Guys can like Sanrio stuff too! Guide to the Sanrio Danshi Anime

Despite mainly being popular among women, Sanrio has been marketing its franchise for all genders and ages. Different products and shows have been released to appeal to a diverse audience. One such example that shows Sanrio can appeal to guys as well is Sanrio Danshi.

(image above: Sanrio Danshi Anime Characters)

Sanrio Danshi is about boys who love Sanrio characters and products. It was originally a marketing campaign that became its own series. It aims to appeal to male and female fans who enjoy the Sanrio franchise. In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about the Sanrio Danshi series. We’ll talk about its origins, manga and anime adaptations, stage plays, and more.

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Can Guys Like Sanrio Stuff?

Sanrio’s famous mascot, Hello Kitty, is universally loved. However, it is undeniable that her target market is women.

Given how Western and Japanese audiences perceive Hello Kitty, guys who like Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters may feel insecure. However, Hello Kitty herself has made a clear stance on this topic.

During Hello Kitty’s 1st Anniversary Celebration as a YouTuber, she officially answered whether or not it is okay for guys to like Hello Kitty (see video above) . Hello Kitty stated that it is totally okay to like Hello Kitty even if you are a guy. She also mentioned that she would be working hard to change the negative views of people and to normalize guys liking Hello Kitty.

In addition, over the years, Sanrio has created different characters and merchandise that would appeal to different genders and ages. They even made an entire franchise about boys who love Sanrio’s popular characters.

Also Read: CUTE SANRIO CROSSOVER MERCH YOU MUST HAVE!

What is Sanrio Danshi?

The Sanrio Danshi Project is a series that centers around boys who love the Sanrio franchise. It started as a special marketing campaign in 2015 to promote Sanrio’s popular characters. They designed five original characters who love Sanrio merchandise.

Surprisingly, Sanrio’s original character designs were well-received by fans, prompting the company to start the “Sanrio Danshi Project.” In 2016, Sanrio released a Japan-exclusive Sanrio Danshi mobile game. Special merchandise based on the characters was also released.

The game is called Sanrio Danshi: Watashi, Koi wo, Shirimashita (サンリオ男子～わたし、恋を、知りました). During the game’s first week, around 100,000 users downloaded the game.

A manga series was also released to further expand the story of the Sanrio Danshi. And finally, in 2018, the Sanrio Danshi manga officially received an anime adaptation. The anime had twelve episodes and ran from January to March 2018. After the end of the anime, a special stage play was announced.

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Sanrio Danshi Manga

The Sanrio Danshi (also known as Sanrio Boys) project was adapted into a manga and anime series. The manga was written and illustrated by Mai Ando, known for her works which include Shinkon Gokko and Amakute Zurui Wana no Naka.

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The manga created original stories centered around the Sanrio Boys. The stories showed how they interacted with each other and lived their everyday lives. These stories include Sanrio Danshi: Oretachi, Seishun, Hajimemashita (サンリオ男子～俺たち、青春、はじめました) and Sanrio Danshi: Oretachi, Koi, Hajimemashita (サンリオ男子～俺たち、恋、はじめました).

Sanrio Danshi Anime

In 2018, Mai Ando’s Sanrio Danshi manga was adapted into a 12-episode anime by Pierrot. The story of the anime is about how the Sanrio Boys learn to accept and not be ashamed of their love for Sanrio’s adorable characters.

The story starts with Kota Hasegawa, a high school student who loves Sanrio’s cute Golden Retriever, Pompompurin. During high school, he met and befriended other students who also loved Sanrio’s characters.

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These students include Yu Mizuno, Shunsuke Yoshino, Ryo Nishimiya, and Seiichiro Minamoto. Despite being normal students who are part of school clubs and popular in their classes, these boys also love Sanrio characters.

In addition, just like Kota Hasegawa, these boys don’t simply like Sanrio characters for the sake of it. They share an emotional connection with these characters and have been shaped by them during specific events in their childhood.

Also Read: HOW TO BUY FROM SANRIO JAPAN ONLINE

Sanrio Danshi Characters

Kota Hasegawa (長谷川康太)

Voice Actor: Takuya Eguchi

Favorite Sanrio Character: Pompompurin

Kota Hasegawa is one of the main characters of the Sanrio Danshi franchise. His love for Sanrio started when his grandmother gifted him a Pompompurin plush. Unfortunately, after being bullied, he stopped liking the character and even yelled at his grandmother for giving him the toy.

He later felt sorry and wanted to apologize to his grandmother. But unfortunately, it was too late, as his grandmother passed away. After meeting the other Sanrio Boys, he later accepted that it is okay to love Sanrio’s characters.

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Yu Mizuno (水野祐)

Voice Actor: Sōma Saitō

Favorite Sanrio Character: My Melody

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Yu Mizuno is Kota’s outgoing friend. He is popular in school and attracts many female students. Unlike the other Sanrio Boys, Yu is not afraid of admitting that he loves My Melody. He even refers to her as his princess. Yu is a caring friend and often looks out for the other Sanrio boys. He is also protective of his younger sister, Yuri.

Shunsuke Yoshino (吉野俊介)

Voice Actor: Jun Oosuka

Favorite Sanrio Character: Hello Kitty

Shunuske Yoshino is Yu Mizuno’s best friend. He is the ace striker of their school’s soccer team. He has a serious personality and doesn’t like interacting with people he isn’t close with. However, he is shown to be loyal to his friends.

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He loves Hello Kitty and treats it as his “goddess of victory” or lucky charm. His love for the character started when a girl gave him a Hello Kitty charm. In return, he would show off his medal after winning an event.

Unfortunately, the girl moved before he got his chance. Since then, he became distant from others until he met the rest of the Sanrio Boys.

Ryo Nishimiya (西宮諒)

Voice Actor: Hiroyuki Kagura

Favorite Sanrio Characters: Kiki and Lala (Little Twin Stars)

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Ryo Nishimiya is Seiichiro Minamoto’s best friend. His family and friends tease him for having cute and girly features. He often dislikes these comments and wants to be manly.

Like the rest of the Sanrio Boys, Ryo Nishimiya wasn’t open about liking Kiki and Lala or other Sanrio characters. But after discovering that Minamoto and the others like Sanrio, he finally accepts his love for Little Twin Stars.

Seiichiro Minamoto (源誠一郎)

Voice Actor: Yuuma Uchida

Favorite Sanrio Character: Cinnamoroll

Seiichiro Minamoto is the school archery team's captain and the student council president. He is portrayed as a nice guy who cares for his friends. He is also academic and level-headed.

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Despite his personality, he has a soft spot, as seen in his love for CInnamoroll. He is seen as the most mature among the five original Sanrio Boys.

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