5 Most Underrated Sanrio Characters

When the Sanrio Character Ranking drops every year, do you ever scroll through the list and spot your favorite cuties in a rank way lower than expected? It’s usually the underrated Sanrio cuties that make you stop and wonder where your fellow fans are hiding and why they’re not voting.

Let's jump right in! 

1. My Sweet Piano
2. Usahana
3. Dear Daniel
4. Marron Cream
5. Corocorokuririn

There are more than 450 Sanrio characters, but a bunch of seriously kawaii ones keep getting overshadowed by icons like Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, Kuromi, and Pompompurin. Still, it never stops fans from wishing these cuties got a little more attention.

So today, we are giving the spotlight to the 5 most underrated Sanrio Characters who deserve a lot more love!

1. My Sweet Piano (マイスウィートピアノ)

Say hello to My Sweet Piano, the softest, fluffiest pink sheep in Sanrio history. This cutie is best friends with My Melody, and they live next door to each other in the beautiful town of Mariland. Her personality is just as sweet as her favorite meringue cookies!

But when the rankings come out, she barely makes it on top. Fans online always wonder why a character this soft and aesthetic does not get more votes. Maybe she’s too subtle for the spotlight, maybe there isn't enough My Sweet Piano merch, or maybe she’s being overshadowed by her superstar best friend.

Either way, My Sweet Piano deserves more love because she is one of the cutest characters Sanrio has ever created. You can get to know her more in our complete guide about My Sweet Piano.

2. Usahana (ウサハナ)

Next comes the rainbow bunny of Japan, Usahana (also spelled U*SA*HA*NA)! Her name means “flower rabbit,” and she’s bright, colorful, and energetic, much like her favorite summer season. Usahana goodies are originally designed to brighten the workdays of office women in Japan, which explains the cheerful, feel-good vibe.

But even with that cheery concept, Usahana faded from the spotlight for years. She barely appeared in merch, her media presence slowed down, and she kept slipping in the Sanrio Character Ranking. Then came Sanrio’s retro revival, with forgotten characters like Usahana having comeback merch, and suddenly she bounced back into the top 20!

Still, fans consider Sanrio’s rainbow bunny underrated. Despite the love for nostalgia and retro characters, she just never gets voted the same way the big retro stars like Pochacco and My Melody do. If you want a deeper look into her story, we have a full Usahana blog that you can check out!

3. Dear Daniel (ディアダニエル)

The original soft boy of Sanrio, Dear Daniel, is easily one of the lesser-known Sanrio characters. Every year, he ranks much lower than fans expect, even though he’s got a super iconic girlfriend—Hello Kitty.

And that might be the problem. Many fans say Dear Daniel is always treated like Hello Kitty’s “accessory” rather than a main character. Despite being part of Kitty’s story since they were kids, Daniel often gets overshadowed by his partner’s popularity.

But Daniel is more than Kitty’s sweetheart. With his signature spiky hair and dapper British style, he brings his own charm, especially in Sanrio's Dear Daniel collections. His relationship with Hello Kitty also shows how thoughtful he is. He happily lets her shine while he supports her from the background.

If you haven’t met this handsome cat, you should read more about him in our Dear Daniel blog!

4. Marron Cream (マロンクリーム)

Our next underrated character is Marron Cream, a girl rabbit from Sanrio who loves brightening everyone’s day with her cheerful nature. Her name comes from her love of chestnuts! She is a talented crafter and baker, and she is almost always seen wearing her cute red polka dot dress. 

Even though she has been around since the 80s, Marron Cream doesn’t get as much attention as Sanrio’s bigger stars. Many younger fans don’t know her well, and she often stays out of the spotlight.

But when she does appear, people remember how charming she is. She even placed 24th in the 2025 Sanrio Character Ranking, and Sanrio releases Marron Cream merch and Marron Cream pop-up cafes from time to time.

5. Corocorokuririn (コロコロクリリン)

Corocorokuririn is a tiny golden hamster who loves collecting small treasures he finds around the house. His round body, chubby cheeks, and soft coloring make him one of the cutest characters in the whole lineup. He even has a big hamster family that appears in his stories. If you want more hamster cuteness, I have a detailed Corocorokuririn blog you can read as well.

However, this super cute look isn’t enough to give Corocorokuririn the spotlight. He doesn’t get much new content, he rarely appears in recent Sanrio projects, and he seldom releases Corocorokuririn merchandise. That’s why many newer fans never get the chance to meet him. Still, people who discover him always end up loving his kawaii hamster charm.

There you have it! The five Sanrio cuties who should absolutely be ranking higher every year. If the polls ever judged based on pure kawaii power, these characters would be soaring straight into the top spots! Who knows? Maybe this will be the year fans finally push them where they belong.

Does your favorite Sanrio character belong in the top spot? Don’t forget to vote for them in the next Sanrio Character Ranking, because they deserve all the love!