Sumikkogurashi debuted in 2012 as slightly negative characters who like to stay in the corner of a room. The characters include "Shirokuma", a polar bear who is sensitive to cold, "Penguin?" (with a question mark in its name), a penguin who is unsure if it is actually a penguin, "Tonkatsu", a piece of pork cutlet that was left uneaten, "Neko", a shy cat, and "Tokage", who hides his nature as one of the last dinosaurs. The franchise has inspired toys, books, stationery material, video games—and now a feature film.
Practical Effects
Stunning pop-up book animation that folds and unfolds like origami magic.
Production
Every frame looks like a plush toy you desperately want to own.
Director
Mankyu
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Sumikko Gurashi literally means 'living in the corner'—a phenomenon in Japanese culture where people, especially younger generations, feel safer at society's edges rather than the spotlight.
The 66-minute runtime was deliberately kept short because the target audience (and let's be real, stressed adults) has limited attention spans for emotional comfort content.
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