Original Listing Description

eBay Check out our store for more great vintage, new, and used items!FOR SALE:A vintage, animated holiday decoration with lights and music2000 SANRIO SMILES CHRISTMAS "TREE HOUSE MUSIC BOX DETAILS: ? Lights, sound, and action!??Take a nostalgic journey back in time to a magical Christmas wonderland of pure cuteness and holiday cheer with the rare 2000 Sanrio Smiles "Tree House Music Box"!. This extraordinary battery-powered (4x "AA") Hello Kitty holiday decoration is a true collector's item that will transport you to a magical world of adorable animation, delightful flashing lights, and enchanting Christmas melodies.With a slide of the "ON/OFF" switch the musical tree house comes alive, igniting a spectacle of radiant red lights that adorn the tree and the twinkling light of the star. The trunk radiates a warm glow around Hello Kitty, casting a cozy ambiance that sets the perfect holiday mood. Classic Christmas tunes start to fill the air, each one transformed into a charming electronic toy piano music style that is guaranteed to make your heart sing with nostalgia. As the lights flicker to life, watch in awe as five Christmas icon ornaments and Hello Kitty and her adorable friends Cathy and Tippy begin to move in synchronized motion. It's like having a miniature holiday parade right in your own home!This Sanrio musical Christmas tree house proudly serenades you with not one, not two, but three classic holiday songs! With an instrumental medley (approx. 90 seconds) of three cherished Christmas classics - "Jingle Bells," "We Wish You A Merry Christmas," and "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" - you'll find yourself tapping your feet and singing along in no time. It's an irresistible blend of tradition and playfulness Vintage and extremely rare!Designed in 2000, this "Tree House Music Box" holds more than just the allure of a rare Sanrio find; it encapsulates a piece of history. With the now-retired character Cathy, the cutest bunny you've ever seen, adorning this decoration, you become the proud owner of a rare collectible piece sought after by enthusiasts who treasure the nostalgia and exclusivity it represents. Due to a lawsuit over her likeness to the Dutch bunny character Miffy, Sanrio settled and ceased use of the Cathy character indefinitely beginning in 2010. Not only is this Sanrio Christmas decoration a rare gem, but it also boasts the Sanrio tag variation introduced with Sanrio Smiles in 1997. This detail makes it even more special, as it reflects a stage in Sanrio's history that adds an extra layer of uniqueness to this already extraordinary holiday treasure. We scoured the online world in search of another Sanrio Smiles "Tree House Music Box" and came up empty-handed, confirming its extreme rarity. This charming Christmas decoration was only sold for a limited period of about two months during the 2000 holiday season, exclusively at select Sanrio locations Dimensions:Height: approx. 15" (15 inches)Width: approx. 7-1/4" (7.25 inches)Length: approx. 7-1/4" (7.25 good, pre-owned and working condition with original box. Box has some damage and staining. The box fits tightly around the decoration so we recommend pulling it out from the bottom of the box to avoid damage. Sometimes the batteries need a nudge to make correct contact with terminals. Please see photos.To ensure safe delivery all items are carefully packaged before shipping out.THANK YOU FOR LOOKING. QUESTIONS? JUST ASK.*ALL PHOTOS AND TEXT ARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF SIDEWAYS STAIRS CO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Sanrio Company, Ltd. (???????? Kabushikigaisha Sanrio)[4] is a Japanese entertainment company. It designs, licenses, and produces products focusing on the kawaii ("cute") segment of Japanese popular culture. Their products include stationery, school supplies, gifts, and accessories which are sold worldwide, including at specialty brand retail stores in Japan. Sanrio's best-known character is Hello Kitty, a cartoon cat[5][6][7] and one of the most successful marketing brands in the world [8]Besides selling character goods, Sanrio takes part in film production and publishing. They own the rights to the Mr. Men characters and Japanese licensing rights to the Peanuts characters. Their animatronics branch, called Kokoro Company, Ltd. (kokoro being Japanese for 'heart') is best known for the Actroid android. The company also runs a franchise of KFC in Saitama Prefecture HistorySanrio store in Den-en-ch?fu, ?ta, TokyoShintaro Tsuji founded Sanrio on August 10, 1960, then known as the Yamanashi Silk Company using ¥1,000,000 in capital.[a] In 1962, Tsuji expanded his enterprise from silk to rubber sandals with flowers painted on them.[10] Tsuji noticed his success gained by merely adding a cute design to the sandals.[10] He began using existing cartoon characters for his merchandise. In the late 1960s the company began producing goods with the dog character Snoopy, from the American comic strip Peanuts, after acquiring the Japanese licensing rights.[11]In 1973 the company was officially established under the name Sanrio. In the book Kore ga Sanrio no Himitsu Desu or These are Sanrio's Secrets Tsuji, Sanrio's founder, said that Yamanashi (??), part of the company's former name, has an alternative on'yomi reading of Sanri. The remaining o was added from the ou (??) sound people make when they are excited.[12] The company's European website gives another origin of the name, saying the name comes from the Spanish words san ('holy') and río ( river ) [13]Tsuji hired his own designers to create characters for Sanrio, so as to not have to pay outside royalty fees.[10][14] The first original Sanrio character, Coro Chan, was introduced in 1973.[15][16] Hello Kitty was added to the lineup of early Sanrio characters in 1974 and the first related merchandise was released the following year. The popular feline whose mouth is usually invisible has had both peaks and drops in sales over the years but always has been the highest contributor to Sanrio's sales. Sanrio constantly adds new characters to its lineup. Specific characters are rotated in and out of active production.[17] For a short time, Osamu Tezuka's baby unicorn character Unico, who starred in two feature-length anime movies in the early 1980s, was also part of the Sanrio's lineup; however, the rights to Unico shifted to Osamu Tezuka's own company after Tezuka's death in 1989.In late 2003, Sanrio won the "Top Brand with a Conscience" award from the Medinge Group of Sweden for its communication principles.[18] The company has partnered with UNICEF since 1984. In 2006, Sanrio launched Sanrio Digital together with Typhoon Games to expand to the Internet, online games, and mobile services Beginning with Jewelpet in 2008, Sanrio started collaborating with Sega Toys in creating characters intended to become media franchises. Subsequent collaborations include Rilu Rilu Fairilu from 2016 and Beatcats from 2020 [19][20]2010 was Sanrio's 50th anniversary. In conjunction with this, Build-A-Bear Workshop released limited edition stuffed toys of several Sanrio characters, including Hello Kitty, Chococat, My Melody and Keroppi [21]Hello Kitty is alleged to be drawn in a similar style to the rabbit Miffy. On August 26, 2010, Mercis BV, representing Miffy's creator Dick Bruna brought suit against Sanrio. They claimed that one of Hello Kitty's companion characters, a rabbit named Cathy, infringes on the copyright and trademark of Miffy.[22] On November 2, 2010, a Dutch court ruled against Sanrio and ordered the company to stop marketing Cathy products in Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands [22][23][24] Following the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Sanrio and Mercis reached an out-of-court settlement on June 7, 2011, for Sanrio to halt production worldwide of merchandise that feature Cathy. They also jointly announced a €150,000 donation to earthquake victims.[25]In December 2011, Sanrio Global acquired the rights to the Mr. Men characters, which includes the subsidiary Mr Men Films Ltd, taking over Chorion's THOIP company [26][27][28]In 2019 the European Commission fined Sanrio 6.2 million euros (approx. 6.9 million US dollars) for blocking cross-border sales of its licensed products [29][30]In June 2020, it was announced that the company's founder and President, Shintaro Tsuji would step down from the role and hand control of the company to his grandson, Tomokuni Tsuji. Shintaro Tsuji ran the company for 60 years [31]LocationsSanrio Inc. headquarters in South San FranciscoSanrio Inc. is Sanrio's American subsidiary. Sanrio Inc. has offices in South San Francisco, California, and Torrance, California. Sanrio's first Western Hemisphere store opened in San Jose's Eastridge Mall. In 2008, Sanrio opened its high-end boutique called Sanrio Luxe in New York City's Times Square. In the Western Hemisphere, Sanrio character branded products are sold in upwards of 13,000 locations including department, specialty, and national chain stores and over 85 Sanrio boutiques. In April 2010, the first and only Sanrio-licensed eatery (Sanrio Cafe) in the U.S. opened at Pearlridge's Downtown phase in Aiea, Hawaii.In 2004, Sanrio Co. Ltd., expanded its license to one of its major licensee and plush suppliers Nakajima USA to include the owning and operating of all Sanrio branded stores in the US, overseeing the relationships between individual licensed stores and supplying all categories of products for the retail stores in the US and wholesale accounts.Sanrio hosts two theme parks in Japan, Sanrio Puroland in Tama, Tokyo, and in Hiji, ?ita, Ky?sh? CharactersMain article: List of Sanrio has created over 450 characters as of 2022, the best known of which is the white cat character Hello Kitty from 1974.[34] Other well-known characters include the pink rabbit My Melody from 1975, the frog Keroppi from 1988, the penguin Bad Badtz-Maru from 1993, the white dog Cinnamoroll from 2001, the black rabbit Kuromi from 2005, the animal series Jewelpet from 2008, the egg character Gudetama from 2013, and the red panda Aggressive Retsuko from 2015.Notable designers of Sanrio characters include Yuko Shimizu, original designer of Hello Kitty, Yuko Yamaguchi, lead designer for most of Hello Kitty's history and Miyuki Okumura, original designer of Cinnamoroll [35][36][37]Since 1986 Sanrio has held the annual Sanrio Character Ranking poll where fans can vote on their favorite characters. It began in the Strawberry Newspaper published by Sanrio in Japan, but now voting also takes place online [34]Besides their own original characters, Sanrio also owns the rights to the Mr. Men characters and Japanese licensing rights to the Peanuts characters FilmographyTheatricalFrom 1977 to 1985, Sanrio produced movies through their Sanrio Films label. After A Journey Through Fairyland, Sanrio switched gears and started doing short films, OVAs, and TV shows based on their characters. In 2006, Sanrio announced they are again going to do feature-length films.Title (English and Japanese) Release Date MiscellaneaJoe and the Rose (???????? Bara no Hana to Joe) March 7, 1977 (Japan) Animated short filmLittle Jumbo (??????? Chiisana Jumbo) September 10, 1977 (Japan) Animated short filmWho Are the DeBolts? And Where Did They Get Nineteen Kids? September 10, 1977 (Japan)December 7, 1977 (USA) Live-action documentary Co Produced with Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates and Korty FilmsThe Mouse and His Child (??????????? Oyaro nezumi no fushingina tabi) November 18, 1977 (USA)March 11, 1978 (Japan) Co-Produced with Murakami Wolf,Based on the children's book by Russell HobanRinging Bell (????? Chirin no Suzu) March 11, 1978 (Japan)April 8, 1983 (USA; Direct to Video) Animated short film;Based on the children's book by Takashi YanaseOlly Olly Oxen Free (also released as The Great Balloon Adventure) May 13, 1978 (Japan)c. August 1978 (USA) Live-action filmOrpheus of the Stars Metamorphoses Winds of Change (???????? Hoshi no Orufeusu) May 26, 1978 (USA; as 3, 1979 (USA; as Winds of Change)October 27, 1979 (Japan; as Orpheus of the Stars) Animated film;Based on the poem, Metamorphoses, by OvidCo-produced with Columbia PicturesThe Glacier Fox[38](??????? Kita kitsune monogatari) July 15, 1978 (Japan)January 5, 1979 (USA) Live-action Fantasy (??????? Kurumiwari Ningy?) March 3, 1979 (Japan)July 6, 1979 (USA) Stop-motion animated film;Based on The Nutcracker by Pyotr Ilyich Black Cloud, White Feather (??? ??????? Kuroi Kumo Shiroi Hane) April 1979 (Japan)[39] Rejected animated pilot;Based on the manga by Osamu TezukaA Tale of Africa/The Green Horizon (?????? Afurika Monogatari) July 19, 1980 (Japan)c. 1981 (USA; Released as The Green Horizon on television) Live-action filmThe Fantastic Adventures of Unico (???) March 14, 1981 (Japan)May 12, 1983 (USA; Released Direct to Video) Animated film;Co production with Tezuka Productions & Madhouse; Based on the manga by Osamu TezukaThe Sea Prince and the Fire Child (??????? The Legend of Sirius) July 18, 1981 8, 1982 (USA; Released Direct to Video) Animated filmThe Ideon: A Contact ??? Densetsu kyoshin ideon: Sesshoku-hen) July 10, 1982 (Japan) Animated film (compilation film based on Space Runaway Ideon)Co produced with Sunrise Co distributed by ShochikuThe Ideon: Be Invoked ??? Densetsu kyojin ideon: Hatsudou-hen) July 10, 1982 (Japan) Animated film (Alternate ending of the television series: Space Runaway Ideon)Co produced with SunriseDon't Cry, It's Only Thunder November 5, 1982 (USA) Live-action filmUnico in the Island of Magic (??? July 16, 1983 (Japan)November 10, 1983 (USA; Released Direct to Video) Animated film;Based on the manga by Osamu TezukaOshin (???) March 17, 1984 (Japan) Animated film;Based on the Japanese television drama of the same nameFairy Florence/A Journey Through Fairyland (???????? Yosei Florence) October 19, 1985 (Japan)November 4, 1985 (USA; Released Direct to Video) Animated filmMy Melody no Akazukin July 22, 1989 (Japan) Animated film; Part of Sanrio Anime FestivalHello Kitty no Cinderella to Lala no Aoi Tori no Yukai na Saiyuuki July 21, 1990 (Japan) Animated film; Part of Sanrio Anime FestivalHello Kitty no Oyayubi Hime Kero Keroppi no Daibouken: Fushigi na Mame no ki Kero Keroppi no Sanjuushi July 20, 1991 (Japan) Animated film; Part of Sanrio Anime FestivalHello Kitty no Mahou no Mori no Ohime-sama no Ryuuguu Hoshi Dai Tanken Kitty no Minna no Mori o Mamore! (???????????????? ) January 13, 1996 (Japan) Animated film; Part of Sanrio Anime FestivalKero Kero Keroppi no Bikkuri! Obake Yashiki (????????????? Batzmaru no Ore no Pochi Sekaiichi Story: George and Gerald's Adventure December 22, 2007 (Japan) Animated film;Co produced with Madhouse; Released in a double bill with Cinnamoroll the the Movie (???? the Movie) December 22, 2007 (Japan) Animated film;Co produced with Madhouse; Released in a double bill with Mouse Story: George and Gerald's the Movie: Sweets Dance Princess August 11, 2012 (Japan) Animated film;Co produced with Sega Toys & Studio CometOnegai My Melody: Y? & Ai August 11, 2012 (Japan) Animated film;Co produced with Studio CometG?-chan and his Forest Friends Moko & Marvelous Creatures May 3, 2017 (Japan) Animated film;Co produced with TV Asahi & Shin-Ei AnimationG? chan ~Moco and the Promise Made on the Ice~ March 18, 2018 (Japan) Animated film;Co produced with TV Asahi & Shin-Ei Attack Travel! May 14, 2022 Animated short film;Co produced with Ashi Hello Kitty film TBA Animated film;Co produced with Warner Bros. Pictures & New Line CinemaOther animationSanrio began its involvement in the production of TV and direct-to-video animation during the late 1980s and early 1990s, starting with the US-made Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater in 1987. The character My Melody got her first starring role in an animated series in the anime television series, Onegai My Melody, which first aired on TV Osaka on April 3, 2005, and was produced by Studio Comet. The Sugarbunnies franchise was later adapted into a 7-minute short series in 2007 and was popular enough to gain two sequels Jewelpet was also adapted into an anime metaseries in 2009, which was also produced by Studio Comet, spanning 6 official seasons and one theatrical movie, making it the longest-running anime adaptation of a Sanrio franchise in history.Show by Rock!!, a game by Sanrio and Geechs got an anime adaptation produced by Bones in 2015 - and was licensed in the United States by Funimation. Aggretsuko also get three animated adaptations by Fanworks, one aired on TBS and the later two were released officially on Netflix. Mr. Men (1974) — Flicks Films/BBC Little Miss (1983) — Flicks Films/BBC Button Nose (1985) — Topcraft Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater (1987) — DIC Entertainment Hello Kitty and Friends (1989—1998) — Grouper Production Mr. Men and Little Miss (1995—1997) — Marina Productions Breakthrough Films and Television Flint the Time Detective (1998) — Group TAC Hello Kitty's Paradise (1999) Hello Kitty's Animation Theater (2001) — Group TAC Hello Kitty's Stump Village (2005) — Studio Tomorrow/SOVIK Venture Capital Onegai My Melody (2005) — Studio Comet U*SA*HA*NA: Dream Ballerina (2006) — Asahi Production Hello Kitty: Ringo no Mori Fantasy (2006) — Asahi Production Onegai My Melody ~KuruKuru Shuffle!~ (2006) — Studio Comet Hello Kitty: Ringo No Mori No Mystery (2007) — Asahi Production Sugarbunnies (2007) — Asahi Production Onegai My Melody Sukkiri? (2007) — Studio Comet Hello Kitty: Ringo no Mori to Parallel Town (2007) — Asahi Production Sugarbunnies Chocolat! (2008) — Asahi Production Onegai?My Melody Kirara (2008) — Studio Comet The Mr. Men Show (2008) - Renegade Animation Sugarbunnies Fleur (2009) — Asahi Production Jewelpet (2009) — Studio Comet Jewelpet Twinkle (2010) — Studio Comet Jewelpet Sunshine (2011) — Studio Comet Jewelpet Kira Deco! (2012) — Studio Comet Jewelpet Happiness (2013) — Studio Comet Lady Jewelpet (2014) — Zexcs Show by Rock!! (2015) — Bones[42] Jewelpet: Magical Change (2015) — Studio Deen and TMS Entertainment Rilu Rilu Fairilu ~ Yousei no Door ~ (2016) — Studio Deen Show by Rock!!# (2016) — Bones Rilu Rilu Fairilu ~ Mahou no Kagami ~ (2017) — Studio Deen Sanrio Boys (2018) — Pierrot Aggretsuko (2018–2023) — Fanworks Oshiete Mahou no Pendulum ~ Rilu Rilu Fairilu ~ (2018) - Studio Deen Show by Rock!! Mashumairesh!! (2020) — Kinema Citrus Mewkledreamy (2020) — J.C.Staff Hello Kitty (TBA)Variety showsA few children's variety shows by Sanrio aired on TV Tokyo. Daisuki! Hello Kitty (1993—1994) Asobou!! Hello Kitty (1994) Hello Kitty to Bad Badtz-Maru (1994—1998) Kitty's Paradise gamesSanrio Digital produces and publishes digital content based on globally famous Sanrio intellectual property assets like Hello Kitty, My Melody, Badtz Maru and many others. Among the games are: The Adventures of Hello Kitty & Friends, Hello Kitty: Roller Rescue, Hello Kitty: Birthday Adventures, and Hello Kitty Seasons. Hello Kitty Island Adventure (2023) is a new Sanrio game created for IOS platforms and is only available through the Apple arcade subscription PublishingSanrio publishes many books featuring its own characters. It also publishes art books (for instance, those by Keibun ?ta). Sanrio publishes books in many languages, including Japanese and English. Sanrio published video games in the early 1990s under the name Character Soft." (wikipedia org) Shintaro Tsuji (? ???, Tsuji Shintar?) (born December 7, 1927) is a Japanese entrepreneur. Formerly a civil servant, he is the founder and (until 2020) president of Sanrio, a merchandise company known for its characters, including Hello Kitty BiographyEarly lifeShintaro Tsuji was born in Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture,[1] to a manageress of three ryokan.[2] He was a student of a kindergarten affiliated with the Toyo Eiwa Jogakuin.[3] As part of a wealthy family belonging to the Saegusa clan, Tsuji, as their first child, lived a life of luxury, yet he was secluded.[2] When his mother died of leukemia,[3] Tsuji was under the care of his abusive aunt.[4] From 1945 to 1947, Tsuji studied chemical engineering at Kiryu Technical College (now a part of Gunma University); at that time, he also practiced manufacturing, and he would later take advantage of the post-World War II shortage situation in the country by creating goods for the black market - an act that formed the basis of his entrepreneurial career [5]Government tenureIn 1949, Tsuji started working for the government of Yamanashi Prefecture, at the urging of his relatives.[6] He first worked in a job Tsuji described as his "second adversity after his boyhood", before becoming a teacher, and later (under the request of Hisashi Amano, then-governor of Yamanashi Prefecture), a commerce worker.[7] He would later leave the government in 1960, but not before being almost involved in a slander campaign against Amano's opponents.[8]As founder of SanrioOn August 10, 1960, with ¥1,000,000 in capital,[a] Tsuji founded Yamanashi Silk Center, a textile company that would eventually become Sanrio.[3][8] In 2020, Tsuji stepped down as president of Sanrio, and was succeeded by his grandson, Tomokuni [9]Personal lifeTsuji married Yasuko in the 1950s.[7] He is the father of Kunihiko Tsuji (who was at one point the heir of Sanrio before his death in 2013) and the grandfather of Tomokuni Tsuji (currently the president of Sanrio, and the youngest CEO of a TOPIX-listed company), who coincidentally has the same birthday as Hello Kitty.[9] Tsuji had an interest in Greek mythology, owing to his time with his aunt." (wikipedia org) This is a list of characters from Sanrio, a Japanese company specialized in creating kawaii (cute) characters. Sanrio sells and licenses products branded with these characters and has created over 450 characters.[1] Their most successful and best known character, Hello Kitty, was created in 1974.[2] Most Sanrio characters are animals, a few are humans or objects.Sanrio began creating characters to increase sales of its merchandise.[3] Typical merchandise featuring the characters include clothing, accessories, toys and stationery. The characters subsequently appeared in media such as books, animation and video games. Beginning with Jewelpet in 2008, Sanrio started collaborating with Sega Toys in creating characters intended to become media franchises.[4] Notable designers of Sanrio characters include Yuko Shimizu, original designer of Hello Kitty, Yuko Yamaguchi, lead designer for most of Hello Kitty's history and Miyuki Okumura, original designer of Cinnamoroll [5][6][7]Sanrio hosts two theme parks in Japan featuring their characters, Sanrio Puroland in Tama, Tokyo, and in Hiji, ?ita, Ky?sh?. Since 1986 Sanrio has held the annual Sanrio Character Ranking poll where fans can vote on their favorite characters. It began in the Strawberry Newspaper published by Sanrio in Japan, but now voting also takes place online [1]Besides their own original characters listed here, Sanrio also owns the rights to the Mr. Men characters and Japanese licensing rights to the Peanuts characters. The characters listed here are shown with the year in which they first appeared 1970sCoro Chan (1973)Coro Chan (????? Korochan) is the first original Sanrio character [10][11] Introduced in 1973, he is portrayed as a gentle and laid-back bear.[12][13] Designed by Yuko Shimizu who is also the original designer of Hello Kitty.[10] According to Sanrio's backstory, Coro Chan is a cousin of Hello Kitty's bear friend Thomas.[14][15] His name comes from the croquettes on his cheeks, which he might eat when he gets hungry [12][16][10] Per official profiles, he lives in Windermere in England and his birthday is November 8.[16]Hello Kitty (1974)Main article: Hello KittyYuko Shimizu created the original design of Hello Kitty in 1974Hello Kitty (?????? Har? Kiti) is the best-known of Sanrio's characters. She is depicted as a white cat with a red bow and no visible mouth.[17] The original design for Hello Kitty was created by Yuko Shimizu in 1974.[5] However, the lead designer in charge of creating new design themes for most of Hello Kitty's history, since 1980, has been Yuko Yamaguchi [6][18][5] The first Hello Kitty item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in 1975 [19][20]Official character profiles list Hello Kitty's full name as Kitty White (???????? Kiti Howaito), born in the suburbs of London, England, on November 1. Her height is described as five apples and her weight as three apples. She is depicted as a bright and kind-hearted girl who is good at baking cookies and likes to play the piano [2][21][17] Hello Kitty is portrayed with a large family including her twin sister Mimmy, who wears a yellow bow, papa George and mama Mary [21][17]Originally Hello Kitty was only marketed towards pre-teenage girls, but beginning in the 1990s, the brand found commercial success among teenage and adult consumers as well.[22] The brand went into decline in Japan after the 1990s, but continued to grow in the international market.[6] By 2010 the character was worth $5 billion a year and The New York Times called her a "global marketing phenomenon".[6] By 2014, when Hello Kitty was 40 years old, she was worth about $8 billion a year.[23]UNICEF has appointed Hello Kitty children's ambassador and the Japanese government appointed her ambassador of tourism.[22] The Hello Kitty media franchise has grown to include several animated series, video games and other media productions. A variety of products have featured the character over the years and as of 2008 there were over 50,000 different Hello Kitty branded products [22]Aside from the core Hello Kitty characters, several spinoff characters have been created: Hello Kitty's boyfriend Dear Daniel in 1999, Charmmy Kitty, Hello Kitty's pet cat, and Sugar, her pet hamster, both in 2004, and her superhero alter-ego Ichigoman in 2011 [18][24]Little Twin Stars (1975)Little Twin Stars (ja:?????????? Ritoru Tsuin Sut?zu) also known as Kikilala (????, kikirara) in Japan[25] are a pair of angel-like characters. The younger brother with blue hair is Kiki (??, Kiki), and the older sister with pink hair is Lala (??, Rara).[26] Originally designed by Y?ko Matsumoto (????) who also designed My Melody.[27] They were initially created for a 1975 Christmas promotion and their birthday is December 24, Christmas Eve [28][29][30] Drawing inspiration from Christmas and winter themes, early sketches had the characters wearing warm coats and winter scarves, before Matsumoto settled on stars as the motif.[28][31] Because they came from the sky, she gave them white angel style clothes.[28] In their first publication the characters were unnamed, and their names originate from a survey in the Strawberry Newspaper where readers could send in their suggestions [32][33][34]Early Little Twin Stars branded products, like those for other similar Sanrio characters of the era, were items marketed to young girls, like stationery and accessories [35][36] In the late 70s Sanrio also began publishing picture books with Kiki and Lala, illustrated by Matsumoto and others [37][38][39][40] Since the inception of the Little Twin Stars new designs have continually been created, following trends of the times [35][41][42] In the original 70s designs Kiki's hair was brown and Lala's yellow. In the 80s the designs became more pastel colored, and this is also when their hair colors settled into being predominantly blue and pink. In the 90s their faces were modernized, and designs were rendered in 3D CGI, and in the 00s there was a retro return to the styles of the 70s and 80s [35][41][42]In 2015, EVA Air introduced a special livery Boeing 777-300ER, "Shining Stars", dedicated to the characters. The plane is mainly used on routes from Taipei to Houston and Singapore [43]Little Twin Stars have previously been included in video games with other Sanrio characters, but in 2018 the first mobile game app featuring them exclusively was released for iOS and Android. Titled Kiki & Lala's Twinkle Puzzle it is a tile matching puzzle game and was developed by Imagineer. It incorporates illustrations from a 70s picture book with the origin story of the characters [37]My Melody (1975) This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)See also: Onegai My MelodyMy Melody (ja:?????? Mai Merod?) is a white rabbit character. She is depicted as always wearing a bright red or pink hood that covers her ears. According to official character profiles, her birthday is January 18 and she lives in the forest of Mariland with friends like My Sweet Piano (a sheep), and Flat (a mouse).[44] When My Melody debuted, she was portrayed as Little Red Riding Hood.My Melody can be found on children's toys and merchandise (from jewelry to household items). My Melody was first released in 1975 and the first related merchandise was released at the end of that year. At first, she mainly was marketed toward young girls, but like Hello Kitty her popularity has increased among women and men of all ages, especially in Asia.In the late 1980s, My Melody's popularity waned, and the only items produced were stationery and candy. According to a reader survey published in Strawberry News (a magazine published by Sanrio) in 1996, My Melody came out amongst some of Sanrio's most popular characters and as a result, due to popular demand, standard merchandise started re-appearing beginning in February 1997 featuring the original red hood. Items with the pink hood were re-released in 1999; as of 2000, there were items released with multiple color hoods.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 , which aired from 2005 to 2008. This anime also spawned a video game for the Nintendo DS titled Onegai My Melody: Yume no Kuni no Daibouken (???????????????????) 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.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 Kuromi doesn't make an appearance.In 2007, a second game was released for the Nintendo DS, titled My Melody Angel Book ~Denshitechou & Enjoy Game~ (?????????????????????????????) 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 1, 2008, Mattel released a Barbie doll named "My Melody". The My Melody Barbie doll featured a Barbie doll inspired by the My Melody character, with the character's face included in different parts of the doll's fashion and accessories. In an homage to the character's rabbit ears, the doll's hair is styled in pigtails.[45]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. Rei Sakuma has been the regular voice of My Melody in Japan since 1989.My Melody has also been turned into a Pullip doll with two versions; originally released in 2008 and the latest one in 2016.In 2014, Sanrio celebrated the character's 40th Anniversary by creating a special line of merchandise where she is given a different hood where her ears are dropped down and wears either a bonnet or a flower pin and sometimes depicted with eyelashes. Sanrio Puroland honored the 40th anniversary of the character by creating indoor ride called "My Melody Drive" where visitors are visiting Mariland and encounter My Melody and her friends including Kuromi who attempts to ruin her day.My Melody is also seen in collaboration merchandise with other non-Sanrio series, such as one with Sailor Moon in 2017.In 2019, My Melody became a radio DJ on TOKYO FM with a show called "My Melo Therapy" where she answers questions from listeners and offers advice.[46] A book with advice from the show was released in 2022.[47][48]In the 2020 web series Hello Kitty and Friends: Supercute Adventures, My Melody is one of the main characters where she is voiced by Michelle Marie.[49]In 2010 The New York Times said that My Melody was "moderately successful" in terms popularity, but showing no signs of reaching the global popularity of Hello Kitty.[6] My Melody was number one in the Sanrio Character Rankings in 2010 and 2011.[50] In 2019 she was Sanrio's second most profitable character, after Hello Kitty [51]Spinoff characters from My Melody include My Sweet Piano, one of her closest companions, Kuromi, her rival, and Little Forest Fellow, a relative.The Strawberry King (1975)The Strawberry King (ja:??????? Ichigo no ?sama) is a humanoid character with a large red strawberry for a head.[52] He was created as an alter-ego for Sanrio founder Shintaro Tsuji, and has the same birthday as him, December 7.[10] Official character bios describe him as "the king of the beautiful and peaceful Strawberry Kingdom" who "spends his days bringing messages of peace and friendship to all".[53] The Strawberry King rarely appears on merchandise [54] But every month a message from the Strawberry King (similar to an editorial) has been published in Sanrio's Strawberry Newspaper .[55] A book with a collection of some of these messages was published in 2007 [56][57]Button Nose (1978)See also: Button NoseSanrio's Strawberry House store was based on the fictional home of Button NoseButton Nose (ja:?????? Botan n?zu) is a human character.[58] She is the protagonist of Button Nose, the first anime television series produced by Sanrio.[59][60] Button Nose is portrayed as a sweet and lively girl who makes strawberry jam and likes cookies.[61] Sanrio's profiles say her birthday is January 5 and that her real name is Trish, but she is called Button Nose because her nose is small and round.[61][62] The original design for Button Nose was created by Masayo Hirose (????) and the character was introduced in 1978 [59][63][58]In 1983 Sanrio built the Strawberry House store in Tokyo.[64] The store is shaped like a strawberry and was based on the fictional home of Button Nose.[65] It was originally planned to be in place for a limited time, but due to positive customer response the store remained in operation until 2011.[64] The anime series Button Nose, which began in 1985, was the first television anime series produced by Sanrio.[59][60] The series places Button Nose in a fairy tale and science fiction setting, where she turns out to be descended from royalty [59]Tuxedo Sam (1979)Tuxedo Sam (ja:??????? Takish?dosamu) is a plump blue penguin character who is drawn wearing a bow-tie and a sailor hat. According to official character profiles he was born on May 12 in Antarctica [66][67] In 2010 The New York Times described this character as "moderately successful" in terms of popularity but showing no signs of reaching the global popularity of Hello Kitty [6]1980sMy Sweet Piano (1980)See also: Onegai My MelodyMy Sweet Piano (?????????? Mai S??to Piano) is a spinoff character from My Melody. She is depicted as a pink female sheep who is gentle and pampered and loves to talk and hang out with My Melody.[68] She was introduced in 1980 as a friend of My Melody.[69] She was originally known as "Hitsuji-san", which roughly translates to "Miss Sheep".[70] Sanrio asked readers of its monthly Strawberry Newspaper to suggest a name for her, and the selection of the name "Piano" was announced in 2005.[70] The first solo merchandise with the character under the full name "My Sweet Piano" was released in 2008.[70] As of 2019 Piano was a meetable character at Sanrio Puroland [71][72]Piano started out as a supporting character in the 2005 anime series Onegai My Melody where she only spoke by baaing and bleating. She is voiced by Junko Takeuchi in the series. Piano also appears in the 2020 web series Hello Kitty and Friends: Supercute Adventures where she's a background character debuting in Season 2.[73]Minna no Tabo (1984)Minna no Tabo (ja:??????? Minna no Taabou) is a human character. According to official character profiles his birthday is on May 5 (Children's Day) and he is a happy and energetic boy who likes sports. He is depicted surrounded by family and many animal friends [74][75] He was originally designed in 1984 by Akiko Shimasue (????) for use on greeting cards.[76][77]A series of books featuring the character, called Tabo no Kotoba (??????? T?b? no kotoba), has according to Sanrio sold over 500 000 copies in Japan.[78] The first book in the series, Minna No Tabo's Sai Kon Tan by Sanrio founder Shintaro Tsuji is based on the 16th century Chinese compilation of aphorisms Saikontan by Hong Zicheng [78][79] Minna no Tabo placed first in the Sanrio Character Rankings in 1988 and 1989 [80][81]Zashikibuta (ja:????? Zashikibuta) is a pink pig character who is sometimes drawn wearing a green scarf. According to official character profiles his birthday is February 2 and he lives in France with a mouse friend called Tabby.[82][83] He is sometimes depicted with a sketchy look. Zashikibuta was number one in the first ever Sanrio Character Rankings in 1986 [84]Hangyodon (1985)Hangyodon (ja:?????? Hangyodon) is a fish character who was born on March 14 in China. He is depicted as a character who likes joking around but also feels lonely, and whose plans of heroism often go awry.[85] Designed by Hisato Inoue who also designed Bad Badtz-Maru.[86] Hangyodon is one of the members of Hapidanbui, a group Sanrio created in 2020 to promote older characters [87][88] In 2022 Hangyodon entered the top 10 of the Sanrio character rankings for the first time in 34 years, placing at number 8 [89][90]Keroppi also known as Keroppi Hasunoue (???? ????, Hasunoue Keroppi) is a frog character with large eyes and a V-shaped mouth [91][92][93] "Kero" means "frog's croak" and "Hasunoue" means "on a lily pad".[94] Keroppi is portrayed with a large family and many friends who are frogs. He is also friends with Denden, a snail, and Teruteru, a teru teru b?zu [95][96][97] Originally created as part of a promotion for the rainy season, the first Keroppi items were released in 1988.[98][99] Designs in Japan commonly include puns on the Japanese word for frog, kaeru (???), which has many homonyms.[100] According to British newspaper The Independent, the popularity of Keroppi was close to that of Hello Kitty in the early 1990s, "particularly in the UK", but then went down.[22] Keroppi was number one in the Sanrio Character Rankings in 1990 [81]Keroppi has appeared in video games, including Kero Kero Keroppi no Bouken Nikki, Kero Kero Keroppi no Daibouken, and Sanrio World Smash Ball!. He has also appeared in several animated series. In Japanese, Keroppi was voiced by Yoshiko Matsuo. In English, he was voiced by Jill Frappier in Keroppi and Friends, Kira Vincent-Davis in Hello Kitty's Animation Theater, Sarah Hauser in The Adventures of Hello Kitty and Friends, and Georgie Kidder in Hello Kitty and Friends Supercute Adventures [49]Pochacco (1989)Pochacco (ja:????? Pochakko) is drawn as a white dog with black floppy ears, but no visible mouth.[101] Pochacco's name means pocha pocha (chubby). Per official character profiles he was born in Fuwafuwa Town on February 29 in a leap year.[101] He is often portrayed dressed in athletic attire, with a sporty and playful personality [102][103] He was designed by Minoru Onoue who also designed several other Sanrio characters, including The Vaudeville Duo and Picke Bicke.[104] When Pochacco was first released he was not drawn wearing clothes and his behavior was more dog-like. His popularity increased after the design was changed to show him wearing shirts.[105] Pochacco was number one in the Sanrio Character Rankings from 1991 to 1995 [106][84][81]1990sPekkle (1990)Main article: PekklePekkle (???????? Ahiru no Pekkle) is a duck. He is a small white duck with a blue T-shirt with the letter P on it. Pekkle's birthday is July 27 and he was first released in 1989.[107] Pekkle appeared in four OVAs in the early 1990s [108]Spottie Dottie (1990)Spottie Dottie (????????? Supotti Dotti) is a Dalmatian dog character. Official profiles say she was born March 21, lives in New York City, likes fashion and is friends with a cat named Sassy [109][110][111][112] In 2010 The New York Times described Spottie Dottie and the character Pandapple as "flops" for the Sanrio corporation in terms of popularity [6]Monkichi (1991)Monkichi (ja:???????? Osaru no Monkichi) is a monkey character drawn with a curly tail and prominent round eyes. According to official character profiles his birthday is January 13 and his full name is Oyama No Monkichi, which translates to "Monkichi of the Mountains [113] He is portrayed as a happy character who likes jokes and poems and wants to become a comedian or a poet [114][115]An animated OVA called Osaru no Monkichi no Kin no Ono Gin no Ono was released in 2001 [116][117]Patapatapeppy (1992)Patapata Peppy (???????? PataPataPepp?) is a horned owl character drawn with a sketchy look.[118] He was designed by Matsubayashi Atsushi who subsequently left Sanrio and started his own studio [119][120] Per official character profiles his birthday is August 26 and he was born in the Northern woods. He is often depicted carrying a cherry in his mouth as it is his favourite food [118][121]Bad Badtz-Maru (1993)A Uni Air plane painted in a Badtz-Maru motif, 2016Bad Badtz-Maru (ja:?????? Baddo batsu maru) is a male penguin character drawn with spiky hair.[122] Designed by Hisato Inoue who also designed Hangyodon.[86] In Japanese, "badtz" (batsu) is a term for "X", the cross signifying a wrong answer. "Maru" means circle or "O", and signifies a right answer. Thus, his name figuratively means "wrong-right", and is frequently represented by "XO". Badtz-Maru is depicted with many different facial expressions and poses, but a common expression is of pulling one lower eyelid down and sticking out his tongue, a gesture equivalent to blowing a raspberry.Per official profiles Badtz-Maru's birthday is April 1 (April Fool's Day).[122] He is portrayed as surrounded by friends and family, such as Hana-Maru, a friendly white seal, Pandaba, a female panda who wears a red bikini skirt and likes Badtz-Maru, and Pochi, a baby alligator, Badtz-Maru treats like a pet dog [123][124][125]Badtz Maru has gone through many product lines since his release at Sanrio in 1993. He has been portrayed as an astronaut, motorcyclist, DJ, camouflage monster, basketball player, boxer, and many others. His products range from typical stationery supplies (e.g. pens, notebooks, erasers, pencil cases, etc.) to more novelty items (e.g. CD players, guitars, license plate frames, etc.)[citation needed]Badtz Maru was number one in the Sanrio Character Rankings in 1996.[126] He was the official mascot for the 2006 FIBA World Championship of basketball, which was held in Japan.[127] Uni Air and EVA Air began flying with airplanes painted with Badtz-Maru motifs in 2016 and 2017 [128][129]Picke Bicke (1994)Picke Bicke (?????? Picke Bicke) is a mouse character. According to official character profiles he was born January 1 in the year of the rat, and can fly by flapping his big ears.[130] He was designed by Minoru Onoue who also designed Pochacco [104]Chococat (1996)Chococat (??????? Chokokyatto) 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.[131][132] According to official character profiles, Chococat's birthday is May 10 and his whiskers are able to pick up information like antennae, so he is often the first to know about things [133]Chococat was originally pictured with a blue collar, but he has since been depicted wearing different colored collars, scarves and even a Hawaiian lei. Sanrio has also produced Chococat products that portray him in different colors like brown and pink.[citation needed]Chococat is one of the characters in the 2020 web series Hello Kitty and Friends: Supercute Adventures, voiced by Michelle Marie [134]Chococat was the third most successful Sanrio character in 2005, after Hello Kitty and Cinnamoroll [135]Pompompurin (1996) Pompompurin redirects here. For the convicted cybercriminal, see BreachForums § History.A Pompompurin Café in Singapore, 2017Pompompurin (ja:??????? Pompompurin) is a golden retriever dog character first introduced in 1996. According to official character profiles Purin was born on April 16 and his friends include a hamster called Muffin, a mouse named Scone, a squirrel named Bagel and a bird named Custard [136][137][138]Sanrio produced two OVAs with Pompompurin in 2001, Pomupomupurin no Usagi to Kame and Pomupomupurin no Kitakaze to Taiy? (?????????????) [139][140] Two Pompompurin video games were released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2016 and 2017 [141][142]A Pompompurin Café was opened in Harajuku in Tokyo in 2014.[143] Subsequently, several Pompompurin Cafés were opened in other locations [144][145][146] Pompompurin was voted most popular in the Sanrio Character Rankings in 1997, 2015[147] and 2016 [148]Corocorokuririn (ja:???????? is a golden hamster character who is drawn wearing a flower as a hat.[149][150] He is portrayed as having seven hamster children with a female hamster named Sakura.[149] In addition to his family, Kuririn is depicted with many friends. In total, there are 86 different hamster characters [150] The character was created at a time when hamsters were popular as pets in Japan [151][152] The original designs were created by Koji Ito (?? ??, It? K?ji) and the character was introduced in 1998 [153][152]Kuririn Sakura, and their children were modelled on real life hamsters that were kept at the office of Sanrio [151][152] Kuririn's fictional birthday, February 4, was based on the date the hamster was brought to the office.[152] New owners for the real life hamster offspring were solicited from among readers of Sanrio's Strawberry Newspaper who also coined some of the names used for the fictional hamster children [151][152] A manga called Kuririn Diary (?????? Kuririn Nikki) was published in the Strawberry Newspaper and online [151][152] The manga blends reality and fiction by including photographs of the real hamsters with drawings of the fictional characters [152]Dear Daniel (1999)See also: Hello KittyDear Daniel (ja:??????? Diadanieru), full name Daniel Starr (???????? Danieru sut?) is a cat character who is depicted as Hello Kitty's boyfriend. His character profile describes him as born in London on May 3. He was a childhood friend of Hello Kitty's, but traveled with his parents and was away from her for a long time. He is portrayed as fashionable and sensitive, good at dancing and playing the piano, with an interest in photography, and dreams of being famous [154][155]Designed in 1999 by Yuko Yamaguchi who has been the lead designer of Hello Kitty since 1980.[156] Yamaguchi was inspired to create a boyfriend for Hello Kitty in the late 1990s when the Japanese singer Namie Amuro talked publicly about having a boyfriend, something that was considered controversial at the time.[157][158] The character's name was inspired by the British film Melody from 1971, where the romantic lead is called Daniel [159]2000sCinnamoroll (2001)Main article: (?????? Shinamor?ru) was created in 2001, with character designs from Miyuki Okumura.[7] The main character, who is known by the names Cinnamoroll and Cinnamon (????, Shinamon), is depicted as a white dog with a curly tail that resembles a cinnamon roll, and long ears he can fly with. Per official profiles his birthday is March 6.[160] Other characters in the series include Cappuccino (????? Kapuch?no), with a mouth that looks like a cup of cappuccino, Chiffon (????, Shifon) with ears that are fluffy like a chiffon cake, Espresso (?????? Esupuresso) with a Mozart hairstyle, Mocha (??, Moka) with chocolate-brown fur, and Milk (???, Miruku), a white baby puppy [161][162]An anime film featuring Cinnamoroll called Cinnamon the Movie was released in 2007, and a manga series by Yumi Tsukirino called Fluffy, Fluffy Cinnamoroll (????????? Fuwafuwa ? Shinamon) was published between 2004 and 2008.[163] In 2023 Sanrio started a YouTube channel for Cinnamon which streams a short anime called Cinnamon Anime Damon (?????????? Shinamon Anime Damon) [164][165] with an English version uploaded to Sanrio's American Youtube Channel on September 11, 2023. [166] Several video games featuring Cinnamoroll were released for Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS.[167] In addition to this Cinnamon has appeared as a supporting character in several other animated series and video games from Sanrio Cinnamoroll expanded into two side series: Cinnamoangels (????????? in 2005 and Lloromannic (??????? Ruroromanikku) in 2007 Cinnamoroll was the second most successful Sanrio character in 2005, after Hello Kitty.[135] Cinnamoroll was voted number 1 in the Sanrio Character Rankings 2017–2018, and again in 2020–2022 [168][169][170]Usahana (2001)Usahana (also stylized as U*SA*HA*NA) is a rabbit character drawn with different colored ears, one pink and one blue, and a flower on her head. According to official character profiles her birthday is August 7 and her full name is Hanachan [171]In the Toei Animation anime Usahana: Dream Ballerina (????: ???????? Usahana: Yumemiru Ballerina) from 2006, Usahana dreams of becoming a ballerina [172]Pandapple (2002)Pandapple (?????? Pandappuru) is a panda character who is drawn wearing a red apple hat and a shirt. Pandapple is often depicted accompanied by a caterpillar. Per official profiles his birthday is June 2 [173][174][175] In 2010 The New York Times described Pandapple and the character Spottie Dottie as "flops" for the Sanrio corporation in terms of popularity [6]Charmmy Kitty (2004)See also: Hello KittyCharmmy Kitty (???????? Ch?m?kiti) is a white Persian cat character that is depicted as Hello Kitty's pet. She resembles Hello Kitty but has more cat-like behavior and features. According to Sanrio's profile, Charmmy Kitty was a gift from Hello Kitty's papa, and since her real birthday is unknown, they celebrate the day Hello Kitty received her, 31 October.[176] She is described as docile, obedient and fond of shiny things. Her necklace holds the key to Hello Kitty's jewelry box.[177][178] Charmmy Kitty and Hello Kitty's pet hamster Sugar were created in 2004 when the popularity of pets went up in Japan. The characters were aimed at the teenage market.[176] Designed by Yuko Yamaguchi who has been the lead designer of Hello Kitty since 1980.[156] Her name comes from the word charm Sugarbunnies (2004)Main article: SugarbunniesThe Sugarbunnies (???????? Shug?ban?zu) are twin rabbit characters Shirousa (????, Shirousa) and Kurousa (????, Kurousa) who are depicted making sweets and pastries. According to official character profiles they were both born on May 26 and live in the fictional magical world of Bunniesfield [179] They were designed by Kazumi Fukasawa (????) [180][181]In 2007, Sanrio 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.After the success of the franchise, Sanrio created more rabbit twins who each specialize in their own jobs, see Sugarbunnies characters Cinnamoangels (2005)See also: CinnamorollThe Cinnamoangels (????????? , also known as Cinnamon Angels in English,[182] are a spinoff from the main Cinnamoroll series. They are a trio of girl puppy characters consisting of Mocha (born February 20), Chiffon (born January 14) and Azuki (born September 25). According to their fictional story, Mocha founded the group because she wants to become a TV idol [183]Cinnamoangels have their own manga series called Puri Kawa Cinnamo Angels!! (??????????????? Puri Kawa Shinamoenjerusu ) which was published as part of the Fluffy, Fluffy Cinnamoroll volumes [184][185] Sanrio has also released several music videos featuring the trio [186][187]Kuromi (2005)See also: Onegai My MelodyKuromi (ja:???, Kuromi) first appeared as the rival of My Melody in the anime Onegai My Melody. She is depicted as a white rabbit 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 [188][189][190] Kuromi has also been portrayed as the leader of a biker gang known as "Kuromi's 5" whose members wear black and ride their bikes around in a menacing fashion [191][192] Kuromi's sidekick is Baku (ja:??) a purple tapir character who takes Kuromi flying on his back.[193] Similar to the baku from Japanese folklore, he is depicted as being able to seek out people's dreams [191]Merchandise featuring Kuromi first appeared in Japan in 2005. She has three image songs all sung by her voice actress, Junko Takeuchi [citation needed] In the 2020 web series Hello Kitty and Friends: Supercute Adventures, Kuromi is one of the main characters where she's voiced by Jenny Yokobori.[49]In 2021 Sanrio began a marketing campaign for Kuromi in Shibuya and on social media using the slogan "KUROMIfy the World".[194] In 2022 Kuromi beat her rival My Melody in the Sanrio Character Rankings for the first time, placing at number three, while My Melody placed at number five [195][196]In February 2023, Sanrio began streaming a 21-episode series of anime shorts called Kuromi's Pretty Journey introducing Romina, Kuromi's older sister, as well as other new characters. Episodes of the anime were given a weekly release schedule [197][198] The end theme of the series is performed by the singer ano (ja:??), formerly of the group You'll Melt More [199][200] An English version was uploaded to Sanrio's American Youtube Channel in June 2023 [201]Tenorikuma (Japanese for "bears that fit in your palm") are a group of red panda characters who are portrayed running a coffee shop called Tenorikuma [202][203] The main manager character is Latte, who is depicted with a heart on his ear. Maple is the only female character and Latte's love interest. There are several other red panda characters who all wear different colored scarves. Other characters include Mister Steam who is a cloud of steam and Muddler-san who is a spoon [204][205]A picture book called Tenorikuma Chisana Coffee Break (TENORIKUMA was released in 2005.[206] A manga series by Yumimi (ja:???) called Puchitto! Tenorikuma was serialized in Nakayoshi magazine from 2007 to 2008. One volume of the manga was released in 2008 [207][208]Masyumaro (2006)Masyumaro (ja:????????????????? is a white kitten character with light brown spots around the ears. He is depicted as residing in Paris, France.[209] Designed by Kazue Yamada (????) who also designed Bonbonribbon [181] He is featured in two promotional videos, Boku Masyumaro (My Marshmallow) and KIRAKIRA Sute-ji (Stage Glitter) [210]Lloromannic (2007)See also: (ja:??????? Ruroromanikku) is a spinoff from Cinnamoroll. The name is "Cinnamoroll" in reverse and Lloromannic is described as a world on the other side of a mirror that is the opposite of the cute world of Cinnamoroll. The Lloromannic characters are Berry (???, Ber?) and Cherry (????, Cher?) who are depicted as two demons who came from the Lloromannic mirror world but now live in a haunted mansion on the outskirts of Cinnamoroll's town [211][212][213] Designed by Miyuki Okumura who also designed the main Cinnamoroll series [181]Berry and Cherry show up in the anime Onegai?My Melody Kirara? as narrators. Two short videos have been released on YouTube: "Trick" and "Friend"; Cherry's origin.Jewelpet (2008) This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)Main article: JewelpetThe Jewelpets Juerupetto) are a group of animal characters created in 2008 as a joint-venture between Sanrio and Sega Toys.[214] There are 42 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 Ruby the white Japanese hare (whose birthday is July 29), Sapphie the blue and yellow Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (whose birthday is September 1), Garnet the pink Persian cat (whose birthday is January 8) and Labra the pink and white polar bear (whose birthday is 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 K?gyoku and her Jewelpet partner Ruby. A second series titled Jewelpet Twinkle? ?????? 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 ?????? Juerupetto Sanshain) premiered on April 9, 2011.[215] A fourth series titled Jewelpet Kira?Deco—! ??????? Juerupetto Kira?deko— ) aired on April 7, 2012.[216]A full-length feature film titled Jewelpet the Movie: Sweets Dance Princess ????????????? Eiga Juerupetto: Suu?tsu Dansu Purinsesu) which was directed by Hiroaki Sakurai (Director of Daa! Daa! Daa! and Cromartie High School) and distributed by Toho, was released on August 11, 2012, in Japanese cinemas.A second Jewelpet feature film titled Jewelpet Attack Travel! ???????? Juerupetto Atakku Toraberu!) was announced in 2019[217] and originally scheduled for a February 2020 release in Japan, but did not get released until 2022 on NicoNico [218]Yoshikitty (2009)Main article: is character based on Japanese musician Yoshiki created in 2009 by Yuko Yamaguchi. The brand specializes in rock-themed and high fashion goods, and was voted more popular than Hello Kitty in the 2018 Sanrio Character Ranking.[219] In 2019, a limited-edition 18k gold Yoshikitty figurine was released in collaboration with precious metal company Ginza Tanaka, with an estimated retail cost of US$10,000.[220] Yoshikitty is the first Sanrio character modeled after a real-life person [221]2010sWish me mell (2010)Main article: Wish me mellWish Me Mell (????????? Uisshu m? meru) is a character series which was released in 2010 [222][223][224] Designed by Miyuki Okumura who also designed Cinnamoroll [225] Wish Me 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 females aged 15–20, who are too shy to express their feelings towards others [citation needed]Wish Me Mell is portrayed as living with her friends in the fictional magical world of Merci Hills (??????? Merush? 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. Wish Me Mell and her friends are depicted as being guided by the Rainbow Fairy, Ciel, who gives them missions and advice.Go-chan (2011)Go-chan (ja:?????? G?-chan.) full official name GoExPanda (????????) He is the mascot of TV Asahi and debuted in 2011. Per official profiles his birthday is May 5.[226][227] Designed by Yuko Yamaguchi who is also the designer in charge of new Hello Kitty designs. Two anime films with Go-chan have been released [228][229]Ichigoman (2011)See also: Hello KittyIchigoman (????? Ichigoman) is a superhero alter ego of Hello Kitty.[230] The name "Ichigoman" translates to "Strawberry man", and the character is depicted with strawberry ears and a red superhero suit. According to Sanrio's backstory, Hello Kitty finds a smartphone shaped like a strawberry, and when she holds it up and shouts "Power the Kitty" she turns into Ichigoman to fight evil. Darkgrapeman and Honeymomo, who are both skilled in martial arts, join Ichigoman in the fight [230][231]Designed by Yuko Yamaguchi, lead designer for most of Hello Kitty's history, the character first appeared in 2011 in an exhibition with Yamaguchi's art.[232][24] Yamaguchi said she hoped Ichigoman would reach a male demographic [233] An anime short featuring the character was released in 2012.[232] A web manga called Power the Kitty Ichigoman began in Japan in 2016. The manga is written by Toshiki Inoue and illustrated by Shakua Sinkai. It depicts Ichigoman dealing with an alien invasion and piloting a giant robot.[24][234] Four tank?bon volumes of the manga have been published by Shueisha, with a fifth volume released digitally [235][236][237][238]Bonbonribbon (ja:??????? Bonbon ribon) is a pink rabbit character who is drawn wearing several ribbon bows. Designed by Kazue Yamada (????) who also designed Masyumaro.[239] According to official profiles Bonbonribbon's birthday is August 8 and she is a fashionable girl who likes to sing and dance, and wants to become an accessory designer. Her mother is portrayed as a fashion designer who designed the ribbon on Bonbonribbon's head [240][241][242] A video game called Bonbon Ribbon: Tokimeki Coord Kirakira Dance was released in 2015 for the Nintendo 3DS [243][244]Gudetama (2013)Main article: GudetamaFood at a Gudetama themed pop-up cafe in Japan, 2015Gudetama (????, Gudetama) is a Sanrio character who debuted in 2013. The character is an egg yolk whose main trait is laziness.[245] Designed by a Sanrio designer who goes by the name Amy, real name Emi Nagashima (?? ??) [245][246] The name Gudetama is derived from the Japanese words for lazy (????, gudegude) and egg (???, tamago) [247][248] Gudetama is often depicted reclining on an egg white or as an ingredient in a Japanese dish. The character debuted following a contest run by Sanrio to introduce new characters based on Japanese food, in which Gudetama came second to Kirimichan [249][250] There have been a number of Gudetama themed pop-up cafes serving egg-related dishes in Japan.[251] Gudetama merchandise is also available, ranging from stationery to confectionery to toys.There are two Japanese video games with Gudetama on the Nintendo 3DS, released in 2015 and 2016, and a Gudetama-themed Tamagotchi from 2017.[252] The mobile game Gudetama Tap! was released in 2019 and is a casual collecting game.[253] A series of animated Gudetama shorts were aired daily on the Japanese channel TBS between 2014 and 2020.[249][254] Each episode of the series is only about one minute long, and as of 2019 there were over 1200 episodes [249][255] In December 2022, a live-action/CGI hybrid series called Gudetama: An Eggcellent Adventure was released to Netflix worldwide with a total of 10 episodes. The series involves Gudetama and the chick character Shakipiyo searching across Japan for their mother.[256] As of 2019, Gudetama was Sanrio's third most profitable character, behind Hello Kitty and My Melody [51]Kirimichan (ja:KIRIMI??? Kirimichan) is an slice of salmon fillet [257][258] Depicted as a happy character who wants to be eaten, Sanrio's profiles say that Kirimichan is "a star in the sliced food world" and instead of a birthday, that the character "was first filleted on August 31st".[257] According to official profiles, Kirimichan's closest friend is Kamaboko-chan, a slice of kamaboko (a type of fish cake.) The character is portrayed surrounded by many sliced food friends like Saba-kun (a mackerel fillet) and Tai-kun (a sea bream fillet )[259][257][260][261]Kirimichan was designed by Ai Setani (???) who also designed Rilu Rilu Fairilu [262][263] Setani wanted to make something different from the usual Sanrio cuteness, and the character was inspired by a salmon her daughter liked when she was three.[264] Kirimichan was originally created in 2013 as part of a in-house competition at Sanrio to create food based characters, and wa

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