Tokyo’s own PARK Harajuku just released the newest addition to their monthly themed t-shirt series, and this time they’ve teamed up with an artist that goes by the name Masayo to express their definition of “Thankfulness”. The shirts are being promoted with the idea that in the busy city of Tokyo, there are many people that come and go in your life, so it’s important to be grateful to your close friends. The shirt is currently available for purchase in PARK Harajuku’s physical store, as well as online with international shipping available.
Masayo, a fairly popular illustrator on both Twitter and Pixiv, has done their best to visually express their idea of what it’s like to be thankful for your friends. The character on the front of the shirt is seemingly being powered up by her friend’s love and care, giving her infinite lives and unlimited happiness despite challenges she may face. At least, that’s how I interpret it. This month’s shirt has a more anime-inspired vibe than recent previous shirts, but I think it’s a nice change of pace to just see the classic “tasteful anime t-shirt” style that was so popular a couple of years ago. The rainbow background behind the character accentuates the feeling of gratitude she has for her friends.
Masayo is a Japanese illustrator and manga artist who has also worked on original video game characters, a trading card game called Lycee, and even does design for Virtual YouTubers. They’ve even had art in the monthly magazine, Dengeki Moeoh, which seems to focus on all things moe. Their clean, commercial-style sets them apart from the rest, and you’ve probably seen their works floating around social media or even on your favorite phone game. I think it’s difficult to find moe style character design that top’s Masayo’s perfectly proportionate works.
As per usual, PARK has made sure the shirt is presented in a stylish setting with photography by hrka TAKAHASHI. TAKAHASHI’s vintage photography style adds a pensive, emotional flavor to the imagery of a model wearing the bright and colorful shirt illustrated by Masayo. The intention of the monthly EMOtee shirts is to promote the true emotions that exist in the bustling city of Tokyo, beneath the top visible layer of chaos. This movement is in preparation for the influx of first-timer tourists that will come to see the 2020 Olympics.