I watched Naruto. Of course I watched Naruto. You couldn’t be my age and not be at the very least aware of Naruto. Any more than you can be older than me and not be aware of Dragon Ball or younger and…umm…
Realme has apparently decided that it’s time to tug on our nostalgia screens and drop their new GT Neo3 in a Special Naruto livery. Yes, the rest of the specs are really cool with a top-of-the-line MediaTek processor, a 120Hz AMOLED display and up to 12GB of RAM so whatever it is that you actually do with your phone (texting, mostly…) is not going to be especially taxing. And when you are done chewing through your 5Ah battery, you can plug your phone to the wall with the included 160W power brick and have it back to 100% in just five minutes. Presumably this phone is here for a good time, not a long one.
And absolutely none of this matters, because the headline is that it’s a Naruto-themed phone. And, much to my annoyance, a really good looking one at that. It could do without the Uzumaki clan sigil front and center (and would be more accurate all things considered) but the color combo with the headband-inspired camera surrounds and Hidden Leaf village logo makes for a pleasantly distinctive appearance that you will love unless you are extremely self-conscious about how much of a weeb you are.
I wouldn’t, but that because I switched from Android. But I do occasionally get a longing for rather unusual collectibles. For instance, the Galaxy 999 Edition Omega Speedmaster. For the well-off Manga enthusiast. At a total production run of 1999, perhaps more for the really well-off manga enthusiast. But it is perhaps the most tasteful collectible you could possibly get for any Japanese Manga.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, you have the Gundam 40th anniversary Casio G-Shocks. Fitting that Bandai Namco would choose the indestructible watch to brand with the Japanese media franchise that will not die. Me, I think I would default to a nice classic F-91W instead. Pairs better with the whatever piece of clothing you’re wearing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT0HDAiwVT0
Still, at least these ones present you with Tangible goods. In 2011 Toyota, still on the middle of their unintended acceleration scandal did a partnership to market their Corolla with…Hatsune Miku. The cusp of this campaign was MikuScape, where 100 people were selected to be a part of an exclusive event which would culminate in a “live, performance art piece that melds Miku and the Corolla.”
Having seen some itasha Corollas, I find that it’s best that I don’t know what that performance was actually like.
Circling back to Naruto, just last year clothing brand LIBERE (they are shouting their brand name, not me) dropped what they called LIBERE For Naruto. A collection of clothing that pays tribute to the franchise they are collaborating with by making clothing that I am sure looks absolutely great in akihabara and nowhere else…
Is what I would say if I had not found this jacket. Which means that the worst thing to happen to Naruto so far remains Boruto.
