Gundam's legendary songstress, Hiroko Moriguchi, known for countless iconic Gundam tracks since the classic opening of "Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam," held her "Starry Symphony - A Night Only" concert on August 14th at the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. This special event featured her performing songs from her album "GUNDAM SONG COVERS -ORCHESTRA-" with the Japan Pops Orchestra.
But here's the kicker: among the concert merch, one item instantly became the talk of the town – a "robot-style light stick" featuring an illustration personally drawn by Hiroko Moriguchi! Fans couldn't believe such a playful item was actually released, sparking immediate online buzz.
Hiroko Moriguchi burst onto the scene in 1985 with "Mizu no Hoshi e Ai wo Komete," the opening theme for the anime "Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam." Her career soared in 1991 with the massive success of "ETERNAL WIND ~Hohoemi wa Hikaru Kaze no Naka~," the theme song for the film "Mobile Suit Gundam F91." She even graced the prestigious NHK "Kohaku Uta Gassen" for six consecutive years! Beyond her musical prowess, Moriguchi became a household name as a "variety show idol" pioneer, thanks to her hosting gigs on shows like "Yume ga MORI MORI" and other popular programs. This year, she's celebrating her 40th anniversary with a sold-out tour, proving her enduring popularity.
For her "Starry Symphony - A Night Only" event, the merch lineup included the usual suspects like T-shirts, towels, and wristbands. But the real showstopper was, of course, that light stick, featuring Moriguchi's very own artwork. While it's dubbed "robot-style," you can definitely tell... it's *supposed* to be a Gundam, right? LOL. It's a rare glimpse into Moriguchi's unique artistic flair!
Hiroko Moriguchi even shared a video on her personal X (formerly Twitter) demonstrating the light stick in action. Let's just say her "artist" skills are truly something else!
Fans absolutely adored the design, with many exclaiming it looked "just like a Gundam light stick!" It quickly went viral, even trending on X. Even Yasuhiro Nightow, the manga artist behind "Blood Blockade Battlefront," jokingly commented, "This must be her way of getting around copyright!"
After 40 years in the spotlight, it's safe to say Hiroko Moriguchi still knows how to surprise and delight her fans with unexpected concert merch like this!