Bonobono Exhibition

Bonobono, Mikio Igarashi's gentle four-panel manga about a curious young sea otter and his forest friends, marks its 40th anniversary of serialisation and the 10th anniversary of its TV anime – and to celebrate, a special exhibition is coming to the Tokyo Anime Center in DNP PLAZA SHIBUYA.

On show are the cover paintings from the collected volumes, original hand-drawn manuscripts of the four-panel strips, anime DVD artwork, and setting materials from the series' many collaborations. The centrepiece is a large newly-drawn illustration by Igarashi himself, themed on Shibuya and unveiled here for the first time, alongside "Seoul Grand March" – a monumental piece over a metre across, first shown at a special exhibition in Seoul. A photo spot recreates the world of the series with life-sized figures.

The anniversary also brings two commemorative books, both out on 17 September: a deluxe four-volume original-art collection spanning the decades from 1986 to 2026, and the creator's first self-selected anthology, drawing favourite episodes from across the first 50 volumes. The exhibition will host a signing session with Igarashi ahead of the books' release.