Bleach, Naruto, and More Reunite To Celebrate Studio Pierrot Anniversary

Studio Pierrot was originally founded in 1979 and brought to life a number of shonen series that fans have grown to love over the years. From Bleach to Naruto to Black Clover to Yu Yu Hakusho, the animation house has found a special way to celebrate their 40th anniversary proper. Incorporating their characters into the merchandise and drinks of the Sega Cafe in Akihabara, Tokyo, each anime has gotten a fresh coat of paint to blend in seamlessly with the coffee shop.

The most popular characters of Pierrot will now be wearing the uniforms of employees at the cafe in printed material. There will also be specialty drinks and coasters with character art featured for each battler, whether they be ninja, street punk, or otherwise.

Aside from the drinks, there will also be a series of merchandise that include acryllic stands, pins, and clear files to name a few. The celebration will begin on May 29th of this year at the Sega Cafe, so feel free to visit their website to learn even more about everything that will be happening. Based on its popularity, maybe we’ll see some form of anniversary celebration take place in the states as well.

Originally created by Masashi Kishimoto for Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump in 1999, Naruto follows a young ninja, with a sealed demon within him, that wishes to become the leader of his home village. The series ran for 700 chapters overall, and was adapted into an anime series by Studio Pierrot and Aniplex that ran from 2002 to 2017. The series was popular enough to warrant a sequel, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations which is set several years after the events of the original Naruto story and features the children of many of its key characters such as Naruto and Hinata.

Bleach was first created by Tite Kubo for Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump, running from 2001 to 2016. The series follows the young delinquent Ichigo Kurosaki, who has the ability to see spirits. He soon obtains the power of a Soul Reaper – one meant to usher lost souls to the afterlife – and now has the duty to defend the living world from monstrous dark spirits known as Hollows. It has been adapted into English thanks to VIZ Media, and has sold over 900 million copies in Japan. The series was later adapted into an anime by Studio Pierrot from 2004 to 2012, and has four feature-length animations, rock musicals, video games, and a ton of other merchandise.

Excited for Studio Pierrot’s 40th anniversary celebration? What merchandise would you like to get your hands on? Let us know in the comments or feel free to hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.