Why spend your cash on anime merch when you can stuff it down your favorite character’s pants instead?

It used to be that the biggest drain on an otaku’s finances was anime itself, as fans would go out and buy bought DVDs of their favorite series, the episodes for which were often direct-to-video releases. These days, though, it’s a different story.

The vast majority of anime is now shown on free broadcast television, and there are more low-cost video streaming services than ever before. So really, the big reason for otaku to open their wallets is because a particular character has worked his or her way into their hearts, as anime companies are now producing more posters, figures, and other merchandise than ever before, particularly as the otaku culture boom makes fans more unabashedly vocal than ever about their 2-D crushes.

But it turns out there’s actually a way to use your passionate feelings for your favorite anime character to help you save money instead, with Japanese Twitter user @kuronosu90246 recently sharing the brilliant technique.

@kuronosu90246 is deeply obsessed with Ibara Saegusa, one of the male idol singers from multimedia franchise Ensemble Stars. Ordinarily, she’s exactly the kind of fan who’d be handing over every spare thousand-yen bill she has to an anime retailer, but instead, she’s chosen to take those bills and directly stuff them down Ibara’s pants, as well as into his shirt.

Starting with a poster-sized piece of Ibara artwork, @kuronosu90246 used a craft knife to make small slices where the waistline of his pants, opening of his shirt, and crook of his elbow would be. These slots line up with where she’s attached plastic files (though she says paper envelopes work fine too) to the backside of the poster, just in case the cash slips through the cracks.

This lets @kuronosu90246 enjoy the feeling of sexily giving her beloved idol cash gifts while actually saving money. In the photos she’s tweeted, she’s got at least 8,000 yen (US$72) deposited in the Bank of Ibara’s Body, which has inspired other fans to try similar strategies with their anime boy toys.

https://twitter.com/sakura_enst/status/1033658060995096576

“This lets you build up your reserves of cash and happiness,” said one impressed commenter, but @kuronosu90246 was quick to let everyone know that she actually adapted the idea from a friend of hers, who’s equally ardent in her admiration of Takarazuka, Japan’s famous all-female theatre troupe.

https://twitter.com/hizikatatosizo1/status/1028892751566233601

Of course, the potential downside to this plan is that you might end up giving all your money to the poster, so you might want to consider setting up a second wall-hanging financial device that lets you spend some of your money too.

Source: Twitter/@kuronosu90246 via Jin