Car marketing in Japan is a little different from here in the states. Whereas our car commercials can often be outlandish, bizarre or even feature classic anime characters, there are lines American car companies aren't willing to cross.
Turning the various parts of the car you are trying to sell into anime girls is one of those lines. That's exactly what Toyota has done for a new Japanese Prius commercial, and it's interesting, to say the least.
For example, have you ever wondered what a Prius motor would look like as an anime girl? If you have, you may want to consult a physician, but if you haven't, you can watch the video below to see what she (it?) would look like. Same applies to the car's "double wishbone suspension" and its "high rigidity body." Also, its "triangular silhouette?"
Okay, this is making me kind of uncomfortable. You get the idea.
Of course, personifying products as anime characters isn't exactly new in Japan. In fact, it happens quite frequently. From fast food to Internet browsers, Japanese companies (or the Japanese arms of American companies) use anime to appeal to the manga reading and anime watching youth of the country.
It's why we assume Ford has been using Dragon Ball Z, one of the most popular anime here in the States and one that many twenty-somethings grew up with, in several of its recent advertisements. Apparently, anime sells. However, that doesn't make it any less weird for everybody involved.
