Sanrio Underdog Hangyodon Is Experiencing an Overdue Revival

Hangyodon, one of Sanrio's most underrated mascots, is on the cusp of an overdue comeback.

By Megan Peters

There is no denying the power of Sanrio. From Hello Kitty to Kuromi and Cinnamoroll, the brand has some of the cutest mascots out there. Over the decades, Sanrio has debuted dozens of mascots, and some of them have been met better than others. And at long last, it seems Hangyodon is getting an overdue revival.

If you have not heard of Hangyodon before, don't feel too bad. The character was created in 1985 by Hisato Inoue, and Hangyodon is a rather interesting character. The male mascot looks like a chibi anthropomorphic fish. To be honest, the mascot looks like the perfect crossover of Hello Kitty with the Creature of the Black Lagoon. Hangyodon's fishy aesthetic makes him stand out amongst Sanrio's catalog, but he has never excelled in popularity.

Well, that is until recently. It seems like Gen Z loves Hangyodon, and their visibility online is raising as such. Recently, Sanrio designer Harada Kaori was asked why they felt Hangyodon was on the rise, and they said they had no idea. Hangyodon gives off the adorable yet ugly vibe, and Gen Z loves that mismatched mix.

Of course, Hangyodon is loving this renaissance, and he is not the only Sanrio character on the up and up. After all, characters like Kuromi have made a huge splash in pop culture, and other Sanrio stars paved the way. For instance, Retsuko put Sanrio on the map with her Netflix anime, and Gudetama did the same despite being such a lazy egg. Now, it seems Hangyodon's time to shine is around the corner, so you better hop on this Sanrio trend before it blows up!

What do you think about this Sanrio comeback? Do you need a Hangyodon anime now? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

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