Anime mania isn’t about to end any time soon, and here’s a luxury collection that’s based off one of the all-time favourites: Naruto. The story of a plucky young ninja and his friends have captivated the world for over 20 years, which presents a perfect opportunity for German luxury goods maker Montblanc to come in with an exclusive collection of writing materials and accessories.
The first thing you’ll notice is the colour orange. While Montblanc’s famous fountain pens tend to come in classic colours of black and silver, their icon, the Montblanc Meisterstück, sees bold orange accents that take after Naruto’s orange jumpsuit. A line of leather goods, ranging from a pen pouch to a sling bag, are also similarly inspired by the manga and anime series, in understated black colourways paired with refreshing pops of orange.
Next, the choice of Naruto paired with his mentor, Jiraiya. With so many compelling characters and storylines to choose from, why did Montblanc decide to focus on these two? Hint: it has to do with a core philosophy of the brand, its heritage in handwriting. The older Jiraiya, more experienced and wiser in the world, made it his mission to pass his skills and knowledge to his godson and final student, Naruto, which ties in nicely to how Montblanc’s writing tools enable the transmission of knowledge across generations. This precious relationship is emphasised via illustrations of the characters, complete with brushstroke-like backdrops that evoke comparisons to both calligraphy and the art of manga.
THE PEN
We can’t help but marvel at the way Montblanc designs a pen; despite such a small surface area, they’ve managed to nail so much specific detail that this absolutely has to be a collector’s item, especially if you’re a fan of Naruto.
Here, the special-edition Meisterstück fountain pen features a gold nib with ruthenium-coat embellishment, highlighted with the Konoha (Hidden Leaf Village) symbol in yellow gold. The cap of the pen clearly features Naruto doing his signature move, the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (shadow clone technique), while if you look even more closely, you’ll also see Akatsuki clouds subtly looming over the barrel.
The pen also comes in a rollerball and ballpoint edition, while a special orange ink glass bottle and leather notebook complete the writing assortment.
THE LEATHER BAGS AND POUCHES
As for the leather goods, the Montblanc x Naruto collection includes a Sling Bag, Chest Bag, a Mini Reporter that’s to be worn crossbody, as well as a Tote and Pouch with Wrist Strap. There’s also a Credit Card Pocket Holder, Compact Wallet, Key Fob, M Buckle Leather Belt, and Pen Pouch. Each piece features a depiction of Naruto and/or Jiraiya against black leather, with the reverse side done in orange leather decorated with the writing symbols.
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To mark the launch of this collaboration, the Naruto team has also created a special anime short that sees Jiraiya “reflecting on Naruto’s journey, the advice he gives Naruto and what really matters in life”, and yes these feature him capturing his thoughts with a fountain pen as well
The Montblanc x Naruto Collection is exclusively available at the Marina Bay Sands boutique from 12 – 25 October, and at all other Montblanc boutiques from 26 October 2022.
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