What is Sanrio?
Originally established in 1960, the Japanese company Sanrio has become a household name for its multimedia array of cute and cuddly characters. Although Hello Kitty is probably the most internationally recognized name in Sanrio’s ranks, the company sports a wide cast of characters, including:
- Hello Kitty: Originally created in 1974, Hello Kitty has become one of Sanrio’s most popular characters over the past few decades. Her all-white design is based on the Japanese Bobtail cat, and she has become well known for her iconic red bow, yellow shirt, and dark blue overalls.
- Cinnamoroll: Named for his iconic cinnamon roll-like tail, Cinnamoroll is one of Sanrio’s most well-loved characters. Originally born way up in the cloud-filled sky in 2002, this pup brings joy to all his adorably large ears, pink cheeks, and light blue eyes.
- My Melody: First created in 1975, My Melody is a white rabbit well-known for her pink hood that covers her ears. In fact, her original design was actually meant to be an homage to the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale.
- Kuromi: Released in 2005, Kuromi was made by Sanrio to be My Melody’s rival. Her design reflects this, with her rabbit ears being covered by a dark, imp-like hood decorated with a skull.
- Chococat: This black cat was added to Sanrio’s ranks in 1996. Known for his prominent whiskers and brown button nose, Chococat can apparently suck up the latest news and gossip with his antennae-like whiskers.
- Pochacco: First released in 1989, Pochacco the dog has stolen people’s hearts with his adorable black ears and white fur (similar to Snoopy from the Peanuts comics). He’s often dressed in sporty attire to represent his energetic and active nature.
- Mocha: Originally released in 2005, Mocha is a brown puppy similar in design to Cinnamoroll—in fact, she’s actually known as one of the Cinnamoangels alongside pups Chiffon and Azuki. The Cinnamoangels are a music group spurred on by Mocha’s desire to be a star.
- Keroppi: Also known as Kerokerokeroppi, Sanrio’s yellow-green frog first leaped onto the scene in 1988. His name actually comes from the Japanese word kerokero, which is the onomatopoeia for the sound a frog makes.
- Kiki & Lala: Also known as the Little Twin Stars, Kiki & Lala are cherub-like twins that were first released in 1975. Kiki is the twin with blue hair, while Lala is the twin with pink hair.
- Pompompurin: Created in 1996, Pompompurin is one of Sanrio’s beloved dog mascots. He’s known for his golden fur and brown beret.
- Badtz-Maru: This spiky penguin joined Sanrio’s cast in 1993. His name is actually a play on the letters “XO”—in Japanese, badtz means wrong (or “X”), and “maru” means “right/correct” (or “O”). When put together, the word badtz-maru translates to “wrong-right.”
- Tuxedo Sam: First released in 1979, Tuxedo Sam lives up to his name—the blue-and-white penguin is always dressed to impress in a stylish hat and bow tie.
What does Sanrio do?
Sanrio makes a wide variety of merchandise for its cast of characters, ranging from clothing and stationery to plushies and backpacks. The company also collaborates with a variety of different brands and franchises, giving their cute characters a chance to shine in all sorts of marketplaces. A few prominent collaborations include brands and franchises like:
- Vera Bradley
- The Crème Shop
- Loungefly
- Tea Collection
- Anime franchises (Attack on Titan, Haikyuu!!, etc.)
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