Yokomizo based the Sumikko Gurashi characters on doodles she made in the corners of her notebooks as a student. Before getting hired at San-X, Yokomizo studied graphic design at Tama Art University where Hikaru Suemasa, creator of the San-X character Tarepanda, was one of her professors. Yuri Yokomizo was a new designer when she developed the Sumikko Gurashi characters in her first year of joining San-X. In contrast, some of the Minikko characters have a more positive outlook, like Zassou, the weed with big dreams. The main characters have common traits: they have a slightly negative personality, they are castaways in everyday life, and they feel most relaxed when they are near a corner. The characters are split into 'Sumikko', the main characters, and 'Minikko', the smaller side characters. Targeting Japanese people with an affinity for 'corners', such as the corner seat of a café or the corner of a room, the characters are anthropomorphised animals and food items. Two animated films with Sumikko Gurashi were released in 20.

Books, mobile apps, and video games based on the franchise have also been produced. A wealth of merchandise, such as stationery, plush toys, and clothing, is sold. Their main inspiration was the feeling of comfort when one is near a corner, and they were based on Yokomizo's notebook doodles when she was a student. The characters were created by Yuri Yokomizo, a graphic designer working for San-X, and the first products were released in 2012. Minor Minniko characters include Furoshiki, a polka dot furoshiki cloth, Zassou, a weed with a positive attitude, and Tapioca, multi-colored leftover tapioca pearls. The main Sumikko characters are Shirokuma, a polar bear who dislikes the cold, Penguin? who is unsure of being a penguin, Tonkatsu, a piece of leftover pork cutlet, Neko, a timid and anxious cat, and Tokage, a dinosaur who pretends to be a lizard. The name roughly translates to 'life in the corner'. Sumikko Gurashi (すみっコぐらし) is a set of fictional characters produced by the Japanese company San-X. Various Sumikko Gurashi characters, including Shirokuma, Tokage, Penguin?, Tonkatsu, Neko, and several Minniko

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