If you thought that you were possibly free from any more Bkub Okawa madness, you’d best think again. Anime character goods producer Bandai Premium has announced a collaboration between Bkub Okawa (of Pop Team Epic fame) and Gintama, a property of fittingly similar lunacy. The company today announced two types of merchandise – a set of rubber straps and a set of unique acrylic stand figures. Both are adorned with matching artwork of the Gintama characters in Bkub Okawa’s signature style.
Let’s take a closer look at what’s in store, shall we?
Gintoki is complete with his signature “dead fish eyes”, while always-hungry Kagura is posed with an empty bowl of rice! The two are also most obviously reminiscent of Bkub Okawa’s ‘Pop Team Epic’ characters Pipimi (a 14 year-old girl who is tall) and Popuko (a 14 year-old girl who is short) respectively.
You can also rest easy, as the show’s best character, “95% composed of glasses Shinpachi,” is included as a small, color-changed variation on each strap. They certainly ran with his defining character trait, as Shinpachi really is just a head, glasses, and appendages. If you do opt to purchase the entire box, a giant version will be included as a bonus.
I have to admit that it’s very hard to keep my wallet shut here. As a huge fan of Gintama, and someone recently introduced to the surreal charms of Pop Team Epic, this collaboration couldn’t have come at a better time.
Luckily, the goods are not exclusive to the Bandai Premium shop. You can net yourself a box of the straps or a box of the acrylic stand figures on online web-store amiami. While it may seem a bit on the expensive side to buy complete boxes, at least you’re guaranteeing yourself one of each option. If you were to buy them individually, you may find yourself with a character you don’t prefer, or even worse, duplicates. The latter is this character goods collector’s worst nightmare.