What do you get when you mix Japan's top fictional idol group and Cartoon Network's super-powered trio? You get the Love Live x Powerpuff Girl or "Love Live!~μ's meet Powerpuff Girls" collaboration, and Japan is in the midst of it.
A collaboration of such epic proportions can only come from a similarly epic event. In this case, the event is to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Powerpuff Girls' television debut in Japan. Oddly enough, the collaboration will only feature the artwork of the "Powerpuff Girls" and will focus exclusively on "Love Live!".
The event already kicked off last year starting on Nov. 20, with the Parco Museum in Shibuya hosting the "Love Live!~μ's meet Powerpuff Girls" exhibition. From there until Feburary 2016, the exhibit toured other Parco museums in Hiroshima, Sapporo and Nagoya.
The event is set to follow μ's, the name of the idol group featured in the anime, through its last three years and sell special collaboration merchandise throughout. For example, on Jan. 22 when the exhibit came to the Parco Museum in Sapporo, it switched to a winter theme and took inspiration from μ's single, "Snow Halation," changing the artwork to match. The artwork featured at the time was exclusive to that one segment of the event, and those who visited the exhibition and spent at least $25.50 got a special postcard featuring the seasonal art.
The Parco Museum segment of the tour ended last month, but the Love Live craze still continues and is moving on the AnimeJapan, the largest anime-themed event in Japan. "Love Live!" has been a part of the action since its debut in 2013, and this year looks to be no different with "Love Live!~μ's meet Powerpuff Girls" getting its own exhibition.
Special merchandise will be purchasable during the event, just like the Parco Museum exhibitions that came before it; these include pass cases, handkerchief sets, clear file sets, cookies, cell phone straps, keychains, plush toys, T-shirts, towels and pen pouches.
Just like with the Sapporo event there will be exclusive merchandise for those who spend above a certain amount. This time, customers who spend at least $17.50 will receive one of four event-exclusive postcards, while those who spend at least $44 will receive a event-exclusive tote bag.
"Love Live!" has taken the anime world by storm ever since its debut in 2013. The series has spawned various print media spin-offs such as manga; fanbooks; a light novel; CDs featuring individual, duet and mini-unit singles; several video games; and even a movie. The original nine members' journey may have seemingly come to an end, but a new group has come to take their place in an anime spin-off called "Love Live! Sunshine," which is slated to premiere in July 2016.
