From Stationery To Screen: “Rilakkuma And Kaoru” May Just Be Your Next Netflix Binge

Netflix recently surpassed broadcast and cable TV giant Comcast in market value and is gearing up to surpass media giant Disney, says Fortune. The streaming service has been consistently aggressive in coming out with original productions after seeing shows like Stranger Things, The Crown, and Narcos, among its other homegrown hits, strike big with audiences.

It recently announced its venture into cutesy territory with their latest original, ‘Rilakkuma and Kaoru’, Netflix’s first stop motion animated series featuring the beloved Japanese bear. Rilakkuma is one of Japan's most popular characters—a bear with a zipper on its back that spends each day just lazing around. It sounds almost similar to another beloved lazy Japanese character, Gudetama.

 

If you didn't get the chance to visit us today at @mcmcomiccon then come find us tomorrow! ? We are located at North Entrance 5, stand 1210 ? We have kind staff that will be happy to help ?? #artboxuk #artboxlondon #kawaii #cute #rilakkuma #korilakkuma #sanx #sanrio #mymelody #pink #pompompurin #littletwinstars #cinnamoroll #sumikkogurashi #jinbeisan #mcmlondon #mcmcomiccon #mcmLDN18

A post shared by ARTBOX Covent Garden (@artbox_uk) on May 26, 2018 at 12:30pm PDT

Rilakkuma ranked 5th most popular Japanese character in 2010. Since then he’s appeared in thousands of stationeries, plushies, notebooks, backpacks, pencil cases—you name it, he’s probably been on it. The character was created by the stationery company San-X back in 2003. The company requires all their staff to come out with adorable characters on a monthly basis and this one was born from an idea of former employee, Aki Kondo. At the time she created Rilakkuma, Kondo was dreaming about having a pet and a more relaxed life. To get a glimpse of the new series coming in Spring 2019.