One of the Saddest Anime of All Time Gets Limited-Edition Ukiyo-e Artwork

Prominent Japanese publisher Kadokawa has created a breathtaking tribute to one of its decade-old animated hits. In collaboration with acclaimed Japanese artisan Motoharu Asaka, Kadokawa recently released a stunning Ukiyo-e style woodblock print for the beloved — yet tragic — 2010 action-drama series, Angel Beats.

Ukiyo-e is an ancient Japanese art style that involves carving and painting images onto woodblocks and pressing them onto handmade sheets of paper called hosho. Kadokawa’s “Angel Under Cherry Blossoms” ukiyo-e print features Kanade Tachibana as an elegant, kimono-clad heroine. Per PR Times, this piece is extremely limited, with only 100 total copies having been produced. Accordingly, Kadokawa’s online store, which offers international shipping via its affiliated WorldShopping service, is selling strictly on a first-come, first-serve basis. Additionally, prospective buyers will be required to pay a whopping 71,500 yen (US$454.98) to have the privilege of displaying this breathtaking artwork in their homes.

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Angel Beats’ New Ukiyo-e Print Features a Kimono-Clad Kanade Tachibana

While the Ukiyo-e style dates all the way back to Japan’s Edo period (1603-1868), the modern-day creation process does not deviate much from its ancient roots. The bulk of the work was completed by Motoharu Asaka, who painstakingly carved Kanade’s portrait into multiple pieces of fine-grained mountain cherry wood. Due to the number of colors, Asaka had to create seven different woodblocks for “Angel Under Cherry Blossoms.” These blocks were then handed over to Hirokazu Tetsui, who was responsible for the printing portion. Over the course of several days, Tetsui produced the prints by pressing them onto high-quality Echizen Kizuki Hosho paper. According to PR Times, this specific variety “allows for vivid colors and a warm texture that cannot be achieved with other types of washi paper.”

Angel Beats! was created by Key co-founder Jun Maeda, the beloved writer behind several popular anime-original and visual novel-turned-anime series, including Air, Kanon and Clannad, among others. Key introduced these latter works to the market as narrative-based video games featuring multiple story paths and endings. However, unlike most of its fellows, Angel Beats! was first released as an anime series, with Maeda collaborating with studio P.A. Works (Shirobako, Ya Boy Kongming, Skip and Loafer) to bring his vision to life.

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Angel Beats Is Widely Considered One of the Biggest Anime Tear-Jerkers

The story of Angel Beats! revolves around a high school-aged boy named Yuzuru Otonashi who wakes up in the afterlife with no memory of his life or how he died. Once there, a girl named Yuri invites Otonashi to join her budding rebel group, Afterlife Battlefront, which seeks revenge against God for allowing humans to suffer cruel fates during their lifetimes. Kanade Tachibana — known as “Angel” by Yuri and her crew — is the Battlefront’s primary target. However, Otonashi soon ends up befriending Angel, further complicating his feelings about Yuri’s mission. The original anime series, which consists of 13 episodes and two OVAs, and is regularly cited by fans as one of the saddest anime series in existence, has also inspired several manga spin-offs and a Key-produced video game adaptation.

Kadokawa will take orders for “Angel Under Cherry Blossoms” starting on Monday, July 29 to Sunday, Aug 25, 2024. The site offers international shipping for 226 different regions, including the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom, via the WorldShopping service. The Angel Beats! anime series is available to stream on Crunchyroll.