Junior High English Textbook 'NEW HORIZON' Goes Viral with Unexpected McDonald's and Love Live! Collabs

Tokyo Shoseki's junior high English textbook, "NEW HORIZON," has recently become an unprecedented sensation, dominating social media trends. The announcement of unusual collaborations with McDonald's and the popular anime "Love Live!" has left many users surprised and filled with nostalgia.

Particular attention has been drawn to the McDonald's advertisement featuring past Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) characters from "NEW HORIZON." Tokyo Shoseki's official account confirmed that the teacher in the green jacket is Ann Green (from the 2006-2011 editions), the one in the purple sweater is Mary Brown (from the 2012-2015 editions), and the one in the light blue cardigan is Ellen Baker (from the 2016-2020 editions). Many alumni are reminiscing about their youth. The collaboration with "Love Live! Sunshine!!" has also become a hot topic, with discussions speculating that the anime characters' generation aligns with Ellen Baker's era.

On social media, while comments like "Ellen-sensei, so nostalgic!" and "I think Mary Brown-sensei was there!" are popping up, other users are expressing generational differences: "Has the NEW HORIZON I knew become OLD HORIZON? (early Heisei era)" and "As an old guy from the late Showa era, I don't know any of them. I only know Mike Davis, Lucy, and Ken." This highlights the existence of "favorite characters" across different generations. Posts reminiscing about unique characters like "Orangeman" and "Emerald Lizard" also appeared, demonstrating how deeply the textbook has remained in the hearts of many students.

Teachers who have taught English with "NEW HORIZON" for many years have shared their empathy, and students who used other textbooks like "TOTAL ENGLISH" and "NEW CROWN" have expressed envy, indicating that this trend has influenced a broad demographic.

This phenomenon, where an English textbook that colored junior high school days is once again attracting attention in a new form, goes beyond mere nostalgia. It powerfully demonstrates the significant cultural impact that educational materials can have.

The context

"NEW HORIZON" is one of the most widely used English textbook series for junior high school students in Japan, published by Tokyo Shoseki. It has been a staple in Japanese classrooms for decades, meaning generations of Japanese people, from their 30s to 60s and beyond, have learned English using this series.

Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) are native English speakers who work alongside Japanese teachers in schools. In "NEW HORIZON," specific ALT characters were introduced to guide students through the lessons, becoming iconic figures for those who used the textbooks. Ann Green, Mary Brown, and Ellen Baker are notable examples, each representing different eras of the textbook's publication and instantly recognizable to former students from specific time periods.

The collaborations with McDonald's and "Love Live!" are significant because these are highly popular brands and media in Japan. McDonald's is a ubiquitous fast-food chain, and "Love Live!" is a massively popular anime and idol franchise. Associating these beloved textbook characters with such mainstream pop culture elements amplified their nostalgic appeal and reached a much wider audience beyond just former students, sparking widespread discussion across different age groups and online communities. This resurgence of interest highlights how deeply iconic educational materials can embed themselves in the collective memory and cultural fabric of a nation.