This is a list of characters from Sanrio, a Japanese company specialized in creating cutecharacters. Beginning in 1962, Sanrio sells and licenses products branded with these characters and have created over 400 characters, with the most successful and best known being Hello Kitty.[1]
Each of the character listed here will be recognized by the year they all debuted.Contents [hide]
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. Other friends of his include Mochizuki Anko, Nogakigoro, and Ogawasameo.[3]
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.[4]
[edit]Charmmy Kitty (2004)Charmmy Kitty (チャーミーキティ Chāmī kiti?) is Hello Kitty'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. She debuted in 2004, alongside the Sugarbunnies.
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.[5]
[edit]Chibimaru (2003)Chibimaru is a brown puppy, who is one of the many characters created by Sanrio debuting in 2003. 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.[6]
[edit]Chococat (1996)Chococat is drawn as a black cat with huge black eyes, four whiskers, and like his counterpart Hello Kitty, no mouth. His name comes from his chocolate-colored nose.[7][8] Chococat was first released in 1996 and his birthday is May 10. His whiskers are able to pick up information like antennae, so he is often the first to know about things.[9]
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.
[edit]Cinnamoangels (2005)The Cinnamoangels or Cinnamon Angels are a trio of trendy puppies 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[10] and has several Music Videos featuring the trio. The Cinnamoangels is a Spin-off of Cinnamoroll. The Cinnamoangels made their debut in Fluffy, Fluffy Cinnamoroll, Vol. 3.
The GirlsMocha (モカ) Leader of the Angels and in charge of all things fashion. Sweet, but also a bit selfish and a crybaby. She dreams of holding her own fashion show and one day becoming a cute bride. In the manga, She is a huge fan of a group called “The Caramels”.
Chiffon (シフォン) Energetic and inspiring to those around her. She keeps tabs on beauty and health. She believes that beauty comes from a healthy body, and can often be found exercising in her room.
Azuki (小豆) Ladylike but sometimes a little bit off. She’s in charge of the Angels’ manners and fortune-telling. She practicescalligraphy and flower arrangement in hopes of becoming a true Japanese lady!
[edit]Cinnamoroll (2001)Main article: Cinnamoroll
Cinnamoroll (シナモロール Shinamorōru), born on March 6, 2001 on a cloud far up in the sky, is a white and chubby puppy with long ears that enable him to fly. He has blue eyes, pink cheeks and a plump and curly tail that resembles a cinnamon roll.[11] When he was first created by Sanrio in 2001. He was called Baby Cinnamon, a year later he was "renamed" Cinnamoroll, to remedy any problems with the registration of the mark overseas, however he is now called in both ways, but also more simply Cinnamon. As of 2007, Cinnamoroll's original name "Baby Cinnamon" is no longer being used by Sanrio and is officially called "Cinnamoroll". In Japan, he is still named "Cinnamoroll" but he is mostly called "Cinnamon". His friends are named Milk, Cappuccino, Espresso, Mocha and Chiffon. In 2007, Sanrio gave him two new friends named Coco and Nuts. He starred in his own anime movie called Cinnamon The Movie which was released in Japan on December 2007, with Cinnamoroll being voiced by Taeko Kawata. 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. The five volume manga Fluffy, Fluffy Cinnamoroll was published in Japan in 2005. Viz Media will release it in the United States in 2012.[12] He was also featured in a music video with the Japanese pop group Scandal.[13] In 2011, Cinnamoroll celebrated his 10th anniversary. To celebrate Cinnamoroll's 10th Anniversary an airport in Japan called Haneda Airport is having a Cinnamoroll showcase showing fan taken photos and some original Cinnamoroll pictures.[14] In 2011 Cinnamoroll got his own blog on the Japanese blogging and social networking website Ameba.[15] Cinnamoroll also made appearances in the 2007 stop-motion DVD series Hello Kitty Stump Village and a 2008 CGI animated kids show called The Adventures of Hello Kitty & Friends. There are video games starring Cinnamoroll which were released in Japan: Cinnamoroll Koko ni Ruyo for the GBA and Cinnamoroll: Ohana Shishiyo - KiraKira de Kore Cafe for the DS. He also made appearances in Hello Kitty video games like Hello Kitty: Big City Dreams and Hello Kitty Birthday Adventures for the DS and Hello Kitty Seasons on the Wii.
Cinnamoroll's friendsCappuccino (カプチーノ Kapuchīno?) A boy puppy born on June 27. He lives in the house with the red roof across the street from Cafe Cinnamon. He likes to go at his own pace, eat a lot, and take lots of naps! Cappuccino is easy to recognize by his mouth, which is just like a cup of cappuccino. He also likes catching insects and eating, and his favorite thing of all is napping. Cappuccino has a pet Stag beetle. He is the glutton of the bunch and very chubby. He is voiced by Rei SakumaChiffon (シフォン Shifon?) A girl puppy born on January 14. She lives right by a lush, green park and is the most energetic of the pups! Chiffon inspires her friends and doesn't sweat the small stuff. Her ears, which are fluffy like a chiffon cake, are her standout feature. She is also a tomboy since she loves to play tennis. She has a sensitive side when it comes to animals. She loves sports and dreams of winning a gold medal at the Olympics one day. Cinnamoroll has a crush on her. Chiffon is an animal lover. She is voiced by Ikue ŌtaniEspresso (エスプレッソ Esupuresso?) A boy puppy born on December 4. He lives near the park in the biggest house around. Espresso is intelligent and well-bred, but he gets lonely sometimes. He's known for his distinguished Mozart hairstyle. His owner is a famous actress, and her dad is a well-known movie director. Espresso is especially good at drawing, painting and music. But he can’t sleep without his favorite blanket. He wears a red or green Beret and red or green Kerchief He is voiced by Takako HondaMocha (モカ Moka?) A girl puppy born on February 20. She lives in a white house on top of a hill. She's a stylish chatterbox. She's also the "big sister" of the bunch, always looking out for others. Mocha is known for her silky chocolate-colored fur and her bows with flowers. She has a crush on Cinnamoroll. She loves fashion and getting dressed up. But she doesn’t like bell peppers or bugs at all! In the Manga, Mocha's skin color is light brown and she is seen wearing different hairpins besides her pink flowers. She is voiced by Yumi KakazuMilk (ミルク Miruku?) A baby boy pup born on February 4. He lives close to the park in a house with a chimney. The smallest of the pups, he likes being coddled and will cry if he doesn't have his favorite pacifier. Milk can be recognized by his pacifier and the baby hair on top of his head. He can get spoiled sometimes. He wants to be just like Cinnamoroll. His pacifier is his most prized possession, and he’s skilled at gulping down large quantities of milk. Milk can't talk so the only words he can say are "Ba-Boo". Milk is voiced by Ikue Ōtani.[edit]Cocoa and Vanilla (2012)See also: Sugarbunnies
Cocoa (カカオ Kakao?) and Vanilla (バニラ Banira?) are two mouse siblings who debuted in January 2012 as friends of the Sugarbunnies.[16] Cocoa is the older brother and wears a bunny hat with Kurousa's colors while Vanilla is his younger sister and wears a bunny hat with Shirousa's colors. They both live in Mousefields, located next of Bunniesfield and both brother and sister decided to visit Bunniesfield one day through a rainbow and met Shirousa and Kurousa. The mouse siblings actually like the sweets, chocolates and pastries the bunnies makes and they wanted the bunnies to teach them to become chocolatiers, the bunnies agreed and they made the mouse siblings their apprentices. Their ultimate goal is to make a castle made of chocolate.
[edit]Corocorokuririn (1998)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.[17] He is created in 1998.[18]
[edit]Dear Daniel (1999)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.[19]
[edit]Deery Lou (2002)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 has friends named Queeny Lou, a beautiful swan, and Beary Lou, a friendly bear.[20][21]
[edit]Hangyodon (1985)Hangyodon is a fish character created by Sanrio in 1985. He was born on March 14 in China.[22] His main hobby is comedy. He is very lonely and his plans of heroism often go awry.
[edit]Hello Kitty (1975)Main article: Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty (ハローキティ Harō Kiti?) is the best-known of Sanrio's fictional characters, created in 1974. Hello Kitty is drawn simply with a trademark red bow. Registered in 1975,[23] 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 anadvertising 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, Indonesiaand 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.
Kitty has a Twin sister named Mimmy, who is a little shy and very girly. She is very different from 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.
[edit]Jewelpet (2008)Main article: Jewelpet
The Jewelpets (ジュエルペット Juerupetto?) are a group of animal characters created in 2008 as a joint-venture between Sanrio and Sega Toys.[24] There are 39 characters in the franchise and each of the animals are named after famous Birthstones, Minerals andJewels. 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 Ruby the white Japanese Hare(whose birthday is on July 29), Sapphie the blue and yellow Cavalier King Charles spaniel (whose birthday is on September 1), Garnetthe 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, replacingOnegai My Melody Kirara★ in its timeslot. The anime focuses on the heroine Rinko Kōgyoku and her Jewelpet partner Ruby. A second series titled Jewelpet Twinkle☆ (ジュエルペット てぃんくる☆ Juerupetto Tinkuru☆?) premiered later on TV Tokyo from April 3, 2010 to March 26, 2011 with 52 Episodes. The second series premiered later in Spain as part of the Boing programming block. A third series titled Jewelpet Sunshine (ジュエルペット サンシャイン Juerupetto Sanshain?) premiered in April 9, 2011.[25] A fourth series titledJewelpet Kira☆Deco—! (ジュエルペット きら☆デコッ! Juerupetto Kira☆deko—!?) has been announced, and is slated to air on April 7, 2012.[26]
A full-length feature film titled Jewelpet the Movie: Sweets Dance Princess (映画ジュエルペット スウィーツダンスプリンセス Eiga Juerupetto: Suuītsu Dansu Purinsesu?) is currently in production. The movie, which is being directed by Hiroaki Sakurai (Director ofDaa! Daa! Daa! and Cromartie High School) and distributed by Toho, released in August 11, 2012 in Japanese Theaters.
Five games for Nintendo DS and the Arcade were also made. The first is titled Jewelpet: Cute Magic Fantasy (ジュエルペット かわいい魔法のファンタジー Juerupetto: Kawaii Mahō no Fantasy?), 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 Jewelpet: DS Magic Kirapi Kariin (ジュエルペット 魔法のDSキラピカリーン Juerupetto: Mahō no DS Kirapi Kariin?), 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 Jewelpet: The Glittering Magical Jewel Box (ジュエルペット キラキラ魔法の宝石箱 Juerupetto: Kirakira Mahō no Hōseki-bako?), which utilizes special Jewelpet cards and has a same gameplay as Collumns.[27] The third Jewelpet DS game was then announced in the title of Jewelpet: Let's play Together in the Room of Magic! (ジュエルペット 魔法のお部屋でいっしょにあそぼう!Juerupetto: Mahō no Heya de Isshoni Asobō!?), which was released on August 5, 2010. Unlike the past two games, the third game is based on the Jewelpet Twinkle 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. Later in November 10, 2011, Furyu released the first Jewelpet game for the Nintendo 3DS titled Jewelpet: Magical Rhythm Yay! (ジュエルペット 魔法のリズムでイェイッ! Juerupetto: Mahō no Rizumu de Ieie!?). The game adapts both the musical elements of the first two Nintendo DS games as well as the life simulation elements of the third game using the 3DS's Augmented reality system. It also adapts certain elements from third anime series,Jewelpet Sunshine.
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.[28]
[edit]Kappa Rumba (1988)Kappa Rumba is a mythical Japanese creature who lives in Run Run Land.[29] His real name is Rupapa and wears a lily pad on his head. Kappa Rumba is energetic and never runs out of energy. He loves water surfing and other water sports, relaxing on the beach, and picking fresh fruit. His favorite food is watermelons and he is holding a watermelon in most pictures of him.
[edit]Kerokerokeroppi (1988)Keroppi Hasunoue (はすの上 けろっぴ Hasunoue Keroppi?) (Also known as Kerokerokeroppi) 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 video games like: Kero Kero Keroppi no Bouken Nikki, Kero Kero Keroppi no Daibouken, and Sanrio World Smash Ball!. Keroppi was created in 1987 and his birthday is on July 10. His hometown is Donut Pond.
[edit]Kuromi (2005)Kuromi (クロミ Kuromi?) is the rival of My Melody from the anime Onegai My Melody. 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 songs 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.[30][31]
[edit]Landry (1998)"Landry" is a fictional little boy raccoon 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, nuts and ice-cream, but chocolate is his very favorite.
[edit]Little Twin Stars (1975)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's second album Tommy Airline and in her video for the song "MaGic in youR Eyes", and in one of the Sanrio Unico movies.
[edit]Lloromannic (2007)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. 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 North America and two short videos have been released on YouTube. The episodes are "Trick" and "Friend"; Cherry's origin.
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.
[edit]Masyumaro (2006)Masyumaro 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).[32]
[edit]Miss Bear's Dream (2010)Miss Bear's Dream is a female teddy bear who debuted in 2010, alongside Wish Me Mell. She was made by Chocolina's mother, in a little sweet shop in New York, where they live. Miss Bear's Dream is called ´Dream´ for short. She is the cousin of another bear called Mr. Bear's Dream [33]
[edit]Monkichi (1992)Monkichi (Oyamano 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.[34] 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.
[edit]My Melody (1975)See also: Onegai My Melody
My Melody is a little girl rabbit 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 likeHello 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.[35]
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 andTV 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 theNintendo 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. She is voiced by Rei Sakuma
[edit]Nemukko Nyago (2000)Nemukko Nyago is another one of Sanrio's characters that debuted in 2000. Born on May 25, Nyago is a sweet male tabby cat born inJapan. 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.[36]
[edit]Pandapple (2002)Pandapple is a panda who has a red apple with a small green leaf stem as a hat. He wears a shirt which is mostly striped or plain. Pandapple is often accompanied by a caterpillar. His birthday is on June 2. The character debuted in 2002 and is one of Sanrio's least popular characters. According to The New York Times, this character, along with the character Spottie Dottie, are recent flops for the Sanrio corporation in terms of popularity.[35]
[edit]Pannapitta (2003)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.
[edit]Patapatapeppy (1992)Patapata Peppy is an owl-based character created by Sanrio in 1992 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 Forestdeep 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.[37][38]
[edit]Pekkle (1990)Main article: 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 1990.
[edit]Pippo (1993)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.[39]
[edit]Pochacco (1989)Main article: Pochacco
Pochacco is drawn as a white dog with black floppy ears, but no visible mouth. Pochacco's name means pocha pocha (chubby). He was born on February 29, 1989 (a leap year) in Fuwafuwa Town.[40] He is often dressed in athletic attire, as he has a sporty and playful personality. His favorite food is banana-flavoured ice cream.
[edit]Pompompurin (1996)Pompompurin is a golden retriever dog character first introduced in 1996. Purin 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.[41][42]
He was twice voted Most Popular Sanrio Character in the Strawberry News Magazine, a magazine published by Sanrio.[citation needed]
[edit]Spottie Dottie (1990)Spottie Dottie was born March 21, 1990. She is a Dalmatian and is a fashion expert from New York City. She can be usually spotted wearing a trademark pink bow and frilly pink dress with roses 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.[35]
[edit]Sugarbunnies (2004)See also: Sugarbunnies
The Sugarbunnies (シュガーバニーズ Shugābanīzu?) are a character duo released by Sanrio in 2004.[43] 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 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.
[edit]Sugarminuet (2008)See also: Sugarbunnies
The Sugarminuet (シュガーメヌエット Shugāmenuetto?) is a spinoff of Sugarbunnies released in 2008, and their accessories are sometimes included in ballerina products. The duet are composed of two little twin sister bunnies: Ballet-Usa and Prima-Usa, who are ballerina-geniuses, and through the ballet room mirror, they bring their graceful dance for all of us in the human world.[44]
Ballet-Usa (バレエうさ?) 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 (プリマうさ?) is the sweet and cute younger twin and wears a gold tiara that highlights her white fur. Her favorite hobby is fortune-telling.[edit]Tenorikuma (2005)Tenorikuma (てのりくま?) (Japanese for "bears that fit in your palm") are a group of raccoons that run a coffee shop called Tenorikuma.[45] 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).
[edit]Tuxedo Sam (1979)Tuxedo Sam is a cute penguin character from the Sanrio 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.[35]
[edit]Usahana (2001)Usahana (ウサハナ?) (also stylized as U*SA*HA*NA) is a little girl rabbit who loves summer. She was released by Sanrio in 2001. Her birthday is on August 7 and her real name is Hanachan. Her eye-catching attributes are her different colored ears, one pink and one blue, and the flower she wears on her head. She debuted alongside Cinnamoroll in 2001.[46]
In the Toei anime spinoff Usahana: Dream Ballerina (ウサハナ 夢見るバレリーナ Usahana Yumemiru Ballerina?), Usahana sometimes wears a butterfly-shaped hair clip and dreams of becoming a ballerina.
[edit]Wish me mell (2010)See also: Wish me mell
Wish me mell (ウイッシュミーメル Uisshu mī meru?)[47] is Sanrio's most recent character series firstly debuting in December 27, 2010.[48][49] Mell, the main heroine of the series, is meant to be a character that expresses the feelings every one has, simply stating "Thank you", "I am sorry" or "I like you!", connecting hearts in the process. The series is targeted towards girls age 15-20, who were too shy to express their feelings towards others.
Mell lives in the magical world of Merci Hills (メルシーヒルズ Merushī hiruzu?) where everyone is living happily while their feelings are connected towards each other and words like "Thank you" can bring warmth to everyone's hearts. Mell and her friends were guided by the Rainbow Fairy, Ciel who gives them advices. A lot of Mell's friends also live in Merci Hills, and each originated in each country and have their own mission given to them by Ciel.
[edit]Zashikibuta (1984)Zashikibuta is a natural-coloured pig who is sometimes seen wearing a green scarf. He has a mouse friend called Tabby and he is sometimes shown with a sketchy look. His birthday is on February 2, 1983 and he lives in the countryside in France.[50
Each of the character listed here will be recognized by the year they all debuted.Contents [hide]
- 1 Characters
- 1.1 Bad Badtz-Maru (1993)
- 1.2 Charmmy Kitty (2004)
- 1.3 Chibimaru (2003)
- 1.4 Chococat (1996)
- 1.5 Cinnamoangels (2005)
- 1.6 Cinnamoroll (2001)
- 1.7 Cocoa and Vanilla (2012)
- 1.8 Corocorokuririn (1998)
- 1.9 Dear Daniel (1999)
- 1.10 Deery Lou (2002)
- 1.11 Hangyodon (1985)
- 1.12 Hello Kitty (1975)
- 1.13 Jewelpet (2008)
- 1.14 Kappa Rumba (1988)
- 1.15 Kerokerokeroppi (1988)
- 1.16 Kuromi (2005)
- 1.17 Landry (1998)
- 1.18 Little Twin Stars (1975)
- 1.19 Lloromannic (2007)
- 1.20 Masyumaro (2006)
- 1.21 Miss Bear's Dream (2010)
- 1.22 Monkichi (1992)
- 1.23 My Melody (1975)
- 1.24 Nemukko Nyago (2000)
- 1.25 Pandapple (2002)
- 1.26 Pannapitta (2003)
- 1.27 Patapatapeppy (1992)
- 1.28 Pekkle (1990)
- 1.29 Pippo (1993)
- 1.30 Pochacco (1989)
- 1.31 Pompompurin (1996)
- 1.32 Spottie Dottie (1990)
- 1.33 Sugarbunnies (2004)
- 1.34 Sugarminuet (2008)
- 1.35 Tenorikuma (2005)
- 1.36 Tuxedo Sam (1979)
- 1.37 Usahana (2001)
- 1.38 Wish me mell (2010)
- 1.39 Zashikibuta (1984)
- 2 References
- 3 External links
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. Other friends of his include Mochizuki Anko, Nogakigoro, and Ogawasameo.[3]
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.[4]
[edit]Charmmy Kitty (2004)Charmmy Kitty (チャーミーキティ Chāmī kiti?) is Hello Kitty'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. She debuted in 2004, alongside the Sugarbunnies.
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.[5]
[edit]Chibimaru (2003)Chibimaru is a brown puppy, who is one of the many characters created by Sanrio debuting in 2003. 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.[6]
[edit]Chococat (1996)Chococat is drawn as a black cat with huge black eyes, four whiskers, and like his counterpart Hello Kitty, no mouth. His name comes from his chocolate-colored nose.[7][8] Chococat was first released in 1996 and his birthday is May 10. His whiskers are able to pick up information like antennae, so he is often the first to know about things.[9]
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.
[edit]Cinnamoangels (2005)The Cinnamoangels or Cinnamon Angels are a trio of trendy puppies 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[10] and has several Music Videos featuring the trio. The Cinnamoangels is a Spin-off of Cinnamoroll. The Cinnamoangels made their debut in Fluffy, Fluffy Cinnamoroll, Vol. 3.
The GirlsMocha (モカ) Leader of the Angels and in charge of all things fashion. Sweet, but also a bit selfish and a crybaby. She dreams of holding her own fashion show and one day becoming a cute bride. In the manga, She is a huge fan of a group called “The Caramels”.
Chiffon (シフォン) Energetic and inspiring to those around her. She keeps tabs on beauty and health. She believes that beauty comes from a healthy body, and can often be found exercising in her room.
Azuki (小豆) Ladylike but sometimes a little bit off. She’s in charge of the Angels’ manners and fortune-telling. She practicescalligraphy and flower arrangement in hopes of becoming a true Japanese lady!
[edit]Cinnamoroll (2001)Main article: Cinnamoroll
Cinnamoroll (シナモロール Shinamorōru), born on March 6, 2001 on a cloud far up in the sky, is a white and chubby puppy with long ears that enable him to fly. He has blue eyes, pink cheeks and a plump and curly tail that resembles a cinnamon roll.[11] When he was first created by Sanrio in 2001. He was called Baby Cinnamon, a year later he was "renamed" Cinnamoroll, to remedy any problems with the registration of the mark overseas, however he is now called in both ways, but also more simply Cinnamon. As of 2007, Cinnamoroll's original name "Baby Cinnamon" is no longer being used by Sanrio and is officially called "Cinnamoroll". In Japan, he is still named "Cinnamoroll" but he is mostly called "Cinnamon". His friends are named Milk, Cappuccino, Espresso, Mocha and Chiffon. In 2007, Sanrio gave him two new friends named Coco and Nuts. He starred in his own anime movie called Cinnamon The Movie which was released in Japan on December 2007, with Cinnamoroll being voiced by Taeko Kawata. 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. The five volume manga Fluffy, Fluffy Cinnamoroll was published in Japan in 2005. Viz Media will release it in the United States in 2012.[12] He was also featured in a music video with the Japanese pop group Scandal.[13] In 2011, Cinnamoroll celebrated his 10th anniversary. To celebrate Cinnamoroll's 10th Anniversary an airport in Japan called Haneda Airport is having a Cinnamoroll showcase showing fan taken photos and some original Cinnamoroll pictures.[14] In 2011 Cinnamoroll got his own blog on the Japanese blogging and social networking website Ameba.[15] Cinnamoroll also made appearances in the 2007 stop-motion DVD series Hello Kitty Stump Village and a 2008 CGI animated kids show called The Adventures of Hello Kitty & Friends. There are video games starring Cinnamoroll which were released in Japan: Cinnamoroll Koko ni Ruyo for the GBA and Cinnamoroll: Ohana Shishiyo - KiraKira de Kore Cafe for the DS. He also made appearances in Hello Kitty video games like Hello Kitty: Big City Dreams and Hello Kitty Birthday Adventures for the DS and Hello Kitty Seasons on the Wii.
Cinnamoroll's friendsCappuccino (カプチーノ Kapuchīno?) A boy puppy born on June 27. He lives in the house with the red roof across the street from Cafe Cinnamon. He likes to go at his own pace, eat a lot, and take lots of naps! Cappuccino is easy to recognize by his mouth, which is just like a cup of cappuccino. He also likes catching insects and eating, and his favorite thing of all is napping. Cappuccino has a pet Stag beetle. He is the glutton of the bunch and very chubby. He is voiced by Rei SakumaChiffon (シフォン Shifon?) A girl puppy born on January 14. She lives right by a lush, green park and is the most energetic of the pups! Chiffon inspires her friends and doesn't sweat the small stuff. Her ears, which are fluffy like a chiffon cake, are her standout feature. She is also a tomboy since she loves to play tennis. She has a sensitive side when it comes to animals. She loves sports and dreams of winning a gold medal at the Olympics one day. Cinnamoroll has a crush on her. Chiffon is an animal lover. She is voiced by Ikue ŌtaniEspresso (エスプレッソ Esupuresso?) A boy puppy born on December 4. He lives near the park in the biggest house around. Espresso is intelligent and well-bred, but he gets lonely sometimes. He's known for his distinguished Mozart hairstyle. His owner is a famous actress, and her dad is a well-known movie director. Espresso is especially good at drawing, painting and music. But he can’t sleep without his favorite blanket. He wears a red or green Beret and red or green Kerchief He is voiced by Takako HondaMocha (モカ Moka?) A girl puppy born on February 20. She lives in a white house on top of a hill. She's a stylish chatterbox. She's also the "big sister" of the bunch, always looking out for others. Mocha is known for her silky chocolate-colored fur and her bows with flowers. She has a crush on Cinnamoroll. She loves fashion and getting dressed up. But she doesn’t like bell peppers or bugs at all! In the Manga, Mocha's skin color is light brown and she is seen wearing different hairpins besides her pink flowers. She is voiced by Yumi KakazuMilk (ミルク Miruku?) A baby boy pup born on February 4. He lives close to the park in a house with a chimney. The smallest of the pups, he likes being coddled and will cry if he doesn't have his favorite pacifier. Milk can be recognized by his pacifier and the baby hair on top of his head. He can get spoiled sometimes. He wants to be just like Cinnamoroll. His pacifier is his most prized possession, and he’s skilled at gulping down large quantities of milk. Milk can't talk so the only words he can say are "Ba-Boo". Milk is voiced by Ikue Ōtani.[edit]Cocoa and Vanilla (2012)See also: Sugarbunnies
Cocoa (カカオ Kakao?) and Vanilla (バニラ Banira?) are two mouse siblings who debuted in January 2012 as friends of the Sugarbunnies.[16] Cocoa is the older brother and wears a bunny hat with Kurousa's colors while Vanilla is his younger sister and wears a bunny hat with Shirousa's colors. They both live in Mousefields, located next of Bunniesfield and both brother and sister decided to visit Bunniesfield one day through a rainbow and met Shirousa and Kurousa. The mouse siblings actually like the sweets, chocolates and pastries the bunnies makes and they wanted the bunnies to teach them to become chocolatiers, the bunnies agreed and they made the mouse siblings their apprentices. Their ultimate goal is to make a castle made of chocolate.
[edit]Corocorokuririn (1998)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.[17] He is created in 1998.[18]
[edit]Dear Daniel (1999)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.[19]
[edit]Deery Lou (2002)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 has friends named Queeny Lou, a beautiful swan, and Beary Lou, a friendly bear.[20][21]
[edit]Hangyodon (1985)Hangyodon is a fish character created by Sanrio in 1985. He was born on March 14 in China.[22] His main hobby is comedy. He is very lonely and his plans of heroism often go awry.
[edit]Hello Kitty (1975)Main article: Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty (ハローキティ Harō Kiti?) is the best-known of Sanrio's fictional characters, created in 1974. Hello Kitty is drawn simply with a trademark red bow. Registered in 1975,[23] 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 anadvertising 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, Indonesiaand 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.
Kitty has a Twin sister named Mimmy, who is a little shy and very girly. She is very different from 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.
[edit]Jewelpet (2008)Main article: Jewelpet
The Jewelpets (ジュエルペット Juerupetto?) are a group of animal characters created in 2008 as a joint-venture between Sanrio and Sega Toys.[24] There are 39 characters in the franchise and each of the animals are named after famous Birthstones, Minerals andJewels. 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 Ruby the white Japanese Hare(whose birthday is on July 29), Sapphie the blue and yellow Cavalier King Charles spaniel (whose birthday is on September 1), Garnetthe 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, replacingOnegai My Melody Kirara★ in its timeslot. The anime focuses on the heroine Rinko Kōgyoku and her Jewelpet partner Ruby. A second series titled Jewelpet Twinkle☆ (ジュエルペット てぃんくる☆ Juerupetto Tinkuru☆?) premiered later on TV Tokyo from April 3, 2010 to March 26, 2011 with 52 Episodes. The second series premiered later in Spain as part of the Boing programming block. A third series titled Jewelpet Sunshine (ジュエルペット サンシャイン Juerupetto Sanshain?) premiered in April 9, 2011.[25] A fourth series titledJewelpet Kira☆Deco—! (ジュエルペット きら☆デコッ! Juerupetto Kira☆deko—!?) has been announced, and is slated to air on April 7, 2012.[26]
A full-length feature film titled Jewelpet the Movie: Sweets Dance Princess (映画ジュエルペット スウィーツダンスプリンセス Eiga Juerupetto: Suuītsu Dansu Purinsesu?) is currently in production. The movie, which is being directed by Hiroaki Sakurai (Director ofDaa! Daa! Daa! and Cromartie High School) and distributed by Toho, released in August 11, 2012 in Japanese Theaters.
Five games for Nintendo DS and the Arcade were also made. The first is titled Jewelpet: Cute Magic Fantasy (ジュエルペット かわいい魔法のファンタジー Juerupetto: Kawaii Mahō no Fantasy?), 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 Jewelpet: DS Magic Kirapi Kariin (ジュエルペット 魔法のDSキラピカリーン Juerupetto: Mahō no DS Kirapi Kariin?), 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 Jewelpet: The Glittering Magical Jewel Box (ジュエルペット キラキラ魔法の宝石箱 Juerupetto: Kirakira Mahō no Hōseki-bako?), which utilizes special Jewelpet cards and has a same gameplay as Collumns.[27] The third Jewelpet DS game was then announced in the title of Jewelpet: Let's play Together in the Room of Magic! (ジュエルペット 魔法のお部屋でいっしょにあそぼう!Juerupetto: Mahō no Heya de Isshoni Asobō!?), which was released on August 5, 2010. Unlike the past two games, the third game is based on the Jewelpet Twinkle 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. Later in November 10, 2011, Furyu released the first Jewelpet game for the Nintendo 3DS titled Jewelpet: Magical Rhythm Yay! (ジュエルペット 魔法のリズムでイェイッ! Juerupetto: Mahō no Rizumu de Ieie!?). The game adapts both the musical elements of the first two Nintendo DS games as well as the life simulation elements of the third game using the 3DS's Augmented reality system. It also adapts certain elements from third anime series,Jewelpet Sunshine.
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.[28]
[edit]Kappa Rumba (1988)Kappa Rumba is a mythical Japanese creature who lives in Run Run Land.[29] His real name is Rupapa and wears a lily pad on his head. Kappa Rumba is energetic and never runs out of energy. He loves water surfing and other water sports, relaxing on the beach, and picking fresh fruit. His favorite food is watermelons and he is holding a watermelon in most pictures of him.
[edit]Kerokerokeroppi (1988)Keroppi Hasunoue (はすの上 けろっぴ Hasunoue Keroppi?) (Also known as Kerokerokeroppi) 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 video games like: Kero Kero Keroppi no Bouken Nikki, Kero Kero Keroppi no Daibouken, and Sanrio World Smash Ball!. Keroppi was created in 1987 and his birthday is on July 10. His hometown is Donut Pond.
[edit]Kuromi (2005)Kuromi (クロミ Kuromi?) is the rival of My Melody from the anime Onegai My Melody. 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 songs 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.[30][31]
[edit]Landry (1998)"Landry" is a fictional little boy raccoon 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, nuts and ice-cream, but chocolate is his very favorite.
[edit]Little Twin Stars (1975)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's second album Tommy Airline and in her video for the song "MaGic in youR Eyes", and in one of the Sanrio Unico movies.
[edit]Lloromannic (2007)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. 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 North America and two short videos have been released on YouTube. The episodes are "Trick" and "Friend"; Cherry's origin.
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.
[edit]Masyumaro (2006)Masyumaro 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).[32]
[edit]Miss Bear's Dream (2010)Miss Bear's Dream is a female teddy bear who debuted in 2010, alongside Wish Me Mell. She was made by Chocolina's mother, in a little sweet shop in New York, where they live. Miss Bear's Dream is called ´Dream´ for short. She is the cousin of another bear called Mr. Bear's Dream [33]
[edit]Monkichi (1992)Monkichi (Oyamano 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.[34] 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.
[edit]My Melody (1975)See also: Onegai My Melody
My Melody is a little girl rabbit 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 likeHello 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.[35]
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 andTV 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 theNintendo 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. She is voiced by Rei Sakuma
[edit]Nemukko Nyago (2000)Nemukko Nyago is another one of Sanrio's characters that debuted in 2000. Born on May 25, Nyago is a sweet male tabby cat born inJapan. 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.[36]
[edit]Pandapple (2002)Pandapple is a panda who has a red apple with a small green leaf stem as a hat. He wears a shirt which is mostly striped or plain. Pandapple is often accompanied by a caterpillar. His birthday is on June 2. The character debuted in 2002 and is one of Sanrio's least popular characters. According to The New York Times, this character, along with the character Spottie Dottie, are recent flops for the Sanrio corporation in terms of popularity.[35]
[edit]Pannapitta (2003)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.
[edit]Patapatapeppy (1992)Patapata Peppy is an owl-based character created by Sanrio in 1992 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 Forestdeep 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.[37][38]
[edit]Pekkle (1990)Main article: 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 1990.
[edit]Pippo (1993)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.[39]
[edit]Pochacco (1989)Main article: Pochacco
Pochacco is drawn as a white dog with black floppy ears, but no visible mouth. Pochacco's name means pocha pocha (chubby). He was born on February 29, 1989 (a leap year) in Fuwafuwa Town.[40] He is often dressed in athletic attire, as he has a sporty and playful personality. His favorite food is banana-flavoured ice cream.
[edit]Pompompurin (1996)Pompompurin is a golden retriever dog character first introduced in 1996. Purin 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.[41][42]
He was twice voted Most Popular Sanrio Character in the Strawberry News Magazine, a magazine published by Sanrio.[citation needed]
[edit]Spottie Dottie (1990)Spottie Dottie was born March 21, 1990. She is a Dalmatian and is a fashion expert from New York City. She can be usually spotted wearing a trademark pink bow and frilly pink dress with roses 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.[35]
[edit]Sugarbunnies (2004)See also: Sugarbunnies
The Sugarbunnies (シュガーバニーズ Shugābanīzu?) are a character duo released by Sanrio in 2004.[43] 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 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.
[edit]Sugarminuet (2008)See also: Sugarbunnies
The Sugarminuet (シュガーメヌエット Shugāmenuetto?) is a spinoff of Sugarbunnies released in 2008, and their accessories are sometimes included in ballerina products. The duet are composed of two little twin sister bunnies: Ballet-Usa and Prima-Usa, who are ballerina-geniuses, and through the ballet room mirror, they bring their graceful dance for all of us in the human world.[44]
Ballet-Usa (バレエうさ?) 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 (プリマうさ?) is the sweet and cute younger twin and wears a gold tiara that highlights her white fur. Her favorite hobby is fortune-telling.[edit]Tenorikuma (2005)Tenorikuma (てのりくま?) (Japanese for "bears that fit in your palm") are a group of raccoons that run a coffee shop called Tenorikuma.[45] 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).
[edit]Tuxedo Sam (1979)Tuxedo Sam is a cute penguin character from the Sanrio 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.[35]
[edit]Usahana (2001)Usahana (ウサハナ?) (also stylized as U*SA*HA*NA) is a little girl rabbit who loves summer. She was released by Sanrio in 2001. Her birthday is on August 7 and her real name is Hanachan. Her eye-catching attributes are her different colored ears, one pink and one blue, and the flower she wears on her head. She debuted alongside Cinnamoroll in 2001.[46]
In the Toei anime spinoff Usahana: Dream Ballerina (ウサハナ 夢見るバレリーナ Usahana Yumemiru Ballerina?), Usahana sometimes wears a butterfly-shaped hair clip and dreams of becoming a ballerina.
[edit]Wish me mell (2010)See also: Wish me mell
Wish me mell (ウイッシュミーメル Uisshu mī meru?)[47] is Sanrio's most recent character series firstly debuting in December 27, 2010.[48][49] Mell, the main heroine of the series, is meant to be a character that expresses the feelings every one has, simply stating "Thank you", "I am sorry" or "I like you!", connecting hearts in the process. The series is targeted towards girls age 15-20, who were too shy to express their feelings towards others.
Mell lives in the magical world of Merci Hills (メルシーヒルズ Merushī hiruzu?) where everyone is living happily while their feelings are connected towards each other and words like "Thank you" can bring warmth to everyone's hearts. Mell and her friends were guided by the Rainbow Fairy, Ciel who gives them advices. A lot of Mell's friends also live in Merci Hills, and each originated in each country and have their own mission given to them by Ciel.
[edit]Zashikibuta (1984)Zashikibuta is a natural-coloured pig who is sometimes seen wearing a green scarf. He has a mouse friend called Tabby and he is sometimes shown with a sketchy look. His birthday is on February 2, 1983 and he lives in the countryside in France.[50