Sailor Moon fans might find their wallets rather empty after the recent onslaught of products cashing in on fans’ nostalgia for the 20th anniversary of the series, but if you still have a few pennies left you might want to head back to ITS’DEMO for their latest collaboration release.
Popular fashion and beauty chain store ITS’DEMO is currently selling products in collaboration with recently resuscitated 90s anime Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, offering everything from sweets to tote bags to jewellery. You can see their current product line up here on their official website, although it’s only available in Japanese.
And soon to join the already large collection is a second lineup of Sailor Moon umbrellas featuring three new designs, which will retail for 1,500 yen (US$12.50) each. The announcement was made via the company’s official account, and fans have been liking and commenting with their excitement for the impending release.
Of the three upcoming umbrellas, one in particular has an especially cute design utilizing an adorable picture of Usagi and Chibi Usagi bordered by pink and white stars and moons. There are also blue and pink designs featuring different patterns based on the Sailor Senshi’s much-commercialized transformation items.
While the 20th anniversary of the series’ creation by manga artist Naoko Takeuchi has been a veritable treasure trove for fans, giving them not just tons of shiny new merch to collect, but also a brand new anime series, it’s also provided an opportunity for corporations to milk the IP for all its worth. But is the market now starting to become over-saturated with Sailor Moon goods? Do fans have a limit as to how much overpriced tat they’ll buy? Call me a cynic, but I can see this whole consumerism-driven juggernaut reaching tipping point soon. Or maybe I’m just a pessimist, and the fans will never tire of it, no matter how many cutesy compacts are marketed to them.
The umbrellas are due to go on sale on Saturday, September 19, and you won’t find them in any other stores, so head on down to ITS’DEMO to get your hands on them. Alternatively, you can always wait for the next inevitable product announcement to see if it’s something more to your liking!
Source: NariNari, ITS’DEMO Official Instagram
Header Image: ITS’DEMO Official Site