Therese Sta. MariaIn July 2021, a giant cat appeared on a 3D LED Billboard in Shinjuku and it went viral. Aside from the fact that the feline was a cute calico cat, netizens were drawn in because it looked like the cat genuinely saw them, as it moved its head around and purred. In September, the cat was briefly usurped from its billboard throne by none other than Frieza, one of the most popular villains in the Dragon Ball Z franchise.
The Frieza 3D billboard
Frieza totally caught the locals by surprise as most of the ads displayed on the LED billboard aren’t actually 3D. The Dragon Ball Z villain was featured from 24–30 Sep 2021 and was an ad for Bandai Namco’s Dragon Ball Z: Dokkan Battle mobile game shows. Frieza seemed to be taunting the passersby from high atop the billboard and scaring them into playing the new mobile game show. (In case you can speak Japanese, feel free to let us know what Frieza’s actually saying based on the video.)
According to Sora News, the company that brought Frieza to the 3D LED Billboard describes this as just a taste of what other 3D animations they have in store for Shinjuku goers. The company has even updated the calico cat, which can now do multiple things, including floating on thin air. The upgrade also included a longer viewing time of the calico cat in response to the audience feedback that the cat’s appearance was too quick and would disappear before people could get their phones out.
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While we wait for the next billboard animation to be revealed, time to place your bets on who you think could top Frieza as a 3D display. A legendary pokemon like Mewtwo perhaps, or maybe even Sephiroth from Final Fantasy 7?
