Students Discuss Their Favorite Characters From the Sanrio Franchise
- Kristyne Toomey
- 8 hours ago
- 2 min read
The 41st Sanrio Character Ranking is here!
Sanrio, the Japanese entertainment company responsible for the Hello Kitty universe, is currently holding their annual character ranking contest from April 9 until May 26. Sanrio fans are able to vote for their favorite characters daily until the polling closes.
Last year, Pompompurin, a laid-back, golden retriever who struts his signature brown beret, was the reigning champion for the 2025 Sanrio Character Ranking. Currently, the top three characters happen to be Sanrio’s most iconic puppy characters: Pompompurin, Cinnamoroll, and Pochacco.
Wright Times asked students, “What are your top 3 Sanrio characters and why do you like them?”
Music student Destiney Canchola said Cinnamoroll was her number one because, “They have a cute name and I rock with his energy.”
Canchola ranked Mocha number two because, “She has very cute flowers on her ears and I like that she’s tan."
She put Pompompurin as number three because, “He has great style with that beret of his, and his silly, signature booty makes him unique.”
Genessis Ramirez, a current Wright student working toward their Associate of Arts, named Pompompurin, Big Challenges, and Hanamaruobake as their top three favorites.
Ramirez said, “Pompompurin has been one of my favorite characters for a really long time; I know he likes purin but I like to believe it’s flan, he’s just like me! The other two are just so fun and cute to look at, however, they don’t have as much merchandise as Pompompurin so with him, it’s a lot easier to show he’s my favorite.”
Art major Karina Irizarry said, “Gudetama is my number one since he’s silly, relatable, quirky, and the fact he’s an egg yolk makes him extra cute! My second favorite is Cinnamoroll, and my third is Pochacco since they both have really cute character designs.
Political science major Bradley Ritter explained why Keroppi, Gudetama, and Hello Kitty were his favorites. “Keroppi is number one probably because he’s energetic, has a different habitat compared to the other characters, and he likes to swim. I like Gudetama since he’s just a chill, lazy guy, ya know? And I would say Hello Kitty is my third favorite since I’m a fan of the classics.”
As students walk around Wilbur Wright’s campus, I cannot help but notice the endless keychains, stickers, bags and acessories displaying the beloved Sanrio characters.
I’ve been a Hello Kitty girl my whole life, so apart from our Sanrio matriarch, I would say that Cappucinno, Pochacco, and Cinnamoroll would be my favorites.
I like Cappucinno’s character design since I am a coffee enthusiast, and Cappucino’s white, frothy mouth is just the cherry on top. Pochacco is another favorite of mine since he looks like my white-and-black shih tzu. Finally, Cinnamoroll is an adorable, sleepy puppy who can fly with his ears, what a cutie!
Considering Sanrio has over 450 characters, the possibilities are infinite for someone to connect with a Sanrio character. You can cast your vote on the official Sanrio Ranking website. I highly recommend asking your friends who their favorites are and why, the answers may surprise you!
