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It’s a good time to be a Cardcaptor Sakura fan. Not only does the anime magical girl, who made her manga debut all the way back in 1996, have a manga sequel series in serialization, a brand-new anime series, Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card Arc, is scheduled to premiere this Sunday on satellite TV in Japan.
Along with the resurgence in popularity has come a slew of Cardcaptor merchandise, and the selection of goodies is only going to grow as the franchise gets new episodes. Toy chain Kiddy Land has already pledged to set aside shelf space at its branches, and now comes news that a dedicated Cardcaptor Sakura store will open this month in Tokyo.
Tokyo Character Street, a collection of shops in the Tokyo Station complex, will be the site of the Card Captor Sakura Clear Card Arc Store, which opens on January 12. Managed by Benelic, the same company that’s in charge of the Studio Ghibli-centric Donguri Kyowakoku chain, the Cardcaptor store promises to be packed with items featuring the likeness of series star Sakura Kinomoto and her adorable winged companion Cerberus.
▼ Plushies, priced at 1,490 yen (US$13)
As with a lot of anime merchandising in the current otaku culture boom, there are also fashion and practical items to help adult fans rationalize their purchases as things they need anyway.
▼ Hoodies (5,400 yen) adorned with imagery of wands and other magical items from the anime
▼ Cloth bags (1,728 yen)
▼ Plastic clear files with artwork on both front and back (432 yen)
▼ Pin badges (two, selected at random, for 540 yen)
If you’re looking for extra ammunition with which to justify a shopping spree, know thatspending more than 2,000 yen gets you your choice of special clear file…
…and dropping 5,000 yen or more gets you a 40-centimeter (15.7-inch) long Kero-chan bag (both bonus freebies while supplies last).
And even if you don’t plan on spending a dime, on January 22 and 23 Kero-chan and fellow familiar Spinel Sun will be at the shop to greet fans and pose for pictures.
▼ On January 22, Kero-chan appears at 2 p.m. and Spinel Sun at 4 p.m., while their times are swapped for January 23.
Unlike most modern anime, which initially only run for 13 episodes, Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card Arc was commissioned for 26 right from the start. The Cardcaptor Sakurastore won’t be around for as long, though, as it’s a limited-time affair that will only be open until January 23.
Shop information
Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card Arc Shop / カードキャプターさくら クリアカード編ショップ
Located at: Tokyo Station Ichibangai Tokyo Character Street Ichiban Plaza
Open January 12-23, 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. (10 a.m.-6 p.m. on January 23)
Website (Tokyo Character Street)
Source: PR Times via Dengeki Hobby Web
Images: PR Times
