Forty-three years ago on this day in anime history, the impact of Gundam first became truly apparent at a riotous launch event. See my article over at the AlltheAnime blog.

“The posters were gone by 10am. By midday, Tomino estimated the numbers were pushing 15,000, which threatened to turn the event into a riot. Ever since the Anpo Protests over the controversial US-Japan Security Treaty (an event later referenced in the opening unrest of Akira), ‘public demonstrations’ had been illegal around Shinjuku station. Enough Gundam fans had now gathered to risk attracting police attention, and Tomino fretted that an injury in the crowd could attract exactly the wrong kind of media attention. His ‘new anime century’ risked dying before it could even begin, with future events shut down as too dangerous.”