Video game developer Aquaplus marks 30th anniversary with three itasha designs.
This month, video game developer Aquaplus is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Three decades is an impressive milestone for any company in the tumultuous game industry to reach, and even more so for one like Aquaplus that specializes in visual novels, a genre that’s both a niche within the hobby but also packed with competitors.
So a 30th birthday is cause for celebration for the developer of franchises such as To Heart, Utawarerumono, Tears to Tiara, and White Album, and part of that celebration is a lovingly illustrated group shot of Aquaplus characters…
…which is also serving as the motif for a collection of official Aquaplus itasha anime art cars.
And no, these aren’t Hot Wheels-style miniature toys to race around your desk or living room floor. These are actual road-legal vehicles created in partnership with Jio Create, a car wrapping and customization shop in Saitama Prefecture. As specialists in their field, Jio Create weren’t about to just slap a little decal on the cars’ hoods and call it a day, instead turning every viable bit of surface space into a canvas to convey the driver’s passion for not only cars, but Aquaplus characters as well. Even the rear windows get anime art on them, presumably applied in a way that doesn’t affect visibility from the driver’s line of sight.
Three designs are being produced, one for the GR Yaris, the hot-hatch version of Toyota’s Yaris compact…
…one for the Suzuki Swift Sport…
…and one for the 86 and BR-Z, sibling models from Toyota and Subaru, respectively, which share several components and body panels.
Only one car of each design will be produced, with purchasers determined through a lottery system (the winner of the 86/BR-Z lottery can select which of the two models they want). Prices start at 3 million yen (US$20,000) for the Swift and 4.5 million yen for the Yaris and 86/BR-Z, with final price depending on options selected by the buyer, such as an automatic or manual transmission.
Application for the purchase lottery can be made between November 1 and 30 through the Jio Create website here.
Source: PR Times
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: Jio Create, PR Times
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