Sanrio might have been built on the back of “Hello Kitty” but the company has spawned quite a few adorable characters since the popular figurehead was created in the 1970s. As of the writing of this article, Sanrio has over four hundred and fifty characters that range from a sentient egg (Gudetama) to a red panda officer worker who lets off some steam by singing heavy metal karaoke (Aggretsuko). In 2025, Sanrio is planning to release a new anime adaptation for one of its biggest characters, Rilakkuma. If you have no idea what a “Rilakkuma” is, you might be surprised to learn more about this “bear”.
In the past, Sanrio turned quite a few heads in recent memory when the company revealed that Hello Kitty is not a cat. Instead, the major figurehead was revealed to be a small girl who just so happens to look like an albino feline. This case is somewhat similar to Rilakkuma, the Sanrio mascot who fans would immediately think is a bear once they see them in action. Rilakkuma was first created in 2003 and is not a bear, instead, the adorable character is someone, or something, wearing a bear costume. Surrounded by bears, the mascot not only is receiving a new anime series next year but a major anime studio is breathing new life into Rilakkuma.
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Rilakkuma’s Anime Arrival
Production I.G. will be handling the upcoming Rilakkuma’s anime in 2025, making for quite a departure from previous works such as Haikyu, Kaiju No. 8, and Terminator Zero. The production house shared a new description for the series alongside the trailer, which you can check out below, “Rilakkuma” means “Bear in a relaxed mood”. At all time and everywhere Rilakkuma goes Rilakkuma is continuously lazy and relaxed. Rilakkuma is totally stress-free and also doing things at Rilakkuma’s pace. Rilakkuma is someone impossible to be hated by others. You will be dragged into Rilakkuma’s world and become lazy and relaxed while watching everything Rilakkuma does.” To this day, we have yet to learn exactly what Rilakkuma is beneath the costume, adding a level of creepiness to the adorable character.
Sanrio’s Anime History
Sanrio might have made a name for itself with countless merchandise focusing on the likes of Hello Kitty, Rilakkuma, and many of their other adorable counterpart. On top of clothing and other merch, Sanrio has made its fair share of anime adaptations for its classic figures. When it comes to Hello Kitty, there have been countless television series and movies to focus on the little girl who is often mistaken for a cat. Aggretsuko became a wild success for Netflix, garnering several seasons for this series that is unlike any Sanrio creation to date.
In recent years, on top of the anime series that focuses on Hello Kitty, the fan-favorite character has crossed universes in crossover projects that place the figurehead meeting some unique characters. Hello Kitty has entered the worlds of Mobile Suit Gundam, Steins; Gate, and Junji Ito’s Tomie to name a few. Perhaps with the upcoming anime adaptation focusing on Rilakkuma, we might see the bear costume-wearing making their way into anime universes. Sanrio has found serious success with Hello Kitty and it seems as though the company has found the secret to creating anime worlds for all of its characters.
Want to see what the future holds for Sanrio in the anime world? Want to stay updated on Rilakkuma and their anime arrival? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on all things Sanrio and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.