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Is Gundam 0080 a Christmas Anime? Sunrise Says Yes with Xmas Screening
posted on by Ken Iikura-Gross
In a live-stream on November 17 on the EMOTION Label Channel YouTube channel, Haruka Mori, Mukai Tenshin, Mafia Kajida, and Ryusuke Hikawa announced that for Emotion's 40th anniversary the six-part OVA 1989 series Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket will have a special screening at the Shinjuku Piccadilly Cinema on Christmas Eve. It's no wonder why the OVA is getting a special screening as War in the Pocket takes place on and around Christmas.
EMOTION40周年記念で特別番組＆ガンダム5作品の第1話を無料配信！『機動戦士ガンダム0080』クリスマス作戦上映会も開催決定！ https://t.co/Pq0958JqkO
— ガンダムインフォ (@gundam_info) November 17, 2023
To commemorate EMOTION's 40th anniversary, a special program and the first episode of 5 Gundam works will be distributed for free! "Mobile Suit Gundam 0080" Operation Christmas screening will also be held!
According to the Shinjuku Piccadilly Cinema website, the screening will begin at 7:00 p.m. on December 24. While the price of one ticket is 2,000 yen (about US$13.00), the ticket also comes with a special EMOTION Kira Kira Sitcker (105mm by 148mm). Tickets will be available for 24 hours between December 20 at midnight and December 21 at midnight JST. If they are not sold out, the remaining tickets will be available at the theater on December 21.
This begs the question, is War in the Pocket a Christmas anime? In a post on Reddit in 2019, Reddit user joeynotmills asked this very question. While there are only seven replies, the fan consensus is "Yes." And with the Christmas Eve screening of War in the Pocket, Sunrise and Emotion settle the matter for good. The OVA is clearly a Christmas series.
In conjunction with the War in the Pocket screening, the Gundam.info Twitter announced on November 22 the release of the 1/144 scale soft vinyl Santa Advertising Balloon and Snowman Advertising Balloon figures. Based on the balloons used in War in the Pocket, the balloons will only be available at Gundam Base stores. The figures went on sale on November 23 and cost 1,650 yen (about US$11.03) each.
1/144スケールで彩色済・組立不要！ガンダムベース限定ソフビ「サンタ型アドバルーン」「スノーマン型アドバルーン」11/23発売！ https://t.co/H5wY2M5hNj
— ガンダムインフォ (@gundam_info) November 22, 2023
1/144 scale, painted and no assembly required! Gundam Base limited soft vinyl “Santa-shaped ad balloon” and “Snowman-shaped ad balloon” will be released on 11/23!
Fans of Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket will not want to miss out on the special screening of the OVA series December 24. And fans of collectables and the OVA will certainly want to check their local Gundam Base to get a hold of the 1/144 soft vinyl figures.
Sources: Comic Natalie, Gundam.Info, Shochiku Multiplex Theaters
Disclosure: Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc. (Sunrise) is a non-controlling, minority shareholder in Anime News Network Inc.
