Sanrio’s latest merch release is cheeky in more ways than one — and fans are lining up to grab a piece of the action. Quite literally. Featuring character butts in all their rounded glory, new stickers and hair clips are now up for pre-order, but only if you’re in Japan.
Forget the faces — this drop is all about the rear ends. Hello Kitty, Kuromi, Cinnamoroll, and even the oddly explicit Pompompurin are all getting the soft-touch treatment, but with a twist that’s stirring giggles and raising eyebrows in equal measure.
Cute, Controversial, and Collectible
Sanrio’s bread and butter has always been wholesomeness, but this time? They’ve leaned fully into the bizarre. The new line of character merchandise puts the focus squarely on butts — yes, butts — and it’s surprisingly popular.
There’s something both absurd and endearing about it. The stickers are made from a soft, flexible material that supposedly makes poking them kind of addictive. Each sticker runs at 660 yen — around $4.60 — and ships on June 30, 2025.
The featured characters include:
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Hello Kitty
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Kuromi
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My Melody
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Cinnamoroll
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Pochacco
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Pompompurin
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Hangyodon
But here’s the kicker: only Pompompurin has an “X” marking his butthole. It’s not a new trait, but seeing it front and center (well, technically rear and center) makes the choice bold and unusually specific. It’s a detail that makes people do a double take — some fans love it, others are confused, and a few are just plain amused.
The Hair Clip That’s Causing Hair-Flip Reactions
While the sticker set is playful enough, the matching hair clips might be the most unironically cute thing in the entire release — if you’re into wearing a plush dog’s butt on your bangs.
The clips are for the left side only, which, for anyone who parts their hair the other way, might present a minor styling dilemma. But the aesthetic is strangely appealing: soft textures, plush fabric, pastel tones — it’s kawaii culture with a tongue planted firmly in cheek.
Each clip costs 858 yen (about $6), and like the stickers, they feature the same seven characters. Again, Pompompurin is the only one with a marked butt, maintaining his odd status as Sanrio’s most anatomically bold mascot.
The clips are scheduled to ship on July 30, 2025. That’s a whole month after the stickers, so any hopes of coordinating your accessories right away will need a bit of patience.
No International Orders… Yet
Here’s the part that has overseas fans sulking: Tees Factory, the company handling pre-orders, doesn’t ship internationally from its Yahoo Japan storefront. And so far, no U.S.-based retailers have stepped in to offer listings.
That means unless you’re living in Japan or have a friend who is, this adorable-bizarre drop is probably out of reach for now. There’s always proxy shipping services, but that adds layers of cost and complication.
It’s not the first time Japanese merch has been locked behind geo-borders, but for a franchise as globally beloved as Sanrio, it still stings.
Why the Butt?
You’d think this kind of merchandise would come from a small novelty brand. But no — this is official Sanrio. Which raises a fair question: why the butt?
Pompompurin has long been depicted with a marked rear end in plushes and artwork. It’s part of his character charm in Japan, where cuteness often borders on the strange. But extending this visual to other characters — even without the “X” detail — signals something different.
Some fans speculate it’s a play for virality. Stickers that are “fun to touch” and clips that are cute and absurd tend to spread quickly on social media. Others say it’s simply an extension of Sanrio’s willingness to get weird — they’ve always pushed the boundaries of what’s considered marketable cute.
Sanrio’s Not-So-Subtle Merch Playbook
This isn’t the first time Sanrio has pushed things a bit far, and it certainly won’t be the last. They’ve built an empire on making the mundane magical — even if that mundane thing is a plush cartoon backside.
Take a look at how this release stacks up to their more standard merchandise:
| Item Type | Focus | Price (JPY) | Unique Feature | Shipping Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butt Stickers | Character Butts | 660 | Soft texture, Pompompurin X | June 30, 2025 |
| Hair Clips | Plush Butts | 858 | Left-side only, same lineup | July 30, 2025 |
Fans React: Amused, Confused, and Obsessed
Reactions online have been… mixed. Some fans are delighted by the absurdity. Others aren’t sure what to make of it. But one thing’s clear — it’s working.
Posts on Twitter (or X, if we must call it that) have racked up thousands of likes. Pompompurin memes are flying. And TikTok? Already filled with fan edits showing off plushy sticker hauls.
Some common reactions:
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“I love how ridiculous this is.”
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“Pompompurin is unhinged and I support him.”
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“Why is this real?? I need all of them.”
Even longtime Sanrio collectors admit they didn’t see this coming. But somehow, it fits. In a merch landscape oversaturated with sameness, a bold butt move stands out.
What’s Next? Who Knows — Maybe Belly Buttons?
At this point, you kind of have to wonder what’s next for Sanrio’s creativity vault. They’ve milked the cute factor for decades, so maybe this cheeky release is a way to keep things weird, fresh, and undeniably marketable.
For now, the butt era is here. And thanks to a few plush Xs and soft-touch stickers, it’s leaving quite the impression.
