Japanese otaku know where to shop for the best display goods.
Recently, our Japanese-language reporter Saya Togashi attended the Kimetsu no Yaiba Gotoge Koyoharu Exhibition, which is being held from 26 October-12 December at the Mori Arts Centre Gallery in Tokyo’s Roppongi Hills complex.
As fans will know, Kimetsu no Yaiba is known overseas as Demon Slayer, and it’s an immensely popular anime series that started off as an immensely popular manga series illustrated by Japanese artist Gotoge Koyoharu.
Being a big Demon Slayer fan, Saya couldn’t resist purchasing a huge swag of goods from the gift shop at the exhibition, but once she got home, she found herself in a quandary experienced by many otaku in their lives — how to display all her arty goods.
Hopping online to find a solution to her problem, she came across an in-the-know tip from the otaku community about 100-yen chainstore Seria, which has a corner dedicated to items for collectors. Luckily for Saya there was a Seria not far from her place, so she was able to stop by and pick up everything she needed to exhibit her Demon Slayer loot.
▼ Saya’s Seria haul.
Branded as “Wotatomo Series” (“Geek’s Friend Series”) or “My Collection” goods, these Seria products are designed to cater to the needs of otaku, and Saya was super impressed with the range available.
▼ First up, she purchased a “My Collection A4 Clear Holder Stand“, which is absolutely perfect for displaying clear files.
Clear files are a beautiful and affordable way to collect manga or anime art, making them a standard purchase for many otaku. The only problem is, they’re not always easy to display, as frames can be bulky and expensive, but this Seria item is specially designed for clear files, with a slim, lightweight design, and the option to either have it hang or stand, vertically or horizontally.
The best thing about this product, though, is the claws in each corner, which allow you to slide the file in easily and keep it in place without damaging it, even if you choose to keep it in its plastic covering for dust protection.
▼ This is what’s known as a “Cinderella fit“, when an item fits perfectly, just like Cinderella’s glass slipper when it’s slipped onto her foot in the fairytale.
You can tell these goods are perfectly thought out with the needs of otaku in mind, and that’s true as well with this next item, the “My Collection Key Ring Display Case“.
Look how perfectly these keychains are displayed! Saya couldn’t help but let out a squeal of delight at how gorgeous these looked in their new case.
The attention to detail is incredibly impressive, as you can choose to display the keychains with or without the paper tags that come with them, and the auxiliary hooks on the back allow you to hang keychains with longer straps as well.
Next up, we have the “My Collection Mini Shikishi File“, which is designed to be used exclusively for the “Mini Shikishi”, square cardboard mementos, often given out as freebies to visitors when they enter an event.
Saya had quite a few of these so being able to slide them into one collection was like creating a mini art book. Saya absolutely loved the way it looked, and she also appreciated the dust protection it provided for her precious items.
Next up is another god-like “Cinderella fit” item that Saya will definitely be purchasing more of in future: the “Collection Case“.
These are perfect for protecting and displaying all those cardboard coasters that come free with drinks at themed cafes. Incredibly easy to use, all you have to do is lift the cover, pop your coaster in and then click the lid shut over it.
Saya has long been looking for a way to display all her beautiful cardboard coasters, but square-shaped frames small enough for the job are incredibly hard to find.
▼ That made the Cinderella fit here even more of a joyous surprise!
What’s more, you can connect additional cases together, creating an entire display wall if you so desire.
▼ Whoever designed these is an absolute genius!
Another genius item is the “Wotatomo Series Mini Shikishi Collection Frame“, which is the perfect size for framing mini shikishi.
When she visited the Demon Slayer exhibition, Saya received a special illustration card exclusively for visitors, and this frame was such a perfect fit it almost made Saya cry with happiness.
▼ This joyous “Thank you for coming to the original image exhibition!” message from Gotoge definitely deserves a perfect frame.
Other useful products include the “My Collection Display Case with Partition“, which makes it easy to see small items like keychains and tin badges…
▼ …the “Acrylic Key Holder Stand” that provides greater mobility for your favourite characters…
▼ …and the “Protect Inner Sleeve” which preserves precious trading cards.
Thanks to Seria, Saya was able to set up her very own Demon Slayer exhibition at home, displaying all these beautiful items that would’ve otherwise been tucked away on shelves or stored in drawers.
Despite purchasing a lot of accessories, this wasn’t even everything they had available in the otaku corner at Seria, and what makes it even more fantastic is that they’re all priced at 110 yen (US$1.39) each.
So if you’re looking for a way to display all your anime goods, be sure to put Seria on your list of places to shop in Japan, before immersing yourself in the world of Demon Slayer at Universal Studios Japan.
Photos: ©SoraNews24
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