A few months ago I subscribed to the Loot Anime service with the intention of providing my opinion on the contents of each month’s selection. I now have four crates and am finally doing my first post. Hooray! Overall I would say that I am satisfied with the quality of products provided in each crate, but I often feel slightly disappointed when I open the box to find that the majority of what’s in there is from shows that I know only by name. Though I really only have myself to blame, seeing as Loot Crate explicitly states what series’ will be featured in each box. If I wasn’t so weak and easily tempted by anime I love, I wouldn’t have to fear the disappointment.
Originally I opted to join Loot Anime when they announced their “Haunted” crate, primarily for the possibility of a neat shirt and a new manga to read. I was sold immediately when I saw that Noragami was one of the featured anime for the month, but was a little saddened when the Noragami item was just a copy of the first volume of the manga. Sure, it’s a great series and generally a cool thing to receive, but I already owned it, and the exclusive cover wasn’t really enough for me to be excited. I was personally hoping for some sort of Noragami merchandise, of which I had nothing of. That being said, none of this has anything to do with June’s crate; I just wanted to get that off my chest.
Moving on to the latest month, June’s “Victory” crate includes items primarily from sports anime that you more than likely have heard of. Yowamushi Pedal and Free! were this month’s main attraction, with a small contribution from Splatoon to round off the crate. I suppose the guys over at Loot Crate couldn’t think of anything else that screamed “Victory” besides these three franchises.
Pictured above, in a shot showcasing my sub-par photography skills, on the left side is a green squid plush from the Splatoon series, and a Free! luggage tag. On the right side is a Free! cold sensitive water bottle as well as the first volume in the Yowamushi Pedal manga, sporting an exclusive metallic cover. The shirt included this month was inspired by the Sohoku High Bicycle Racing Club uniform, and honestly it looks pretty cool. Lastly, the “Victory” themed poster from the Loot Anime team also seems to be inspired by Yowamushi Pedal. While not the broadest range of items, what was included in the crate was, for the most part, decent. I’ve watched, and thoroughly enjoyed, Free!, and am keen to peruse Yowamushi Pedal. Unfortunately, I’m left in the dark when it comes to Splatoon, having not played the game personally.
If you were wondering about the quality of the items, I can wholeheartedly vouch for the shirts that the Loot Crate team provides. I honestly feel compelled to remain subscribed just for the shirt and manga alone. The plush is exactly what you would expect, and the drink bottle will definitely see some use. The luggage tag, however, will probably never leave the box. I like Free!, but I don’t really have any need to showcase my interest on my suitcase.
Next month’s theme is “Squadron” and will feature items from Gundam, Gate, Anti-Magic Academy and apparently more. I personally won’t be sucked into this crate, but if you feel the itch to go ahead and subscribe, make sure to use my referral link! (please do, this is an expensive habit) It’s around $50AUD, including shipping, to subscribe to Loot Anime, so I definitely recommend giving it a lot more thought than I do when choosing whether or not to jump on the bandwagon. If there’s a theme that just screams, “this is perfect for me,” then go nuts. Just remember that you always have the option to unsubscribe if the next month’s theme doesn’t pique your interests.
Additionally, Loot Crate is currently running a “Crate-a-Day” giveaway where you have the chance to win the next month’s crate of your choice. Check out the details here for all the information on that and make sure to submit your entries in time if you’re interested.
