Bandai Asks Japanese Politicians to Not Dress Up as ‘Gundam’ Characters to Campaign

Bandai, the Japanese company that owns the rights to the Gundam anime franchise, has asked Japanese politicians not to dress up as Gundam characters for their political campaigns. This request comes after the leader of the Reiwa Shinsengumi party, Taro Yamamoto, went viral for a video in which he was dressed as the character Quattro Bajeena from the Zeta Gundam series. Bandai stated that they did not authorize the use of Gundam characters for political purposes and that they are concerned about the potential misuse of their intellectual property. The company emphasized that they aim to maintain the integrity and neutrality of the Gundam brand, which is widely beloved by fans worldwide. The incident has sparked discussions about the boundaries between political campaigning and the use of popular cultural references. Bandai's request highlights the need for politicians to be mindful of the implications of using copyrighted material in their campaign activities.