Interest

Limited-Edition Kemono Friends Merch Sells Out in Okinawa

Although the Kemono Friends anime has not aired in Okinawa, the franchise's limited-edition goods have become surprisingly popular in the southernmost prefecture of Japan. Okinawa-themed merchandise with illustrations by Kemono Friends conceptual designer Mine Yoshizaki went on sale at five souvenir shops and supermarkets in Okinawa on July 1.

The goods, which feature anthropomorphized girl versions of Okinawan animals such as the Iriomote cat and Okinawa rail, are still available. However, some retailers sold out of the items on the first day of their release, and one shop reported selling out of its initial supply in just three hours.

Sayaka Shibata, manager at the main Okinawaya store, said she didn't anticipate the goods would be so popular. Shibata said the shop has been receiving a lot of phone inquiries about the merchandise. The shop sold about 800 tin badges and acrylic key holders by July 5.

Apparently, the items' popularity also spans generations. Shibata reported that many tourists are buying the goods, and they include elderly people buying souvenirs for their grandchildren and college students buying requested items for friends. Many people buy more than one limited-edition item, and Shibata said, "There are also a lot of fans buying all the varieties." With students in Japan just starting their summer vacations, the merchandise is likely to remain a hot commodity for weeks to come.

The story of Kemono Friends is set in a giant zoo called Japari Park, and it centers on anthropomorphized versions of animals known as "Friends." Commenting on the goods' popularity, Yoshizaki said that Kemono Friends is set on a "certain island," and Okinawa was a reference point in creating the franchise's world. Nirai Kanai is a mythical place in indigenous Okinawan beliefs, and that concept impacted the world of Kemono Friends. The franchise's mysterious Sandstar material, which is responsible for creating Friends, is also a visual reference to the real rainbow-colored, star-shaped sand in Okinawa.

Yoshizaki chose endemic species of Okinawa for the limited-edition goods. In addition to two secret characters, the special Okinawan Friends are: Habu (pit viper), Ryūkyū Ken (Ryukyu Inu), Yanbaru Kuina (Okinawa rail), Kubiwa Ōkōmori (Ryukyu flying fox), Iriomote Yamaneko (Iriomote cat), Shisa Lefty (Ryukyuan lion-dog often shown in pairs), and Shisa Right. They each appear on their own tin badges and acrylic key holders, and one variety of clear file is also available.

Although the limited-edition merchandise is targeted at tourists, Yoshizaki hopes the special characters might become staples of the franchise. He also hopes the release could lead to a television broadcast for the anime in Okinawa or other developments in the prefecture.

The popularity of Kemono Friends has already inspired dōjin and zoo tie-in events, a JRA collaboration, and a safari bus tour.

Source: The Okinawa Times via Yaraon!