Who is Rilakkuma? Hello Kitty’s biggest mascot competitor, explained

Sanrio’s Hello Kitty is more than just a beloved Japanese mascot. Ever since Yuko Shimizu created the adorable anthropomorphic cat (and yes, she’s a cat) in 1974, Kitty has been a pop culture phenomenon ever since, consistently churning an annual revenue of approximately $3.1 billion for Sanrio. Over the years, Hello Kitty has been heavily featured in numerous animated endeavors (such as the enjoyably absurd Gundam vs. Hello Kitty), along with merch, vlogs, and even a cozy, Animal Crossing-inspired game. That earns her icon status.

Some brand wizards believe that Hello Kitty’s global popularity boils down to a simple, “stoic” design that encourages fans to project any emotion onto her. Others point out her association with childhood nostalgia. Whatever the case, while mascots like Nagano’s Chiikawa have also enjoyed an immense outpouring of love in the recent past, few have been able to dethrone Hello Kitty’s enduring status. So what’s it going to take for the extremely Kitty-coded Rilakkuma to get their day in the billion-dollar sun? Here’s hoping a new anime can change the course for this adorable bear, who far fewer people in the West seem to know.

Sanrio and San-X, the company behind Rilakkuma, aren’t related in any capacity, although they are direct competitors in a market that values “kawaii” (Japanese for cute, adorable) mascots suited to all age groups. San-X is also the more understated company out of the two, despite finding great success with their Tarepanda mascot in 1998, with sales reaching almost $195 billion. That said, San-X’s most successful mascot to date is Rilakkuma, a laid-back brown bear that has been featured on more than 16,000 products and has attracted a revenue of $162 billion by the end of 2016. Rilakkuma made a resurgence three years later with the release of Rilakkuma and Kaoru, Netflix’s stunning stop-motion animated series that embraces the most fulfilling aspects of a slice-of-life adventure. A new Rilakkuma anime courtesy of Production I.G. is also releasing in April, promising never-seen-before escapades with the titular bear and his anthropomorphic friends. Still, very few anime fans seem to know Rilakkuma’s whole deal.

The term “Rilakkuma” is a portmanteau of the words “relax” and “bear,” indicating his laid-back personality. San-X’s Rilakkuma Seikatsu comic series introduced Rilakkuma as a person/thing in a bear costume (as they have a zipper on their back), although it is “unclear who is inside.” The human adult, Kaoru, finds the brown bear in her apartment one day and decides to take care of him as her pet.

But Rilakkuma didn’t spawn inside Kaoru’s home alone, as the white bear cub Korilakkuma (who wears a red button on the front!) also appeared alongside him. A brief teaser video for the upcoming Rilakkuma anime also features the sweet Korilakkuma accompanying the titular bear on globe-trotting adventures. Apart from Korilakkuma, also expect the forest-dwelling Chairoikoguma (also a bear) and the carefree Kiiroitori (a yellow bird) to tag along in Rilakkuma’s eventful shenanigans.

While the teaser has Rilakkuma frolicking in nature and swimming underwater with his friends, they usually prioritize napping, watching TV, and self-care. This is in contrast to Hello Kitty’s extroverted (and energetic) nature, as she loves baking, exploring, organizing tea parties, and making music. Rilakkuma isn’t too bothered about seizing the moment, and would rather feast on dango (traditional Japanese dumplings) and pancakes than worry about the future. The bear dislikes spicy food and scorching summer days.

Image: Production I.G.

To understand the reasons behind Rilakkuma’s popularity (or any Japanese mascot for that matter), one has to obviously tap into the consumerist streak inherent in Japanese toymaking and its affiliated revenue streams. Any mascot that becomes the object of mass adulation functions on some principle of relatability — which could explain the affinity one might feel for Rilakkuma’s laid-back shenanigans in a world shaped by a capitalistic rat race. Of course, Rilakkuma is, first and foremost, an adorable bear, and doesn’t sport any complex lore. But they don’t have to, as this simplicity is the reason why millions can tap into the bear’s languid, self-paced nature and draw inspiration from it when they need to.

There’s good reason to tap into the Rilakkuma anime in April even if you’ve never heard of the brown bear before, as its slice-of-life nature points towards soothing escapism (and the art of slowing down when you can). A release date for the Rilakkuma anime hasn’t been announced yet.