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With the greater acceptance among adults that animation has in Japan, it’s not unusual to see anime characters pop up in advertisements and other endorsements. Usually, though, there’s at least some sort of connection linking the message and the characters, though, either in tone, back story, or demographic appeal.

For instance, convenience stores get a lot of young customers who’d rather be spending their time watching anime than cooking, so a tie-up with Attack on Titan makes sense. Likewise, hanging in my local train station is a public safety poster from the Kanagawa Prefectural Police asking citizens to be on the lookout and report crimes, which also feature the giant law enforcement robot from Patlabor.

So the fact that two anime-style magical girls have been created for a series of TV ads isn’t so surprising. What is weird, though, is the product they’re pushing: bank loans.

As the ad opens, we see its two stars, pink-haired Rumi and aqua-tressed Rura.

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With sparkles and hearts absolutely everywhere, the 15-second spot wastes no time in working its way through the magical girl checklist, segueing seamlessly into a costume transformation sequence.

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Frilly costumes in place, the pair strike a dramatic pose…

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…while perched atop…

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…a branch of Okinawa’s Bank of the Ryukyus, also known as Ryugin?

Yes, Rumi and Rura aren’t here to fight evil, they’re here to “support you and your family in your insurance needs,” one of the many services provided by the friendly, financial experts at Ryugin!

While most magical girls are in their early teens or younger, most of us would want someone with a little more life experience and formal education handling our fiscal matters. That’s why Rumi and Rura are actually pretty mature for their roles, with the former being 24 and the latter 23.

▼ Rumi likes cooking, taking pictures, and playing the shamisen, the same three-stringed instrument wielded by RocketNews24’s very own Preston Phro.

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▼ Meanwhile, Rura is into Okinawan dance, Okinawan karate, and pickles, the same food category hated by RocketNew24’s very own Casey Baseel.

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But while the pastel-colored pair may be older than many of their anime colleagues, they don’t completely break from the genre’s traditions. For example, in their debut ad from January, we see that in addition to being Ryugin employees and having magical powers, they’re also idol singers.

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With their glow stick-waving fans cheering them on, the two launch into a dance pop number with these inspiring lyrics:

Ask us about
All sorts of loans
We’re here to support you
Let’s do our best, loans!
For love, to see you
Love, I need you!
Love will connect us

It’s kind of like being at a smaller-scale version of a Hatsune Miku, at least until the transforming robot shows up.

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Wow, that was random, huh? Except that its appearance is totally justified, because he’s Bank of the Ryukyus spokemecha, Ryugin Robo!

▼ “Man, I really want a car!”

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▼ “Ah! It’s Ryugin Robo!”

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We have to admit, that’s probably the most memorable and compelling loan ad we’ve ever seen. We just hope Ryugin doesn’t send its battalion of giant robots to rough up customers when they’re late with their repayments.

Source: IT Media h/t Kotaku US
Top image: YouTube
Insert images: YouTube, Ryukyu Ginko, YouTube (2, 3)