China Airlines has become the latest Asian airline to unveil a cartoon-themed aircraft livery.

The Taiwanese national carrier revealed its “Buddy Bears” paintwork, which will feature on a Boeing 737 aircraft operating between Taiwan and Japan. The livery will include three bears: Taiwan’s OhBear and Hero, and Japan’s Kumamon.

This continues the recent trend of cartoon-themed jets; another Taiwanese carrier, EVA Air, already operates a fleet of aircraft based on popular Japanese animated characters including Hello Kitty.

The Buddy Bears aircraft will take off for the first time on 26 May, initially operating three times a week on the Kaohsiung-Kumamoto route. In future it will be deployed on routes connecting Kaohsiung with Tokyo, Osaka and Okinawa.

As well as the cartoon bears, the livery will feature images of Kaohsiung’s 85 Sky Tower, Japan’s cherry blossoms, Kumamoto Castle and Mount Aso.