I warned you about itasha, bro. I told you, dog. I promised that it was on its way up, that it would only become more popular as time went on and anime viewership grew, but you didn’t believe me. You thought it would stop with Zero Two peekers and Rei Ayanami plushes dangling from rearview mirrors. Oh, how wrong you were.
The city of Houston, Texas is now faced with a growing number of itasha liveries. It’s now even home to a brick and mortar establishment called The WeebStop, which designs and prints full-car itasha wraps, all fully custom for the buyer (yes, the company also sells horny Zero Two stickers.) The Houston Chronicle delved into the shop, and its buyers, and found some truly incredible liveries in the bunch.
Itasha is steadily growing in popularity in the U.S. and Houstonians started embracing it a few years ago. For John Richard, the chicken came before the egg, or rather, the wrap came before the car. The design on his 2019 Honda Civic Type R pays homage to the 2018 sci-fi boxing anime series Megalo Box, its protagonist Joe appearing ready for a fight in the artwork, strapped with his gear and a determined look on his face.
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Richard stumbled on the itasha fad three years ago after driving by The Weeb Stop off West Sam Houston Parkway, drawn in by the colorful, sticker-covered cars parked outside. A collaboration between local anime brands Senpai Squad and Xpress Skins, the shop stocks basic car accessories for casual anime fans, from small stickers of characters that give the appearance that they’re peeking out of glass windows, to classic air fresheners and themed keystraps. But behind the large double doors at the back of the store is where the most hardcore anime fans have their cars transformed into mobile art pieces. In-house designers create custom designs on a computer before using a massive printer to reproduce them as giant vinyl wraps that cover the length of a car.
The piece is a fun one, though use of the word “animes” in the headline will ruffle plenty of weeb feathers. More interesting than the article, though, may be the pictures within it — itasha liveries of all stripes, on all manner of vehicles. A Demon Slayer Dodge Durango, a Tacoma with a wrap that claims to display Asuka Langley Soryu from Evangelion (despite clearly showing Asuka Shikinami Langley, from the Rebuild continuity).
This American interpretation of itasha is expansive in its remit, including more characters from western media. The article shows liveries representing K/DA in the band’s ALL OUT era, a GR86 in Kirby regalia, even a Scion FR-S done up in full Gawr Gura graphics.
Itasha rules, and its burgeoning popularity in the United States is a step in the right direction. I want to see Nami artwork on GT-Rs as they line up for half-mile drags, Bulma on Camries as I commute in to work. Zero Two can come too, I guess, if she promises to behave.