"Daemons of the Shadow Realm" Collaboration Poster With Tokyo Police Sparks Reactions: "They'd Fail a Police Check on the Spot"

A traffic safety awareness poster made in collaboration with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department was unveiled on the official X account for the "Daemons of the Shadow Realm" TV anime, drawing a flood of sharp-witted reactions from fans and becoming a hot topic.

The poster, set against a backdrop of a crosswalk and tall buildings, features a bold catchphrase reading, "When crossing the street, check both left and right, together as a Sayu." At the center stands the main character Yuru, dressed in plain clothes with a bow and arrows on his back, flanked on either side by the Sayu, who are shown wearing police uniforms and caps and holding red traffic batons. The accompanying tweet reads, "Let's follow traffic safety rules together with the Sayu dressed as police officers!!" and announces that the poster will be displayed around Tokyo starting in late July.

"Daemons of the Shadow Realm" is a TV anime based on the immensely popular dark fantasy manga by Hiromu Arakawa. It follows Yuru, a boy who had been living peacefully in a small mountain village, as he learns the village's hidden, terrifying secret and flees an unknown assailant down to the world below. Determined to find his twin sister Asa, he is drawn into brutal battles while commanding otherworldly beings known as "Sayu." The series has won strong support from readers and viewers alike for its unpredictable suspense and powerful action scenes.

The poster's stark contrast between the straight-laced Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and the show's setting drew a wave of pointed reactions from fans, including comments like, "Isn't most of the cast breaking the law here!?", "The guy in the middle would fail a police check on the spot...", "Before any traffic violation, Yuru's probably getting arrested for carrying a weapon (lol)", "If anything, these are the people who'd need the police's help, not the other way around," and "Bold move putting the guy with a bow and arrow front and center when he could get cited for it."

Others leaned into the show's lore, which holds that Sayu are invisible to ordinary people, with comments like, "Wait, the Sayu are actually visible in this!?", "But regular people can't see the Sayu," and "I crossed because there was no car coming, and got knocked back by something invisible!" There was also plenty of praise for the offbeat collaboration itself, with fans writing, "The Sayu and crosswalks are an unreasonably perfect match" and "Thank you to whoever pitched this and whoever approved it."

(C)Hiromu Arakawa/SQUARE ENIX, Project TSUGAI