Netflix's Rilakkuma and Kaoru will introduce new characters that the viewers are bound to fall in love with. As the release date drew nearer, more exciting details about the streaming giant's first stop-motion title are coming to light.
Based on the characters of the popular Rilakkuma franchise, Rilakkuma and Kaoru follows the adventures of an ordinary hard working woman, Kaoru (voiced by Lana Therese Condor). Her life turns upside down when a soft toy bear, Rilakkuma, suddenly appears in her apartment and begins living there.
Not much is known about the soft toy bear other than he likes pancakes, pudding, omellete rice, and Dango (a Japanese dumpling). He also has a zipper on his back, but the contents remain unknown. He spends most of his day doing absolutely nothing along with Kaoru's pet bird, Kiiroitori and a little white cub, Korilakkuma.
"When a woman in her thirties begins sharing her apartment with a soft toy bear that has decided to take up residence there, she finds that the secret to life is sometimes as simple as relaxing," the official synopsis of Rilakkuma and Kaoru reads, as quoted by Animation Scoop.
Rilakkuma and Kaoru will consist of 13 episodes, which is expected to last around 20 to 25 minutes each. The entire episodes will all be available to stream upon release. It is directed by Masahito Kobayashi (Outdoor Rock 'n' Roll) based on a script written by Naoko Ogigami (Megane, Kamome Shokudō, and Close-Knit). It is produced by Dwarf Studios.
Rilakkuma and Kaoru was first announced in November 2018 during Netflix's Anime Lineup Presentation event at the Akiba Theatre in Tokyo. The announcement also includes fan-favorite titles such as 7 Seeds, Ultraman, Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac and Neon Genesis Evangelion.
For those who are unfamiliar with Rilakkuma, the character was made by Aki Kondo for a Japanese stationery company, San-X. The said character was an embodiment of the creator's wish to own a pet to lower down her stress levels and have a more relaxing life.
Since then, Rilakkuma has appeared on several items such as stationery, dishware, backpacks, stuffed animals and even video games. Due to this, the character ranked as the fifth most popular character in Japan in the latest survey of the Character Databank, according to The New York Times.
Rilakkuma and Kaoru will premiere globally on April 19 on Netflix. Stay tuned to Business Times for the latest Rilakkuma and Kaoru spoilers, news and updates.
