KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 16 — Under the fluorescent glow of a convention centre, a parked shimmering crimson-coloured Proton Satria Neo turns heads — not just for its sporty look but for the anime character plastered across its side.

Wrapped in high-gloss stickers, the car proudly displayed Senjougahara Hitagi from the Monogatari series, transforming it into a rolling tribute to otaku devotion.

“I chose her as my waifu character for my car simply because I admire the character the most, specifically her cool-dere (stoic, calm and expressionless) personality and how she interacts with the main character of the series.

A waifu revolves around fans’ deep emotional attachment and admiration for a fictional female character, often devotedly expressed through artworks, merchandise and personal tributes.

“What drew me into her boldness, honesty and straightforwardness; and over the many anime series I have watched, no one could really compare to her in my opinion,” owner Muhammad Izzat Suhaimi told Malay Mail during an interview recently.

This is the world of itasha — a Japanese subculture where cars serve as elaborated canvases of one’s fondness for anime, manga or video game characters.

A beautiful devotion

To the uninitiated, it might resemble vandalism; but for itasha enthusiasts like Muhammad Izzat, it is an unapologetic self-expression of one’s genuine affection for a beloved fictional character.

The term literally means “painful car” in Japanese, a nod to both the financial pain of customisation, visual intensity that can make onlookers ‘cringe’ at the vehicle’s sight and the social pain to one’s dignity when driving one in public.

Trivia: itasha also originated as a pun on the old Japanese slang for imported Italian cars in the 1980s, using the same pronunciation but different kanji — a reflection of their loud aesthetics, high customisation cost and occasional socially awkwardness.

Outside of Japan, the subculture is slowly gaining mainstream acceptance in Malaysia, marking a notable shift from the stigma it carried almost two decades ago.

“Of course the stigma with itasha or anime in general at the time (late 2010s) was that it’s only for children and a waste of money.

“I was even called immature by my parents for having these hobbies of watching anime and cosplaying since I was young but I went ahead with it anyway (to turn his car into an itasha).

Engrossing hobby

Driven by his interest in automobiles and anime, he decided to transform his car into an itasha in 2020.

Muhammad Izzat said it took his parents ‘quite some time’ to warm up to his hobby, but they eventually came to understand and support it after seeing how much joy it brought him.

Commuting in his itasha daily also means drawing curious stares, the 33-year-old accountant said, though he has grown accustomed to the public attention it brings.

Like most itasha enthusiasts, technical operator Muhammad Zulfiqar Abd Rahman discovered the subculture online and saw it as a way to pay tribute to his favourite video game character.

Drawn to its unique aesthetic, the 28-year-old made it a personal goal to transform his Yamaha R15 V3 into an itansha (motorcycle) when he first started working in 2019.

“Of course there were initial setbacks from my parents and how the subculture itself is frowned upon especially for a Muslim myself, there were also moments where others looked at us with disdain even though we are doing this for purely decorative purposes,” he told Malay Mail.

Muhammad Zulfiqar also owns a Honda City itasha emblazoned with his favourite waifu protagonists Kiana Kaslana and Raiden Mei from Honkai Impact 3rd that also doubles as a Grab ride.

“All of my passengers have been very positive through their compliments, with some even expressing genuine curiosity in itasha.

“Times have changed and people are more accepting now, although you still need to take any judgment in stride,” he said, adding that being thick-skinned is practically a ‘requirement’.

Street legal

Contrary to popular belief, itasha are considered street-legal by the Road Transport Department (JPJ) — provided the new vehicle colour is declared since it falls under modifications to a car’s appearance.

For example, if someone wraps their itasha in a different colour than their vehicle’s original, the dominant colour (60 per cent) is the registered colour in the system and owners’ must inform JPJ of the change or risk being fined.

Other street-legal requirements include avoiding offensive, lewd imagery or texts,as well as steering clear of reflective or obstructive wraps.

Muhammad Nur Hakim, 27, said most itasha wraps feature a mix of official and fan artworks, both requiring permission from the artist or rights holder before use.

Muhammad’s Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X features the VTuber Shishiro Botan from hololive production — a design which also received the streamer’s personal endorsement in January.

“As a long-time hololive fan, I chose her (for my itasha) because of her streaming style and her gaming skills which is quite rare among female VTubers.

“My itasha is a fan artwork and I obtained permission from the artist to use it for free even though I offered to pay them,” he said.

Kevin Embol, an entrepreneur from Sarawak, said deciding an itasha’s livery design is a crucial process — one that involves meticulously picking the perfect artwork that best represents one’s favorite character.

“In fact I started out with an itachari (bicycle) before I felt comfortable for an upgrade.

His current itasha — a Proton Saga decorated with the VTubers FUWAMOCO from hololive production — is a testament of his love, admiration and support for the talents, a passion project five years in the making.

“Ultimately, you have to choose a design that is close to your heart and ask yourself whether you might regret it later because this is going to be on your car for years,” the 42-year-old said.