Netflix has really been stepping up its anime game, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the streaming service would eventually want to procure a license with a massive fanbase behind it. While they’ve already accomplished this by snagging exclusive anime adaptations based on popular manga and video games, the true powerhouse brand Netflix was lacking was one of Sanrio’s iconic mascot characters. While this new show doesn’t follow the iconic Hello Kitty, it does follow a duo that is just as recognizable among fans.
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Netflix has previously dabbled in making animated shows featuring Sanrio’s characters, having released Rilakkuma & Kaoru, an episodic series following the popular San-X mascot living his daily life alongside an office worker, the streaming service’s latest animated project instead focuses on what is by far Sanrio’s most iconic duo in the aptly titled My Melody & Kuromi, which is set to release in July 2025. Netflix is excited about the show, too, revealing a special preview image of My Melody in the upcoming series.
[RELATED: Netflix Brings Sanrio’s Cutest Duo Alive in New Series Teaser]
My Melody alert
— Netflix (@netflix) March 22, 2025
My Melody & Kuromi is coming this July! pic.twitter.com/ivhpBwqtZz
My Melody & Kuromi Have an Adorable Rivals-To-Friends Relationship
My Melody was originally introduced as one of Sanrio‘s flagship characters in 1975 by artist Yasuko Matsumoto as a friend to Hello Kitty. She grew in popularity and eventually got her own anime series titled Please My Melody in 2005, which ran for four seasons. The anime featured a cast of human characters that acted as companions for My Melody, and, most importantly, officially marked the debut of My Melody’s mischievous rival, Kuromi. While Kuromi was originally written to be an antagonistic figure in Please My Melody, in later appearances, like in Hello Kitty and Friends Supercute Adventures, she’s much friendlier to the pastel crew, especially My Melody.
This relationship makes sense: the two are perfect mirrors of one another, and given that they’re receiving a brand-new show following their dynamic, it’s clear that it’s something fans love to see, too. The new Netflix series My Melody & Kuromi seems to be taking an approach similar to the aforementioned Rilakkuma & Kaoru series by using stop-motion animation to capture My Melody and Kuromi as adorable felt dolls brought to life while being loaded with charm and style. The initial first look revealed by Netflix Anime in January 2025 didn’t give away any details regarding the type of story My Melody & Kuromi intends to tell, but, it does show that the production team at TORUKU – part of Wit Studio – intends to make the characters as lively as possible.
Source: Netflix on X (Formerly Twitter), Youtube
