Finally, someone who’s not Char gets to stand in the spotlight’s shine!
Very few anime characters can boast anywhere near the charisma and popularity of Char Aznable. Though the ace pilot of the rebel Zeon forces is positioned as the antagonist of the original Mobile Suit Gundam anime TV series, Char’s dashing demeanor, superb combat skills, and fierce devotion to his personal convictions gave him such a magnetic draw that even four decades later he is the one who gets endorsement deals with McDonald’s and has the tailors to the Queen of England making his real-world clothes.
So when you hear that Gundam fashion brand Strict-G has partnered with Japanese sports sunglass makers Swans to create some new Gundam eyewear, you might assume them to be Char models. After all, this guy in the promotional image definitely looks like Char, doesn’t he?
Haha but no, silly reader! As fans who’ve seen Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, the direct sequel to the original Gundam anime, can tell you that’s not Char Aznable at all, it’s actually Quattro Vajeena. Totally different person.
“I don’t know,” you might be saying. “That guy definitely looks a lot like Char,” and if you’ve seen clips of Quattro’s scenes, you probably think he sounds a lot like Char too. They have the same voice actor, Shuichi Ikeda, and yes, Ikeda’s performance as Quattro, in terms of tone and rhythm, is exactly the same as how he voices Char. But come on, if these were really Char Aznable sunglasses, would they say “QUATTRO VAGEENA” on the earpiece?
Another point of differentiation between the two individuals is that though both Char and Quattro are immensely talented mobile suit pilots who fight on the side of a rebel force, Quattro is a member of AEUG (the Anti-Earth Union Group). Considering that there are still remnants of Zeon hanging around during Zeta Gundam, would Char leave his old comrades behind to join up with another faction? It’s just hard to imagine him ever betraying anyone in his life.
And as further proof that these are not, by any means, Char sunglasses, Quattro’s name is also on the included case.
Strict-G and Swans designed two Quattro Vajeena sunglass models, “silver mirror” and “gold mirror” versions, with slightly different tinting to the shades’ reflective surfaces. The frames, though, appear identical (unlike Quattro and Char, who, again, are absolutely not the same dude).
As an added bonus, each model also comes with a second cleaning cloth depicting the Zeta Gundam, series protagonist Kamille, and Quattro., which, like the sunglasses, is part of the 40th anniversary celebration of Zeta’s initial Japanese TV airing.
▼ Not pictured: Char Aznable
The sunglasses have a listed price of 17,050 yen (US$115) through the Premium Bandai online store here, but the stock has sold out in less than a week since orders opened, so interested buyers will just have to keep their fingers crossed and hope that Strict-G decides to produce another batch. It really is an unexpected turn of events, though. I mean, sure, if they were Char sunglasses, that kind of reaction would be expected, but it’s shocking to see just how many Quattro fans there are out there, apparently.
Source: PR Times, P-Bandai
Char hamburger photo: SoraNews24
All other images: PR Times
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