Japan Says Yes To Giant Robot Duel With America

Last week, American giant robot makers Megabot challenged Japanese giant robot makers Suidobashi Heavy Industry to a giant robot battle. The video, subtitled in Japanese and filled with waving American flags, coincidentally happened to come out right before a striking Women’s World Cup championship match where the U.S. handily beat the Japanese national team. Yesterday, Suidobashi Heavy Industries posted their response:

In the video, Suidobashi CEO Kogoro Kurata takes the idea of an international robot battle and runs full steam ahead with it, appearing draped in the Japanese flag, and saying that while Megabot’s robot is “interesting,” he thinks they could have “ma[d]e it cooler.” “Just building something huge and sticking guns on it…it’s super American,” he adds.

Giant robot duels are on! I like to think that this is about a spontaneous desire to see giant robots fighting, but it’s entirely possible it’s a coordinated media campaign for a new sport of human-piloted robot battles. That is awesome in-and-of itself.

Missing from the proposal, and hopefully yet to come, are details about the robot duel. We know right now that it will be between Megabot’s Megabot and Suidobashi Heavy Industry’s Kuratas. The battle is likely set for 2016. We don’t know where it will take place, nor do we know the stakes or the terms of the fight. Proposed giant robot fights are cool, but actual giant robot fights are even cooler.