I had the best time at the Tokyo Anime Center in DNP Plaza Shibuya, where The Vampire Dies in No Time pop-up shop (shortened to Sugu Shinu from here on) is being held from December 24, 2021 to January 16, 2022. Such wonderful merch, so pretty, so rare! You can’t find a lot of official merch for this show in the regular anime/manga specialty stores, making this temporary shop a really special joy.
I arrived relatively late to the party (December 30) and wasn’t surprised to find out super popular goods such as John the Armadillo’s wireless battery charger and Hanaikimaru’s acrylic memo stands were already sold out. Still, the ones I wanted the most – Big Acrylic Figures – were available, yey! Aside from the merch, there were exhibits and photo spots here and there – lots of fun! Staff were very nice, a lovely place to be.
Let’s take a quick tour via photos:
(English continued after Japanese)
東京アニメセンターの吸血鬼すぐ死ぬPOP UP SHOPに行ってきました!わああ、こんなにグッズがあるなんて、嬉しくてテンションMAXでした。だがしかし、出遅れたせいか人気商品のいくつかが完売? 悲しかったが、一番欲しかったBIGアクスタ等がありましたし、色々ゲットできました? 冬ボナス、さようなら?? ショップでアニメ名場面展示や撮影禁止の原画展示などがあり、見るだけでも楽しかった? スタッフは丁寧で親切だったので心地良い場所でした。ちなみに、クレープカフェと連動特典キャンペーンがありますが行けなかったので後日行ってみたいです。
Tokyo Anime Center
Several exhibits were ongoing (check ‘em out here). The Sugu Shinu pop-up shop was located near the window, to the right when entering from the escalator.
Because of multiple exhibits, you have to wait for a while before the Sugu Shinu digital signage comes up. I felt silly standing there waiting for the virtual posters to change so I could take a pic, but it was worth it after these two came up, looking so fine and dandy!
Photo Op with Ronald and Draluc
Perhaps the most popular area, this spot near the window had life-sized panels of Ronald and Draluc. It was nice that they were in a well-lit place, great for taking pics. I absolutely love their outfits for this event: Ronald looking like a Victorian explorer and Draluc looking like a gentleman on a grand tour.
Anime Scene Exhibit
Some of the funniest scenes from the anime were displayed on a wall.
Next to them were original drawings by the anime staff, which had a ‘Do Not Take Photos’ sign on it. Some of the handwritten notes were in Hangul, with Japanese translations, because part of the animation team is located in Korea.
Beautiful Curtains
A large tapestry or ‘flat curtain’ was available for made-to-order purchase. It costs JPY 14,300. I really wanted it but aside from not having any place to hang it, it was also beyond my budget.
Two types of cafe curtains, called のれん ‘noren’ in Japanese, are available. These are sized to fit a standard door in a typical Japanese house.
Acrylic Stand Figures and Pillow Covers
Samples of the acrylic figures were on display – large ones 28cm tall, and small chibi ones with a clip on the back for holding notes. All of them were available for purchase except for Hanaikimaru the Bat, he (or should that be ‘it’) is incredibly popular! Super cute, too, no wonder Hinaichi fell head-over-heels 😀
Note: You can purchase all of the products mentioned here via the Tokyo Anime Center online store, open until January 16, 2022.
Under the acrylic figure shelf were cushions featuring Ronald and Draluc’s headshots, plus John with a steampunk-style hat. Thankfully, they’re cushion covers (insert not included) which will fit any regular 45cm square cushion you have at home.
Character-Themed Fragrance
Ronald’s perfume (a youthful, sporty fragrance) and Draluc’s perfume (a light musk fragrance) were on display, though they had run out of stock by the time I got there. Still, I saw them being sold at Animate Shibuya, so that’s somewhere you could try if you’re into character-themed perfumes.
Other Merchandise
Aside from the above, other products include music CDs for the anime, John-themed mugs, t-shirts and handkerchiefs. Also for sale were imitation-leather phone cases.
Postcard Giveaway
For every JPY 2,000 purchase you get a postcard featuring scenes from the anime. There are seven designs in all and I got one of each, yey!
Staff was really nice, making sure I got all the designs. It’d have killed me to get two of the same thing! xD
Themed Coffee Shop
After paying, I was handed a piece of paper with a stamp on it, and if I took this to a nearby creperie and bought one to eat, I’d get a postcard giveaway.
Unfortunately, I’d just had a meal so didn’t have the space for snacks, too bad! Themed crepes looked really pretty. Perhaps some other time!
My Sugu Shinu Merch Haul
Click here to read the merchandise review for this event, featuring big acrylic figure stands, acrylic memo holders and canvas tote.
Purchasing the Kyūketsuki Sugu Shinu Merch
If you’re somewhere near the capital, better get a move on, as this event/pop-up store is only until Sunday, January 16, 2022. For those who can’t make it to Shibuya, there’s the Tokyo Anime Center official online store, although like its physical version, it’s open for a limited time only.
If you live overseas, one way to get a hold of the products you see above is to use a proxy shopper that ships worldwide. See my Shopper’s Guide for details.
If you’re reading this after January 16, there’s always the online flea markets where resellers list products from events. Here’s the Mercari listing for the Sugu Shinu x Tokyo Anime Center event.
Search keyphrase:
吸血鬼すぐ死ぬ 東京アニメセンター
Sorry for the late blog post – I know this event is almost over. But I don’t think anyone is reading my Sugu Shinu posts anyway. If you are and would like me to post about events the day after I go to them, then let me know in the comment section below!