If there was ever an anime that felt like it was made with all of my personal interests in mind, then URAHARA would certainly have to be the one. It was the quirky, hyper-colorful rollercoaster of a journey into the streets of Harajuku that we all embarked on last season, and we’re invited to take part once more in just a couple of months. From the real streets of Harajuku to the pages of PARK Harajuku: Crisis Team and then onto our screens in URAHARA, it’s been a wild ride from start to finish.
It was revealed some time ago that the anime would be coming out in a complete DVD/Blu-Ray collection, though we were yet to see just what it would look like at that time. By way of the cover designer and frequent person of interest here at OTAQUEST, GraphersRock, we’re finally able to bask in all of the glory it offers.
For those of you who might not be familiar with GraphersRock, he’s the genius mind behind some of our most hyped fashion drops, the album covers for Tofubeats, a number of the graphic designs for idol group Dempagumi.inc, and any number of our favorite creative pieces. In his work on the URAHARA package design, he smashed together his signature net-age style with the characters of the series, glitching and mashing them to create one of the most visually intense designs I’ve ever seen.
I mentioned earlier my affinity towards the series for cultivating everything I enjoy, and the inclusion of GraphersRock is only the surface. For many, I’m sure URAHARA felt like a nice tidbit to Harajuku culture as a whole; but sprinkled throughout were moments of personal recognition to those who helped form the Harajuku seen by those involved in the creation of the original series. Through gestures like the end cards featuring art by frequent collaborators at PARK, the inclusion of neat little background prompts, and a number of other tools utilized, URAHARA feels like the ultimate love letter to the culture that I enjoy so much.
The DVD collection, which is set to release in Japan on March 21, 2018, will be available in both DVD and Blu-Ray formats. If you’re interested in checking out further information, you can find it on the official website for the series.