Cinnamoroll (シナモロール), or otherwise referred to his real name as Cinnamon (シナモン), is a Sanrio character and the title character of the Cinnamoroll universe. He was born on March 6, on a cloud far up in the sky. He is a small, shy and chubby dog with white fur, blue eyes, pink cheeks, a plump and curly tail that resembles a cinnamon roll (hence his name), and long ears that enable him to fly. Cinnamon is shy but friendly, and always willing to help out his friends when they need it. He works at Café Cinnamon, and sometimes sleeps on customers laps. His favorite food is warm, fresh cinnamon rolls. He was deemed the most popular Sanrio character in 2020 - 2023, winning first place in the Sanrio Character Ranking. Cinnamoroll himself first appeared in 2002.
Cinnamon is often depicted living in a usually peaceful, whimsical world where he embarks on various adventures with his friends, which include Chiffon, Mocha, Espresso, Cappuccino, and Baby Milk. Each of these characters is uniquely designed with their own personalities, rather than being just side characters who often get sidelined for Cinnamon himself, making them worth being characters in their own right.
Cinnamoroll's stories are typically light-hearted and emphasize themes of friendship, kindness, and adventure. These narratives often involve playful scenarios and gentle conflicts that are resolved through cooperation and understanding, reflecting the values that Sanrio promotes through its characters.
Beyond his narrative, Cinnamoroll has been a significant commercial success. He features in a wide range of merchandise, including stationery, plush toys, clothing, and accessories. His cute and accessible design has made him particularly popular among children and young adults, but his appeal extends to a broader audience that finds comfort and joy in the kawaii (cute) culture of Japan.
Sanrio has also expanded Cinnamoroll's presence through various media. He has starred in his own manga series, animated shorts, and a few video games. These adaptations not only showcase Cinnamon with his friends, but they often explore more of Cinnamoroll's world and even introduce new characters and settings.
Cinnamoroll's international appeal is notable. While he originated in Japan, his popularity has spread worldwide, with a fan base that enjoys not just the character itself but also the wholesome, joyful world he represents. This global reach is a testament to the universal appeal of the themes and aesthetics that Cinnamoroll embodies.
Story
Cinnamon was born way above the clouds in the distant sky. One day, he accidentally fell down to the ground, where he met Cafe Cinnamon's owner, Anna. She took him back to the cafe, where he met his new friends: Mocha, Milk, Chiffon, Cappuccino, and Espresso. Anna named him "Cinnamon" because of his cinnamon roll shaped tail. From then on, they decided to live together and make him the face of Cafe Cinnamon.
History
Cinnamon was created by Miyuki Okumura for Sanrio in 2001. When Sanrio was presented with the original design, they rejected it, leading Okumura to go back to the drawing board and design the Cinnamon and Cinnamoroll Universe we know today. In September 2001, he was featured in an article in The Strawberry News, along with other character designs, and fans were able to vote on which design they liked best.
Cinnamon officially debuted in June 2002 as Baby Cinnamon (ベビーシナモン). However, copyright issues with Sega Toys and Horipro's character series, Ochaken, would officially change his name to simply "Cinnamon" or "Cinnamoroll" in 2003.
He became very popular very quickly, with Cinnamoroll merchandise accounting for 25% of Sanrio's sales by 2004. Cinnamoangels began development in 2005, as did Lloromannic in 2007, as separate Cinnamoroll-inspired projects.
In 2017, Cinnamon celebrated his 15th anniversary. To commemorate the occasion, the city of Shinagawa has since appointed Cinnamon as the official tourism ambassador. In addition, the permanent Cinnamoroll Cafe opened in Shinjuku City, and an album titled "Cinnamon Trip!!" was released, with songs written and composed by Vocaloid artist, OSTER Project.
Media
Manga
- Fluffy, Fluffy Cinnamoroll (2005 - 2008)
TV / Movies
- Kitty's Paradise (Peace and PLUS) (2005 - 2011)
- AB Cinnamon (2006)
- AB Cinnamon 2 (2007)
- Sanrio Pokoapoko DVDs (2007)
- Cinnamon: The Movie (December 22, 2007)
- The Adventures of Hello Kitty & Friends: Cafe Cinnamon (2008)
- Hello Kitty and Friends Supercute Adventures (Season 2 -) (2021 -)
Music
- Baby Cinnamon - Hooverover
- Futari wa Rival - Cinnamoroll & Friends (2007)
- Cinnamon no Parade - Dempagumi.inc (2012)
- Cinnamon Trip!! - Cinnamoroll & Friends x OSTER Project (2012)
- Fure Fure Ganbare! / Shiawase no Label (2020)
- Star Dome / Manmaru Light (2021)
- Tokimeki Rainbow (2023)
Ranking in the Sanrio Character Ranking
In the 2013 Sanrio Character Ranking, if Cinnamoroll won the character ranking, he would play "Oshikura manju" with his friends. However, he failed to reach that rank in in that year's ranking, although has since won the ranking in 2017, and won again in 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 so far.
- 2002: Below top 10
- 2003: 3rd place
- 2004: 3rd place
- 2005: 3rd place
- 2006: 3rd place
- 2007: 5th place
- 2008: 7th place
- 2009: 6th place
- 2010: 6th place
- 2011: 5th place
- 2012: 4th place
- 2013: 5th place
- 2014: 5th place (2nd place in Group A)
- 2015: 3rd place
- 2016: 2nd place
- 2017: 1st place
- 2018: 1st place
- 2019: 2nd place
- 2020: 1st place
- 2021: 1st place
- 2022: 1st place
- 2023: 1st place
Gallery
With Family and Friends
_Image001.jpg "Sanrio Characters Cinnamoroll--Milk--Cappuccino--Espresso--Mocha--Chiffon (Cinnamoroll) Image001.jpg (245 KB)")
Trivia
- It's confirmed that "Cinnamoroll" is not his real name. It's instead used as a stage name or an overseas trademark, similarly to how Hello Kitty is a stage name for Kitty White.
- Cinnamon lives with Anna at Cafe Cinnamoroll, though she's never made any appearances outside Cinnamoroll: The Movie.
- Okumura was warned not to use blue as Cinnamon's image color, in fear of driving away the population of female fans. This ended up being a smart move, making Cinnamon a unique character in Sanrio's lineup.
- Cinnamon's friends were created by Okumura's desire to have fans pick a character that best represents them, rather than just having the characters play supporting roles.
- In 2015, the official Twitter account was bombarded by internet trolls, with users making threats and other abusive comments in the replies. During this time, Cinnamon's friends posted on the account in an effort to protect him, the most popular post being from Chiffon.
Sources
- Cinnamon Profile on Sanrio.co.jp
- Cinnamoroll Ranking on SanrioCharacterRanking.com via Archive.org (2016)
- Cinnamoroll Timeline on Sanrio.com
- Cinnamoroll's Family and Friends on Sanrio.co.jp
- March 2016 Calendar on Sanrio.com
- March 2017 Calendar on Sanrio.com