Earlier in June, San-X’s unveiled an anime series for its popular character Rilakkuma (リラックマ) to celebrate his 15th anniversary. Produced by Netflix, San-X and Dwarf Studio, the programme will air worldwide exclusively on Netflix starting Spring 2019.
Named Rilakkuma and Kaoru (リラックマとカオルさん), it is written by film writer Naoko Ogigami and directed by Masahito Kobayashi. There will be a total of 13 episodes, each of which is 11 minute long. It has been said that the anime will involve stop motion elements.
Started as a merchandise franchise by San-X, Rilakkuma is a character that is said to be a toy bear and lazy. His cute appearance has made him popular among girls and among merchandise producers.