This is Not a Drill: There’s a Gundam Burger at McDonald’s
Everyone knows that COVID closed down a lot of businesses, even beloved ones. In Japan, one of those business casualties was the small-yet-notorious chain of Gundam Cafés, all three locations of which closed down last year. (The Yokohama Gundam is fine! Just under maintenance.) And yet, ’twas not to be the end of the line for Gundam-related food. Because of course it wasn’t! In Japan — where capitalism can sometimes look a little more fun from the outside — there will soon be a slew of Mobile Suit Gundam-themed menu items at McDonald’s. Specifically, burgers touted by Char Aznable.
The partnership isn’t completely random. The burgers celebrate the Japanese release of a new Gundam film, Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan’s Island, earlier this month. Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan’s Island is an alternate depiction of the fifteenth episode of the original Mobile Suit Gundam series, which aired in 1979. Incidentally, this particular episode is famous for being mysterious missing from all English-language releases of the series. Apparently, creator Yoshiyuki Tomino asked for the episode to be skipped, but the reasons remain unknown. And, because I can feel you wondering, there’s no date slated yet for the western release of the film. Perhaps it shall stubbornly remain the successor to the original episode in every way. (I jest. There’s no way.)
The fact that the new film revisits the first-ever Gundam series explains why Char Aznable, the OG Gundam villain who therefore stars in the film, is the proud figurehead of this new McDonald’s menu. The Gundam-themed burgers are (translated into English by yours truly): Red Garlic Teriyaki, Spicy Double Cheese, New Type White Triple Cheese, and Double Cheese Sausage Muffin. There’s also a McFizz and McFloat in “Red Energy Flavor.” I, personally, would like to absolutely destroy that Red Garlic Teriyaki Burger, please. McDonald’s also release a commercial with Char showing off his special menu and tying the special burgers to his sense of duty. (Read as: I was too lazy to translate the commercial. Sorry.)
The special menu will be available in Japan only, because Japan gets everything nice. Like trains. And sensible attitudes around COVID (they just lifted their outdoor mask mandate, and the NHK found half of poll respondents still want to wear masks — not related to Char, sure, but it’s been dominating my brain for the last few days). But, if you’re in Japan, the menu is available from June 22nd. I will be going to Japan approximately two months later, and hope very much that there will be a special One Piece Red tie-in menu by then.
Image credit: McDonald’s
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