We love a special livery here at Key Aero, so we're delighted to share this sneak peak of All Nippon Airways' (ANA) latest offering. The design is the third in a series of unusual artworks featuring imagery and characters from the Demon Slayer anime programmes.
The vision behind this latest project is based on an original illustration by Japanese animation studio ufotable. It was drawn exclusively for the ANA Boeing 777 and shows characters Tanjiro, Rengoku and Tengen in a dynamic pose befitting a widebody jet.
The aircraft selected for the livery is JA745A (c/n 40904), a -200ER variant of the Boeing widebody which was delivered new to the Japanese carrier in June 2013. This is one of ANA’s domestic-configured 777s, with high-density economy seating for trunk routes between Japan’s major cities.
Key Aero understands that the new-look widebody will perform an invitation-only ‘sightseeing service’ on October 2. Its first scheduled Demon Slayer flight will follow on October 3, operating NH241 between Haneda and Fukuoka. Other links that day include NH25/30 to and from Itami and NH73/78 to and from Sapporo. Passengers on the special services on October 3 will receive a commemorative notepad to mark the occasion. Full details of the flights and routes are available on the ANA website (Japanese only).
The ANA Group formally announced its collaboration with the anime franchise in December 2021. Just a month later, a Boeing 767-300ER JA616A (c/n 35876) was unveiled at Tokyo/Haneda, complete with a rather unusual mid-fuselage design. A second themed example followed suit on March 26.
"The latest 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba' inspired livery is dedicated to the return of an entertaining and unique travel experience for our passengers," said Tomoji Ishii, Executive Vice President, Customer Experience Management & Planning of ANA. "This partnership highlights Japan's rich pop culture and restores a coveted in-flight experience."
The show is based on the manga by Koyoharu Gotouge, which has sold more than 150 million copies in its first 23 volumes. The story centres around a boy named Tanjiro whose family has been killed by demons. He becomes a slayer in order to bring his sister, who has unfortunately been turned into a demon herself, back to human form.
While the exterior of the jets are adorned by images from the cartoon series, the cabins also receive a taste of manga magic. Passengers can look forward to a limited edition headrest cover and unique in-flight announcements voiced by the characters, while cabin crew will wear bespoke aprons. Domestic services will also feature limited edition Demon Slayer cups and toys, with episodes of the show loaded on to the airline’s in-flight entertainment platform.
The Japanese legacy operator is no stranger to getting the paint cans out and turning its jets into a sky-high canvas. Its previous schemes have included Pokémon, Star Wars and, most recently, the ‘Flying Honu’ maritime design for its Airbus A380-800s.
