Japan’s cutest superhero is back to save the world!
Ichigoman (Strawberry Man) is the superhero alter-ego of Sanrio’s loveable feline icon, Hello Kitty, and was introduced as part of the Hello Kity Art Exhibition in 2011 by Yuko Yamaguchi, the company’s third Hello Kitty character designer and illustrator.
By raising her strawberry-shaped smartphone into the air and shouting the words “Power the kitty!” alongside those who support her, the several million hertz generated by everyone’s voices allow her to transform into the crime-fighting robot, Ichigoman, to take on and defeat the Monsters spawned by wicked and evil human hearts.
After a line of successful products and the introduction of allies Darkgrapeman and Honeymomo (Honey Peach) in 2012, Ichigoman is back with a new online manga series, with new updates promised every 15th day of the month, beginning with the first episode, which was published on March 15.
▼ Ichigoman with friends Darkgrapeman (left) and Honeymomo (right)
Here’s an interview about the new project, a collaboration between Ichigoman’s creator, Yuko Yamaguchi, and Kamen Rider screenwriter, Toshiki Inoue.
Talking points include the origins of Ichigoman, and Yamaguchi’s desire to create a Japanese superhero featuring Hello Kitty that people could to look up to. During the second part, Inoue admits that he didn’t believe the project was real when it was first announced, but became much more interested in the series while working on it. He adds that one of the strongest points of the series is that kitty is able to inspire change in those around her without having to change herself.
The series is certainly a game-changer when it comes to the male-dominated world of superhero mecha anime and manga. Apparently Inoue has made it a priority to keep the story fresh, but was reluctant to give any major spoilers away, saying you’ll just have to read and find out for yourself on Ichigomin.
Source: Ichigomin via Hachima Kisoku
Feature/top image: Ichigomin
Insert images: YouTube/Ichigomin