FRUITS ZIPPER's Karen Matsumoto Draws Praise for Ponyo Cosplay
Matsumoto's Ponyo cosplay, praised for its accuracy to Nozomi Ohashi's look, shows how a festival costume can drive social media buzz for an idol group.
Reporting from 1 source: Magmix.
At the NEW KAWAII tte shite yo? Fes held August 5, 2026 at Tokyo International Forum, FRUITS ZIPPER member Karen Matsumoto cosplayed as Ponyo, wearing a red dress and half-twin tails. Her look closely resembled Nozomi Ohashi, who sang the theme song for Studio Ghibli's Ponyo. She performed the song "Gake no Ue no Ponyo" at the event. Social media praised the cosplay with comments like "Too angelic" and "Basically the real thing."
The festival, held at Tokyo International Forum, saw all seven FRUITS ZIPPER members in glamorous cosplay, with behind-the-scenes shots released afterward. Matsumoto, who is in charge of baby pink in the group, wore a white long-sleeved shirt, a bright red dress, and flower hair accessories in her half-twin tails.
Her performance of the Ponyo theme song energized the venue, and the comedy duo Mayurika handled the role of Fujioka Fujimaki. Online reactions included "So cute it's bad for my heart," "Gyaa babui!" and "Absolute grand victory."
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.