For many, Sanrio is synonymous with Hello Kitty. The sweet, silent white cat has transcended generations and borders to become a global cultural icon. But few know that Hello Kitty was not actually the first character born from Sanrio’s creative hive. Before her 1974 debut, there was another, who was a soft-spoken, croquette-loving bear named Coro Chan. Despite being the company’s first official character, Coro Chan’s legacy has largely faded into obscurity, a footnote in the empire Hello Kitty helped build.

Coro Chan, also known as Koro-chan, is a brown bear with a friendly demeanor and curious aesthetic, his most distinct feature being yellow croquettes permanently stuck to his cheeks. While this might be a charming or quirky detail to some, it is part of what led others to view him as less appealing than his successors. Designed by Yuko Shimizu, the very same creator behind Hello Kitty, Coro Chan debuted in 1973. Yet unlike Hello Kitty, My Melody, or Little Twin Stars, who all launched in the mid-70s and gained massive followings, Coro never reached those same heights.

The Bear Who Started It All for Sanrio

The Forgotten Origin Story of Sanrio's Coro Chan

Coro Chan’s humble beginnings trace back to Windermere, a quaint English town in the UK that serves as his fictional hometown. His personality is relaxed, kind, and perpetually cheerful, a tone consistent with Sanrio’s brand philosophy of promoting friendship and happiness. In many ways, Coro Chan embodied the early essence of what Sanrio would become, with soft aesthetics, relatable characters, and emotionally relatable storylines. But while the foundation was there, Coro did not quite capture the public imagination in the same way Hello Kitty did just one year later.

His visual design may have played a role. Unlike the polished minimalism of Hello Kitty, Coro Chan’s face, complete with yellow croquette "cheeks", struck some as clunky or even off-putting. In a brand so heavily reliant on visual cuteness, this was a considerable disadvantage. As Sanrio expanded and refined its character design strategy, Coro Chan remained stuck in his original, slightly awkward form, never receiving the aesthetic updates many of his peers did.

A Shadow in the Hello Kitty Empire

Why Didn’t Coro Chan Catch On?

By the late 1970s and into the 1980s, Sanrio began to establish itself as a powerhouse of character licensing and merchandising. Characters like My Melody and Little Twin Stars quickly rose in popularity, appearing in everything from stationery to TV shows. Coro Chan, despite his seniority, was increasingly pushed to the margins. He was occasionally featured alongside other lesser-known characters, including Little Honey (a sort of early blueprint for the now-retired Cathy), but never gained traction on his own.

While Coro Chan has not been officially retired, his presence is minimal in modern Sanrio media and merchandising.

The 1990s saw Coro Chan's final flickers of visibility, often as a sidekick or nostalgic callback. But as the decades wore on, even that dwindled. While Coro Chan has not been officially retired, his presence is minimal in modern Sanrio media and merchandising. His most recent ranking in the Sanrio Character Ranking, a yearly popularity poll, was 74th place in 2021. He has also been absent from the rankings altogether in recent years, suggesting a character largely forgotten even by dedicated fans.

Fans Still Sanrio’s First Bear

Coro Chan’s Cult Following and Possible Comeback

Still, some pockets of the internet and old-school Sanrio fans have held onto their affection for Coro Chan. His obscurity has become part of his charm, attracting those who root for the underdog or appreciate the offbeat edges of kawaii culture. There are occasional calls on social media for his revival, and a few rare items of Coro Chan merchandise continue to circulate among collectors. Yet, Sanrio has made no big moves to reintroduce him into the spotlight.

Why has Coro Chan not been given the same legacy treatment as Sanrio's other classic characters? Perhaps it is because he did not get his breakout moment during Sanrio’s formative years. Or maybe his design simply does not match the modern kawaii standards. Either way, Coro Chan stands as a reminder that even within empires of cuteness and commercial success like Hello Kitty's, some pioneers go uncelebrated.