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character design

Sanrio changes Hello Kitty lead designer for first time in 46 years

• Oona McGee
  Feb 12, 2026
• Tweet

A new dawn calls for Japan’s most famous cat…but who will be picking up the baton?

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• Japan
• (Aya • character design • design • Hello Kitty • Ichigo Shimbun • Kitty • manga • news • Sanrio • Yuko Yamaguchi)

Anime character art doesn’t age, but it sure did change for these characters

• Casey Baseel
  Aug 28, 2021

Japanese anime Twitter takes a look back at characters who have been around so long you might not recognize them in their original forms.

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• Japan
• (anime • art • character design • Doraemon • Fruits Basket • Gegege no Kitaro • Higurashi no Naku Koro ni • Mobile Suit Gundam • One Piece • Sailor Moon)

‘90s anime fans not happy with new character design as Tokyo Babylon gets reboot【Video】

• Casey Baseel
  Oct 27, 2020

A lot has changed in the last 30 years, but this is one evolution old-school Clamp fans didn’t want to see.

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• Japan
• (anime • character design • Clamp • manga • Tokyo Babylon • Tokyo Babylon 2021 • video)

Japanese pro concept artist updates sketch he drew in junior high with amazing results

• Casey Baseel
  Aug 8, 2018

13 years later and an ocean away from where he grew up, this illustrator proves the seed of greatness was always present in his artwork.

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• Canada, Japan
• (art • character design • cool • illustration)

Ash is going to look very different in the new Pokémon anime arc【Video】

• Casey Baseel
  Sep 18, 2016

New character design has some fans in Japan hating it, others comparing it to Studio Ghibli’s artwork.

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• Japan
• (anime • character design • Pokemon • Pokémon Sun and Moon • video)

• Recent Posts

  • Move aside, Asahi Super Dry – Asahi Spice Beer is in town, and it’s hotter than you think
  • “Sweet sake” with yuzu is coming to Japan’s wonderful world of hot canned drinks this winter
  • KFC now sells takikomi gohan rice boxes in Japan, if you know where to look for them [Taste test]
  • Japan’s upcoming Romancecar train seeks to end intimacy with its super-wide seats
  • Yakuza boss sues expressway owners for discrimination against criminals

• MOST POPULAR

  • Today
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  • Yearly

  Today

  1. Tokyo cracks down on Airbnb-style rentals with new laws limiting operator days and more
  2. KFC now sells takikomi gohan rice boxes in Japan, if you know where to look for them [Taste test]
  3. Japan’s upcoming Romancecar train seeks to end intimacy with its super-wide seats
  4. Starbucks Japan reveals new Joyful Capsule gacha toy release date
  5. Historical-themed illumination display returns to Osaka Castle this winter
  6. Tokyo neighborhood adds new “smart trash cans” to deal with increasing amounts of tourist litter
  7. Yakuza boss sues expressway owners for discrimination against criminals
  8. “Sweet sake” with yuzu is coming to Japan’s wonderful world of hot canned drinks this winter
  9. America’s first-ever permanent One Piece store is now open [Photos]
  10. KFC Japan starts selling soft-serve ice cream at select locations, and they’ve even put it in a biscuit

  Weekly

  1. Tokyo cracks down on Airbnb-style rentals with new laws limiting operator days and more
  2. Starbucks Japan unveils new winter drinkware collection with limited-edition Stanley cups
  3. Pachinko parlor operator arrested for not obscuring the act of gambling well enough
  4. America’s first-ever permanent One Piece store is now open [Photos]
  5. Two Tokyo neighborhoods to gather on bridge and shift their recognized border through tug-of-war
  6. Tokyo neighborhood adds new “smart trash cans” to deal with increasing amounts of tourist litter
  7. New Era celebrates three decades of Pokémon with new 30th anniversary cap line [Photos]
  8. Pokémon card game’s expansion features art from Fist of the North Star creator
  9. Pokémon doughnuts pop up at Mister Donut, with a new gathering that’s bigger than ever
  10. Japan’s new matcha vending machines serve freshly prepared matcha in five different strengths

  Monthly

  1. Pokémon Company announces first-ever permanent Pokémon store to open outside Asia
  2. Japan ends tax-free shopping system for foreign tourists, new refund request system now in effect
  3. Japan’s TeamLab digital art group is opening a permanent museum in America
  4. Beautiful Ghibli diorama kits lets you build anime characters’ homes inside yours [Photos]
  5. Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
  6. Chainsaw robots helping keep trains running safely in east Japan [Video]
  7. New Studio Ghibli anime gets extended run at the only cinema in Japan where it’s being shown
  8. Osaka’s famous Glico Running Man will be removed and replaced with a new-look sign
  9. Studio Ghibli creates illustrated Kyoto sightseeing map, available at any 7-Eleven Japan store
  10. Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods for 2026, with exclusive holiday surprises

  Yearly

  1. Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
  2. Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
  3. Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
  4. Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
  5. Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
  6. Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
  7. Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
  8. Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
  9. Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
  10. Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa

• RECOMMENDED STORIES

  • Tokyo neighborhood adds new “smart trash cans” to deal with increasing amounts of tourist litter
  • Yakuza boss sues expressway owners for discrimination against criminals
  • “Sweet sake” with yuzu is coming to Japan’s wonderful world of hot canned drinks this winter
  • America’s first-ever permanent One Piece store is now open [Photos]
  • KFC Japan starts selling soft-serve ice cream at select locations, and they’ve even put it in a biscuit
  • Pachinko parlor operator arrested for not obscuring the act of gambling well enough
  • Why people in Japan hardly ever say “sayonara,” and what they say instead
  • Is hamburger patty ramen a case of too many good things in one bowl? Let’s find out! [Taste test]
  • Japanese viewers of Godzilla Minus Zero angered by unusual number of restroom goers
  • Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
  • Move aside, Asahi Super Dry – Asahi Spice Beer is in town, and it’s hotter than you think
  • Japanese drivers reminded to look out for drunk people passed out on the road this holiday season
  • Starbucks Japan unveils new winter drinkware collection with limited-edition Stanley cups
  • Amazing Japanese yogurt spoon scoops up every last drop of dairy effortlessly

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• • Japanese drivers reminded to look out for drunk people passed out on the road this holiday season
  • Pachinko parlor operator arrested for not obscuring the act of gambling well enough
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