Replicas of Shotaro Kaneda's iconic jacket from Akira will see a limited official release, as Funimation teams up with professional designers to bring the famous red coat to reality.
The jacket, which Funimation revealed on Twitter account, was carefully designed by DYBEX S.A. managing director Carlo Levy, designer Alessandro Tombetta and Van Doornum GmbH & Co. managing director Stefan Henzgen. The new jacket adapts Kaneda's signature look from both Katsuhiro Otomo's original manga and its film adaptation, which he also directed. According to Funimation, the leather jacket has been years in the making and was carefully designed to offer a piece of real-world apparel that is not only true to the source material but fashionable as well.
The jacket is based primarily on the manga's original design. As a result, it won't feature the classic pill capsule emblem from the movie, as noted by Funimation's store listing. It was designed in Italy and manufactured in Germany, and will be made of genuine leather with high-quality lining and functional clasps. "I have been a fan of Akira since 1989 and always dreamed of having a replica of the iconic jacket," said Levy. "So, I did what any superfan would do...I went after the license and had our team design it."
Purchasing this collectible may prove to be difficult, however -- only 300 of the jackets will be sold in North America, and each will retail for $450. Fans looking to snag the gear will want to move fast when it releases on July 13.
Source: Twitter
