Turns out Ranma and Ryoga’s martial arts outfits are also pretty comfy for lounging around the house.
Part of what makes cosplay a special-occasion sort of thing is that most anime character’s outfits fall into one of two categories. In one group are costumes that, while eye-catching and memorable while fighting monsters or piloting giant robots, are often too outlandish, uncomfortable, and/or revealing to wear while going about your real-world daily life. Take those options away, though, and you’re primarily left with outfits worn by anime characters whose stories take place in a more grounded, modern-day setting, which are just, well, ordinary clothes, so not exactly the sort of thing that’s particularly fun or interesting to emulate.
But every now and again there’s an outfit that threads the needle, with enough flair to put a smile on fans’ faces when they slip it on, but still comfortable and practical, and today’s example of that is this new line of Ranma 1/2 roomwear.
Courtesy of Japanese casual clothing chain Shimamura, the two roomwear sets come during the break between the first and second season of the ongoing TV anime remake of Ranma 1/2. While there are some aesthetic differences between the new anime and the 1989 original, protagonist Ranma’s Chinese martial arts-casual fashion sense remains a constant, and his most iconic outfit, with red and black pants, is the basis for one of the roomwear sets.
Inspiring the other ensemble is the outfit worn by the most persistent of Ranma’s many rivals, Ryoga, which even replicates the crisscrossing cords of the perpetually lost wanderer. The sashes of both sets are actually functional too, not just sewn on, and can be removed or tied to whatever degree of snugness or looseness you desire.
Shimamura officially designated both designs as “ladies’ roomwear,” However, they’re offered in sizes from small to extra-large, and the store’s official promotional photos include shots of men wearing both the Ranma and Ryoga outfits in extra-large sizes, implying that they could also be considered unisex garments (though note that the extra-large pants have a waist size of 74 centimeters [29.1 inches], so they can only accommodate relatively svelte gentlemen).
▼ Male models in the extra-large size roomwear sets
Shimamura is also offering Ranma-themed athletic apparel, featuring super-deformed versions of Ranma, Akane, Shampoo, and Ryoga on high-collared track jackets, Shampoo and Ryoga in their transformed cat/pig forms on polo shirts, and shorts with the naruto fish cakes and peaches that often show up as artistic motifs in Ranma 1/2 key art.
Character merchandise often comes with a pricing premium, but with Shimamura being a budget-oriented retailer, none of these items will leave your wallet crying. The 3,200-yen (US$21.80) roomwear sets are as expensive as anything gets, with the track jackets coming in at 2,420 yen and the polo shirts and shorts 1,639 yen.
The whole lineup is being offered exclusively by prior reservation through Shimamura’s online shop here, with preorders open now and shipping slated for mid-June.
Source: PR Times via Nijimen
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times, Shimamura (1, 2)
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