Filed under: things I did NOT expect to be writing about today, but hey, when you see a bedazzled banana with a happy kitten being offered by GUCCI, you kinda have to talk about it.
As I think about this announcement about my beloved anime enabler, Crunchyroll, working with a fashion brand whose handbags are locked behind glass cases in shopping malls, I realize that I’ve always kinda wanted more brands to recognize the potential in anime. Anime is such a visually amazing medium, so the thought of seeing it in the fashion world is kinda a no-brainer for me (I’m biased, I know, cuz I like anime). All it takes is one look at the clear fashion inspirations Naoko Takeuchi took for Sailor Moon, or a quick peek at a stylistic series like Paradise Kiss to see that anime and fashion do, indeed, mix.
So let’s talk about this collaboration between Gucci, Crunchyroll, and the curious bunch of banana fur babies.
Now, let’s pretend that my broke otaku ass could actually afford anything Gucci (though, real talk, anime fans DO be figuring out ways to save money so they can splurge on the expensive things they want). For one, I think it’s smart of them to use the Bananya series. If you’re a fan of the series then you already know how adorable these banana cat hybrids are. If you’re not? Then it’s an adorable kitten inside a banana. That’s at least worthy of an awwwww reaction from everyone, not just anime fans.
That being said … I’m gonna have to ask for a bit more shirt creativity than this, especially at the low low price of $1,250 for the sweatshirt and $550 for the T-shirt.
First of all, when I look through the Gucci T-shirt section, I find stuff like this:
While this is also a wildly expensive shirt, it’s, at least, more fun than the Bananya line shirts. It at least embraces the vibe of the image with that Gucci logo.
As I said in the beginning, anime is such a visually creative medium, so when it comes to its merchandise I want it to embrace that fun.
Like. At LEAST give me a fun, anime-tastic Gucci logo! Look at the source material:
They are CATS.
Inside BANANAS.
These shirts should be a whole lot wackier!
Hell, I’m sure wackier, more wholesome versions of them exist RIGHT NOW.
Clothing is probably one of the things anime fans are pickiest about, and for good reason. We all know where to get an anime shirt that’s an image of a character on an (insert color) background, and I can guarantee that it’s far less than the hundreds of dollars these shirts cost. Can I afford this shirt? LOL no. Could I save up for it like I do all the other anime merch I want? Sure! Am I gonna? Eh, not when it looks exactly like a shirt you can get at your local Target, online seller, or a T-shirt booth at a convention.
There is a LOT of competition in the anime T-shirt game, and yeah, I want major brands to get on board, but that means giving me something more than “our logo spelled backward” when I can get shirts that capture the tone of whatever anime series I’m into at much lower prices.
Where is the creativity?
There is a cat volcano, a pirate cat, and a punk-rock cat, WHERE is the creativity?! For over a grand I want it to be something I can’t come up with myself.
I’m pretty sure I can commission someone on Etsy for something more clever than this. That’s what happens when you’re making something that has a community full of creatives who will straight up make the thing they want if they can’t find it. They can also just, well, make a complete reproduction of a character’s outfit, or create their own spin on it. I can already hear someone seeing that $1,250 price tag and going, “Wow, for that I can make a cosplay, pay a photographer for photos, go to a con, and buy Bananya plush.”
So this shirt? Eh, it’s … here, I guess?
The shoes and accessories, though …
Out of everything in the collection I dig the necklace and these sneakers the most. Like. If I had some fancy gala to attend, I’d rock the hell out of that Bananya necklace. I’d answer interview questions with a cute little nya before heading back to my paradise island full of banana-incased kittens.
Honestly? I’m kinda bummed that one of the items isn’t a bag, I would adore seeing Gucci’s take on this cute banana kitten as a handbag or a clutch.
Give me a banana kitten clutch, you cowards!
I mean, like, an actual banana-shaped clutch, that I unzip and a kitty head pops out.
You can check out the entire collection right over here.
(Image: Crunchyroll/Gucci)
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