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Welcome to the Solaris Blog! ヾ( ʚ̴̶̷ .̫ ʚ̴̶̷ )ﾉ”
What can be called an anime? It's a dumb debate that has sparked controversy over the years. Anime used to be something for a niche audience centered mainly on Japan and Japanese culture. But great stories aren't bound by lines on a map or oceans. People like what they like regardless of where it came from. With Korean manwha, Solo Leveling and Chinese donghua, Lord of Mysteries growing in international popularity, we will probably see more outside inspiration in the future.

Given the present day situation, it's hard to believe that around 10 years ago, a music video sparked a reddit war. Shelter was released in 2016 as an anime style short film by Porter Robinson, Madeon, and A-1 Pictures. Almost immediately after being posted to Reddit’s /r/anime subreddit, moderators removed it, sparking the debate over whether a Western led project can be called anime.

Some argued its American and French creative leads disqualified it, while others pointed to its high quality animation by A-1 Pictures as evidence that it belongs in the anime canon. Was this just a case of gatekeeping and cultural elitism? Or was it an effort to maintain the purity of the medium. Both sides can make valid points but at the end of the day, whatever makes the most money wins.

Shelter remains one of the most emotionally resonant music videos. It tells the story of Rin, a girl living alone inside a virtual world created by her late father. As 2026 approaches, the 10th anniversary of this groundbreaking piece of multimedia storytelling comes along with it, ushering in the next generation of anime.

I'm generally not a fan of Good Smile's Pop Up Parade line. They are meant to be budget friendly and fit between prize figures and premium non scale figures. It's an awkward place to be with not so great quality and detail and a price point that makes it hard to buy impulsively. The strength of the line is the unique offering and capturing the bittersweet magic of Porter Robinson's Shelter you can display on your desk was not on my 2025 bingo card.

Bringing Rin’s gentle spirit into the physical world is more about nostalgia and feels than anything else. Yes, there is not that much detail but they do capture her likeness and Rin is cute.

The sculpt is decent, capturing Rin mid-stride, clutching her tablet and pen, embodying the creative spark that lies at the heart of her story. It's a reminder that imagination can bridge any empty world to the one we really live in.

What might be most surprising is the base design. Usually PUPs have plain acrylic pedestals but if Good Smile keeps the grass it would definitely elevate the figure. They have been known to bait and switch in the past so keep your fingers crossed and expect the usual simple design.

Looking ahead, you might want to keep an eye out for announcements around additional Shelter anniversary happenings. It might be possible to see Rin cameo in something Miku related or one of the other music themed series.

Rin is currently available for pre-order with a release slated in January, 2026.

Thank you for reading!