Nintendo recently announced that it is re-releasing a Sanrio and Animal Crossing crossover Amiibo card pack for New Horizons to western audiences. The collection will offer Hello Kitty, Keroppi, and other Sanrio characters as new residents on your island, as well as Sanrio specialty items and styles, to revamp your house.
For the first anniversary of Nintendo's Animal Crossing: New Horizons release, Target will drop the special pack on March 26. Sanrio has done successful and spectacular campaigns for various franchises over the years. Before this exciting collaboration is released, let’s look at some of the other fantastic anime collaborations Sanrio has done.
Mobile Suit Gundam
In honor of Hello Kitty’s 45th Anniversary and Mobile Suit Gundam’s 40th Anniversary, the two collaborated in an original net animation and launched an SD EX-STANDARD model kit. The kit allowed you to create a Gundam with Hello Kitty's head on an RX-78-2 body frame. The Japanese otaku apparel brand R4G -- Respect For Geeks -- combined the two franchises to create awesome Hello Kitty x Gundam merch. It consisted of black and white apparel such as black parkas and graphic tees with images from the Gundam anime series and Hello Kitty.
Yuri!!! on Ice
Sanrio and Yuri!!! on Ice made history with an icebreaking partnership that included a fusion-themed cafe with delicious dishes and desserts. Some of the tasty options included meals that appeared in the show, like "Yūri and Pochakko's Completely Satisfying, Filling Katsudon," "Victor, Pom Pom Purin & Makkachin's Beet Field Peperoncino," and "Yuri and Hello Kitty's Apple & Custard Piro Pirozhki ~With Berry Jam~."
Customers who went to the cafe could also buy adorable merchandise, including acrylic stands, drawstring pouches and button sets with their favorite Sanrio and Yuri!!! on Ice characters. However, the collaboration's standout element was the cute chibi collectible figurines: Yuri x Pochacco, Victor x Pompompurin, and Yuri x Hello Kitty.
Fate/Grand Order
Another exciting Sanrio collaboration was with Fate/Grand Order, which featured characters like Artoria Pendragon on various goods, including magnets, lunch tote bags, folding mirrors, phone cases and pens. For the past three years, the campaign held special cafes in Tokyo and Osaka where fans could enjoy tasty desserts and dishes featuring their favorite Fate/Grand Order characters. These cafes also had some exclusive merchandise you could only get at their locations, such as “tarot-inspired cards" of Fate/Grand Order characters on keychains and acrylic stands. Toranoana also launched some stationery and accessories that featured Sanrio characters on Command Card designs from the mobile game.
Naruto
The Naruto franchise celebrated its 20th Anniversary in 2020 with a collaboration with Sanrio for an epic ninja showdown. The partnership involved stylish apparel ranging from graphic t-shirts to hoodies. There was even a mash-up of Sanrio characters cosplaying as some of our favorite Naruto shinobi -- including Hello Kitty x Naruto, Pochacco x Kakashi and Chococat x Sasuke. One adorable and noteworthy item within this unique collection is the cute Ichiraku Ramen Shop t-shirt featuring Hello Kitty dressed as Naruto eating ramen. You better believe that this is one adorable collaboration.
My Hero Academia
Sanrio and Funimation teamed up to create exciting superhero merchandise for My Hero Academia and Hello Kitty fans everywhere. The collaboration consisted of a mash-up between Sanrio characters cosplaying and partnering up with some of our favorite heroes: Hello Kitty x All Might, Pochaccoo x Izuku Midoriya, and Badtz-Maru x Katsuki Bakugo. The collaboration also included apparel, accessories and a few collectible items, ranging from cute graphic tees and backpacks to enamel pins and even Funko Pop! figurines.
