What if the cute little cat girl was a very pretty boy?
Summary:
- Media mix project utilizes different mediums to cross-promote itself.
- Sanrio is a master of media mix projects.
- Fragaria Memories reimagines Sanrio mascots as very pretty boys.
The Hello Kitty franchise will celebrate its 50th birthday soon (in 2024, in fact!), and Sanrio doesn’t plan to have a quiet family celebration. They have already announced changing Kitty White’s voice actress (previously Megumi Hayashibara), https://letsweaboo.com/news/nothing-lasts-forever-hello-kitty-is-changing-her-voice-actress_a144 and now they’ve made another big move: the reveal of Fragaria Memories media mix project.
What is a media mix?
“Media mix” is a term for a project that simultaneously utilizes different media venues, with each part of the project intended to reach new audiences and cross-promote the rest of it. Even if you haven’t heard of this term before, you have certainly seen it in action — most of the anime industry, and a large chunk of Western cartoon, comics and movie industries relies on its mechanisms.
Take, for example, Kadokawa’s crossover project Isekai Quartet. It features characters from some of its most popular IPs (Saga of Tanya the Evil (Youjo Senki), Overlord, Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu, Konosuba (Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!) and Shield Hero (Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari). If you’ve enjoyed even one anime on its roster, you will likely be interested in checking it out — and then possibly go down the rabbit hole of watching other anime included in this crossover — and that’s to say nothing of their mangas, light novels and various merchandise (which are also part of the media mix principle).
Hello Kitty itself is one such media mix project, with its adorable merchandise promoting its games, anime and other projects — even as they promote it in return. Indeed, Sanrio as a company is built on the mastery of media mix principles.
Hello Kitty gijinkas
Sanrio’s star series Hello Kitty’s target audience consists of little girls and appreciators of all things cute. Still, little girls tend to grow up, their interests changing — and Sanrio’s new project aims to capitalize on one of such demographics.
The concept of Fragaria Memories is simple — what if Sanrio mascots were very handsome (and possibly dateable) boys? Indeed, it introduces anthropomorphised (and renamed) redesigns of Kitty White, Pom Pom Purin, Pochacco, Lala, Kiki and many others as a smorgasbord of attractive boys for nearly any possible taste.
As the first item on its list, Sanrio released a new song Ever Red on its various media platforms.
The main attraction of this project will be audio drama set to release during Winter 2024 season, coinciding with official Fragaria Memories merchandise, of course (and we all know just how good Sanrio merchandise is!). So if you found yourself enjoying these new reimaginings of familiar characters — be sure to check it out!