1/24 Clannad After Story Toyota Soarer 2.5GT Twinturbo

"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 Toyota Soarer 2.5GT Twinturbo Limited kit features graphics from the popular "Clannad: After Story" 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 Soarer. Body and interior are molded in white, with chassis molded in black. Matte chrome rims are provided, as is a bit of chrome decal sheet. Nice!