So a rather tongue-in-cheek mook was just released in Japan called [Testimony] Mobile Suit Gundam: 100 Years of the Universal Century as seen by Bungei Shunju. Articles published in the book follow the format of the investigative reporting that the weekly news magazine Shukan Bunshun follows. I’m chuckling over some of the entries in the book and had to share one of them:

Was it the Flames of Love that Scorched Hong Kong City?
Capturing a secret meeting between Karaba and Titans MS pilots!!

► 0087.06.29. An absurd war struck Hong Kong City. Following the arrival of Karaba’s Auduhmla, the Titans Sudori (both are Garuda-class super-large transport craft) launched an attack in pursuit of it. Mobile suits from both sides went to battle against one another. We interviewed a citizen of Hong Kong city who witnessed the entire event.

“Hong Kong City, it’s all gone to hell,” said Mr. Y, a dockworker, and veteran who has worked here for over a quarter of a century.

“When I heard that Karaba’s Audhumla arrived, I had a hunch that shit had hit the fan. I knew the Titans would be after ’em. There’s an airport in Hong Kong City, but it’s way too small for a giant plane over 500 meters wide. The best place for them to land would be at sea, but then the port facilities would be targeted for attack. I thought to myself, ‘I better get the hell out of here.’ My sister lives in Von Braun on Luna, so I paid a visit to Luio & Co. to buy a blackout ticket for the shuttle.”

Hong Kong City can be roughly divided into Old Town and New Hong Kong. The former has always been smack in the middle of historical upheavals and is not very safe, but recently the latter has been on the decline as well, Mr. Y said.

EVEN THE FEDERATION LEASED LAND IS A BATTLEFIELD!

“In the end, you couldn’t even step foot inside Luio & Co. There was a big fight going on inside with a bunch of ’em. We had to high-tail it out of there. I heard it was some of those famous people from the One Year War, but that’s probably just a rumor. Then right after that, this huge black mobile suit, maybe forty meters long, comes rushing into the city, firing beams from all over its body. It was one of the Titans’ new models, but it was just an indiscriminate attack.

It started fighting with a white mobile suit that launched from the Audhumla, but the battle ended in a painful draw. We, as citizens, lost. Distribution became paralyzed, and robberies ran rampant.”

Seen on the shoulder of the black mobile armor that attacked the city is the figure of the young man who stole Mr. Y’s bike. (Courtesy of the eyewitness)

A few days later, Mr. Y says he was robbed of some of his property.

“I had my motorcycle stolen by some juvenile delinquent. I chased after him with my car and found him on the rooftop of some building. He was having one of those lover’s quarrels with some pretty chick with purple lips. I managed to snap a pic of them from below. The two of them ran away into a crowd of people, but I found the girl and followed her. That’s when I saw her there. I saw her get into that black suit that had just rammed into the building. Then the indiscriminate attacks started up again, and the whole city was in flames.

I fought like hell to get back to the port, and I saw that white Gundam getting closer to a Gundam that was submerged in the water. Then, it blew my mind. Coming out of the cockpit was that young motorcycle thief! I don’t think it’s possible, but maybe it was a sordid love affair that caused Hong Kong City to go up in flames.”

Is the girl who was meeting the boy the pilot of the mysterious giant mobile armor?

We certainly hope that Mr. Y’s imagination has got the best of him. Otherwise, the citizens of Hong Kong City who burned to death won’t be resting in peace.

(“Shukan Bunshun” July U.C.0087)