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Much-loved Japanese children’s characters come to life in horrific fashion at Street Fest

Evie Nyan Mar 24, 2016
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Won’t somebody please think of the children?!

We recently reported on Osaka’s annual Street Festival. Held each March in Nipponbashi, it draws cosplayers from all over Japan to take part in a parade and generally show off their costume-making skills.

But one group of attendees decided to add a decidedly gruesome spin to the proceedings by hitting the streets dressed as grotesque versions of beloved children’s tv characters!

The TV show in question is Anpanman, a long-running show based on a picture-book series that is most popular with preschoolers and very young children. Anpanman himself has a head made of an anpan – a classic snack consisting of a soft, sweet bun filled with azuki bean paste. He is accompanied on the show by Currypanman (who has a curry-filled bun for a head), Shokupanman (who has a slice of bread for a head), Musubiman (who has an onigiri rice-ball for a head), and the female Dokinchan who is an orange germ, and Melonpanna who has a melon pan for a head. Anpanman’s adversary, naturally, is Baikinman (bacteria man). The cartoon is full of sweet and preschool-friendly themes, and pretty much everyone in Japan knows the characters and has some attachment to them.

So what on earth possessed these cosplayers to create these… horrifying costumes!? And why didn’t anyone think of the children?!

Looks like someone’s taken a bite out of Anpanman’s skull, exposing his sweet, beany brains inside…

こんな腹立つ顔、見たことない #ストフェス pic.twitter.com/L3OzSnkhXG

— OTN (@otontonton) March 20, 2016

Baikinman’s (in black) face is going to give us nightmares for weeks!

アンパンマンのコスプレ怖すぎたwww #ストフェス pic.twitter.com/39eS8Wkyer

— ななりん (@sevenrinrin) March 20, 2016

Currypanman (brown head, puking) looks like something out of the exorcist!

https://twitter.com/_QPX_/status/711429683535982592

“Please kill me”

Below, we have Anpanman and Melonpanna on the top-left. She’s cute, but he’s nightmare-fodder.

毎年恒例のリアルアンパンマンさん達ご一行さま。#ストフェス #ストフェス2015 pic.twitter.com/N1EVbj02xR

— つよっさん★夏コミ参加予定 (@orzpanther) March 21, 2015

The burst veins in his eyeballs… YUCK!

Musubiman’s creepy smirk is making us SO uncomfortable right now!

This chef looks like he wants to eat someone’s brains. Maybe he’s the one who snacked on Anpanman’s tasty bonce.

近付いて改めて思う、こわい #ストフェス pic.twitter.com/ylXJXjHi2V

— OTN (@otontonton) March 20, 2016

Here’s a short clip of the crazed characters tormenting a terrified toddler:

The costumes are certainly very intricate and detailed, and we applaud these cosplayers’ efforts. But perhaps next time they could put those talents to use creating something that kids won’t be describing to a therapist in 10 years’ time!

Source: Grapee
Feature Image: Twitter @_QPX_, @otontonton (edited by RocketNews24)