Sega is marking the 3rd anniversary of SONIC & FRIENDS — a short anime featuring Sonic and his friends — with a new collaboration with Kanahei’s Small animals, the character brand created by popular illustrator Kanahei. To celebrate, Sega has unveiled collaboration artwork alongside new concept art, and confirmed that a "3rd Anniversary Pop-Up Store" will open at Shibuya MODI this October.
SONIC & FRIENDS turns three in August 2026. More details on the milestone are available on the anniversary page.
Kanahei’s Small animals Collaboration Artwork
For the collaboration, Kanahei — the illustrator behind characters loved around the world — has drawn the SONIC & FRIENDS cast in her own soft, endearing style, and the artwork is being revealed today for the first time.
New Concept Art
Alongside the collaboration artwork, Sega has released new concept art depicting a fresh side of the SONIC & FRIENDS world. Described as more stylish and cute than previous visuals, the artwork is being rolled out on the official SONIC & FRIENDS website and social media accounts.
3rd Anniversary Pop-Up Store Opens at Shibuya MODI
A "3rd Anniversary Pop-Up Store" for SONIC & FRIENDS will open on the 2nd floor of Shibuya MODI from October 2 (Friday) to October 12 (Monday, national holiday), 2026. The pop-up will sell merchandise featuring the anniversary illustrations.
A purchase-novelty giveaway tied to SEGA STORE TOKYO is also planned. Details on how to receive the novelty and the lineup of limited items will be announced later on the official website and Instagram account.
Event Overview
- Dates: October 2 (Fri) to October 12 (Mon, national holiday), 2026
- Location: Shibuya MODI 2F Event Space (1-21-3 Jinnan, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)
About the Sonic Series
Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega's speedy blue hedgehog and one of its most recognized characters, marked its 35th anniversary on June 23, 2026. Since debuting in the 1991 game Sonic the Hedgehog, the series has released titles across numerous game platforms, with combined sales of full games and free-to-play titles surpassing 1.77 billion units. Beyond games, Sonic has expanded into hit films, animation, music, and merchandise, growing into a character loved across generations.
About SONIC & FRIENDS
SONIC & FRIENDS is a short anime that has been airing on TikTok since August 2023, starring Sonic and his friends Amy, Tails, Knuckles, and Dr. Eggman. Individual episodes draw more than 2 million views a month, and the comment sections are filled with messages like "Soooooo Cute!" and "MIRA QUE BONITOS!" from fans in many languages around the world.
Official website: https://sonicandfriends.com/jp/
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonicandfriendsofficial/
About Kanahei
Kanahei is an illustrator and character creator who made her professional debut in 2003 as a high-school illustrator. Known for content built around communication, she has driven a string of trends through mobile content that captured the mood of the times, from feature-phone deco-mail to LINE stickers.
About Kanahei’s Small animals
Centered on the duo Piske and Usagi, Kanahei’s Small animals is a world of laid-back, heartwarming characters familiar from LINE stickers and social media, including Keigo Usagi (敬語うさぎ), the ever-polite "formal speech" bunny; Nee-nee Neko (ねーねーねこ), an easygoing, sympathetic cat; Muu to Gyu (むーとぎゅー), always by each other's side; and Zombie Neko (ゾンビ猫), known for its gentle nibbling. The characters and their goods appear across a wide range of communication tools both in Japan and abroad, alongside character collaborations, publishing, and corporate advertising.
