Well, it keeps getting warmer and warmer around here, so to chill out a little bit, say hello to Shaved Ice Rilakkuma!
Hungry for shaved ice!
Super cute spoon detail!
氷(kōri) means “shaved ice”, and it’s usually served with a light syrup – yum!
Tag art! Looks like Rilakkuma is looking forward to a huge dessert!
Lovely! Looks like he’s ready for seconds (or thirds) haha.
Fansclub released this plushie in July 2010, but what’s really interesting about this plushie is that he was part of the 7th Anniversary Happy Rainbow series – wow! I’m not sure what all shaved ice has to do with the rainbow series (I always thought they featured more ice cream in that line), but it’s really beautiful and one of my favorite series because of the colors :) The 7th anniversary series has always been on my wishlist, so I’m so glad to have this plushie in my collection!
Again, this beautiful plushie was courtesy of the ever generous Rilakkuma fan Trinie!! Thank you so much for sharing your love of rare and hard to find Rilakkuma plushies!
Is it summer yet? Hahaha it certainly feels like it here in Florida – the weather is really heating up, and I’ve exchanged long pants and jackets for shorts and tank tops!
That makes it a perfect day to introduce Fansclub Aloha Rilakkuma!
Doesn’t he look happy with all of his Aloha Rilakkuma family? So relaxed!
I do love this series a lot because it shows Rilakkuma doing so many activities: grocery shopping, hula dancing, surfing, and even sun tanning!
This adorable hula-dancing Rilakkuma was released by Fansclub in April 2013, during the height of the Aloha Rilakkuma release! He really gets me in the mood for sunny skies and warm weather :)
Thank you so much again and again to Trinie, for sharing this beautiful and relaxing Aloha Rilakkuma with me – he really fits in so well with the all of the other Aloha bears! :D
Penguin Rilakkuma and Polar Bear Korilakkuma will be at the Caravan holding Penguin Kiiroitori and a striped bear of their own! (I don’t think I’ve seen Korilakkuma wearing shorts before!)
How cute, a Korilakkuma caravan plushie! So nice to see the other members of the Rilakkuma crew getting some attention!
Simon, our resident Rilakkuma artist, really loves the little plush striped bear that appears in this series – I think he wants one just like the one featured in the caravan (bottom left corner), but I don’t think they’re for sale haha. I do like those Rilakkuma proportions for a maybe Craftholic-inspired bear hehehe.
Wow, it’s getting warmer here and finally feeling like spring!
On that note, check out this cute Flower Bouquet Korilakkuma!
Perfect for springtime!
What a beautiful bouquet!
Tag art! Wow, this was back when Green Camel was all over Rilakkuma goods!
Adorable! And really so fitting for the season! She was really quite perfect for Valentine’s Day this past weekend!
This elegant plushie was released by Fansclub back in 2006 – wow, what a long time ago! What’s so special about this plushies is that the inside of the tag even has a little color chart of what the flower colors represent: since this bouquet is orange, this Korilakkuma represents cheerfulness – hooray! Pretty accurate, I think – receiving this Korilakkuma certainly made me cheerful!
Endless thanks again to Trinie, who so kindly sent this cheerful springtime Korilakkuma – she’s so pretty and a perfect fit! <3
In other news, the Rilakkuma world has been abuzz with great new things too!
Check out the new Lawson x Rilakkuma collaboration: the Vegetable Series!
Carrot and Cabbage Rilakkuma!
Tomato and Eggplant Korilakkuma!
Onion and Green Pepper Kiiroitori!
I love these! When have I disliked a Rilakkuma food theme though, hahaha. The little crates are so cute, and I do like how each of them have other veggies in their crates too (though I think tomatoes are technically fruits? hahahaha).
The whole set of 6 is 9135円 (tax included) online, but I believe Lawson stores will be selling them individually at 1450円 (tax not included), too, starting March 14. I might try to get my hands on 3 of them (1 of each), maybe the carrot, eggplant, & onion, but haven’t been able to decide yet – what do you all think? I really love this set a ton!
Even though I’m a Rilakkuma fan through and through, I love that Kiiroitori is getting some solo time!
The plushie and set are expected to come out sometime in mid-April, and they will also be releasing some housewares as lottery prizes at Lawson at the end of March – how special!
I do love the motif of Kiiroitori wearing the Rilakkuma ears hahaha it reminds me a lot of the Kiiroitori from the I Love Rilakkuma Series from 2011 – and it looks like they’re still continuing the 10th anniversary theme with Kiiroitori’s coins! Speaking of which…
Attentive reader Jennifer noticed a super-cute Sumikko Gurashi x Rilakkuma crossover in one of the latest San-X Fan Club books!
Shirokuma as Rilakkuma, Neko and Tonkatsu as Korilakkuma, & hahahaha Penguin as Kiiroitori!
Wow, how amazing is that! Two of my favorite series, celebrating together :D Great find, Jennifer!
This cute model train set is made by Kato Models, and celebrates the Yamanote Line x Rilakkuma collab from back in the summer of 2013! The 11 car set is a cool 30,450円 and the 3 car set is 12,600円 (tax included), but it’s certainly worth it for a model train enthusiast with an eye for stunning detail and Rilakkuma :D
Anyway, I’m so glad to be done with exams for now! It’s so nice to be back and active in the Rilakkuma world, especially since the weather is getting sunnier and sunnier :) I thought the exam went well, but grades haven’t come out yet, so we’ll just have to see! Now onto the next module of immunology and microbiology :O
Would love to hear what you think about the many new developments in the Rilakkuma world recently! I hope everyone’s local weather is warming up, too!
ETA (2/19): The Fukuoka 4th Anniversary Plushies have been announced!
I didn’t even know they went to school…
Looks like they’re graduation themed, and they’ll be available at Rilakkuma Stores everywhere on March 15 for 1,300円 each. What a cute surprise! I really love the cherry blossom petal motif on their tails as well as the border on the ad hahaha
Penguins for the standard release! (Except Kiiroitori?)
A polar bear hugging pillow!
Rilakkuma Store Exclusive! (So now Kii gets to be a blue penguin!)
Super cute! Definitely one of Rilakkuma’s most huggable series yet! Not super sure what stripes have to do with penguins and polar bears, like I’m surprised that their standard release plushies have no stripes at all hahaha, but I love it so far!
I think this series has such a cute color scheme and theme! The standard S plushies are each 1,780円, and the polar bear hugging pillow is 3,800円. They also have a lot of other super cute merchandise in this line as well, such as bicycle seat covers and umbrella cases!
As for the Rilakkuma Store Exclusive line, they will be available March 8 for 2000円 each! There will also be special Rilakkuma Store Exclusive bags available in this release, as well. I think they’ll be stocking some of the Rilakkuma version at the San-X Net Shop, too!
It’ll be really exciting to see how this series develops – caravan, anyone?
I think I’ll be ordering a Rilakkuma from the standard release (the blue penguin)! Since this release was leaked, I’ve been waiting for this series to appear so I could make a big Net Shop order :D
Off to study again! Let me know what your thoughts are on the new Rilakkuma Stripes Stripes Everyday Series in the comments!
I am absolutely ECSTATIC to share this plushie with all of you!
It’s the Rilakkuma 3rd Anniversary Fansclub Plushie!
It’s my party, I can relax if I want to~
A 3 on his party hat for his 3rd birthday!
Rilakkuma’s relaxing on a giant birthday present!
Tag art! I got extra excited because this plushie has the old authentication sticker, too! And it’s so interesting to see how differently the illustrations looked back in 2006!
Doesn’t Rilakkuma look so relaxed for his 3rd birthday? I really love his pose – it’s so unique with his arms behind his head and his legs crossed!
This incredible plushie came out in August 2006, making this the oldest plushie in my collection! Wow!
Since Rilakkuma’s 10th anniversary just passed last year in 2013, it’s amazing to see plushies like this from ~back in the day~ when Rilakkuma was only 3 years old! Here’s to many more years with Rilakkuma!
Whew, it was an adventure trying to hunt down a web source for this plushie since the Fansclub website, despite being very thorough in cataloging their more recent releases, doesn’t go all the way back to 2006. I love going through Rilakkuma history!
In other news, check out this Forest Series Rilakkuma lanyard!
Yay, mushrooms! I’m sure Mushroom Rilakkuma (Mush-kuma?) would love him :D
Like the plushie, this lanyard has great and special history, too! It was released as a lottery prize at Lawson for the Forest Series in September 2010!
We have to wear our med school ID badges all day, so I’m happy that I can jazz mine up now with some Rilakkuma! Yay – I can’t wait to show it off at school!
Also super appropriate because I actually grow my own mushrooms (Shiitake) at home :D
These next few posts here on Rilakkuma Lifestyle will be dedicated to the reader who so generously and thoughtfully sent me these plushies and Rilakkuma things: Trinie!! You’re a wonderful friend, and I’m so honored and appreciative for the opportunity to write about these plushies and share them with the Rilakkuma community! Thank you so so SO much!
So much more to come soon! Our big anatomy/physiology/histology/embryology exam is going to be weighing me down for the next week or so, but I am really so excited to share all these new Rilakkumas with you – stay tuned!
Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous lunar new year!
I had the honor of ringing in this lunar new year with a lot of fantastically cute new Rilakkumas – posts on them coming up soon! Our module is wrapping up so things are getting busier and busier, but I can’t wait to share these incredible new bears with everyone!
Simon’s family has a tradition of setting a fish out on the dining table during lunar new year for good fortune to symbolize promise for a continual bountiful feast – but it’s just the thought that counts (you can even just put a photo of a fish out), so we just put out a fish Rilakkuma plushie haha:
A slight deviation from our regular Rilakkuma program: it’s Nisetsumuri (にせつむり), from Sumikko Gurashi!
Hello!
Tag art!
The little elastic band means all of my Rilakkumas can hold onto him :D
Jennifer also included some incredibly cute Tonkatsu stickers: here are two of my favorites!
Here are the rest of the sticker designs – I love how new character Ebi furai no shippo (えびふらいのしっぽ) is included. And… do I see Tapioca in the top right squirting sauce onto Tonkatsu? Hahaha
Hilariously, Nisetsumuri (にせつむり) translates into something like “fake head” or “deceptive head” – because it is actually supposed to be a slug who just wears a shell! What a cute backstory haha.
And Tonkatsu (とんかつ), forever ignored because he’s the fatty end of the pork cutlet, is featured in this sticker set trying to become more appetizing with sauce, I suppose.
This Nisesumuri plushie was released in April 2013, and the Tonkatsu sticker set was released in September 2013! Glad to see such longevity in the Sumikko Gurashi line!
This set was a generous gift by reader Jennifer – thank you so so much for your support and thoughtful gifts, they never fail to cheer me up when school get busy and hectic!
Really fantastic colors! This is really one of my favorite scenes/series in Rilakkuma history – I even made a GIF of this scene around 3 weeks ago, so perfect timing! Definitely check out the rest of dulcetart’s incredible art at her tumblr!
In other news, I know I’ve never really written about how I got into the Rilakkuma world, so if you’re curious, I did a little guest blog post over at My Kawaii Life! There are also a few snapshots of my apartment Rilakkuma shelf, which is currently overflowing with plushies haha.
Thanks so much for the opportunity, Jen – I’m so honored to have been featured! If you’re interested in cute things of all types (like Rilakkuma), make sure to check out the rest of her amazing blog as well!
Lunar new year is coming up! Can’t wait to celebrate again!
The 2nd row shows a special plushie that features a Marunouchi (丸の内 – a commercial district of Tokyo) design! Super adorable – I love a Rilakkuma with a camera – and they’ll come in a bunch of different sizes, from keychain, to standard S (22 cm – collectible size), to M (like my first Rilakkuma), and will be 1480 円, 2000 円, and 3500 円, respectively. The M size will only be sold at the Tokyo Station Rilakkuma Store! They will also be released on February 14.
Pencil pouches shaped like cartons! Love the cute Rilakkuma riff on Starbucks haha
Pencil sharpeners that look like soda bottles!
Pretty cool! I love how innovative this line is, and I really hope to see these actual Rilakkuma food/drink products on the market someday! I would definitely love to sip a bottle of Rilakkuma cola by the pool hahaha
A little known fact about this blog is that my most popular post is the one on Sumikko Gurashi/Tonkatsu that I made over a year ago! I know this isn’t a Sumikko Gurashi blog, but I do think it’s a great San-X series!
Sumikko Gurashi has a new line where the characters are taking a walk wearing some new stylish gear also coming out in February, check it out!
I think my favorite is Nisetsumuri and the backpack around its (fake) shell haha. Is Penguin reading a book on… pickles?
Some new faces!
A Sumikko Gurashi playset! Spot the Tapioca in the tree!
I haven’t been following Sumikko Gurashi that closely since I made that first post over a year ago, but there are a few characters I haven’t seen before!
Suzume (すずめ): a brown sparrow
Ebi furai no shippo (えびふらいのしっぽ): the tail of a fried shrimp (えびふらい, ebi furai). Ha! He makes good company with the other discarded foods, Tapioca and Tonkatsu.
Tokage (とかげ): a blue lizard – hey, looks a little like Quagsire, right?
Adorable! Looks like a really Penguin-centric release haha. It’s so interesting to see how much longevity Sumikko Gurashi’s had with San-X – I love that this line’s been developed because I know a lot of the newer character lines tend to stagnate. Glad to see Sumikko Gurashi’s success progress – they’re even the featured background on the main San-X page right now for the new year!
Well in other news, I’ve just finished my first week of school in 2014, and it went by without a hitch! Hopefully the rest of the year will be just like this too!
In plushie news, has anyone ordered the Winter Hearts Series? Diligent reader Jennifer noticed that the fur on these plushies is slightly longer and fluffier than that the regular plushies – a happy medium between the regular plushies and the My Only series!
Jennifer’s snuggly Winter Hearts Rilakkuma plushie (right) compared against a super cute Bonjour Series Caravan plushie (left)!
See the difference in the face?
Super noticeable difference in the feet!
Incredible discovery! Thanks so much for sharing, Jennifer!
I wonder if they’ll be using more of this texture in the future? Maybe they’re testing out this new fur on the market to see how people like it. It’ll be exciting to see!
Also, I’m sure the shaggier fur keeps them nice and warm during this cold winter!
Wow! I think the colors turned out really well – this is definitely one of my favorite photos :) This photo really doesn’t do justice to the massive scale of this blanket – it’s even bigger than my queen-size bed!
I’m so thankful and fortunate to have a family that is so appreciative of Rilakkuma!
This came at a great time because we’re feeling the polar vortex a little even here all the way down in Florida, so it’s nice to have a warm Rilakkuma blanket to snuggle up to!
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