BODY: If you've ever wanted a chubby spirit cat perched on top of your umbrella, Felissimo's cat division just made it happen.
Felissimo Neko-bu — the dedicated cat merchandise arm of Japanese catalog retailer Felissimo — has unveiled a new collaboration with the beloved anime Natsume's Book of Friends (Natsume Yūjinchō). The star of the lineup is a dual-use sun and rain umbrella featuring a hand-carved wooden Nyanko-sensei as its handle. The rotund, lucky-cat-shaped spirit who serves as both comic relief and guardian in the series translates perfectly into a grip you can actually hold onto during a sudden downpour.
The collection rounds out with three more items: a cardigan, a flat pouch, and a toast plate — all themed around the iconic Nyanko-sensei design. While full pricing and release details are expected to follow on Felissimo's site, the collaboration follows the retailer's well-established pattern of dropping limited anime tie-ins through their Neko-bu sub-brand, which has previously partnered with series like Chi's Sweet Home and Rilakkuma.
Natsume's Book of Friends, based on Yuki Midorikawa's long-running manga, has maintained a devoted fanbase since its anime debut in 2008. The series — centered on a boy who can see yōkai and inherits a book of their names from his grandmother — is now seven seasons deep and continues to generate steady merchandise demand, particularly among adult female fans in Japan.
The insider take
Felissimo Neko-bu collabs tend to sell out quietly and quickly — they don't get the hype-beast treatment of, say, a Jump title at Uniqlo, but the audience is loyal and knows to check the moment items go live. The umbrella handle concept is the kind of thoughtful, functional design detail that Japanese character goods do better than anyone. Expect resale prices to climb fast if you sleep on pre-orders.
Originally reported by コミックナタリー - 最新ニュース (Japanese).