Kateika no Dragon’s Lourd Leger returns!
There are a lot of dragons that have captured the imagination of Japanese kids with a sense of adventure, from Yu-Gi-Oh’s Blue-Eyes White Dragon to Pokémon’s Rayquaza to Final Fantasy’s Bahamut. But if we’re putting together a list of significant examples from the past 20 years, we can’t leave out Kateika no Dragon.
You might be thinking that the “Kateika no” part of the name references some sort of tantalizing power, maybe mixed with an implied fearful ferocity. Kateika no Dragon doesn’t translate to “Dragon of Darkness,” “Dragon Lord,” or “Ultimate Dragon,” though. Instead it translates to “Dragon of Home Economics Class.”
Seriously. Osaka-based character merchandise company Sunward started the Kateika no Dragon line in 2001, putting cool dragon illustrations on things like sewing supply boxes and aprons for kids to use in their home economics lessons. The theory was that elementary school-age boys, who are sometimes reluctant, and maybe even embarrassed, to be practicing such skills would enjoy their lessons a little more if they got to use some macho-looking dragon equipment while sewing stiches or stirring miso soup.
The eye-catching designs of the Kateika no Dragon line, which grew to include seven different dragons, made an unforgettable impression on kids, and the designers have recently unveiled their newest creation, which just might be the most awesome sewing supply box ever created. After inserting a special key in the front of the box, the lid pops open, and then, with flashing lights…
…motors spring into action, presenting the cloth-cutting shears, pin cushion, and other sewing tools.
Then all of these are pushed out towards the corners, so that in the center, a holographic dragon can appear! This is none other than Lourd Leger, the very first dragon who started the Kateika no Dragon line.
You can’t just stroll down to the sewing supply shop and pick up one of these black dragon bad boys, though. Actually, even regular Kateika no Dragon sewing boxes aren’t readily available, as the line has been dormant since 2020. However, Sunward had a Kateika no Dragon booth at last month’s Summer Comiket anime/manga convention where they were selling a limited quantity of standard sewing boxes and launching a line of Kateika no Dragon merch (such as T-shirts, smartphone cases, clear files) which can be purchased through the Sunward online shop, all part of a push to reinvigorate the Kateika no Dragon line.
For the time-being, the motorized hologram sewing box seen in the video is just a sample, but Sunward says that if the public response is positive enough, they’re thinking to hold a crowdfunding campaign to produce a batch.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, yes, Sunward is, in fact, aware that “Lourd Leger” doesn’t mean anything, and says they chose the name simply because they thought it’s cool, which, to be honest, fits pretty well with the whole Kateika no Dragon ethos.
Source: Twitter/@sunward_info via Otakomu, Withnews, Shueisha Online, IT Media, Sunward online shop
Featured image: Twitter/@sunward_info
Top image: Sunward
Insert images: Twitter/@sunward_info
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