Who Are the Sumikko Gurashi?

The Sumikko Gurashi, or “Life in the Corner,” is a collection of San-X characters that personify everyday life’s more realistic sides. Not everyone is super spunky and happy all day, every day.

They are the oddest assortment of friends who all prefer to sit in corners alone. As weird as the group seems, they all mean well and are excellent friends with one another. Here are the main characters of this comforting San-X franchise!

Shirokuma

Shirokuma is a polar bear that does not enjoy cold weather in the least. This makes it very difficult for him to be a polar bear, naturally, but when he learned that there are warm oceans far to the south, he did his best to travel to them. Shirokuma is very, very shy and only really feels calm when he’s sipping warm tea in a corner.

Penguin?

Penguin? is a penguin that is entirely unsure if they are a penguin. For starters, Penguin? is green, which is already very strange. He also remembers having a plate on his head, but they can’t quite remember what that means. Whether they know it or not, there’s a perfect chance Penguin? might be a kappa.

Tonkatsu

Tonkatsu is a little piece of fried pork cutlet left behind on his plate because he was 99% fat and only 1% meat. He still likes to cover himself in condiments and marinades to let people know he is still edible. Still, it was unfortunate for him to get left behind alone.

Neko

Neko is a very cute calico cat who is a little plump and self-conscious about weight. While no one has ever said anything to Neko about their weight, it’s hard not to feel anxious about being a little chubby as a cat.

Tokage

Tokage is a dinosaur that pretends to be a lizard. He does this to fool people into thinking he is a lizard because he doesn’t want people to know he is the last dinosaur. As such, he is generally shy and likes to keep to himself.

What are some other famous Sumikko Gurashi characters?

Furoshiki

Furoshiki, like Tonkatsu, is precisely what their name implies. A pink furoshiki cloth with white spots, Furoshiki is Shirokuma’s personal cloth. Shirokuma often uses Furoshiki to claim corners and use them as a warm blanket.

Zassou

Zassou is a weed with a very positive outlook on life which makes it very different from its friends. He dreams of becoming the centerpiece in a beautiful bouquet and is very close to Neko, as Neko is the only person who takes time to water Zassou.

Ebifurai No Shippo

Ebifurai No Shippo is the discarded tail end of a shrimp. It does its best even though no one really wants it. Like Tonkatsu, Ebifurai No Shippo fries itself in oil instead of regular baths and dresses itself in condiments. It has an affinity for tartare sauce.

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Tapioca

Just like Tonkatsu and Ebifurai No Shippo, Tapioca is leftover food. Tapioca happens to be the leftover tapioca pearls from a cup of milk tea. It was pleased when Tapioca was still in its drink, but now it just sits around with a neutral expression. Tapioca’s pearls come in various colors, like yellow, blue, pink, and black.

Hokori

Hokori is a collection of dust that has accumulated in a corner of a room. Like Tapioca, Hokori is more than one single person and can have multiple versions of itself. Fittingly, Hokori does not like water at all.

Why do people like Sumikko Gurashi so much?

Unlike the peppier characters that San-X has, the characters of the Sumikko Gurashi represent the more realistic moods people can have. Not everyone likes to be in bright sunlight or at the front of a room. Sometimes, it can be nice and cozy to sit in a corner seat.

That type of quiet reassurance is what the Sumikko Gurashi is all about. It’s okay to be a little moody and unsure about things. Sumikko Gurashi speaks to life’s outcasts and misfits. It speaks to those who can feel anxious and worried. It lets us know it’s okay if we aren’t always okay.

Characters like Tapioca, Tonkatsu, and Ebifurai No Shippo are pieces of food scraps that no one wants. Rather than reserving themselves to sadness, they found friendship with one another and do their best every day.

It isn’t often that an entire roster of characters are composed of silly rejects and bummed-out kitty cats, but stranger things have happened. Sumikko Gurashi are cute characters for people who need reassurance that they aren’t alone in their worries and flaws.

Do you like Sumikko Gurashi? Do you have a favorite character? If so, who is it? Please let us know in the comments below! We would love to hear about why you love Sumikko Gurashi so much!