Sanrio X Danganronpa Collab Announced

The Announcement

In a surprise announcement yesterday, fans of Danganronpa and Sanrio (aka “Hello Kitty”) can expect brand new collab merch! Following up on last year’s line, this year covers fifteen characters from all three of the main “Danganronpa” games. All of the fan-favorites will be present, including Hello Kitty x Junko, My Melody x Chiaki and Goropikadon x Miu.

Beginning on September 11, the merch line will sadly only drop in Japan to start. If you live there, the launch will be across several pop-up stores at Loft locations. The selection available will depend on location, with each being marked by a special standee. The merch line will feature brand new art from famed illustrator Kei Mochizuki and will feature on a wide range of products.

The History of “Danganronpa”

For those who don’t know, “Danganronpa” is a video game franchise created by Kazutaka Kodaka for developer Spike Chunsoft. The first game in the franchise, titled “Trigger Happy Havoc”, was initially meant to be a dark & gritty horror game, several of its original screenshots still being able to be found online. However, the product that released for the PlayStation Portable on November 25, 2010 was much different.

The game centers on Makoto Naegi, an average teenager who finds himself in a not-so-average situation: being trapped in a despair fueled death game with his fellow classmates, who must either work together or against each other to survive. However, each of his classmates has a special talent that may just help them in their situation and bring the mastermind to their knees.

As the series went on, the world’s lore would be expanded upon in sequels, light novels, anime, and manga. While having a devoted cult following here in the States, the franchise would become massive in Japan. To put things into perspective, the games alone have sold a combined total of over 10 million copies, a huge number for the visual novel genre.

What’s Included

Much to my surprise, the merch line is super expansive and covers a wide range of products! From shirts and accessories to coffee mugs and decorations, the collab has a little bit of everything. Each and every piece of merch will feature the aforementioned illustrations of Mochizuki. For a more in-depth breakdown of the products and pricing, check out Essential Japan.

As for when the collab will be widely available, that’s currently undisclosed. If it’s anything like last year’s collab, it will appear online not too long after the initial release. Here’s to hoping that once it goes live online, we’ll be able to purchase worldwide! As for the gaming franchise itself, keep an eye out for “Danganronpa 2X2”, a remake of the sequel, arriving sometime next year for PC, PS5, Switch 2, and Xbox Series X/S.

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Comments

Are you a fan of “Danganronpa” or Sanrio/Hello Kitty? What part of the merch are you most excited about? Let’s discuss in the comments below!