Last year, Hello Kitty celebrated her 50th anniversary as a beloved kawaii icon, a UNICEF Children’s Ambassador and one of the most successful characters of all time. This year, Sanrio is celebrating two other immensely popular characters— My Melody and Kuromi. My Melody is turning 50 and Kuromi is turning 20.
My Melody is a white rabbit from the magical forest of Mariland. She was created by Yasuko Matsumoto, who was also the designer behind Little Twin Stars. My Melody’s official birthday is on January 18. She debuted in 1975, originally designed as an iteration of Little Red Riding Hood sporting a bright red hood. But future merchandise releases started featuring her in a pink hood instead, which remained popular and is now her signature look. In 2015, Little Forest Fellow made his debut— he is My Melody’s second cousin and wears the red hood that she passed down to him, serving as an official explanation for the hood color change. My Melody sat at 6th place in the 2024 Sanrio character ranking right under Hello Kitty.
Kuromi won 3rd place for the third time in a row since 2022. The character was designed by Yuko Yamaguchi in 2005, making her first appearance in the anime series Onegai My Melody. She got so popular from the series that Sanrio executives made her an official character. Fittingly, her official birthday is on Halloween, October 31. Like My Melody, Kuromi is a white rabbit who wears a black jester’s hat with a pink skull. Kuromi was initially created to be My Melody’s mischievous rival or evil twin, but her personality has evolved to be more like a “yin” to match My Melody’s “yang;” polar opposites that still support each other. Her profile says that although she may look tough, she’s actually super girly.
As the duo celebrate their anniversary together, Sanrio is launching special events, collaborations and new media you don’t want to miss. You can also check the official anniversary website to stay up to date on the latest news. As Kuromi’s birthday is in the later half of the year, more Kuromi events and collaborations will be announced in the future.
My Melody & Kuromi Anniversary Events
To celebrate My Melody's 50th anniversary and Kuromi's 20th anniversary, Sanrio Puroland and Harmonyland theme parks will have new attractions, entertainment, photo spots, merchandise and food.
My Melody & Kuromi Anniversary Party at Sanrio Puroland and Harmonyland
Date & Time
Jan 17-Dec 31・・Specific event and attraction dates may vary
Price
Location
Sanrio Puroland
Sanrio is celebrating the 50th anniversary of My Melody and the 20th anniversary of Kuromi with a special event at five Parco shopping malls nationwide, featuring photo spots, merchandise and decorations of the two characters.
Parco My Melody and Kuromi Anniversary Party
Date & Time
Jan 10-27・11:00-21:00・Open admission until 30 minutes before closing time, Closed at 18:00 on last day
Price
¥1000
Location
Ikebukuro Parco
More Info
Free for preschool children
My Melody & Kuromi Netflix Series
My Melody and Kuromi will also be getting their own animated series on Netflix. The show has been aptly named “My Melody & Kuromi” and will be an all-new original series that follows everyone’s favorite bestie duo and the adventures that they’ll be on in Mariland. The show is being produced via stop-motion technology instead of the typical anime-style that you may be familiar with.
GU Collaboration Collection
GU has a cute new lineup of apparel and accessories for kids and adults. The collection includes T-shirts, hoodies, loungewear sets, socks and pouches featuring the two characters.
Girly Pop Heart Celebration at Kiddy Land
Toy store Kiddy Land is collaborating with Sanrio for an exclusive My Melody collection. The release features the character sporting a variety of cute hood designs with products including plushies, tumblers, keychains, pouches, tote bags, stationery, portable chargers, hair clips and more. Customers who spend over ¥2200 will receive an exclusive trading card with a random design.
Zoff Sanrio Glasses
Zoff released the cutest collection of eyewear and accessories in collaboration with Sanrio characters Cinnamoroll, My Melody and Kuromi. The collection brings kawaii style to the glasses experience. Zoff is also hosting a variety of giveaways to celebrate this new release.
My Melody Ribbon Princess Collection
Sanrio has released the My Melody Ribbon Princess design series just in time for the character’s birthday. The collection includes a birthday doll, a shoulder bag, a tissue pouch, a pass case, a watch, a mug, a compact mirror and more. The collection also features My Melody’s friend My Sweet Piano.
