1/24 Haruhi Mazda FD3S RX-7 "Itasha"

"Itasha" literally means "pain car" in Japanese, suggesting that these cars garishly decorated with colorful anime character graphics are embarrassingly painful to look at, or ride in. A bit harsh, perhaps, but there you have it! Another take on the name is that it's riffing on the similar sound of the nickname for Italian cars, also pronounced "Itasha" but with the kana for Italy's "Ita" in place of the kanji for pain (also pronounced "ita" in this combination). "Sha" in both cases means "car."

This nice Mazda FD3S RX-7 kit features graphics from the popular Haruhi Suzumiya anime. The decals for the graphics are particularly well done, featuring image fidelity not often seen in automotive kits. Aside from the decals, this is Aoshima's standard curbside (no engine detail) kit of the FD3S RX-7. Body is molded in blue, with chassis and interior molded in black. Shiny chrome rims (as well as black rims) are included, as are self-adhesive, pre-cut templates for the windows. Nice!