Why Gudetama Is The Best Sanrio Character

by Courtney Thompson

Gudetama, also known as the lazy egg, is an iconic Japanese character whose popularity has skyrocketed, making him a notable figure in popular culture around the world. Sanrio, the company who created Gudetama, creates original characters and produces character-based merchandise as well as films, television shows, video games, and books. Sanrio released Gudetama in 2013 and the loveable egg quickly became Sanrio’s most popular character since Hello Kitty. Years later, people still love Gudetama! So what is it about this lazy egg that’s captured people’s hearts?

Gudetama Sanrio

Who is Gudetama?

Unlike Hello Kitty, who doesn’t even have a mouth, Sanrio’s Gudetama is all about his slack-jawed, sometimes even drooling expression. His name comes from the Japanese phrase gudegude, which describes someone who is lazy, and tamago, which means egg. Gudetama’s laziness instantly made him relatable and allowed people to create memes and jokes about him. After all, we all have those days where we don’t feel like doing anything but laze around like the lazy egg Gudetama. Gudetama’s sheer laziness makes him the perfect vision representation of our own laziness and this made people fall in love with him.

Gudetama Sanrio

The fact that Gudetama is an egg also makes him unique. Animal characters have been done so many times, especially in the kawaii or cute market of Japan, that it’s hard to determine who is the most iconic animal character. Food-based characters, however, are much more unique which makes Gudetama stand out. Eggs in particular are extremely popular in Japan, which makes Gudetama’s success even more understandable. There are so many fun ways to incorporate Gudetama into not only merchandise, but also food. You can find many restaurants presenting their runny eggs with a little Gudetama face drawn on, which is an easy way to turn an average meal into something people are excited to take pictures of. There are also so many other cute Gudetama treats like cake, mochi, and chocolate!

The genius of the lazy egg Gudetama’s character design is that it makes him very versatile. Gudetama’s egg can be runny, soft-boiled, or hard boiled, allowing for him to be put into many different situations. He is most often depicted as a runny yolk lying atop a bed of egg whites, which perfectly expresses his laziness. He also sometimes comes with a little chair, as a soft-boiled or hard-boiled egg sitting inside an eggshell. This gives Sanrio a number of hilarious and adorable ways to portray Gudetama, which has contributed to his popularity and made for a wide market of Gudetama merch!

Because of this, there truly is a Gudetama for every mood and every occasion. Yes, every occasion, even weddings! Gudetama himself has found love in this sweet set of Gudetama Plush Wedding Dolls. The bride and groom Gudetama plushies are all dressed up and ready to walk down the aisle…or maybe stay in one place (they may be in love, but they’re still lazy!) These Gudetama toys are a great duo to add to your collection of Gudetama merch or a perfect present for the couple in your life that loves Gudetama!

If you prefer the classic single Gudetama, you can also find this cute Gudetama Talking Plush on Bokksu. Soft and adorable, this Gudetama plush sits on a little pillow of egg whites and bears his typical lazy expression. Don’t be fooled, though—this Gudetama toy is more exciting than you may expect! He does a cute little wiggle and will repeat whatever you say!

Although Gudetama has been around for several years now, his popularity doesn’t seem to be fading at all. People will always be able to relate to his lazy moods, and his cute and versatile design makes him a loveable character and the perfect face of food and merchandise!

Get ready for the most kawaii donuts ever, featuring Gudetama!


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