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Anime series Yowamushi Pedal has set off on its second season, titled Yowamushi Pedal Grande Road, and its creators have shifted gears with new goods and collaborations to up the game.

Starting with a collaboration with karaoke chain Karaoke no Tetsujin (AKA Kara-Tetsu), the series’ makers also have plans to release men’s boxer shorts, however ironically, at an event targeted for girls. Whether they expect their fangirls to wear men’s undies themselves or are hoping the girls will buy them for their boyfriends, we haven’t got a clue, but we have all the details about this peculiar collaboration after break!

Every year, Animate, the largest retailer of anime and manga related goods in Japan, organizes an event mainly targeted at the ever-expanding fanbase of fujoshi (girls who like homoerotic fiction). The Animate Girls Festival, in its fifth run this year, is held at the fujoshi’s wonderland, Ikebukuro, and features a wide collection of boys love comics, anime, otome games (video games targeted at the female audience, most commonly in the forms of dating simulation games) and other related merchandise.

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Yowamushi Pedal, which is hugely popular among female anime and manga lovers despite its sporty bicycle racing theme thanks to the numerous male characters in the series, is of course among the many titles that will be available at the annual event. The series’ latest merchandise, boxer briefs for men, will be released first at the Animate Girls Festival, which will be held on the 8th and 9th of November, ahead of all other retail channels.

▼ Yowamushi Pedal boxer briefs – Sakamichi Onoda (left), Yasutomo Arakita (right)

▼ Yowamushi Pedal boxer briefs – Yuusuke Makishima (left), Jinpachi Toudou (right)

▼ Console game cases will also be available in two designs!

Event details, ticket pricing and access information can be found on the AGF 2014 official website.

Apart from undies with characters printed on them, the high school bicycle racing anime is also picking up the pace with a collaboration with Karaoke no Tetsujin to bring to fans a time limited karaoke experience with their specially designed Yowamushi Pedal rooms available only at the karaoke chain’s Ikebukuro Higashi, Oomiya and Machida locations from now until January 12, 2015. Visiting the designated rooms will allow you to participate in a stamp rally, in which you will receive a stamp upon visiting each outlet. Completing the rally by visiting all three participating outlets will entitle you to receive a limited edition Yowamushi Pedal coaster.

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▼ The Ikebukuro Higashi outlet has two collaboration rooms of different designs, while the Oomiya and Machida outlets have one collaboration room each.

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Sounds like quite a challenge for a coaster, doesn’t it? If you’re not too particular about the design, there’s an easier way to get your hands on one of the many limited edition coaster designs (though different from the one receivable from the stamp rally). Ordering any of the following collaboration drink concoctions gets you one (random design) out of the 24 character coasters available.

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▼ Some fans have already gotten quite a collection, and are looking to trade designs with other fans on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/cheeriooooo/status/528491224668180481 https://twitter.com/boris11210713/status/528495986956439552

The non-alcoholic beverages, inspired by various characters of the series, retails at 500 yen (approximately US$4.50) each, and are available at Kara-Tetsu’s following branches:

  • Ikebukuro Higashi outlet (collaboration room available)
  • Oomiya outlet (collaboration room available)
  • Machida outlet (collaboration room available)
  • Ebisu Ekimae outlet
  • Shibuya Dougenzaka outlet
  • Shinjuku Kabukicho outlet
  • Kamata outlet
  • Sakuragicho outlet
  • Funabashi outlet
  • Shinbashi outlet

Visit Kara-Tetsu’s website for outlet information, room reservation and price package details.

We can imagine fangirls rushing to get their hands on those printed boxers, but are those going straight into their collection chests, or would they actually wear them despite the manly crotch cutting? We’re guessing the hardcore fans would probably be heading down to Kara-Tetsu with their favorite characters hugging their hips!

Source: Zhaizhai News
Images: Karaoke no Tetsujin, Animate