List of Sanrio characters
Encyclopedia
This is a list of characters from Sanrio
, a Japanese company specialized in creating cute
characters. Since 1962, Sanrio has introduced more than 400 different characters. Each character lives in their own universe with their own friends and family and has a unique story. They sell and license various products branded with these characters. Their most successful and best known character is Hello Kitty
.
with spiky hair. His birthday is April 1 (April Fool's Day). He is one of the few Sanrio characters that is marketed to both males and females. In Japanese, "badtz" (batsu) is a term for "X", the cross signifying a wrong answer. "Maru" means circle or "O", and signifies a correct answer. Thus, his name figuratively means "wrong-correct," and is frequently represented by "XO". Badtz-Maru has many different facial expressions and poses, but a common expression is of pulling one eye down and sticking out his tongue, a gesture equivalent to blowing a raspberry
.
Badtz-Maru also has a few friends such as Hana-Maru, a friendly white seal. Hana-Maru is very kind in nature and is very helpful to all. Badtz-Maru also has another friend called Pandaba, a girl panda
who wears a red bikini
skirt and likes Badtz-Maru. Badtz-Maru also has a 'watch dog' named Pochi, but instead of being a real dog, Pochi is in fact, an alligator
.
Badtz-Maru has gone through many product lines since his release at Sanrio
in 1993. While he has far fewer releases than Hello Kitty
, he has been a staple character found in almost all stores worldwide. He has been portrayed as an astronaut
, motorcyclist, DJ, camouflage monster, basketball player, boxer, and others. His products range from typical stationery
supplies (e.g. pens, notebooks, erasers, pencil cases, etc.) to more novel items (e.g. CD players, guitars, license plate frames, etc.)
Badtz-Maru was the official mascot
for the 2006 FIBA World Championship
of basketball, which was held in Japan.
's pet cat. She resembles Hello Kitty but has more cat-like features. Her name comes from the word "Charm" as she wears the key to Hello Kitty's jewellery box around her neck.
Charmmy Kitty is a white female Persian cat
that Papa gave to Hello Kitty
as a gift. She wears a lace-trimmed bow on her left ear, and a necklace which holds the key to Hello Kitty’s jewelry box. Born on October 31, Charmmy Kitty is well-mannered, quiet, and listens to whatever Hello Kitty says. Like many cats, Charmmy Kitty loves objects that are bright and sparkly. Charmmy Kitty's charm point is her lace-trimmed pink bow, that was a present from Kitty.
with a whirly-curly purple tail, who likes to balance bananas on his head. Chi Chai Monchan lives on a small, tropical island in the South Seas where he spends his days climbing trees and eating bananas.
, who is one of the many characters created by Sanrio
. He was first released on February 2, 2003. He is very curious and does tricks for a hobby
. He spends time inside his owner's bag and goes many places. He is one of three triplets
; his siblings are Chidi-Maru & Chifi-Maru.
, no mouth. His name comes from his chocolate
-colored nose. Chococat was first released in 1996 and his birthday is May 10.
When Sanrio releases new Chococat lines (the background colors and designs), Chococat's collar and fur color, and his accessories and friends, are often altered. Chococat was originally pictured with a blue collar, but he has since been depicted wearing different colored collars, scarves and even a lei
. Sanrio has also produced new Chococat products that portray him in a greyish-brown color. In the Momoberry version, he is pink with a top hat, bow tie and cane. Line names are often heavily relied upon, in internet sales descriptions.
with long ears that enable him to fly. He has blue eyes, and a plump and curly tail that resembles a cinnamon roll
. He starred in his own anime
movie which was released in December 2007. In the story, the owner of Cafe Cinnamon, a little cafe, looked up and saw a white puppy floating out of the sky like a fluffy cloud. The owner thought, “I wonder if he came because he smelled my cinnamon rolls.” The puppy had a curly tail just like a cinnamon roll, so she called him Cinnamoroll. His friends are named Milk, Cappucino, Espresso, Mocha and Chiffon.
, and Beary Lou, a friendly bear.
s, created in 1974. Hello Kitty is drawn simply with a trademark red bow. Registered in 1976, Hello Kitty is now a globally known trademark
. Hello Kitty has been marketed in the United States from the beginning and has held the position of U.S. children's ambassador for UNICEF since 1983. The brand rose to greater prominence during the late 1990s when several celebrities such as Mariah Carey
adopted Hello Kitty as a fashion statement. New products featuring the character can be found in virtually any American department store
and Hello Kitty was once featured in an advertising
campaign of the retail chain Target. The character got its first Massively Multiplayer Online Game
produced by Sanrio Digital and Typhoon Games
entitled Hello Kitty Online
which was released worldwide, including the United States
, Singapore
, Indonesia
and the Philippines
.
A cheerful and happy girl with a heart of gold, Hello Kitty can bake delicious cookies, but she loves Mama’s apple pie even more. Her favourite hobbies include travelling, music, reading, and making new friends. Her best friend is her twin
sister Mimmy. Hello Kitty was born on November 1 in the suburbs of London
, United Kingdom
. Her real name is Kitty White.
Mimmy is Hello Kitty's twin sister. She is a little shy and very girly. You can tell her apart from Hello Kitty because she wears her ribbon on her right ear opposite of her sister. Her bow is yellow, while Kitty's is red. Mimmy also wears red overalls, similar to Kitty's blue overalls.
Dear Daniel was Hello Kitty's childhood companion. As babies, they frolicked and played together. Dear Daniel's father is a photographer who was posted to Africa, and the whole family followed him there. After living in several locations around the world, Dear Daniel ended up in New York, and from there he returned to England, where he was reunited with Hello Kitty. Thanks to his stint in New York and his natural sense of rhythm, Dear Daniel is a pretty sweet Ballet dancer. In the future he wants to become a photographer or a celebrity. His birthday is May 3.
the white Japanese Hare
(whose birthday is on July 29), Sapphy
the blue and yellow Cavalier King Charles spaniel
(whose birthday is on September 1), Garnet
the pink Persian Cat
(whose birthday is on January 8) and Labra
the pink and white Polar Bear
(whose birthday is on December 27).
In 2008, Sega Toys collaborated with Sanrio to release a line of plush toys featuring the characters from the series which contains a special password to access the Web-Gurumi website. This is somewhat similar to the toy franchise Webkinz
, as it also shares some similarities to the secret codes to access the Webkinz World website, causing some controversies between the two companies. Later on April 4, 2009, its first anime
series was produced by Studio Comet
and started to air on both TV Osaka
and TV Tokyo
, replacing Onegai My Melody Kirara★
in its timeslot. The anime focuses on the heroine Rinko Kōgyoku and her Jewelpet partner Ruby. A sequel to the series aired on April 3, 2010 on TV Tokyo
under the title . The sequel focuses on the new protagonist named Akari Sakura and her Jewelpet partners Ruby and Labra. A third season of the anime series titled Jewelpet Sunshine (ジュエルペット サンシャイン) premiered on April 9, 2011.
Two Manga
spinoffs were created and both were serialized by Shogakukan
. The first one was illustrated by Mako Morie, serialized in Shogakukan's Pucchigumi magazine and the second one was illustrated by Sayuri Tatsuyama, author and illustrator of the Happy Happy Clover
manga series. The second one was serialized in Shogakukan's shōjo
magazine Ciao
.
Four games for Nintendo DS and the Arcade were also made. The first is titled , released on April 30, 2009 by MTO. The game utilizes the Nintendo DS console in a vertical layout and uses the DS Stylus to navigate through the game. Wi-Fi Connection is also available to the game, allowing online gameplay with other players. The game gained a sequel titled , released on December 17, 2009. Unlike the first game, the sequel was based on the Anime itself, but having the same gameplay while adding the microphone feature. In 2010, Sega released an arcade game named , which utilizes special Jewelpet cards and has a same gameplay as Collumns. The third Jewelpet DS game was then announced in the title of , which was released on August 5, 2010. Unlike the past two games, the third game is based on the Jewelpet Tinkle anime and it has a different gameplay style. A few improvements were made in the gameplay such as improved interactions with your Jewelpet and newer magic sessions.
A Trading Card Game spinoff was then announced by Bushiroad, the creators of the Weiß Schwarz and Alice X Cross Trading Card Games. Both the starter set and booster packs were released on July 30, 2009.
and Kero Kero Keroppi no Daibouken
. Keroppi was created in 1987 and his birthday is on July 10. His hometown is Donut Pond.
. She is a white rabbit or imp-like creature, wearing a black jester's hat with a pink skull on the front and a black "devil" tail in the place of a normal rabbit's tail. Kuromi's appearance also looks similar to that of classic cartoon characters from the 1920s and 1930s. Goods featuring Kuromi first appeared in Japan in 2005. She has three image song
s all sung by her voice actress
, Junko Takeuchi
. Kuromi sometimes wears fuchsia pink skull cherries on her right ear.
Kuromi's birthday is on October 31 (Halloween). Although Kuromi has a rowdy free spirit, she is actually quite girly on the inside and has a soft spot for cute and handsome guys. Kuromi enjoys keeping a diary and reading romance novels. Her favorite color is black and her favorite food is shallots.
who was first released in 1999. His birthday is on December 8. He loves to wash anything he can get his hands on. His best friend is a rubber duck
named "Pea". Landry's hobbies include dancing and running on top of his tub, sliding, taking Pea for walks, and listening to music. (Mozart is his favorite). Landry loves to eat donuts, sausages, nut
s and ice-cream, but chocolate
is his very favorite.
The characters make cameo appearances in 2004 on the front cover of Tommy February6
's second album Tommy Airline
and in her video for the song "MaGic in youR Eyes", and in one of the Sanrio Unico movies.
The boy demon's name is Berry and his birthday is June 6. He has the ability to transform into a more devilish form; his ram horns turn into the devil's horns, gold eyes, his flat teeth into sharp fangs, changes colors from medium-grey to dark-black, skeleton wings, really long sharp claws, and his voice changes. He seems to have the talent of making potions.
Cherry is the girl demon and her birthday is September 9. Berry created Cherry not only to be his partner of crime; but also to be his sweetheart but accidentally used a jar of salt that had its label covered by another saying "sugar". When Cherry (like Berry) transforms into her devilish form, her light-black closed bat wing ears change into dark-black opened bat wings, her black eyes into fandango, her top hat disappears, her teeth into fangs, and her voice changes.
Cherry loves to play jokes on Berry.
Both Berry & Cherry would go through their magic mirror to enter into the human world to play tricks on children while they sleep. Both fear daytime and would hide in the closet or drawers, if they don't make it home in time until night returns and they are friends with a bat, a magical lantern and a Jack O' Lantern.
Sanrio released the duo in 2007 in Gothic Lolita accessories. The characters have not been released to North American Sanrio boutiques yet.
However both characters have gained popularity in Noth America and two short videos have been released on YouTube. The episodes are "Trick" and "Friend"; Cherry's origin.
who always wears a red or pink hood that also covers her ears. Her birthday is on January 18. Like Hello Kitty, My Melody is rather popular in Asia
and can be found on children's toys and merchandise. My Melody was first released in 1975 and the first related merchandise was released at the end of that year. At first she was mostly marketed toward young girls, but like Hello Kitty
her popularity has increased within women of all ages, especially in Asia
. According to The New York Times
, this character is "moderately successful" in terms popularity but shows no signs of reaching the global popularity of Hello Kitty.
When first released she was the Little Red Riding Hood
character in a version of the classic fairy tale featuring all animal characters. The name My Melody first appeared in 1976 and soon the connection to Little Red Riding Hood all but disappeared, with the exception of a series of Little Red Riding Hood-style goods which were re-released in 2000. During 1976, her cute animal friends, such as Flat the mouse, Piano the sheep, Risu the squirrel, and her brother Rhythm, started appearing. The original My Melody goods featured a red hood but as of 1977, merchandise featuring a pink hood was released, which would be the norm for My Melody goods for several years to come.
My Melody's popularity waned toward the late 1980s, and the only goods produced were stationery, stickers and candy. In 1996, in a Strawberry News (a magazine published by Sanrio) reader survey, My Melody came out amongst some of Sanrio's most popular characters and as a result, standard merchandise started re-appearing as of February 1997 featuring the original red hood. Goods with the pink hood were re-released in 1999 and as of 2000 there were goods released with multiple color hoods.
My Melody has been turned into a Pullip
doll, like two other Sanrio characters, Hello Kitty
and Cinnamoroll. The doll includes a toy of Flat the mouse.
On April 3, 2005, an anime series based on My Melody and her friends and produced by Studio Comet
started to air on TV Osaka
and TV Tokyo
television stations, called Onegai My Melody
(おねがいマイメロディ). This anime
also spawned a video game for the Nintendo DS
titled Onegai My Melody: Yume no Kuni no Daibouken (おねがいマイメロディ～夢の国の大冒険～). The game relies heavily on a feature of the Nintendo DS console which requires the player to blow air into the microphone of the unit. The player guides My Melody through timed levels by jumping and using her umbrella to float around and avoid enemies. The game also features unlockable content as well, such as music, images, and mini-games. Currently, Sanrio has no plans to release this series in North America
.
My Melody also appears in the Sanrio Digital and Dream Cortex series, The Adventures of Hello Kitty & Friends
. She, however, is mouthless there, and her rival doesn't make an appearance.
In 2007, A second game was released for the Nintendo DS
titled My Melody Angel Book ~Denshitechou & Enjoy Game~ (マイメロディエンジェルブック～電子手帳＆エンジョイゲーム～). The game's primary function is as a day planner designed for young girls to keep track of appointments, class schedules, and mini diary entries.
On March 26, 2008, a Japanese music compilation album titled "I LOVE 30 - MY MELODY" from Tearbridge Records was released with My Melody wearing the original red hood drawn in various artwork styles by Groovisions.
was born in Japan
. Nyago's favorite activity is sleeping, and his most cherished possession is his supersoft, cloudlike cushion. He is very easygoing and tries not to worry too much about the small things in life.
, this character, along with the character Spottie Dottie, are "recent flops" for the Sanrio corporation in terms popularity.
Pantan is an only child and his best friend is Fanfan (not a panda) who was born 3 days apart from Pantan. Pantan's hobbies include running, eating, and sleeping. Pantan enjoys climbing through small spaces and his favorite food is caramel ice cream. Pantan's future dream is to be a panda hero.
, who was released by Sanrio in 1994. He is a small, round brown
mouse with a cream-colored tummy and muzzle, a long red ribboned tail, and large blue ears. Picke Bicke is as playful as he is curious. He makes new friends all the time, including butterflies and frogs, and describes himself as "100% Mouse". Picke Bicke's hobbies include mimicry and trying to "fly" with his large, wing-like ears, though he never rises more than a few inches.
Pochacco's name means ‘pocha pocha’ (chubby). Pochacco was born on February 29, 1989 (a leap year) in Fuwafuwa Town. Pochacco can’t walk straight. Even when he tries, he keeps tottering from side to side. He can walk on two legs, but he trips up and falls over every now and then. Pochacco loves spring. In fact, one of his favorite flowers is a pink flower called ‘rengeso’. Pochacco's dream is to fill his tummy with banana ice cream (so he likes summer too). Although Pochacco has a lot of animal friends, recently he has been hanging out with Choppi the mouse, his best friend.
dog
character first introduced in 1996. Purin (or Pudding Dog) was born on a sunny day on April 16. He is a good natured golden retriever dog, who lives in his own basket at his owner's house. His trademark is his brown beret
that is always on top of his head. Purin's interest is collecting shoes, which includes his owner's father's leather shoes, his owner's mother's sandals, etc., and he likes to hide them.
Purin loves drinking milk
and eating soft food and pudding
that his mother makes. He also spends a lot of time sleeping or hanging out with his friends. Purin's best friends include a hamster
called Muffin, a mouse
named Scone, and a bird
who loves to steal Purin's beret.
He was twice voted Most Popular Sanrio Character in the Strawberry
News Magazine, a magazine published by Sanrio.
and is a fashion expert from New York City
. She can be usually spotted wearing a trademark pink bow and frilly pink dress with rose
s and with her best friend, Sassy, a cat. According to The New York Times
, this character, along with the character Pandapple, are "recent flops" for the Sanrio corporation in terms popularity.
In 2007, Toei Animation
created an anime series based on the franchise which aired on TV Tokyo
and Kids Station
on April 3, 2007 and ended later that year with 27 episodes. After the anime's success, the series gained two sequels in 2008 (Sugarbunnies: Chocolat!) and in 2009 (Sugarbunnies: Fleur), each having 27 episodes.
Ballet-Usa who is the elder twin and wears a silver tiara that matches with her pink fur. She is a graceful and elegant dancer and loves make-up accessories.
Prima-Usa is the sweet and cute younger twin and wears a gold tiara that highlights her white fur and her favorite hobby is fortune-telling.
They were released in 2008 and their accessories are sometimes in ballerina products.
for "bears that fit in your palm") are a group of raccoons that run a coffee shop called Tenorikuma. There are 5 specific characters in all. The main "manager" is Latte, who is distinguished from the others by a red heart on his left ear.
There are a few other main characters. Chai (yellow scarf), Frappe (green scarf), Maple (pink scarf, the only female and Latte's love interest), Mister Steam (steam clouds from hot coffee), Muddler (spoon) and Macchiato (blue scarf).
company, one of the "friends" of Hello Kitty
. Sam is a plump blue and white penguin who wears a red bow-tie and a round white sailor cap with a red ribbon. A clumsy little fellow who loves to eat, Tuxedo Sam has great fashion sense, as he owns a collection of 365 bowties. He’s very good at speaking English too. Tuxedo Sam was born on May 12, 1978 in Antarctica. According to The New York Times
, this character is "moderately successful" in terms popularity but shows no signs of reaching the global popularity of Hello Kitty.
Sanrio
is a Japanese company that designs, licenses and produces products focusing on the kawaii segment of Japanese popular culture. Their products include stationery, school supplies, gifts and accessories that are sold worldwide and at specialty brand retail stores in Japan...
, a Japanese company specialized in creating cute
Cuteness in Japanese culture
Since the 1970s, cuteness, in Japanese the noun , has become a prominent aspect of Japanese popular culture, entertainment, clothing, food, toys, personal appearance, behavior, and mannerisms...
characters. Since 1962, Sanrio has introduced more than 400 different characters. Each character lives in their own universe with their own friends and family and has a unique story. They sell and license various products branded with these characters. Their most successful and best known character is Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty
is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, first designed by Yuko Shimizu. She is portrayed as a female white Japanese bobtail cat with a red bow. The character's first appearance on an item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974 and brought to the United States...
.
Badtz-Maru
Badtz-Maru is a male penguinPenguin
Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have become flippers...
with spiky hair. His birthday is April 1 (April Fool's Day). He is one of the few Sanrio characters that is marketed to both males and females. In Japanese, "badtz" (batsu) is a term for "X", the cross signifying a wrong answer. "Maru" means circle or "O", and signifies a correct answer. Thus, his name figuratively means "wrong-correct," and is frequently represented by "XO". Badtz-Maru has many different facial expressions and poses, but a common expression is of pulling one eye down and sticking out his tongue, a gesture equivalent to blowing a raspberry
Blowing a raspberry
Blowing a raspberry or strawberry or making a Bronx cheer is to make a noise signifying derision, real or feigned. It is made by placing the tongue between the lips and blowing, making a sound redolent of flatulence. In the terminology of phonetics, this sound can be described as an unvoiced...
.
Badtz-Maru also has a few friends such as Hana-Maru, a friendly white seal. Hana-Maru is very kind in nature and is very helpful to all. Badtz-Maru also has another friend called Pandaba, a girl panda
Panda
Panda or Panda bear most often refers to:*Giant panda, an animal in the Bear familyPanda may also refer to:*Red panda, the only living member in the Ailuridae family-In biology:* Species related to the Giant panda...
who wears a red bikini
Bikini
The bikini is typically a women's two-piece swimsuit. One part of the attire covers the breasts and the other part covers the crotch and part of or the entire buttocks, leaving an uncovered area between the two. Merriam–Webster describes the bikini as "a woman's scanty two-piece bathing suit" or "a...
skirt and likes Badtz-Maru. Badtz-Maru also has a 'watch dog' named Pochi, but instead of being a real dog, Pochi is in fact, an alligator
Alligator
An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....
.
Badtz-Maru has gone through many product lines since his release at Sanrio
Sanrio
is a Japanese company that designs, licenses and produces products focusing on the kawaii segment of Japanese popular culture. Their products include stationery, school supplies, gifts and accessories that are sold worldwide and at specialty brand retail stores in Japan...
in 1993. While he has far fewer releases than Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty
is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, first designed by Yuko Shimizu. She is portrayed as a female white Japanese bobtail cat with a red bow. The character's first appearance on an item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974 and brought to the United States...
, he has been a staple character found in almost all stores worldwide. He has been portrayed as an astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
, motorcyclist, DJ, camouflage monster, basketball player, boxer, and others. His products range from typical stationery
Stationery
Stationery has historically meant a wide gamut of materials: paper and office supplies, writing implements, greeting cards, glue, pencil case etc.-History of stationery:...
supplies (e.g. pens, notebooks, erasers, pencil cases, etc.) to more novel items (e.g. CD players, guitars, license plate frames, etc.)
Badtz-Maru was the official mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
for the 2006 FIBA World Championship
2006 FIBA World Championship
The 2006 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Japan from August 19 to September 3, 2006. It was co-organised by the International Basketball Federation , Japan Basketball Association and the 2006 Organizing Committee...
of basketball, which was held in Japan.
Charmmy Kitty
Charmmy Kitty is Hello KittyHello Kitty
is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, first designed by Yuko Shimizu. She is portrayed as a female white Japanese bobtail cat with a red bow. The character's first appearance on an item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974 and brought to the United States...
's pet cat. She resembles Hello Kitty but has more cat-like features. Her name comes from the word "Charm" as she wears the key to Hello Kitty's jewellery box around her neck.
Charmmy Kitty is a white female Persian cat
Persian cat
The Persian is a longhaired breed of cat characterized by its round face and shortened muzzle. Its name refers to Persia, the former name of Iran, where similar cats are found. Recognized by the cat fancy since the late 19th century, it was developed first by the English, and then mainly by...
that Papa gave to Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty
is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, first designed by Yuko Shimizu. She is portrayed as a female white Japanese bobtail cat with a red bow. The character's first appearance on an item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974 and brought to the United States...
as a gift. She wears a lace-trimmed bow on her left ear, and a necklace which holds the key to Hello Kitty’s jewelry box. Born on October 31, Charmmy Kitty is well-mannered, quiet, and listens to whatever Hello Kitty says. Like many cats, Charmmy Kitty loves objects that are bright and sparkly. Charmmy Kitty's charm point is her lace-trimmed pink bow, that was a present from Kitty.
Chi Chai Monchan
Chi Chai Monchan is a fun-loving, little boy pink monkeyMonkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
with a whirly-curly purple tail, who likes to balance bananas on his head. Chi Chai Monchan lives on a small, tropical island in the South Seas where he spends his days climbing trees and eating bananas.
Chibimaru
Chibimaru is a brown puppyPuppy
A puppy is a juvenile dog. Some puppies may weigh , while larger ones can weigh up to . All healthy puppies grow quickly after birth. A puppy's coat color may change as the puppy grows older, as is commonly seen in breeds such as the Yorkshire Terrier...
, who is one of the many characters created by Sanrio
Sanrio
is a Japanese company that designs, licenses and produces products focusing on the kawaii segment of Japanese popular culture. Their products include stationery, school supplies, gifts and accessories that are sold worldwide and at specialty brand retail stores in Japan...
. He was first released on February 2, 2003. He is very curious and does tricks for a hobby
Hobby
A hobby is a regular activity or interest that is undertaken for pleasure, typically done during one's leisure time.- Etymology :A hobby horse is a wooden or wickerwork toy made to be ridden just like a real horse...
. He spends time inside his owner's bag and goes many places. He is one of three triplets
Multiple birth
A multiple birth occurs when more than one fetus is carried to term in a single pregnancy. Different names for multiple births are used, depending on the number of offspring. Common multiples are two and three, known as twins and triplets...
; his siblings are Chidi-Maru & Chifi-Maru.
Chococat
Chococat is drawn as a black cat with huge black eyes, four whiskers, and like his counterpart Hello KittyHello Kitty
is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, first designed by Yuko Shimizu. She is portrayed as a female white Japanese bobtail cat with a red bow. The character's first appearance on an item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974 and brought to the United States...
, no mouth. His name comes from his chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
-colored nose. Chococat was first released in 1996 and his birthday is May 10.
When Sanrio releases new Chococat lines (the background colors and designs), Chococat's collar and fur color, and his accessories and friends, are often altered. Chococat was originally pictured with a blue collar, but he has since been depicted wearing different colored collars, scarves and even a lei
Lei (Hawaii)
Lei is a Hawaiian word for a garland or wreath. More loosely defined, a lei is any series of objects strung together with the intent to be worn. The most popular concept of a lei in Hawaiian culture is a wreath of flowers draped around the neck presented upon arriving or leaving as a symbol of...
. Sanrio has also produced new Chococat products that portray him in a greyish-brown color. In the Momoberry version, he is pink with a top hat, bow tie and cane. Line names are often heavily relied upon, in internet sales descriptions.
Cinnamoangels
The Cinnamoangels are a trio of trendy bunnies formed by Mocha (whose birthday is the 20th February), Chiffon (whose birthday is the 14th January) and Azuki (Whose birthday is September 25). The founder of the group Mocha, has big dreams of becoming a TV idol and both Azuki and Chiffon support her. The three were released by Sanrio in 2005 and has several Music Videos featuring the trio.Cinnamoroll
Cinnamoroll, born on March 6, 2002 on a cloud far up in the sky, is a white puppyPuppy
A puppy is a juvenile dog. Some puppies may weigh , while larger ones can weigh up to . All healthy puppies grow quickly after birth. A puppy's coat color may change as the puppy grows older, as is commonly seen in breeds such as the Yorkshire Terrier...
with long ears that enable him to fly. He has blue eyes, and a plump and curly tail that resembles a cinnamon roll
Cinnamon roll
A cinnamon roll is a sweet pastry served commonly in Northern Europe and North America. It consists of a rolled sheet of yeast dough onto which a cinnamon and sugar mixture is sprinkled over a thin coat of butter...
. He starred in his own anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
movie which was released in December 2007. In the story, the owner of Cafe Cinnamon, a little cafe, looked up and saw a white puppy floating out of the sky like a fluffy cloud. The owner thought, “I wonder if he came because he smelled my cinnamon rolls.” The puppy had a curly tail just like a cinnamon roll, so she called him Cinnamoroll. His friends are named Milk, Cappucino, Espresso, Mocha and Chiffon.
Corocorokuririn
Corocorokuririn is a very curious golden hamster who is sometimes a little timid. He enjoys collecting stuff from around the house to make playhouses and is very good at fitting into tiny spaces. Corocorokuririn can chew on just about anything, but his favorite foods are cookies and sunflower seeds. He also adores cherry blossoms.Deery Lou
Deery Lou The Cheerful Fawn is a character created by Sanrio in 2002. He is a brown (sometimes pink) fawn. His birthday is January 8, and he lives in the Rainbow Forest. He spends his time playing in the sun, chasing butterflies with his friends Bluebird, Red mushroom and small mushroom. He also has friends named Queeny Lou, a beautiful swanSwan
Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
, and Beary Lou, a friendly bear.
Hangyodon
Hangyodon is a fish character created by Sanrio in 1984. He was born on March 14 in China.Hello Kitty
is the best-known of Sanrio's fictional characterFictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
s, created in 1974. Hello Kitty is drawn simply with a trademark red bow. Registered in 1976, Hello Kitty is now a globally known trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
. Hello Kitty has been marketed in the United States from the beginning and has held the position of U.S. children's ambassador for UNICEF since 1983. The brand rose to greater prominence during the late 1990s when several celebrities such as Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
adopted Hello Kitty as a fashion statement. New products featuring the character can be found in virtually any American department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
and Hello Kitty was once featured in an advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
campaign of the retail chain Target. The character got its first Massively Multiplayer Online Game
Online game
An online game is a game played over some form of computer network. This almost always means the Internet or equivalent technology, but games have always used whatever technology was current: modems before the Internet, and hard wired terminals before modems...
produced by Sanrio Digital and Typhoon Games
Typhoon Games
Typhoon Games Ltd. was founded in August 2001 in Hong Kong as a game developing and publishing company that caters mainly to the Asian market. It is the sister company of Typhoon Media International Ltd. and has strategic partnerships with Outblaze Ltd...
entitled Hello Kitty Online
Hello Kitty Online
Hello Kitty Online is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online role playing game developed by Sanrio Digital and Typhoon Games...
which was released worldwide, including the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
A cheerful and happy girl with a heart of gold, Hello Kitty can bake delicious cookies, but she loves Mama’s apple pie even more. Her favourite hobbies include travelling, music, reading, and making new friends. Her best friend is her twin
Twin
A twin is one of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy. Twins can either be monozygotic , meaning that they develop from one zygote that splits and forms two embryos, or dizygotic because they develop from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two separate sperm.In contrast, a fetus...
sister Mimmy. Hello Kitty was born on November 1 in the suburbs of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Her real name is Kitty White.
Mimmy is Hello Kitty's twin sister. She is a little shy and very girly. You can tell her apart from Hello Kitty because she wears her ribbon on her right ear opposite of her sister. Her bow is yellow, while Kitty's is red. Mimmy also wears red overalls, similar to Kitty's blue overalls.
Dear Daniel was Hello Kitty's childhood companion. As babies, they frolicked and played together. Dear Daniel's father is a photographer who was posted to Africa, and the whole family followed him there. After living in several locations around the world, Dear Daniel ended up in New York, and from there he returned to England, where he was reunited with Hello Kitty. Thanks to his stint in New York and his natural sense of rhythm, Dear Daniel is a pretty sweet Ballet dancer. In the future he wants to become a photographer or a celebrity. His birthday is May 3.
Jewelpets
The are a group of animal characters created in 2008 as a joint-venture between Sanrio and Sega Toys. There are 37 characters in the franchise and each of the animals are named after famous Birthstones, Minerals and Jewels. They each have a different kind of sparkling jewel for their eyes, used for casting special magic called "Jewel Flash". According to fiction, They belong to magicians and live in a mystical place called Jewel Land, attending a school to learn more about magic and each of them are paired with their own human partners. The main Jewelpets in the series are RubyRuby
A ruby is a pink to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum . The red color is caused mainly by the presence of the element chromium. Its name comes from ruber, Latin for red. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapphires...
the white Japanese Hare
Japanese Hare
The Japanese Hare is an Asian hare.-Geographic range:The Japanese Hare is found on the continent of Asia. It is found primarily in 5 countries even though it is named for Japan. The Japanese Hare is found in Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea, and Russia.-Habitat:The Japanese Hare is mostly...
(whose birthday is on July 29), Sapphy
Sapphire
Sapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide , when it is a color other than red or dark pink; in which case the gem would instead be called a ruby, considered to be a different gemstone. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give...
the blue and yellow Cavalier King Charles spaniel
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a small breed of Spaniel-type dog, and is classed as a toy dog by most kennel clubs. It is one of the most popular breeds in the United Kingdom. Since 2000, it has been growing in popularity in the United States. It is a smaller breed of spaniel, and Cavalier...
(whose birthday is on September 1), Garnet
Garnet
The garnet group includes a group of minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. The name "garnet" may come from either the Middle English word gernet meaning 'dark red', or the Latin granatus , possibly a reference to the Punica granatum , a plant with red seeds...
the pink Persian Cat
Persian cat
The Persian is a longhaired breed of cat characterized by its round face and shortened muzzle. Its name refers to Persia, the former name of Iran, where similar cats are found. Recognized by the cat fancy since the late 19th century, it was developed first by the English, and then mainly by...
(whose birthday is on January 8) and Labra
Labradorite
Labradorite , a feldspar mineral, is an intermediate to calcic member of the plagioclase series. It is usually defined as having "%An" between 50 and 70. The specific gravity ranges from 2.68 to 2.72. The streak is white, like most silicates. The refractive index ranges from 1.559 to 1.573....
the pink and white Polar Bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
(whose birthday is on December 27).
In 2008, Sega Toys collaborated with Sanrio to release a line of plush toys featuring the characters from the series which contains a special password to access the Web-Gurumi website. This is somewhat similar to the toy franchise Webkinz
Webkinz
Webkinz are toy stuffed animals that were originally released by the Canadian Ganz company on April 29, 2005. The toys are similar to many other small plush toys, however, each Webkinz toy has an attached tag with a unique "Secret Code" printed on it that allows access to the "Webkinz World" website...
, as it also shares some similarities to the secret codes to access the Webkinz World website, causing some controversies between the two companies. Later on April 4, 2009, its first anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series was produced by Studio Comet
Studio Comet
is an animation studio based in Tokyo, Japan. It was established January 21, 1986.-Notable staff:*Hiroshi Kanazawa *Kazuo Harada *Shin Misawa...
and started to air on both TV Osaka
TV Osaka
is a TV station affiliated with TXN in Osaka, Japan. The mascot character is "Takoru-kun" .-Offices:*The headquarters - 1-2-18, Otemae, Chūō-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan...
and TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
, replacing Onegai My Melody Kirara★
Onegai My Melody
is an Japanese anime series based on the Sanrio character, My Melody. Produced by Studio Comet, it ran 3 April 2005 to 26 March 2006 on Animax, TV Osaka and TV Tokyo, spanning 52 episodes. A sequel, Onegai My Melody ~Kuru Kuru Shuffle!~, ran 2 April 2006 to 23 March 2007. With its next sequel,...
in its timeslot. The anime focuses on the heroine Rinko Kōgyoku and her Jewelpet partner Ruby. A sequel to the series aired on April 3, 2010 on TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
under the title . The sequel focuses on the new protagonist named Akari Sakura and her Jewelpet partners Ruby and Labra. A third season of the anime series titled Jewelpet Sunshine (ジュエルペット サンシャイン) premiered on April 9, 2011.
Two Manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
spinoffs were created and both were serialized by Shogakukan
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
. The first one was illustrated by Mako Morie, serialized in Shogakukan's Pucchigumi magazine and the second one was illustrated by Sayuri Tatsuyama, author and illustrator of the Happy Happy Clover
Happy Happy Clover
is a manga series created and illustrated by Tatsuyama Sayuri. It was serialized in Shogakukan's shōjo magazine Ciao beginning in August 2005 to November 2008. 5 tankōbon Volumes were serialized in April 2006. An anime adaptation ran from July 6, 2007 to 28 September 2007, adapting some of the...
manga series. The second one was serialized in Shogakukan's shōjo
Shojo
The term refers to manga marketed to a female audience roughly between the ages of 10-18. The name romanizes the Japanese 少女 , literally: "little female". Shōjo manga covers many subjects in a variety of narrative and graphic styles, from historical drama to science fiction — often with a strong...
magazine Ciao
Ciao (magazine)
is a Japanese shōjo manga magazine published by Shogakukan for young girls . The first issue was launched in 1977. As of 2009, the circulation was 815,455. Formerly, the magazine attached paper crafts, but now attaches various goods that are different every month...
.
Four games for Nintendo DS and the Arcade were also made. The first is titled , released on April 30, 2009 by MTO. The game utilizes the Nintendo DS console in a vertical layout and uses the DS Stylus to navigate through the game. Wi-Fi Connection is also available to the game, allowing online gameplay with other players. The game gained a sequel titled , released on December 17, 2009. Unlike the first game, the sequel was based on the Anime itself, but having the same gameplay while adding the microphone feature. In 2010, Sega released an arcade game named , which utilizes special Jewelpet cards and has a same gameplay as Collumns. The third Jewelpet DS game was then announced in the title of , which was released on August 5, 2010. Unlike the past two games, the third game is based on the Jewelpet Tinkle anime and it has a different gameplay style. A few improvements were made in the gameplay such as improved interactions with your Jewelpet and newer magic sessions.
A Trading Card Game spinoff was then announced by Bushiroad, the creators of the Weiß Schwarz and Alice X Cross Trading Card Games. Both the starter set and booster packs were released on July 30, 2009.
Keroppi
is a frog character with large eyes and a V-shaped mouth. Keroppi loves adventure, and his bubbly personality makes him popular around Donut Pond. He has a brother called Koroppi and a sister called Pikki. Most often he is seen with his little snail friend Den Den, always tagging along a little behind. Keroppi is a fantastic swimmer and singer (but not at the same time.) Keroppi has appeared in two video games: Kero Kero Keroppi no Bouken NikkiKero Kero Keroppi no Bouken Nikki
is a Role-Playing game starring Keroppi from the Sanrio Hello Kitty collection. The translated English title is , "The Adventure Diary of Keroppi KeroKero: Keroleen in the Sleeping Forest"...
and Kero Kero Keroppi no Daibouken
Kero Kero Keroppi no Daibouken
Kero Kero Keroppi no Daibouken translated Keroppi's Big Adventure. The popular Sanrio character gets his own game. Released on the Nintendo Famicom console in Japan in 1991. Big Adventure is a children's puzzle game where Keroppi must rescue his girlfriend Keroleen who is locked up in a castle...
. Keroppi was created in 1987 and his birthday is on July 10. His hometown is Donut Pond.
Kuromi
is the rival of My Melody from the anime Onegai My MelodyOnegai My Melody
is an Japanese anime series based on the Sanrio character, My Melody. Produced by Studio Comet, it ran 3 April 2005 to 26 March 2006 on Animax, TV Osaka and TV Tokyo, spanning 52 episodes. A sequel, Onegai My Melody ~Kuru Kuru Shuffle!~, ran 2 April 2006 to 23 March 2007. With its next sequel,...
. She is a white rabbit or imp-like creature, wearing a black jester's hat with a pink skull on the front and a black "devil" tail in the place of a normal rabbit's tail. Kuromi's appearance also looks similar to that of classic cartoon characters from the 1920s and 1930s. Goods featuring Kuromi first appeared in Japan in 2005. She has three image song
Image song
An image song or character song is a song on a tie-in single or album for an anime, game or dorama that is usually sung by the seiyū or actor of a character, in character...
s all sung by her voice actress
Seiyu
Voice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
, Junko Takeuchi
Junko Takeuchi
is a Japanese voice actress employed by Love Live.Taking a well-trod path by many voice actresses, she often voices young male characters with generally very quirky and goofy personalities...
. Kuromi sometimes wears fuchsia pink skull cherries on her right ear.
Kuromi's birthday is on October 31 (Halloween). Although Kuromi has a rowdy free spirit, she is actually quite girly on the inside and has a soft spot for cute and handsome guys. Kuromi enjoys keeping a diary and reading romance novels. Her favorite color is black and her favorite food is shallots.
Landry
Landry is a fictional little boy raccoonRaccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
who was first released in 1999. His birthday is on December 8. He loves to wash anything he can get his hands on. His best friend is a rubber duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
named "Pea". Landry's hobbies include dancing and running on top of his tub, sliding, taking Pea for walks, and listening to music. (Mozart is his favorite). Landry loves to eat donuts, sausages, nut
Nut (fruit)
A nut is a hard-shelled fruit of some plants having an indehiscent seed. While a wide variety of dried seeds and fruits are called nuts in English, only a certain number of them are considered by biologists to be true nuts...
s and ice-cream, but chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
is his very favorite.
Little Twin Stars
Little Twin Stars are a pair of angel-like characters. The younger brother is called Kiki, and the older sister is called Lala. Kiki has blue hair, while Lala has pink hair (sometimes, Kiki's hair is brown, while Lala's hair is blonde). They were introduced in 1975 and enjoyed popularity in the early 1980s. Their birthday is on December 24.The characters make cameo appearances in 2004 on the front cover of Tommy February6
Tomoko Kawase
Tomoko Kawase is a Japanese female singer. Tomoko is the lead vocalist of the rock/pop group The Brilliant Green, and as a solo artist she has released music under the alter-ego pseudonyms Tommy february6 and later as Tommy heavenly6.-1995-2002: The Brilliant Green:In 1995, after bassist Shunsaku...
's second album Tommy Airline
Tommy airline
Tommy Airline is the second solo album released by vocalist Tomoko Kawase under the alter-ego Tommy february6. The album heavily features 80's inspired dance themes. The album was also released as a limited edition CD and DVD package, including music videos and karaoke videos...
and in her video for the song "MaGic in youR Eyes", and in one of the Sanrio Unico movies.
Lloromannic
Lloromannic is a world on the other side of a mirror. The world's name is "Cinnamoroll" in reverse. In a haunted mansion in the deep dark woods, lives a "Devilish Demon Duo" named Berry & Cherry.The boy demon's name is Berry and his birthday is June 6. He has the ability to transform into a more devilish form; his ram horns turn into the devil's horns, gold eyes, his flat teeth into sharp fangs, changes colors from medium-grey to dark-black, skeleton wings, really long sharp claws, and his voice changes. He seems to have the talent of making potions.
Cherry is the girl demon and her birthday is September 9. Berry created Cherry not only to be his partner of crime; but also to be his sweetheart but accidentally used a jar of salt that had its label covered by another saying "sugar". When Cherry (like Berry) transforms into her devilish form, her light-black closed bat wing ears change into dark-black opened bat wings, her black eyes into fandango, her top hat disappears, her teeth into fangs, and her voice changes.
Cherry loves to play jokes on Berry.
Both Berry & Cherry would go through their magic mirror to enter into the human world to play tricks on children while they sleep. Both fear daytime and would hide in the closet or drawers, if they don't make it home in time until night returns and they are friends with a bat, a magical lantern and a Jack O' Lantern.
Sanrio released the duo in 2007 in Gothic Lolita accessories. The characters have not been released to North American Sanrio boutiques yet.
However both characters have gained popularity in Noth America and two short videos have been released on YouTube. The episodes are "Trick" and "Friend"; Cherry's origin.
Masyumaro
Masyumaro "Masyumaro Mitai na fuwafuwa Nyanko" is a cute white kitten with light brown spots around the ears. He loves fashion and buttons. He was born in Paris, France and resides there in a Japanese apartment with a boy who is a designer. He is known as "The Cat as soft as a Marshmallow" and is often referred to as Masyumaro Nyanko. He is featured in two promotional videos, Boku Masyumaro (My Marshmallow) and KIRAKIRA Sute-ji (Stage Glitter).Monkichi
Monkichi (Oyama no Monkichi) is a monkey who lives in a little mountain in the Japanese countryside. He was released by Sanrio in 1991 and his birthday is on January 13. Monkichi's full name means "Monkey of the Mountain" in Japanese. Monkichi enjoys entertaining and telling jokes, and dreams of being a professional poet or comedian. Monkichi has an optimistic personality and gets a little carried away sometimes, but can be quite particular too. Monkichi's special talent is that he can eat ten bananas in one minute. Monkichi's first charm point is his bright red bottom, proof that he is 100% Japanese monkey! Monkichi's second charm point is his bulging eyes, especially when he’s surprised.My Melody
My Melody is a girl rabbitRabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
who always wears a red or pink hood that also covers her ears. Her birthday is on January 18. Like Hello Kitty, My Melody is rather popular in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and can be found on children's toys and merchandise. My Melody was first released in 1975 and the first related merchandise was released at the end of that year. At first she was mostly marketed toward young girls, but like Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty
is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, first designed by Yuko Shimizu. She is portrayed as a female white Japanese bobtail cat with a red bow. The character's first appearance on an item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974 and brought to the United States...
her popularity has increased within women of all ages, especially in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. According to The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, this character is "moderately successful" in terms popularity but shows no signs of reaching the global popularity of Hello Kitty.
When first released she was the Little Red Riding Hood
Little Red Riding Hood
Little Red Riding Hood, also known as Little Red Cap, is a French fairy tale about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. The story has been changed considerably in its history and subject to numerous modern adaptations and readings....
character in a version of the classic fairy tale featuring all animal characters. The name My Melody first appeared in 1976 and soon the connection to Little Red Riding Hood all but disappeared, with the exception of a series of Little Red Riding Hood-style goods which were re-released in 2000. During 1976, her cute animal friends, such as Flat the mouse, Piano the sheep, Risu the squirrel, and her brother Rhythm, started appearing. The original My Melody goods featured a red hood but as of 1977, merchandise featuring a pink hood was released, which would be the norm for My Melody goods for several years to come.
My Melody's popularity waned toward the late 1980s, and the only goods produced were stationery, stickers and candy. In 1996, in a Strawberry News (a magazine published by Sanrio) reader survey, My Melody came out amongst some of Sanrio's most popular characters and as a result, standard merchandise started re-appearing as of February 1997 featuring the original red hood. Goods with the pink hood were re-released in 1999 and as of 2000 there were goods released with multiple color hoods.
My Melody has been turned into a Pullip
Pullip
Pullip is a collectible fashion doll created by Cheonsang Cheonha of South Korea in 2003. Pullip has an oversized head on a jointed plastic body, with eyes that can change positions and wink. Pullip was first marketed by Jun Planning of Japan, but since early 2009, it has been marketed by Groove of...
doll, like two other Sanrio characters, Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty
is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, first designed by Yuko Shimizu. She is portrayed as a female white Japanese bobtail cat with a red bow. The character's first appearance on an item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974 and brought to the United States...
and Cinnamoroll. The doll includes a toy of Flat the mouse.
On April 3, 2005, an anime series based on My Melody and her friends and produced by Studio Comet
Studio Comet
is an animation studio based in Tokyo, Japan. It was established January 21, 1986.-Notable staff:*Hiroshi Kanazawa *Kazuo Harada *Shin Misawa...
started to air on TV Osaka
TV Osaka
is a TV station affiliated with TXN in Osaka, Japan. The mascot character is "Takoru-kun" .-Offices:*The headquarters - 1-2-18, Otemae, Chūō-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan...
and TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
television stations, called Onegai My Melody
Onegai My Melody
is an Japanese anime series based on the Sanrio character, My Melody. Produced by Studio Comet, it ran 3 April 2005 to 26 March 2006 on Animax, TV Osaka and TV Tokyo, spanning 52 episodes. A sequel, Onegai My Melody ~Kuru Kuru Shuffle!~, ran 2 April 2006 to 23 March 2007. With its next sequel,...
(おねがいマイメロディ). This anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
also spawned a video game for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
titled Onegai My Melody: Yume no Kuni no Daibouken (おねがいマイメロディ～夢の国の大冒険～). The game relies heavily on a feature of the Nintendo DS console which requires the player to blow air into the microphone of the unit. The player guides My Melody through timed levels by jumping and using her umbrella to float around and avoid enemies. The game also features unlockable content as well, such as music, images, and mini-games. Currently, Sanrio has no plans to release this series in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
My Melody also appears in the Sanrio Digital and Dream Cortex series, The Adventures of Hello Kitty & Friends
The Adventures of Hello Kitty & Friends
The Adventures of Hello Kitty and Friends is a 3D CGI animated series featuring Hello Kitty and other characters from the Japanese company Sanrio. It was produced from 2006 onwards by Sanrio Digital and Dream Cortex distributed by Televisa. It consists of of 52 episodes and deals with themes of...
. She, however, is mouthless there, and her rival doesn't make an appearance.
In 2007, A second game was released for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
titled My Melody Angel Book ~Denshitechou & Enjoy Game~ (マイメロディエンジェルブック～電子手帳＆エンジョイゲーム～). The game's primary function is as a day planner designed for young girls to keep track of appointments, class schedules, and mini diary entries.
On March 26, 2008, a Japanese music compilation album titled "I LOVE 30 - MY MELODY" from Tearbridge Records was released with My Melody wearing the original red hood drawn in various artwork styles by Groovisions.
Nyago
Born on May 25, this sweet little boy tabby catCat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
was born in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Nyago's favorite activity is sleeping, and his most cherished possession is his supersoft, cloudlike cushion. He is very easygoing and tries not to worry too much about the small things in life.
Pandapple
Pandapple is a cute black and white panda who has a red apple top, stem and a small green leaf as a hat. He wears a shirt which is mostly striped or plain Pandapple is usually seen with a caterpillar sometimes a bee. His birthday is on June 2. According to The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, this character, along with the character Spottie Dottie, are "recent flops" for the Sanrio corporation in terms popularity.
Pannapitta
Pannapitta was born on October 7, 2003 in Pannaland. His real name is Pantan and is only 3 months old. Pantan is full of energy. Pantan hates being still, and is constantly running around the place. Pantan lives for adventure at full speed. When his energy finally runs out he falls asleep on the spot.Pantan is an only child and his best friend is Fanfan (not a panda) who was born 3 days apart from Pantan. Pantan's hobbies include running, eating, and sleeping. Pantan enjoys climbing through small spaces and his favorite food is caramel ice cream. Pantan's future dream is to be a panda hero.
Patapatapeppy
Patapata Peppy is an owl-based character created by Sanrio in 1991 but is currently discontinued with unknown reasons. It is notable for being one of the few Sanrio characters that was displayed with a sketchy look. His birthday is August 26, born in Moonrise Forest deep in the heart of the North Woods. It is often seen carrying a cherry in its mouth or nut as they are his favourite foods. This character gained mild popularity and was one of the few Sanrio characters that did not have its own anime or cartoon series as it was a product-exclusive character. It was created by Matsubayashi Atsushi, who no longer works at Sanrio and now has his own animation company.Pekkle
Pekkle (Ahiru no Pekkle) is a fictional duck. He is a small white duck with a blue t-shirt with the letter P on it. Pekkle is a good-natured, kind little guy, as well as being a great singer and dancer. Recently he’s been taking tap-dancing lessons. Pekkle's birthday is on July 27 and he was first released in 1989.Picke Bicke
Picke Bicke is a fictional mouseMouse
A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
, who was released by Sanrio in 1994. He is a small, round brown
Brown
Brown is a color term, denoting a range of composite colors produced by a mixture of orange, red, rose, or yellow with black or gray. The term is from Old English brún, in origin for any dusky or dark shade of color....
mouse with a cream-colored tummy and muzzle, a long red ribboned tail, and large blue ears. Picke Bicke is as playful as he is curious. He makes new friends all the time, including butterflies and frogs, and describes himself as "100% Mouse". Picke Bicke's hobbies include mimicry and trying to "fly" with his large, wing-like ears, though he never rises more than a few inches.
Pippo
Pippo (Kobutanopippo) is drawn as a pig with small black eyes and a pink snout, but no visible mouth. He is usually wearing a green shirt with the letter P on the front. Pippo is always thinking of games and other new ways to have fun with his friends. He loves surprises and is always making discoveries and new inventions! Pippo was born on December 16, 1993, on an unusually warm winter's day.Pochacco
Pochacco is drawn as a white dog with black floppy ears, but no visible mouth. He is often dressed in athletic attire, as he has a sporty and playful personality. He is a vegetarian, as he loves carrots, but his favorite food is banana-flavoured ice cream. Pochacco is a curious and clumsy little guy who sometimes sticks his nose in where it isn’t wanted. Like most dogs, Pochacco loves going for walks.Pochacco's name means ‘pocha pocha’ (chubby). Pochacco was born on February 29, 1989 (a leap year) in Fuwafuwa Town. Pochacco can’t walk straight. Even when he tries, he keeps tottering from side to side. He can walk on two legs, but he trips up and falls over every now and then. Pochacco loves spring. In fact, one of his favorite flowers is a pink flower called ‘rengeso’. Pochacco's dream is to fill his tummy with banana ice cream (so he likes summer too). Although Pochacco has a lot of animal friends, recently he has been hanging out with Choppi the mouse, his best friend.
Purin
Purin is a golden retrieverGolden Retriever
The Golden Retriever is a medium-sized breed of dog. They were historically developed as gundogs to retrieve shot waterfowl such as ducks and upland game birds during hunting and shooting parties. As such, they were bred to have a soft mouth to retrieve game undamaged and have an instinctive love...
dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
character first introduced in 1996. Purin (or Pudding Dog) was born on a sunny day on April 16. He is a good natured golden retriever dog, who lives in his own basket at his owner's house. His trademark is his brown beret
Beret
A beret is a soft, round, flat-crowned hat, designated a "cap", usually of woven, hand-knitted wool, crocheted cotton, or wool felt, or acrylic fiber....
that is always on top of his head. Purin's interest is collecting shoes, which includes his owner's father's leather shoes, his owner's mother's sandals, etc., and he likes to hide them.
Purin loves drinking milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
and eating soft food and pudding
Pudding
Pudding most often refers to a dessert, but it can also be a savory dish.In the United States, pudding characteristically denotes a sweet milk-based dessert similar in consistency to egg-based custards, though it may also refer to other types such as bread and rice pudding.In the United Kingdom and...
that his mother makes. He also spends a lot of time sleeping or hanging out with his friends. Purin's best friends include a hamster
Hamster
Hamsters are rodents belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae. The subfamily contains about 25 species, classified in six or seven genera....
called Muffin, a mouse
Mouse
A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
named Scone, and a bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
who loves to steal Purin's beret.
He was twice voted Most Popular Sanrio Character in the Strawberry
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
News Magazine, a magazine published by Sanrio.
Spottie Dottie
Spottie Dottie was born March 21, 1990. She is a DalmatianDalmatian (dog)
The Dalmatian is a breed of dog whose roots are often said to trace back to Dalmatia, a region of Croatia where the first illustrations of the dog have been found. The Dalmatian is noted for its unique black- or brown-spotted coat and was mainly used as a carriage dog in its early days...
and is a fashion expert from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. She can be usually spotted wearing a trademark pink bow and frilly pink dress with rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
s and with her best friend, Sassy, a cat. According to The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, this character, along with the character Pandapple, are "recent flops" for the Sanrio corporation in terms popularity.
Sugarbunnies
The are a character duo released by Sanrio in 2004. The duo are composed of twin bunnies called Shirousa and Kurousa (Both born on May 26, 2004), who specialize on making sweets and pastries. After the success of the franchise, Sanrio created more bunny twins who each specialize on their own jobs. They all live in the magical world of Bunniesfield.In 2007, Toei Animation
Toei Animation
Toei Animation Co., Ltd. is a Japanese animation studio owned by Toei Co., Ltd. The studio was founded in 1948 as Japan Animated Films . In 1956, Toei purchased the studio and it was reincorporated under its current name...
created an anime series based on the franchise which aired on TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
and Kids Station
Kids Station
Kids Station is a Japanese children's television channel showing animation and other cartoon material. Kids Station also airs some anime aimed at adults during the night, such as Narutaru, Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi, Genshiken, Kujibiki Unbalance and "Rosario + Vampire". It is broadcast on...
on April 3, 2007 and ended later that year with 27 episodes. After the anime's success, the series gained two sequels in 2008 (Sugarbunnies: Chocolat!) and in 2009 (Sugarbunnies: Fleur), each having 27 episodes.
Sugarminuet
The Sugarminuet are two little twin sister bunnies, whom are ballerina-geniuses, and through the ballet room mirror, they bring their graceful dance for all of us in the human world.Ballet-Usa who is the elder twin and wears a silver tiara that matches with her pink fur. She is a graceful and elegant dancer and loves make-up accessories.
Prima-Usa is the sweet and cute younger twin and wears a gold tiara that highlights her white fur and her favorite hobby is fortune-telling.
They were released in 2008 and their accessories are sometimes in ballerina products.
Tenorikuma
(JapaneseJapanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
for "bears that fit in your palm") are a group of raccoons that run a coffee shop called Tenorikuma. There are 5 specific characters in all. The main "manager" is Latte, who is distinguished from the others by a red heart on his left ear.
There are a few other main characters. Chai (yellow scarf), Frappe (green scarf), Maple (pink scarf, the only female and Latte's love interest), Mister Steam (steam clouds from hot coffee), Muddler (spoon) and Macchiato (blue scarf).
Tuxedo Sam
Tuxedo Sam is a cute penguin character from the SanrioSanrio
is a Japanese company that designs, licenses and produces products focusing on the kawaii segment of Japanese popular culture. Their products include stationery, school supplies, gifts and accessories that are sold worldwide and at specialty brand retail stores in Japan...
company, one of the "friends" of Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty
is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, first designed by Yuko Shimizu. She is portrayed as a female white Japanese bobtail cat with a red bow. The character's first appearance on an item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974 and brought to the United States...
. Sam is a plump blue and white penguin who wears a red bow-tie and a round white sailor cap with a red ribbon. A clumsy little fellow who loves to eat, Tuxedo Sam has great fashion sense, as he owns a collection of 365 bowties. He’s very good at speaking English too. Tuxedo Sam was born on May 12, 1978 in Antarctica. According to The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, this character is "moderately successful" in terms popularity but shows no signs of reaching the global popularity of Hello Kitty.