Products of Japanese popular culture rarely exist solely within one medium. Many of the products presented in this exhibition appear as manga, anime, games, merchandise, and possibly in other forms as well. There are many characters and series that have crossed the boundaries of different media so strongly that it is difficult to define them as representatives of any single form of media. As stories and works spread across different platforms, their contents may evolve, and boundaries may blur.
Digimon
Digimon was originally a virtual pet toy series created in 1997 as a “more masculine” alternative to Tamagotchi. Digimon are said to be digital creatures hatched from digi-eggs. Over the years, the brand has expanded to include numerous video games, such as RPGs, racing games, and fighting games, anime and manga series, movies, and a trading card game.
Love Live! School Idol Project
Love Live! was designed from the outset as a multimedia franchise. It was created by publisher ASCII Media Works, animation studio Sunrise, and record label Lantis. The project was announced in 2010, with author Sakurako Kimino drafting the initial character and plot descriptions. In all versions of Love Live!, the focus is on high school girls forming idol groups. The project began with the release of music and animated music videos featuring these fictional idol groups. Today the franchise also includes anime and manga series as well as video games.
Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty is a mascot created by Sanrio in 1974, making her first appearance in 1975 on the print design of a coin purse. Contrary to popular belief, Hello Kitty is not a cat but a little girl named Kitty White who lives with her family in the suburbs of London. Today, she is one of the world’s most recognizable brands. Her face can be seen on all sorts of merchandise, from instant noodles to Crocs, and she also appears in numerous anime series, manga, and video games.
