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New Year's Greetings — Anime Style (Update 8)

For generations, people in Japan have celebrated New Year's Day by sending specially designed cards — nengajō — to each other. As part of the tradition, postal workers store all the nengajō that are mailed in the final weeks of the old year, and then deliver every single one on New Year's Day. Many nengajō mark the Chinese Zodiac by depicting the animal of the year. (In 2010, that animal is the tiger.) Here are some New Year's (and Christmas) greetings from the folks that will be bringing you anime and manga in the new year.

Age

Illustated by Ao Miyata
Thanks to 4nBlue for the tip!

AIC

Alice Soft

This image is also available as personal computer wallpaper on the company's website.
Thanks to 4nBlue for the tip!

Keiji Asakawa (Sōsei no Aquarion)

This image is also available as personal computer wallpaper on Flex Comix's website.

Bandai (Tamagotchi!)

Flash animation
© Bandai, WiZ 2004

Caramel Box (Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru 2)

Thanks to 4nBlue for the tip!

Cyborg 009

© Copyright Ishimori Production Inc.
Thanks to trunkschan90 for the tip!

Detective Conan

This image is available on Club Sunday's website.
Illustrated by Gōshō Aoyama

Doraemon Channel

Flash animation
© Fujiko Production, Shogakukan

elf

(In the linked page, verify your âge and select the image at right to download personal computer wallpaper for seven different elf titles.) Update: Elf has since removed the wallpaper download links.

Flex Comix

(In the linked page, download personal computer wallpaper for 32 different Flex Comix titles.)

Gainax (Mahoromatic: Tadaima Okaeri, Hanamaru Kindergarten)

Illustrated by Kazuhiro Takamura, Yuto
© Nakayama, Ditama/Wani Books, Mahoroba Project
© Yuto/Square Enix, Hanamaru Kindergarten Production Committee
Thanks to 4nBlue and sailorsean for the tips!

Studio Ghibli

Illustrated by Hayao Miyazaki

Ghibli Museum ("Chū-Zumō" anime short)

ASOS Brigade (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)

Illustrated by Shoko Ikeda
© 2006 Nagaru Tanigawa / Noizi Ito / member of SOS

Megumi Hayashibara

Video
(In the linked page, select the upper righthand line of red text to see the New Year's greetings that Hayashibara's friends have sent her.)

Hidekaz Himaruya (Hetalia - Axis Powers)

Himaruya also posted nearly two dozen Christmas-themed images upon request from fans.
Thanks to Bluesnow and neocloud9 for the tips!

Idea Factory (Hakuōki Shinsengumi Kitan)

© 2010 Idea Factory/Design Factory

Production I.G (Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror)

© 1996-2009 Production I.G
© 2009 Fuji Television Network, Production I.G

J-List

Thanks to kenshin77 for the tip!

Yuna Kagesaki (Hekikai no AiON, Chibi Vampire)

Thanks to Ari-chan for the tip!

Shintaro Kago (Punctures)

Kämpfer

The Harakiri-Tora nenga image is available for downloading.
© Toshihiko Tsukiji, Media Factory/Zōmotsu Animal Company
Thanks to GlobalsoftPirka for the tip!

Haruaki Katoh (Hyakko)

This image is also available as personal computer wallpaper on Flex Comix's website.

Yukito Kishiro (GUNNM/Battle Angel Alita)

Flash animation

Kyoto Animation (The Vanishment of Haruhi Suzumiya)

Illustrated by Shoko Ikeda
© 2009 Nagaru Tanigawa, Noizi Ito/SOS Brigade

Lass (11eyes)

Thanks to 4nBlue for the tip!

Lump of Sugar (Tayutama)

This is the advertisement for Lump of Sugar's booth at the Comic Market 77 convention.
Thanks to 4nBlue for the tip!

F Tama (Macross Frontier Official Fan Club)

© 2009 Big West/Macross F the Movie Project

MinatoSoft (Kimi ga Aruji de Shitsuji ga Ore de)

Thanks to 4nBlue for the tip!

Kazuya Minekura (Saiyuki)

Thanks to JaQiLinOtaku for the tip!

Shōko Nakagawa

Nōgyō Musume! (Agri-Girl!)

© Nōgyō Musume! Project This image is also available as personal computer wallpaper on the company's website.

Kohime Ohse

Ai Ota (Inuyasha, Turn A Gundam, Viper's Creed)

Maaya Sakamoto

Illustrated by Maaya Sakamoto
(In the linked page, select the "I.D." logo.)

Sanrio (Hello Kitty)

Flash animation

San-X

Flash animation
© 2009 San-X Co., Ltd.
Thanks to trunkschan90 for the tip!

Frederik L. Schodt

© 2010 Frederik L. Schodt

Weekly Shonen Sunday, Monthly Shonen Sunday, Club Sunday

(In the linked page, download nengajō from 49 different Weekly Shonen Sunday, Monthly Shonen Sunday, and Club Sunday creators.)
Thanks to Tanbishugi for the tip!

Sunrise (Chō Denei-ban SD Gundam Sangokuden Brave Battle Warriors)

© Sotsu, Sunrise

Nakaba Suzuki (Kongoh Bancho)

Illustrated by Nakaba Suzuki

Nozomu Tamaki (Dance in the Vampire Bund)

Thanks to Tratious for the tip!

Yana Toboso (Kuroshitsuji)

Thanks to Akkhima for the tip!

Jun Tsukasa

Thanks to Youal for the tip!

Type-Moon

Michiro Ueyama (Tsumanuda Fighttown, ZOIDS)

Rco Wada

Nao Yazawa (Wedding Peach)

Illustrated by Nao Yazawa (English website)

Mine Yoshizaki (Keroro Gunsō/Sgt. Frog)

Kenichi Yoshida (Eureka Seven)

Thanks to Pia for the tip!

Zettai Karen Children

This image is available on Club Sunday's website.
Illustrated by Takashi Shiina

There are many more anime/manga nengajō out there, so if you know of one we've missed, feel free to let us know in our forums or by email (newsroom at animenewsnetwork.com). Akemashite Omedetō Gozaimasu!

(Here are 2009's greetings and 2008's greetings!)

Kisa image © 2004 Natsuki Takaya/HAKUSENSHA • TV TOKYO • NAS • Fruba Project. Licensed by FUNimation® Productions, Ltd.

Update: Kyoto Animation (The Vanishment of Haruhi Suzumiya), Nakaba Suzuki (Kongoh Bancho), Nao Yazawa (Wedding Peach), Mine Yoshizaki (Keroro Gunsō/Sgt. Frog) added.

Update 2: Cyborg 009, Yuna Kagesaki, Kazuya Minekura, San-X added.

Update 3: Hidekaz Himaruya, Weekly Shonen Sunday, Monthly Shonen Sunday, Club Sunday added.

Update 4: AIC, Alice Soft, Caramel Box, Gainax's second image, Lump of Sugar added.

Update 5: Age, Kämpfer, Lass, MinatoSoft, Yana Toboso added. The adult game makers Axl, Overdrive, and Propeller also posted nenga images. Thanks, 4nBlue!

Update 6: Idea Factory, J-List, Nōgyō Musume! (Agri-Girl!), Nozomu Tamaki, Jun Tsukasa added.

Update 7: Kohime Ohse, Michiro Ueyama, Rco Wada, Kenichi Yoshida added. Studio Paper also posted a New Year's picture.

Update 8: Keiji Asakawa, Detective Conan, Haruaki Katoh, Zettai Karen Children added. The CG Teiten Kansoku website has posted a comprehensive listing (mirror site) of New Year's greetings from Japanese computer-graphics artists.