Kōji Asano's monthly Attack on Titan project brings Christa Lens in November

The monthly illustration project by Kōji Asano for the Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) anime now has its November lead: Christa Lens. The new postcard is given as a bonus starting November 1 at the I.G & WIT Anime Studio Store locations in Tokyo and Kyoto.

Asano, an animator tied to Production I.G and WIT Studio, has been feeding this monthly project with cast members for months. October went to Connie Springer, September to Sasha Braus, August to Jean Kirschtein, July to Armin Arlert, and June to Mikasa Ackermann. Christa, the girl who hides a royal lineage and a different name, is this month's pick with a postcard fans can only get by buying franchise products at the physical stores.

How to get the Christa postcard

The mechanic is simple: at the Tokyo or Kyoto stores, for every purchase of Attack on Titan products worth 2,000 yen (before tax) or more, you get one illustrated card. There's a single design, so no lottery or variety to chase. That said, stock is limited and the promotion ends when the postcards run out.

The store also hands out an A.YAMI concept art sticker with the purchase of any I.G & WIT brand product. The illustration comes from a specific concept: a strange and mysterious city where ghosts live. A piece aimed more at the production material collector than at the fan just looking for the character of the moment.

For those who can't make it to Japan, the Shanghai store is also participating, though delivery conditions depend on each location's announcement. The SHIBUYA TSUTAYA website doesn't detail whether there will be online distribution, so for now the project remains tied to physical stores.

A project betting on production material

What's interesting about this campaign is that it doesn't lean on generic franchise illustrations, but on the work of a specific animator. Kōji Asano has been linked to Attack on Titan since the early stages of the adaptation, and his name is one of those the more invested fan recognizes when checking the credits. An official store dedicating a monthly project to him says a lot about where the series' merchandising is headed: less fast-consumption product and more pieces that talk to the production process.

The I.G & WIT Anime Studio Store locations had already been doing this with other titles from both studios' catalogs. The combination of original illustration, limited edition, and in-person sales turns each month into a small appointment for the collector.

That doesn't change the fact that the barrier is high: you have to be in Tokyo, Kyoto, or Shanghai, spend the minimum, and accept that the bonus may run out before you reach the register. The Christa postcard, with that tragic character halo that defines her, will probably fly faster than Connie's.

Do you like how I.G & WIT is handling this monthly project? Tell us in the comments.