Junji Ito Breaks Silence on Sanrio x Tomie Collaboration
Junji Ito took the chance to break down one of the strangest crossovers in anime history.
Anime fans have seen some wild crossovers featuring the cute and colorful characters of Sanrio. Franchises like Mobile Suit Gundam, My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan, and Jujutsu Kaisen are just a few of the anime series that have met Hello Kitty and her friends. Earlier this month, it was revealed that the wildest crossover to date would take place as Junji Ito's Tomie would be teaming up with the albino kitten in a surreal meeting. Now, Junji Ito himself has taken the opportunity to dissect the crossover and how his family was instrumental in having Ito's succubus meet with the world's most popular mascot.
In discussing the mind-bending crossover featuring Hello Kitty and Tomie, Ito shared his surprise that the meeting was even proposed, "When I was approached about collaborating with Sanrio's characters, I wonder why a horror mangaka should be involved, but my wife and daughter love Sanrio products. I jumped on the chance to do it, as I wanted to boost my 'father stock'. When I actually started drawing, I realized the cuteness of Hello Kitty and other characters comes from an exquisite design. I was impressed by the essence of the characters and learned a lot from it."
Poster for the Junji Ito x Sanrio Pop-Up Store in Japan
- Junji Ito x Sanrio)Tomie x Hello Kitty
Tomie might not have the same level of popularity as the Sanrio mascot but she is arguably the most popular character created by Junji Ito. While the manga succubus has appeared in an anime format several times, she has also received several live-action films in Japan that ranged from spooky to silly, especially when it comes to movies like "Tomie Vs. Tomie".
Later this year, Adult Swim will be bringing one of Junji Ito's biggest horror stories to the small screen in Uzumaki. Here's how the Cartoon Network programming block describes the creepy anime adaptation, "Let's leave this town together,' asks Shuichi Saito, a former classmate of Kirie Goshima, a high school girl who was born and grew up in Kurouzu-cho. Everything from a strange whirlwind, billowing smoke from the crematorium, and the residents is turning into spirals. People's eyes spin in whirls, a tongue spirals, and the bodies twist unnaturally. In an attempt to escape the curse of the spirals, Kirie decides to flee from Kuouzu-cho, but can she get away from this turmoil?"
