Gudetama

when she created Gudetama Gudetama was created in 2013 by then-26-year-old Sanrio designer Amy, or . The creation of Gudetama was inspired by an egg she was using to prepare tamago kake gohan for dinner after a long day at work. To her, the droopy look of the yolk seemed cute. Gudetama came in second, with the winner of the competition being a cheerful salmon fillet named Kirimichan. Even though Gudetama was initially less popular than Kirimichan, it gained more popularity than the salmon character. The name "Gudetama" is derived from two parts: the first is the ideophone gudegude (), which is used to evoke the impression of something lazy and lacking energy. The second part is from the Japanese word tamago () which means egg. Therefore, Gudetama can be translated to English as "lazy egg". As for its art style, Gudetama is marked by its simple line drawing, in keeping with the intention of using the character in anime for children, but which also allows easy mass production. The series ended in 2020. In 2019, Gudetama was Sanrio's third most profitable character, behind Hello Kitty and My Melody. == Appearances and characters ==

Gudetama is portrayed as a yellow yolk of a raw egg with prominent buttocks. Soy sauce is its favorite food and is one of the few things that can make it motivated. It sometimes uses its chalaza (the bands of tissue that hold the egg yolk in place) as a lasso or weapon by throwing it. Shakipiyo (Japanese: しゃきぴよ) is a chick covered with yellow feathers and wearing an egg shell as pants. She is an energetic character whose hyperactivity made Gudetama feel pestered and harangued at first, but the two become best friends. Hardboiled (Japanese: ハードボイルド) is an egg character that is cooked as its name suggests, after boiling in hot water for more than 15 minutes. He is depicted as jaded and sometimes menacing with thick eyebrows. Guretama (Japanese: グレたま) is an egg that has become spoiled. Guretama is a yellow grey color, is usually surrounded by purple stink clouds, and has an irritated expression. He is grumpier and more aggressive than Gudetama. == Background ==

of Gudetama at Comikaze Expo in 2015 Two factors can help explain Gudetama's popularity: Japan's kawaii (cute) culture, and the country's particular food culture. In contrast, Gudetama is depicted as having no such desire and actively resisting attempts to eat it. Gudetama's kimo-kawaii shows through its depression, which causes it to constantly complain about its hard life. Translator Matt Alt commented that "using mascots such as Gudetama is a more nuanced way of expressing oneself than simply verbalizing an emotion or typing it out". == Media ==

TBS TV series A series of animated Gudetama shorts were broadcast on the Japanese channel TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System) between 2014 and 2020. As of 2019 there were over 1200 episodes. Shunsuke Takeuchi (Roger Craig Smith in the English dub) provides the voice for 24 different egg characters in the series, including Gudetama, while the voice of Shakipiyo is provided by Seiran Fukushima (Colleen O'Shaughnessey in the English dub). The theme song is performed by Yuko Hara from the band Southern All Stars. Gudetama Tap! is a mobile game released in 2019 and is a casual game or a collecting game. The game is simple but requires long waiting time, while this game is mainly about using various recipes to cook different kinds of Gudetama. A recipe requires long hours to wait can cook rare Gudetama, and players are aimed to collect all kinds of Gudetama as they can. Gudetama is a minor character in Hello Kitty Island Adventure on Apple Arcade that was released in 2023, where Pochacco challenges the player character to take photos of various meals around the archipelago that Gudetama are in. In 2025 a game was released for the Nintendo Switch called "GUDETAMARUN" - Running GUDETAMA ! But GUDETAMA wants to be Gudegude ~. It is a side scrolling action game, and was published by OperaHouse. Theme activities In 2019, Sentosa, an island off the coast of mainland Singapore, got more than 800 Gudetama inflatables which were used to celebrated the annual Sentosa Funset. == Products ==

Originally targeted at a preadolescent audience, the Gudetama market has expanded to include millennials, with exports to many countries such as China, Singapore, the UK, and South Korea. Within two years after the introduction of Gudetama, Sanrio has shipped nearly 2000 kinds of themed products in Japan, from pencils to suitcases. Airliner In November 2016, EVA Air launched a new Sanrio-themed airplane with a Gudetama theme. It is an Airbus A321-200 flying between Taiwan and Tokyo. Pillows and chairs are decorated with pictures of Gudetama with sunglasses, conveying a leisurely atmosphere. Establishments There are Gudetama-themed restaurants in Japan, China, London, and Buena Park, California. The restaurants are decorated with the style of Gudetama, serving various egg dishes with the face of Gudetama to the customers. In 2014, Village Vanguard Diner Lumine Machida opened a limited time Gudetama-themed café, offering themed cakes, burgers, pudding, etc. In 2016, Shoryu Ramen created a limited edition menu with dishes cooked to look like characters from the Gudetama series. Gudetama's face was painted on the bread of burgers and most of the dishes had egg as an ingredient. Clothing In March 2016, Taiwanese brand Stayreal collaborated with Gudetama, and listed limited edition T-shirts, caps, cups, masks, and other products. In April 2019, Stayreal had a second collaboration with Gudetama, adding the female brand Rockcoco. The collaboration was centered around the theme "Lazy is the new busy". UNIQLO has collaborated with Sanrio to include Gudetama T-shirts. Anwar Carrots has released Gudetama collaboration items such as bum bags, hats and shirts. Train In 2018, Seibu Railway created a Gudetama-themed train. This train ran along Shinjuku Line and the Haijima Line from mid-August to November; it was then on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line until the end of December 2018. The entire train was painted yellow, with Gudetama's face featured on the front and back. Inside the train, large Gudetama fixtures were added to the sides of seats and from above the racks. == References ==