Sumikko Gurashi

Sumikko Gurashi (すみっコぐらし) is a set of fictional characters produced by the Japanese company San-X.

who is unsure of being a penguin, Tonkatsu, a piece of leftover pork cutlet, Neko, a timid and anxious cat, and Tokage, a dinosaur who pretends to be a lizard.

The main characters have common traits: they have a slightly negative personality, they are castaways in everyday life, and they feel most relaxed when they are near a corner.

[4][5] They were first conceived as a series of cute animal characters, and early concept art included a sheep and a giraffe.

[3][6] The polar bear character Shirokuma was originally conceived as a flawed white rabbit stuffed toy with ears that are too short.

[7] The cat character Neko was added to the group after winning a survey San-X did with children in elementary school.

[8] Marceline Smith, the author of a book about kawaii, described Sumikko Gurashi as "characters that feel left out or anxious" which makes them "more relevant for a generation who face greater uncertainty in their lives".

Other themes show the Sumikko participating in various activities, like studying or sports, or in locations like a cafe or a dagashiya candy store.

[15][16][17] For the 5th anniversary in 2017, San-X released birthday-themed merchandise and held different events around Japan, like pop-up cafes and exhibitions.

[18] Also, a commemorative train decorated with Sumikko Gurashi characters ran on the Yamanote Line in July and August 2017.

In 2017, Sumikko Gurashi merchandise started selling in North American stores such as Books-a-Million and Barnes and Noble.

[25] Sumikko Gurashi was ranked #10 in 2016, and #5 in 2018 on character popularity charts from Bandai, based on surveys of parents of children under 12 in Japan.

[35][36] It grossed a total of 1.45 billion yen in 2019 and won Best Animation of the Year at the Japanese Movie Critics Awards.