Interest

New Year's Greetings — Anime Style (Update 4)

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 2011, that animal is the rabbit.) Here are some New Year's (and Christmas) greetings from the folks that will be bringing you anime and manga in the new year.

Click on the thumbnail images to see the original greetings!

130cm

Thanks to 4nBlue for the tip!

Age

Alice Soft

Thanks to 4nBlue for the tip!

ANIDO

Illustrated by Yasuji Mori

AQUAPLUS

August

Thanks to 4nBlue for the tip!

Axl

Thanks to 4nBlue for the tip!

Black Cyc

Thanks to 4nBlue for the tip!

Blessing of the Camla

Image © Windmill/Blessing of the Camla Production Committee
Thanks to Yanaken for the tip!

Caramel Box

© 2002-2011 Horibox/Caramelbox

CLAMP

Flash animation
Thanks to Alex for the tip!
[Via Chibi Yuuto]

Crunchyroll

Doraemon Channel

Flash animation
© Fujiko Production, Shogakukan, TV Asahi, Shinei, ADK 2011

Dororon Enma-kun Meeramera

Illustrated by Go Nagai
© 2011 Go Nagai/Dynamic Production

Dragon Crisis!

Video (Hiro Shimono, Rie Kugimiya, Yui Horie, and one other cast member are presenting a different video message every day from December 31 to January 3)
[Via Saishin Anime Jōhō]
© Fujiko Production, Shogakukan, TV Asahi, Shinei, ADK 2011

Gakken (Animedia)

Model: Hisana Hashi
Illustated by Tadashi Hiramatsu
[Via Tadashi Sudo]

Studio Ghibli

Illustrated by Hayao Miyazaki

Ghibli Museum, Mitaka ("Pan-Dane to Tamago-Hime"/"Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess" anime short)

Megumi Hayashibara

Video

Rina Hidaka

[Via Uri-Sure Matome +]

Hidekaz Himaruya (Hetalia Axis Powers)

Hyakka Ryōran Samurai Girls

Thanks to Nemo_N for the tip!

Idea Factory

© 2010 Idea Factory/Design Factory

Production I.G (Drawer Hobs)

© 2011 Kazuchika Kise/Production I.G/Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs
© 1996-2010 Production I.G

Satsuki Igarashi

Thanks to Alex for the tip!
[Via Chibi Yuuto]

Yukito Kishiro (GUNNM/Battle Angel Alita)

Flash animation

Kyoto Animation

Illustrated by Shoko Ikeda
© Kyoto Animation

Lump of Sugar

Thanks to 4nBlue for the tip!

Megane na Kanojo

Illustrated by Koji Ito
Coloring by Yasuko Suenaga
Image © TOBI, Flex Comix/Megane na Kanojo Production Committee
Thanks to Yanaken for the tip!

Minatosoft

Thanks to 4nBlue for the tip!

Kazuya Minekura (Saiyūki)

Shoko Nakagawa

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai (Oreimo)

© Tsukasa Fushimi/ASCII Media Works

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

Overdrive

Thanks to 4nBlue for the tip!

propeller

Thanks to 4nBlue for the tip!

Ricotta (Walkure Romanze)

Thanks to 4nBlue for the tip!

Maaya Sakamoto

(In the linked page, select the "I.D." logo.)

Frederik L. Schodt

© 2011 Frederik L. Schodt

Sanrio (Hello Kitty)

San-X

© 2011 San-X Co., Ltd.

Takashi Shiina

Thanks to kill-chan for the tip!

Sunrise (Battle Spirits: Brave)

Art: Yoshinori Yumoto
Coloring: Akiko Shibata
© Sunrise, Nagoya Broadcasting Network
Thanks to emerje for the tip!

Sunrise (Keroro Gunsō/Sgt. Frog)

Art: Fumitoshi Oizaki
Coloring: Keiichi Funada
Background: Mukuo Studio
© Mine Yoshizaki/Kadokawa Shoten, Sunrise, TV Tokyo, NAS, BV
Thanks to emerje for the tip!

Sunrise (SD Gundam Sangokuden Brave Battle Warriors)

CG Works: Ryūta Itō (Deerfield)
Special Effects: Akiko Yamakawa (Asahi Production)
© Sotsu, Sunrise

Akemi Takada

Thanks to Daniel Zelter for the tip!

Yana Toboso (Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler)

Jun Tsukasa

Type-Moon

Yuricon & ALC Publishing

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.filmscomplets.org). Akemashite Omedetō Gozaimasu!

(Here are 2010's greetings!)

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

Update: Kazuya Minekura (Saiyūki), Shoko Nakagawa, Ai Ota (Inuyasha, Turn A Gundam, Viper's Creed), Sanrio (Hello Kitty), San-X, Sunrise (SD Gundam Sangokuden Brave Battle Warriors), Yana Toboso (Kuroshitsuji), Jun Tsukasa, Type-Moon added.

Update 2: 130cm, Alicesoft, August, Axl, Black Cyc, Lump of Sugar, Minatosoft, Overdrive, propeller, Ricotta, Sunrise (Battle Spirits: Brave and Keroro Gunsō) added. Thanks, 4nBlue and emerje!

Update 3: AQUAPLUS, Dragon Crisis!, Ghibli Museum, Rina Hidaka, Hidekaz Himaruya, Maaya Sakamoto, Frederik L. Schodt, Yuricon added.

Update 4: ANIDO, Blessing of the Camla, Clamp, Crunchyroll, Dororon Enma-kun Meeramera, Hyakka Ryōran Samurai Girls, Satsuki Igarashi, Megane na Kanojo, Takashi Shiina, Akemi Takada added. Thanks, Yanaken, Alex, Nemo_N, kill-chan, and Daniel Zelter!