News

Sanrio's beloved Hello Kitty and Friends have gained numerous official crossovers since their inception, with just some of the most recent being Jujutsu Kaisen, Hatsune Miku, Junji Ito's horror story Tomie and even the Care Bears. Now, a brand-new crossover has been introduced with Riyoko Ikeda's landmark shojo franchise, The Rose of Versailles.

The new crossover between Sanrio and Rose of Versailles marks a celebration of the latter's return to anime, with a new movie on the way by Mappa, the acclaimed studio behind the likes of Attack on Titan, Chainsaw Man, Yuri on Ice and Jujutsu Kaisen. With the Rose of Versailles film slated for release sometime in early 2025, the production team recently unveiled artwork in collaboration with Sanrio, featuring the characters Hello Kitty, My Melody, Dear Daniel and Pocchaco reimagined as the main movie cast, as seen below.

Related Hello Kitty & Sanrio's New Most Popular...

So many iconic protagonists made shojo anime what it is today. Some are silly and clumsy, and some are sweet derederes who wear their heart on their sleeves. Classic shojo protagonists have a reputation for being weak and act like doormats, but there are plenty of strong shojo protagonists who are the pillars of the demographic.

Not only are the best shojo heroes strong and nuanced characters, they push the envelope even by today's standards. Lady Oscar of The Rose of Versailles and Utena of Revolutionary Girl Utena are complex characters who examine gender roles and social norms. Even characters who have some classic shojo pitfalls, like Usagi from Sailor Moon and Tohru from Fruits Basket, who are rather clumsy and naive, still have amazing and dynamic character arcs.

Related 10 Most Overrated Shojo Protagonists From Fruits Basket's Tohru Honda to Usagi Tsukino from Sailor Moon, some shojo heroes get...

Teruaki Shoji's debut feature is a likeable enough idea of slow-paced, small-town life on a remote island to the north of Japan. But much like its lead characters, in many ways it suffers from its own naivety and could have done with some pointers from a guiding hand.

Hoyaman is screening at Japan Society as part of the Family Portrait program

Akira) and his younger brother Shigeru (Kurosaki Kodai) live on a remote island off the coast of Ishinomaki, heavily hit by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Orphaned in the disaster, they have lived a simple life in the family home; Akira working as a fisherman, and Shigeru – with learning difficulties – happily bumbling along. Into their life steps Miharu (Kumi Kureshiro), a shamed mangaka who inexplicably arrives on the island with literal bags of money and a deadline to meet. Exploiting the brothers' naivety and lack of funds, she demands to buy their house,...