Shunsuke Michieda dresses as Howl for Naniwa Halloween 2026
Shunsuke Michieda of the idol group Naniwa Danshi surprised fans by dressing as the character Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle, complete with a platinum blonde wig and colored contact lenses, according to THE FIRST TIMES. The transformation anchors a wider group Halloween release across the members’ Instagram accounts.
Transforming Into the Ghibli Protagonist
For the social media project titled “Naniwa Halloween 2026,” Michieda shared five photographs documenting his costume details. The initial two images feature him wearing a shoulder-length blonde wig, a light blue and pink mantle, a white blouse, and a pendant set with a blue stone. One frame shows an upper-body shot with colored contact lenses, while another displays a full-length pose revealing black trousers and the mantle’s red lining. Beginning with the third photo, Michieda removed the wig to display his natural shorter platinum blonde hair, striking a direct gaze at the camera in subsequent portraits, including a downward-facing profile and a smiling pose touching his hair.
Accompanying the image gallery, Michieda included an altered line from the film: “I’ve finally found something I need to protect. It’s Naniwafamu,” adapting the protagonist’s dialogue to reference the group’s fanbase name, as reported by THE FIRST TIMES. The comment section drew heavy user engagement with remarks calling the look a live-action adaptation and praising the natural blonde styling.
Expanding the Group Halloween Showcase
In 2025, Michieda appeared as Ken Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul, according to THE FIRST TIMES reporting. The broader group rollout for 2026 also featured fellow members adopting distinct anime and historical figures. Kento Nagao appeared as Ashitaka from Princess Mononoke, Daigo Nishihata portrayed Ukyo Saionji from Dr.STONE, Kyohei Takahashi dressed as Dabi from My Hero Academia, Kazuya Ohashi stepped into John Everett Millais’ painting First Sermon, and Ryusei Onishi took on the appearance of Ciel Phantomhive from Black Butler, as detailed by THE FIRST TIMES.
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