Could a lazy egg character named Gudetama soon become more popular than Hello Kitty?

Gudetama.
(Image credit: YouTube.com/WallStreetJournal)

There's room for everyone in the world of Sanrio, but a strange new character that uses bacon as a blanket and is constantly fatigued could be giving Hello Kitty a run for her money.

Gudetama is a sluggish egg that has become a surprise hit for the company, The Wall Street Journal reports. It has more online followers than any other character, and is Sanrio's foray into the datsuryoku, or "listless," genre. It is often portrayed in cartoons and on products as a fried egg, but also appears hardboiled and in omelette and custard form. Fan Narumi Wong told WSJ she likes Gudetama because "it's lazy. It's got a market with university students, given we've got a lot of work and sometimes we just want to laze around."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.