Forum - View topicAnswerman - Why Aren't Licensed Anime T-Shirts Nicer?
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reanimator
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Huh, one of those weird T-shirts that read "Looking for Japanese Girlfriend" translated in Japanese. Or Engrish word/phrase T-shirts make me cringe. |
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relyat08
 Posts: 4125 Location: Northern Virginia |
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I've found places like AmiAmi or other Japanese retailers are good places for some of the better designs. At least if you are intent on staying official, like I am. The downsides are they sell out of everything super quickly, like half-way through a season, so you better know what you want ASAP. And that the really good designs are kind of insanely expensive. $60 for a T-shirt is just a little bit too much.
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Venus_Angel9
 Posts: 55 |
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This, I also buy a lot of apparel merch at AmiAmi and Hobby search. I say apparel because while I do like and own a number of anime tees, I prefer it when it's something more unique like sneakers for example, or hoodies with a subtle design, or even better, stuff like the dolmans like they did with My hero academia.On this point I also love how there's more stuff directly aimed at girls, not just in variety but also in design.
There are some licensed tees "designed" for women but honestly, if you're going to put a box in the middle of the t-shirt (my most hated type of design), it won't matter how fitted you make it. Anyone who wears it ends up looking well.... boxy. BTW, Listen Flavor also released a special collection for the anniversaries of both Ranma 1/2 and Urusei Yatsura. Just... beautiful. PS: Forgot to mention 2 things, the UNIQLO t-shirts which were pretty great though they also come form Japanese design so... And the fact that some years ago, girls had it even worse, I remember asking on this very website (this was ages ago, mind you) why there were basically no tshirts for girls and being told businesses did not think it would sell (at the time there were only 2 at Hot Topic, a NERV tee and a Sailor moon one) Last edited by Venus_Angel9 on Tue Oct 09, 2018 8:51 am; edited 1 time in total |
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crosswithyou
 Posts: 2892 Location: California |
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The DBZ and Gundam Wing shirts from back in the day (hello, Media Play) were pretty nice.
Nowadays the designs are definitely pretty much bleh on the whole. They just have a key visual and then add in some Japanese on it, as if that's supposed to make it look cool. |
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samuelp
Industry Insider
Posts: 2235 Location: San Antonio, USA |
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This sounds like a business opportunity for someone.
There's clearly a market for more up-market design clothing that's also anime/manga related, inspired, and no one in the west is really doing it. I bet a good designer could make some cool designs, then approach either the big rights holders in Japan or the master merch olders in the US and if it's good looking, you can probably make that deal. It wouldn't be "easy" and would take some patience and persistence (or maybe pay an agent to go to Japan for you), but it most definitely could be done and a boutique like that could sell great. It's not surprising that the big licensing companies aren't interested, since they don't have the designers and it would be a drop in the bucket for someone their size. But for an individual or small group it would be perfect. |
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Silver Kirin
Posts: 1130 |
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The only licensed t-shirts I have are from Marvel and Star Wars, I also have a Super Mario t-shirt but that's probably a bootleg. A couple of years ago, there was a shop in my town that sold t-shirts with characters from Dragon Ball, Captain Tsubasa, Saint Seiya and Sailor Moon, they looked really well made but were probably unofficial.
Though I also remember going to a mall some years ago and in the official Lacoste store they were selling clothes made in collaboration with Tezuka Productions, I expected seeing characters like Astro Boy, Kimba and Black Jack, but most of the clothes were really abstract, there was a shirt with a print of a manga panel of an explosion with sound effects, I don't think anyone could know it was taken from an Osamu Tezuka manga. |
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relyat08
Posts: 4125 Location: Northern Virginia |
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I will say, if anyone has been putting out decent Tees, it's Crunchyroll. I have 3 from them, Kiznaiver, Mob Psycho, and AoT, and each of them look pretty good with a variety of outfits. They aren't subtle, but the designs are cool enough, and appropriate enough, that I can comfortably wear them around town and not feel out of place.
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Chiibi
 Posts: 4829 |
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Lol I have lots of anime/geek shirts, I want more, and I really don't GAF about what people think.
That's not to say I'd wear one to a job interview (I'm a geek but not an imbecile xD). I will wear them to conventions (pre-cosplay day), club meetings (of course), to the movies, or hanging with friends who also like them; I can always count on them to go "Oh, I love your shirt!!" I may also wear them when I go craft-shopping since lots of artists are also into the medium and I've made new acquaintances or friends that way. At the very least, they are conversation starters. I've purchased a few really nice, soft shirts at conventions but I don't know if they're bootleg or not. I just know they're comfy and pretty and do not put them in the dryer because it removes the softness!! I was delighted to discover a print shop near my town that will print any custom shirt for you for only 12 dollars and so I've started designing my own with my own fanart ♥ Angels of Death shirt Full Moon Wo Sagashite There are SO many more I wanna get. xD (They may look big on the hanger but they are women's tees and fit my figure well, for being very small and thin lol) I also went to an online custom print shop to get a Full Moon Wo Sagashite (official art) bag and I love it so much. People are always asking me where I got it. This thing goes everywhere. xD |
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relyat08
Posts: 4125 Location: Northern Virginia |
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I also have a lot of anime apparel. And although I think it is important to consider how other people perceive you in most cases, I don't particularly care what other people think about my shirts either. That being said, I do care what I think about my clothing. I'm not dressing nicely for other people as much as for myself. So no, I don't want to buy and wear a shitty shirt that has my favorite show or character on it just because. It also has to look nice to me. So for my sake, and for anyone else's sake who wants to look nice on their own terms, some nicer anime apparel would be appreciated. |
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Mirri
Posts: 313 |
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It's really too bad that COSPA US shut down its website, they had a variety of tasteful designs -- particularly on older properties that largely appeal to a "professional" audience. I still have a nice Gundam polo that I bought from them 7-8 years ago and with proper care it looks almost new despite wearing it rather often. The items are still available through COSPA Japan, though. They still have plenty of ostentatious designs, but there tends to be a solid mix of things that have nods to fandom while being otherwise unassuming. So if anyone's interested in stuff like that, it's certainly available -- it just needs to be imported. It's not that much more expensive than buying name brand fashions in the U.S., either -- sometimes it can be cheaper, depending on the brand.
Here's a list of their Gundam items, for example: http://cospa.co.jp/itemlist/id/00030/mode/series/page/1/series_index/KA/itemp_series_id/00030/stock/1 and an example of what I'd call an "unassuming" t-shirt design (at least in terms of anime shirts): https://i.imgur.com/1uvGG7n.jpg an example of what I'd call an unassuming design in general: https://i.imgur.com/7H1pFnc.png |
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I_Drive_DSM
 Posts: 217 |
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As an older person that's pushing right alongside Justin's age, I would go for something that's more professional in nature. I do not have to wear a uniform at my job, but I wear a lot of polo-style shirts and similar. I typically wear something with auto-mobilia or similar insignia embroidered (I have enough shirts to rotate through two full weeks roughly) and I'm wiling to pay for that sort of stuff as it's typically of better quality.
For those type of shirts though it can be difficult to come up with some solid designs, but I think it's very much do-able if you really think outside the box so to speak and implement insignia against workable colors. Like if you were a hardcore Evangelion fan you could do a dark blue and white polo with an "O1" on the sleeve and the NERV logo embroidered on the breast. Or if Asuka is "best girl" do red and black with an "02". They'd get the point across. I do have a few manga/anime graphic tees but most of them are tongue in cheek type things or from cons. |
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Chiibi
Posts: 4829 |
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Like I said, "just don't wear them to job interviews" and you'll be fine. 
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relyat08
Posts: 4125 Location: Northern Virginia |
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And like I said, I want them to look nice TO ME. I can't be proud or happy wearing a piece of apparel for my favorite show if I think it looks like trash. Also like I said, this isn't about what other people think. |
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Chiibi
Posts: 4829 |
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I mean, yeah I guess I agree to some extent. But it really depends on what I am doing exactly. I'm pretty introverted so if I spend a lot of time indoors instead of the public, it doesn't matter all that much. Like I won't go out and buy new jeans with holes in them....(I cannot believe that is a THING) but if I'm just laying around the house, I will wear old ones that happened to have holes in them from age. |
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ulyssesjoyce89
Posts: 8 |
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I have no problem with the anime shirts.The things is I only buy it if I like the series and if it is in my size.sure can the Design be a bit more nicer then what you see but I do not think they are meant to be for formal use.Also about the age thing I do not care soo much about it.I am very stubborn and will wear them even thought I am in my mid 30s.This is because I never bought them when younger and also my hate for the mainstream fashion(or adult fashion whatever that means.)since I see the over boring look I see as a middle eastern person wears.
 Then again I think all mainstream fashion looks boring.If I want to dress up ,I will go as a Jazz era hipster.But I will stick with my t shirt and Jeans or if cold my NHL hockey Jersey.
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