Content Warning: This article briefly discusses suicide. If you are sensitive to these themes, reader discretion is advised.
Sanrio has been a staple in the lives of many worldwide for decades, and remains beloved today. Hello Kitty is likely the most famous mascot in Sanrio’s roster, and has appeared in several pieces of merchandise & media. Nowadays, it’s common to see Hello Kitty and her friends collaborating with popular anime franchises, from Fullmetal Alchemist to Natsume’s Book of Friends.
A relatively recent collaboration hosted by Sanrio brought together two franchises that surprised several fans. Alongside Hello Kitty and her friends on exclusive merchandise were several haunting characters belonging to Junji Ito’s legendary horror franchise, Volume. The Hello Kitty x Volume collaboration was a true mix of creepiness and cuteness, and perfect for fans of both worlds.
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Junji Ito’s Frightening Storytelling Made Him a Horror Icon – & A Unique Hello Kitty Crossover
Tomie is a Must-Read Manga For Horror Fans Everywhere
In 1987, Junji Ito made his debut by submitting a short story to Monthly Halloween, which would later become the famous manga Volume. Volume follows an immortal young woman named Tomie Kawakami, who is famous for her beauty. Tomie has the ability to curse people, whether they be men that she is enchanting with her charms or women jealous of the attention that she is granted. These curses often lead those around her – either by her sheer presence or through manipulation – to kill one another. Tomie herself is often killed as well, only to regenerate and be born anew.
To this day, Volume remains a beloved manga and acted as the start of Ito’s renowned career. In 1995, Junji Ito would publish a short story titled “Soichi’s Petty Curses” in Monthly Halloween, featuring the debut of the eccentric Soichi (or Souichi, depending on the translation). An eleven-year-old boy who loves the macabre as well as frightening those around him, Soichi is easily identifiable by the fact that he is more often than not chewing on nails, to the point that it sometimes looks like those nails are actually his teeth. Like Tomie, Soichi is one of Junji Ito’s most popular characters, even getting his own omnibus collection published by VIZ Media.
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Following the debut of Volume and Soichialongside many other renowned short stories and series, Ito would also create Uzumaki in 1998 and GYO in 2001. In UzumakiIto would introduce a cast of characters all living in the same town, a place that was under an unusual curse. Every character, whether they liked it or not, would become connected to the town’s curse, which caused many people in the area to become obsessed with spirals.
It would get to the point where some individuals could not find joy in anything but looking at spirals, or a young woman suddenly found her hair becoming a sort of spiral-based monster, much to her horror. Meanwhile, GYO showcases the lives of a young couple who are suddenly caught in a battle against a horde of mutated fish, who appear to be undead. Many of Ito’s other short stories and series remain extremely popular alongside his most famous works, and with such a wide roster, there is truly a story for any horror fan. To this day, Junji Ito remains one of the world’s most famous horror authors.
Tomie x Hello Kitty Was the Collab No One Expected – But Flawless in Execution
A Beloved Horror Icon Meets a Family-Friendly Mascot in an Unforgettable Crossover
In a surprising turn of events, Sanrio launched a collaboration with Junji Ito in 2024. The first line of products starred Tomie herself, posing alongside numerous Hello Kitty stuffed animals. Some of Junji Ito’s work includes full-color pieces, but for the most part, the beloved horror mangaka is known for his black-and-white illustrations. In these types of illustrations, the viewer can clearly see how masterful Ito is at his craft, as his lineart is both smooth and detailed.
For the pieces in the Volume line of Hello Kitty collaboration merchandise, each piece, save for the use of the color red, is shown in black-and-white. Tomie is never seen without a piece of Hello Kitty merchandise, whether it be a bow on her head or a Hello Kitty keychain. This design was available on a wide roster of merchandise, from T-shirts to standees. While Tomie is geared towards an older audience (she is actually classified as a shojo manga character as well as a horror manga character), Hello Kitty is well-known for being a character marketed towards fans of any age.
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Interestingly enough, when Hello Kitty debuted, she was mainly geared towards children. However, her true fame did not officially occur until the ninetieswhen Sanrio decided to try and market Hello Kitty as a retro character, featuring brand-new merchandise. Not only was she meant to appeal to those who had not gotten the chance to buy a piece of her merchandise in the seventies, but to those who were nostalgic for the merchandise they had as children. Though the collaboration between a family-friendly cartoon character and a haunting horror icon seemed unusual, Tomie and Hello Kitty’s merchandise became incredibly popular.
Several Other St.rio Mascots Appear Alongside Junji thiss Cast
The Main Characters of Lovesickness Also Appear in the Collaboration Merchandise
Via Viz Media, Lovesickness: Junji Ito Story Collection was released in a hardcover omnibus in 2021. Like Volume, Lovesickness: Junji Ito Story Collection is part of the shojo genre as well as the horror genre. Originally serialized in 1996, Lovesickness: Junji Ito Story Collection follows the intertwined fates of a cast of characters living in a town where it is common for people to give and receive fortunes at the crossroads. The main character, Ryuusuke Fukata, once lived in the town when he was younger, but moved away for a while. He returns to his old home in high school, just after a mysterious suicide occurs.
Apparently, the recently deceased had asked for a fortune about love at the crossroads to a mysterious boy walking by, distinctive for his appearance and how he dressed in all black. As even more students suddenly pass away after meeting the boy in black, Ryuusuke also grapples with his own guilt based on a terrible tragedy that happened at the crossroads when he was very young, and involves the suicide of his crush’s relative. Soon, Ryuusuke is determined to try and stop the boy in black from hurting more and more people, until he becomes a being similar to his enemy. Now dressed in all white, Ryuusuke travels along the crossroads, trying to give people hope while the boy in black (also known as the Intersection Bishounen) seeks to spread despair.
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Lovesickness: Junji Ito Story Collection proved to be very popular, and was also featured in the Sanrio collaboration. Several pieces of merchandise depict both the Intersection Bishounen and Ryuusuke (dressed in all white), while they sit alongside character balloons. While the Intersection Bishounen sits with characters such as Kuromi and Badtz-Maru, known for their mischief, Ryuusuke is shown alongside characters such as My Melody and Cinnamoroll, who are known for their kindness. Both characters, of course, are also shown alongside Hello Kitty balloons. Other pieces of merchandise, such as the limited-edition keychains, also show the Intersection Bishounen and Ryuusuke wearing costumes based on Sanrio characters.
Alongside the demons Berry and Cherry, the Intersection Bishounen also has horns and devil wings, just like Berry does. Ryuusuke, meanwhile, is shown alongside Cinnamoroll, the demons’ rival, and has floppy ears just like the lovable puppy. Apparently, when Ito was spoken to about the collaboration, he was surprised himself, as he was all-too aware of how scary his work was. However, as his wife and daughter both loved Sanrio, Ito agreed to it, and stated to have enjoyed the process of designing for the collaboration. Fans also adored the surprising combination of characters, making the collaboration absolutely perfect for fans of both Sanrio and Junji Ito’s manga.
