Sayla Mass and the Gundam BE@RBRICK From Japan’s Pepsi NEX Era

Sayla Mass Gundam BE@RBRICK Pepsi NEX 70% Figure by Medicom Toy

A Gundam Character Captured in Medicom’s Compact Bear Format

This figure pairs two pillars of Japanese pop culture: Mobile Suit Gundam, the landmark 1979 anime that established the “real robot” genre, and BE@RBRICK, Medicom Toy’s bear-shaped collectible line that has been running since 2001. The item is a 70% BE@RBRICK — approximately 5 centimeters tall — modeled after Sayla Mass, one of the central characters from the original Gundam television series. At the 70% scale, BE@RBRICKs typically come equipped with a metal keyring at the crown of the head, making this equally suited to use as a keychain or bag strap as it is to display on a shelf.

Medicom Toy, founded in Tokyo in 1996, built the BE@RBRICK format around an immediately recognizable silhouette: a blocky bear figure with a distinct rounded head and simplified limbs. Over more than two decades, the line has grown through collaborations with artists, fashion labels, and entertainment franchises around the world. Sizes span from the miniature 50% (around 3.5 cm) to the imposing 1000% (around 70 cm), and the 70% keychain format sits at one of the most portable and everyday-friendly points in the lineup.

Sayla Mass: White Base Officer and the Story Behind the Character

Sayla Mass is the alias used by Artesia Som Deikun, a character whose backstory runs through the heart of the Gundam universe. She is the daughter of Zeon Zum Deikun, founder of the Principality of Zeon, and the younger sister of Char Aznable — the franchise’s most iconic antagonist. Despite those family ties to the opposing faction, Sayla serves aboard the Earth Federation warship White Base alongside protagonist Amuro Ray, working as a crew member and occasionally taking the controls of the RX-78-2 Gundam and the G-Fighter.

This BE@RBRICK depicts her in the pink and red pilot suit that defines her visual identity in the series. While Amuro and Char tend to dominate the Gundam merchandise landscape, Sayla occupies a quieter but distinct position among fans of the original run. Standalone figures representing her specifically are less common in the franchise’s merchandising history than those of her male counterparts — a pattern that reflects industry priorities rather than her significance within the story itself.

Japan’s Promotional Premium Culture and the Pepsi NEX Connection

This figure is believed to have originated from a Pepsi NEX promotional campaign run in Japan, most likely during the late 2000s or early 2010s. Pepsi NEX was a zero-calorie cola sold in Japan by Suntory before the brand transitioned to other names. That timeframe aligns with several Gundam-branded beverage collaborations, including activity surrounding the franchise’s 30th anniversary in 2009. The specific campaign name and date cannot be confirmed with certainty, but the item is consistent with a wave of first-series Gundam character BE@RBRICKs distributed during that period.

In Japan, it is standard practice for food and beverage brands to partner with anime franchises and distribute character goods as campaign premiums — items earned or redeemable through purchases rather than sold through ordinary retail. This BE@RBRICK is believed to fall into that category, meaning it was unlikely to appear in toy stores or hobby shops at the time of its release. Items distributed exclusively through domestic Japanese campaigns rarely made their way into overseas markets, placing them in a category that international collectors of both BE@RBRICK and Gundam merchandise have had limited opportunity to encounter through normal channels.