By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)
Timbuk 3 sang the praises for donning dark spectacles in their song, “Future’s So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades” but I was never sure about donning generic looking sunglasses. The multimedia franchise Sword Art Online explores virtual worlds where its heroes can enter (after putting on a specialized headwear instead of simply glasses) but never leave … and for fans to wear a product based on this series on their eyes will not doubt show to the real world how serious they are with being an otaku, especially when sitting outside in public and staring at their smartphones too long. Although these are meant to be simply computer glasses for indoor use, I’m sure anime fans want to show off their cred.
This piece of protective-wear is designed to filter out harmful blue light. The technology has been around for a fair number of years as generic eye-wear, as a coating over prescription lenses or clip-on over regular glasses. Not many entrepreneurs have decided to turn it into a fashion line, which is what this line is about.
Orders are being taken from June 27 to August 6, 2016 through Otakumode. This item is expected to ship on December 2017.
Three designs sporting different blades (belonging to the main characters) along the arm are offered. They are Kirito’s Elucidator / Dark Repulser, Asuna’s Lambent Light and Sinon’s Hecate II.
They seriously look very cool and if only my eyeglass prescription can be made to fit into these frames! I’m not sure if lenses carved for large astigmatisms can be shaped to be placed into the frame or heavy ones can fit (if carved from glass, it can be made thin enough) but anyone purchasing these glasses is best advised to inquire before ordering.
Orders can be made on this website’s special projects page, and their FAQ answers the basic questions. Key facts to anyone considering wearing these spectacles for longer periods of time include (from the website):
- The coating on the product may peel off or change color when in contact with sweat [trust me, I repainted an old pair of glasses with spray paint for cars so it looks new, and it did not last long -Ed], hair styling products, and other liquids or gels. Usage of the product without its original coating may lead to allergic reactions.
- We focused on upgrading the stylishness of each design by choosing the best modern frames in Japan, and maximizing comfort by adjusting the weight, temple length, and other parts of the computer glasses.
The glasses also look like they will not be suitable for some facial structures (i.e. folks with oval faces or snubby noses may not find comfort in them). The nose pads on the Sinon Model looks like it can be adjusted by an optician. Although that style is not elegant as Kirito’s, I’m debating if investing in a pair of fashion glasses is worth slashing my piggy bank open for.
