6.2: Adventures in SD Land

Mobile Suit Breakdown: the Gundam Podcast

Show Notes

We're back to wrap up our coverage of SD Gundam Mk II, with parts 2 and 3 in a double header! Luckily (?) there's not much substance to part 2. But Part 3? We've got thoughts. We've got feelings. We've got a lot to say. Plus in the research Thom runs through some of the fun inside jokes and references peppered throughout the episode. Unfortunately SD Gundam Mk II, Part 3 does come with a content warning for transphobia at around the 12 minute mark. We do discuss this in the podcast, and there is a warning before the discussion begins for the benefit of any listeners who would prefer not to hear it.**

Daruma Whiskey:**

• The actual brand is Suntory Old Whisky, but the bottle is said to resemble a Daruma. Sometimes it is packaged in a bag that looks even more like a Daruma.

Roleplaying Games of the Late 80s:

• SD Gundam's Princess somewhat resembles Dragon Quest 1's Princess Gwaelin
• The infamous "But thou must!" scene from Dragon Quest I's English version.
• A page explaining how the gacha-esque lottery system in Dragon Quest II works can be found here.

Gashapon Machines:

• Although it doesn't mention Japan, this page from Gumball machine and bulk candy seller Gumballs.com describes the development of the first toy vending machines.
• Penny Shokai (importers of the first capsule toy machines in Japan) were eventually bought by toymaker Takara-Tomy. In this recent tweet they celebrate the history of gashapon and show a picture of a Tomy-brand gashapon machine from 1988 - contemporaneous with SD Gundam Mk II.
• Here is a history of the gashapon industry over time.
• In 2017, Bandai issued a press-release celebrating the 40th anniversary of their gashapon business. The press release can be found here, and webpages re-stating its contents can be found here and here.
• During our research we found an interview between two gacha industry leaders about the history of the industry. However at time of writing the website is not accessible. An archived copy can be found here.
• Bandai's original 1977 gashapon machine bears a striking resemblance to the machine shown in SD Gundam Mk II.

Traveling Merchant Backpacks (Tabetobako):

• English language sources (mostly antiques dealers) like to call these box/backpacks 'gyosho bako', presumably corresponding to the Japanese 行商 (gyosho, or peddler) and 箱 (hako, box). Examples: one and two.
• Japanese sources seem to prefer the term タベト箱 (tabetobako), for example, this one from the Aomori Prefectural Museum, or more specific terms like 薬箱 (kusuribako, medicine box), for example, this page from the Naito Museum of Pharmaceutical Science and Industry.
• A blog comparing the tabetobako in the Aomori Prefectural Museum to the one that appears in Demon Slayer.
• Here, Hakodate City offers a brief description of Meiji era trade, mentioning the sorts of things that tabeto would sell as they traveled.

Kabuki Food Vendors:

• This page on the website for Kabuki-za outlines the many food options available at the theater.
• This blog describes a trip to see kabuki and mentions the shouts of the food vendors.
• Brief discussion of the intimate relationship between food and kabuki, including a type of sushi named for a kabuki play.
• A blog post about the food experience at Kabuki-za.
• Here's a very detailed dive into the historical experience of going to a kabuki play with a lot of information about food.

Waste Paper Collection:

• The Japanese Wikipedia page for 古紙, or used paper, includes a brief mention of the private small scale collection industry known as ちり紙交換 (chirigami koukan).
• This (English language) rundown of recycling practices in Japan briefly mentions independent collectors and the industry's susceptibility to price fluctuations.
• This page by a paper recycling company talks about the history and the reasons for the decline of chirigami koukan. The company in question was founded by a former waste paper collector who left that part of the industry when it collapsed.
• Chapter 2 of this paper by a team at Waseda University discusses the evolution of the paper recycling industry in the Post-War era: 都市における資源循環システムの再編 と地域社会の変動. It can be downloaded here.
• This article from June 2000 talks about the history of chirigami koukan and supposes that economic conditions might be right for a return of the industry.
• This page has pictures and videos of chirigami koukan trucks in action, as well as an explanation for the decline of the industry and a quote from a former collector.
• In this Reddit thread from 2019, someone unfamiliar with the practice reports seeing evidence that it's still going on in their neighborhood.

Mobile Suit Breakdown is written, recorded, and produced within Lenapehoking, the ancestral and unceded homeland of the Lenape, or Delaware, people. Before European settlers forced them to move west, the Lenape lived in New York City, New Jersey, and portions of New York State, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Connecticut. Lenapehoking is still the homeland of the Lenape diaspora, which includes communities living in Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Ontario.

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The intro music is WASP by Misha Dioxin, and the outro is Long Way Home by Spinning Ratio, both licensed under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 licenses. The recap music is Olivia by Hyson, licensed under a CC BY attribution license. All music used in the podcast has been edited to fit the text.

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