Duterte anime, mecha stirs social media frenzy

An anime and mecha scale model made by fans of President Rodrigo Duterte captured the fancy of the internet with their open admiration of the strongman president.

Released in September, the anime featured by Cesar Apolinario on Balitanghali was made by the Davao Nikkei Jin Anime Club with the Bisayaball Community to show their support for Duterte.

El Presidente, Davao Nikkei Jin Anime Club's collaboration with Bisayaball, featured moments from Duterte's climb to the presidency up to his first State of the Nation Address.

The anime had a million views on Facebook as of Thursday.

Meanwhile, John Albert Deperio made Gundam OBOSEN, a red mecha with shoulder mounted canons and Duterte's face for its head, for the Philippine qualifiers of the Gundam Builders World Cup.

While OBOSEN did not qualify Deperio for the world cup, the inventor said he does not regret slaving over the custom model for the past three months as it represented Duterte's notoriety around the world.

"Naisip ko agad si Duterte kasi si Duterte po kasi yung talagang pag sinabi mong Pilipinas, kilala agad si Duterte di lang icon sa Pilipinas eh, maski sa ibang foreign countries. Pag sinabing Pilipinas, Duterte agad naiisip nila," Deperio explained. — Rie Takumi/TJD, GMA News