Shueisha Celebrates Its 100th Anniversary with a Hinatazaka46 Collaboration: Anya Forger Becomes an Idol!
Shueisha, one of Japan's most established publishing houses, continues to celebrate its 100th anniversary with a massive campaign. The "Hinata's Oshi Manga" project, launched as part of the "SHUEISHA MANGA EXPO," brings together the popular idol group Hinatazaka46 with the giants of the manga world. The most talked-about piece of this collaboration is undoubtedly the special Anya Forger illustration drawn by Spy x Family creator Tatsuya Endo. Our adorable telepath Anya appears before fans this time not in her school uniform, but in one of the iconic stage costumes of the Hinatazaka46 group.
As part of the campaign, Hinatazaka46 members choose their favorite manga from the Shueisha library and offer recommendations to their fans. In return for these recommendations, the artists of the respective manga prepare special illustrations for the group. Tatsuya Endo's drawing of Anya stands out for featuring the group's "Cliffhanger" era uniform and the group's mascot, Poka. It is not just Endo; other famous mangaka are expected to join the project with similar surprises in the coming days. This event proves once again how intertwined the Japanese entertainment industry is by blending both idol culture and the manga world into a single melting pot.
In fact, this collaboration is not entirely unfamiliar to Tatsuya Endo. The famous mangaka is known for frequently expressing his admiration for idol groups, especially Nogizaka46 and Hinatazaka46, on his social media accounts. Some details and character reactions in the Spy x Family series are even influenced by this idol culture.
