, Tsujimoto said:
“When Morishita-san reached out to me through social media, my first thought was that it was a joke. I did a double, no triple take and replied that I absolutely wanted to do it. Back then, I was busy with many other projects, but I said, ‘There’s no way I can turn down Gundam! Please give me the job!’ I probably came off pretty intense. (laughs)”
He also shared his impressions of the life-sized Gundam statue at the Expo site, which he has visited and photographed many times:
“At first, I wondered why it was posed like that. But once I saw it in person, I started to appreciate it. The face of Gundam is close. If it were standing straight, the face would be far away. But this pose makes it feel like the Gundam is right there, reaching down to us. It really gave me a sense of awe.”
Producer Kentaro Morishita added:
“Being able to view it up close means you can really appreciate the texture. It truly is a sight.”

Next, a trailer and main visual for the new video, GUNDAM: Next Universal Century, which will be shown inside the Gundam Pavilion, were revealed for the first time (Details in this article). The story is set in a far future where AI technology has advanced significantly, and Mobile Suits are no longer weapons of war, exploring how Mobile Suits are used peacefully, piloted by AI.
Producer Morishita expressed his thoughts:
“This story draws inspiration from the Universal Century that began with Mobile Suit Gundam and explores life in space and what future technologies may look like. We hope viewers will feel a sense of new possibilities lying ahead.”

This was followed by the unveiling of the cast and production staff of GUNDAM: Next Universal Century.
Director Tsujimoto said:
“I’m more of a live-action director, so I asked if we could hire live-action actors. Since I was also in charge of audio, I wanted to work with actors I’m familiar with. I’m honestly surprised we were able to bring together this cast.”
He also teased about the yet-to-be-announced character played by Shinji Takeda:
“I’ve been strictly told not to say who he plays, but he will be expressing something with his voice and signature saxophone.”
Many veteran staff from past Gundam series joined the project, including mechanical designer Kunio Okawara.
Morishita noted:
“We asked Okawara-san to come up with the coloring of the Zaku used peacefully.”
Music was composed by Evan Call, whom director Tsujimoto praised:
“I was blown away by Evan-san’s knowledge of anime. I think he’s a huge fan of the genre and understands how to compose effective scores.”

Director Tsujimoto responded enthusiastically when asked about the highlights:
“The pavilion is an immersive walkthrough attraction. We hope everyone will look forward to the ride-like experience and feel the passion we’ve poured into this project. I also want visitors to take in the impressive scale of the life-sized Mobile Suits.”

The first part of the event concluded with a brief message from each of them.

Director Tsujimoto:
“Getting the chance to direct a Gundam project was both a surprise and a dream come true. Since it’s the World Expo, we made sure to incorporate themes like space and the environment, but we also didn’t forget the importance of entertainment. This pavilion is something everyone can enjoy, so I hope you’re looking forward to it!”

Producer Morishita:
“Director Tsujimoto poured his heart into the video, and Evan-san made many visits to compose an incredible score. The immersive spatial design and the vibrations you feel through the floor make it a truly unique experience. I hope you’ll visit the pavilion and experience it for yourself.”

The second half of the event was a presentation commemorating GUNPLA’s 45th anniversary.
GUNPLA, born in 1980, celebrates its 45th anniversary in 2025, this year. Various announcements were made on the future development of GUNPLA.

He expressed his gratitude to the staff and fans who have supported the franchise over the past 45 years, and announced that total GUNPLA shipments had surpassed 800 million units as of September 2024.
“I hope to work together with the fans to reach 1 billion,” he said, setting the next milestone.

This was followed by the unveiling of the logo commemorating the 45th anniversary.
According to Mr. Ochiai, a nationwide survey of approximately 30,000 people was conducted as part of developing the concept for the project.
The results revealed that the biggest appeal of GUNPLA lies in the joy of building, but also that many people who haven't tried it yet feel intimidated by how difficult it seems.
“Our goal for the 45th anniversary is to change that perception and show that GUNPLA is entertainment for everyone. We’ve created an eye-catching logo to reflect that mission.”

Plans are in the works under the theme “Let’s show off our GUNPLA!” as part of the 45th anniversary campaign to expand the GUNPLA community.
Two powerful ambassadors, Natsuki Deguchi and Mayuu Yokota, were announced to lead the anniversary project, along with a new commercial featuring the pair. A video message was also shown, where both shared brief comments.
Natsuki Deguchi:
“I want to help hype up GUNPLA together with fans—and future fans—for the 45th anniversary.”
Mayuu Yokota:
“Building a GUNPLA together was so much fun! I hope you’ll enjoy watching us get completely into it, forgetting the camera and just having fun.”
It was also announced that the GUNPLA 45th Anniversary Special Stream, delivering the latest news on GUNPLA products and anniversary events, will begin in June. Stay tuned for more updates!

Next, project planner Mr. Inayoshi took the stage to announce the latest items commemorating GUNPLA’s 45th anniversary.
The lineup included: PERFECT GRADE UNLEASHED 1/60 vGundam, HG White Gundam, HG Zaku (GQ) (tentative), and EXPO2025 1/144 RX-78F00/E Gundam (EX-001 G.L.R.S.S. Feather Unit) Chemical Recycle Ver.
He also announced THE GUNDAM BASE POP-UP WORLD TOUR in OSAKA, starting in April with the GUNDAM BASE pop-up in Daimaru Umeda in Osaka. Mr. Inayoshi shared his enthusiasm for what lies ahead: “We will continue our challenges to bring enjoyment to the fans. Please continue to look forward to the future of GUNPLA!”

For the finale of the event, BANDAI SPIRTS’ official plastic model PR ambassador LINKL PLANET came on stage.
The event closed with their performance of their first GUNPLA-themed song, celebrating the 45th anniversary, “Mune ni Itsumo GUNPLA wo”.