Forbidden Planet and Crunchyroll have established a geographic HQ for physical anime fandom in South London this month, launching an exclusive range of Chainsaw Man merchandise alongside a series of large-format cinema events.
The coordinated push aims to bridge the gap between digital streaming and physical retail, turning the Southwark-to-Greenwich corridor into a primary destination for UK fans during the “Ani-May” celebration.
While the campaign is presented as a unified celebration of the medium, it has triggered a strategic conflict between major retailers. Headquartered at 144 Southwark Street, London, Forbidden Planet is anchoring the month with a bespoke apparel range. This is being mirrored by Crunchyroll, which is hosting exclusive big-screen rewatches of Jujutsu Kaisen 0 and Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc at the Odeon Greenwich.
The Chainsaw Man Exclusive Range
The cornerstone of the physical campaign is a new merchandise range based on Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man. The collection highlights a shift in mainstream high-street acceptance of “Body Horror” aesthetics, moving hyper-violent visual motifs from niche specialist shops into primary retail windows.
The range features several tiers of collectables and apparel:
- Chainsaw Man: T-Shirt: Blood & Gore (£19.99)
- Chainsaw Man: T-Shirt: Awakens (£19.99)
- Chainsaw Man: Enamel Pin Badge: Saws Galore (£7.99)
- Chainsaw Man: Enamel Pin Badge: Cute Pochita (£7.99)
- Chainsaw Man: Art Print: Iconic (£9.99)
- Chainsaw Man: Coaster: Iconic (£4.99)
Retail Competition
A significant source of gossip for fans to mull over this month is the divergent commercial strategies among the participating outlets. While Forbidden Planet is marketing its range as an “exclusive,” Zavvi is simultaneously running an Ani-May campaign featuring 26% price drops on in-stock figures and merchandise from many of the same core franchises. This forces a choice between the high-value “newness” of physical London exclusives and the deeper discounts provided by national online-first retailers.
Furthermore, the “physical” nature of the month is complicated by the heavy inclusion of digital-only incentives. Crunchyroll has integrated digital DLC, specifically an exclusive “Car Voucher” for Forza Horizon 6, into the campaign. This reliance on digital gaming assets to drive a brick-and-mortar retail celebration highlights the ongoing difficulty of sustaining physical retail momentum without digital nudges.
