Starting the A3 posts with the cork coasters, since these are a good example of how concept vs. execution can land a little differently.

The illustrations themselves are lovely — classic A3 chibi proportions, soft celebratory poses, and a really nice sense of balance across the sets. The concept images do a great job showing off the linework and character groupings, and honestly? On paper, these look fantastic.

In-hand, though, the lineart is extremely thin, and the cork material absorbs detail more than you’d expect. As a result, some of the finer illustration work gets a bit lost unless you’re looking at them up close or under good lighting. From a distance, they read more as texture + silhouette than detailed character art.

That said:

• They’re officially licensed (SOTSU/A3)

• The designs are consistent with the rest of the A3 lineup

• And they’re absolutely still charming as collection pieces

These feel very much like “display-adjacent” items — not bad, just subtle. If you love the artwork, the concept images will always show it best; if you love the existence of the item as part of the anniversary ecosystem, they still earn their spot.

Not everything has to be a knockout to be worth archiving. 🙂