[kupoartist]

Postwar Japan was a land recovering from a finanically devastating war, and the only logical way forward in a country that had mechanised for war was to manufacture, manufacture, manufacture! At first the Japanese manufactured electronics, cars, ships, but they realised that this simply was not enough. If they were to become a world power, to truely become a contributor to the world's economy, they needed to create something worthwhile. Something special. Taking their cue from the monster movies of yore, Japan created its own godzilla.

Its name: Merchandise.

In the beginning all was fine. The Merch monster created a moderated ammount of merchandise aimed at Anime fans, and Japan was pleased. It would not last. The Merch monster rebelled against its masters. It ran amok around Japan's largest cities leaving a deathly trail of cuddly plush dolls and lewd ceramic figures. No one, and nowhere was safe. Even the silence of deepest Hokkaido was penetrated by the deathly screams of herds of wild Haro toys, escaped from one of the monster's vital organs, the Bandai factory... The Merch Monster brought the souls of the anime creators, and now demands a massive input of raw Japanese currency to fuel its bodily functions. He pulls strings in the government, and has even started to make his influence felt in far away lands...

So the question: has the merch monster visited your home? How much money have you fed to his gargantuan digestive system in return for fluffy toys, plastic models and other miscellany? Are you a casual buyer, sensible with money and able to hold back from buying what you don't really need, or has the Merch-monster's rage filled you from head to toe, so that you are nothing more than one of his minions, destined to roam the earth searching for every Love Hina pencil case, Fruits Basket pin-badge, Final Fantasy-themed beverage and other morsel of tie-in that you can find?

And I expect to see pictures!