Classic Disney characters, including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and more, are undergoing a transformation that will see these beloved mascots represented as adorable anime girls.
Mika Pikazo — the character designer for the Nintendo video game Fire Emblem Engage — is set to debut the new Disney Illustration Collection at a new temporary store at the Shibuya Tsutaya building in Japa. The pop-up store will be open throughout December, and will feature artwork from the talented designer.
The Disney Illustration Collection features cutesy anime girls wearing clothing heavily inspired by seven classic Disney characters: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, and Chip and Dale. Each character is holding a plushie of the character who has inspired their clothing.
The Mickey Mouse design, for example, features a girl donning red shorts and a red and white top along with a yellow tie. Her hair features two buns forming the iconic Mickey Ears. Minnie Mouse's representation is a bit more recognizable thanks to the signature polka dots and bow. Donald Duck is my personal favorite as the character is wearing a similar blue hat and red scarf along with yellow shorts that represent Donald's duck feet.
Each character appears to have their own individual artwork except for Chip and Dale who are represented in a single shot. There's also an illustration with all seven characters featured along with a Mickey Mouse-inspired collage.
As you can see, each illustration features a vibrant flair that uniquely represents the individual Disney character being depicted. Furthermore, Pikazo's signature style and colorful anime aesthetic is on full display in each.
While the illustrations will be shown as artwork around the store, you'll also be able to purchase various merchandise featuring the gorgeous designs, including t-shirts (6,600 yen or ~$44), acrylic stands (2,200 yen or ~15), acrylic blocks (8,00 yen or ~$59) and badges with these images (550 yen or ~$4).
The store is open from December 7th through December 31st, though only accessible by reservation through an advanced lottery during the first two days.
At this point, it appears this beautiful artwork and merchandise will only be available for purchase through the pop-up store, but I'm hopeful there will be an option for those outside of Japan to purchase some of this gorgeous art.
It's worth noting that EPCOT at Walt Disney World does host an International Festival of the Arts every year. The annual theme park event runs from January 17 through February 24, 2025 next year, so perhaps we will see some of the Disney Illustration Collection represented there and possibly available for purchase!