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Vanillaware shared its 2021 New Year’s greeting card with an original piece of artwork. As usual, it features another design by company president George Kamitani.
Here’s the tweet with Vanillaware’s 2021 greeting and illustration:
皆様、あけましておめでとうございます。
2021年もヴァニラウェアをどうぞよろしくお願いいたします。 pic.twitter.com/MfDOwifeVn— ヴァニラ坊や (@vanillaware_boy) January 4, 2021
“Happy New Year, everyone.
Please continue supporting Vanillaware in 2021.”
The artwork features a girl and mythical creatures known as “hakutaku” in Japan or “Bai Ze” in China. The nine-eyed, white, ox-like creature is said to be able to ward off disease. According to legend, a creature called “Kutabe,” which looked exactly like a Bai Ze, appeared to warn the people about a plague. The people were able to protect themselves from the disease by using an image of Kutabe as a talisman.
It is unknown if this piece of artwork is teasing a future Vanillaware title or referencing the mythical creature following the 2020 spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, Vanillaware’s New Year’s illustration featured an android girl. In 2018, we saw “Margaret of Antioch.” In 2017, the featured image showed off “The Hidden Cave.” Further back in 2013, Kamitani took the opportunity to share an illustration teasing what would end up becoming one of Siliconera’s favorite games in 2020, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim.
Check out the full Vanillaware 2021 artwork below:
Vanillaware’s most recent game is 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, which is available on the PlayStation 4 worldwide.
