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Almost all of the nice tableware in my apartment are pieces that my wife brought with her when we moved in together. As a bachelor, most of what was in my cupboards came from the 100-yen shop, with the exception of one pricy whiskey glass I bought when I decided that even if there was no one around to see me do it, I really shouldn’t be drinking straight from the bottle.

Of course, this scrimping on cutlery and dishes meant more money to throw into buying video games. I may have considered upping my eager budgets for such things if I’d seen these awesome plates and cups from fabled game publisher Square Enix.

That is, until I saw their astronomical price tags.

A few months ago, tourism officials in Kyushu and executives from Square Enix noticed the amazing cross-promotional/pun-making potential of a tie-up between Saga Prefecture and the Saga role-playing game series.

Thus was born the Romancing Saga campaign, starting with a quirky website filled with bit-mapped artwork and fun facts about the video game’s characters and the prefecture’s regional delicacies and local crafts.

One of the things Saga Prefecture is known for is its Aritayaki pottery, which is among the most highly prized varieties of porcelain in Japan. Saga Prefecture’s southern location puts it in close proximity to Korean and China, and the two countries’ influences mixed with Japanese sensibilities to produce uniquely colorful ceramics.

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Now, Square Enix is offering Aritayaki featuring the characters from the best-known installment of the Saga franchise, 1992’s Romancing Saga, which shares its name with the joint marketing effort.

These are no cheap video game trinkets, though. Each is an authentic piece fired in Arita kilns, with the quality, and the price, to match. Let’s start with the least-expensive item available.

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This plate featuring the warriors Sif and Albert is intricately detailed, but not particularly large at just 14 centimeters (5.5 inches) in diameter. At 6,000 yen (US$60), it’s pricy, but not entirely out of the price range we can imagine a dedicated fan paying.

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These 12-centimeter plates are smaller still, and can’t be purchased individually. While the set will cost you 16,000 yen, we’re still calling it the bargain of the collection, since that sum gets you 10 dishes, each featuring a different character.

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From here on, though, the prices start to skyrocket. The flashy 18-centimeter piece you see above, for example, can only be yours if you’re willing to part with 15,000 yen ($147).

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There’s one more multi-plate bundle being offered, this time featuring more realistic artwork and a slightly larger size (15 centimeters) than the 10-pack above. On the downside, you only get five dishes for a total of 21,600 yen.

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The same wad of cash will get you a single 24-centimeter piece. We think it’s intended to serve as a central serving dish, but there’s nothing stopping you from using it for yourself while your guests eat off of paper plates or eat directly from the pot.

Of course, food only makes up half of a meal. If you need you beverages to also be contained with 16-bit artwork, Square Enix can also set you up with a 20,000-yen ($200) teacup.

▼ At first we thought it was a rip-off, but then we found out it includes a saucer!

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Finally, the real big-ticket items are these 62-centimeter platters.

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Gorgeous linework, enchanting colors…

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…and a price of 1,080,000 yen, or $10,500.

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And just to confirm, no, we didn’t mess up and slip an extra zero in there.

▼ Each of those video game plates really costs more than this car.

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Still, if you’re already set as far as transportation goes, the Romancing Saga ceramics are undeniably cool, and they’re available through Square Enix’s online store right here. Honestly though, they’re a little out of our budgets, so we’re off to wander around our neighborhood in hopes of finding a dragon we can slay for its gold.

Source: Jin
Top image: Square Enix E-Store
Insert images: Wikipedia, Square Enix E-Store, Suzuki