Tokyo, Japan wants to reach out to a younger audience at the 2020 Olympics, which they will be hosting. Japan has an array of pop culture icons from Japan, which will appeal to children all around the world. The Olympic committee unveiled on January 20, the list of characters that will be the Olympic Ambassadors. A lot of the characters that they chose so far will be recognizable worldwide, especially in America.
Here is a list of some of the characters that the committee has chosen:
Goku from the popular 90s gem Dragon Ball Z ,will be one of the ambassadors. He has been the face of this series for over thirty years that is still currently going on. So it only makes sense that he would be one of the first picks. Furthermore, he represents what a good Olympian will never do, give up. For anyone that watched the series knows that the Saiyan martial artist never backed down from any challenge. Goku is a character that a lot of children look up to. In addition, after seeing him as an ambassador, Goku might motivate them to compete.
The main ninja protagonist, Naruto, protagonist from the hit series, Naruto is another example of a character who never gives up. He is also a likable character that everyone will recognize.
The pirate captain, Monkey D. Luffy from the hit anime and manga series, One Piece, is lighthearted, funny, character that will be appealing to the masses.
Yo Jibanyan is from a popular video RPG called Yo-kai Watch will also be making an appearance. Yo-kai Watch is the newest entry on this list and is currently taking the world by storm.
Sailor Moon from another popular 90s series, Sailor Moon, was also chosen. Sailor moon was most likely chosen to appeal to girls.
The character Astro Boy was another one picked as well. Astro Boy has been around for an extremely long time. It’s claimed to be the first anime TV series and is a legend in the medium.
Shin Chan from the 90s series, Shin Chan, and Pretty Cure, were also picked. The committee more than likely will add more characters to the line-up. They still haven’t added Pikachu yet, and it remains to be seen if Nintendo and the Pokemon Company allow it.
