The Hapidanbui is a happy little boy group created by Sanrio! This unit is made up of six special Sanrio cuties - Badtz-Maru, Tuxedosam, Pochacco, Hangyodon, Keroppi, and Pekkle. Not only do these kawaii boys sing and dance their way into the hearts of everyone around them, but they try their best to uplift everyone s well. Hapidanbui’s mission is to spread happiness throughout the world by being kawaii! Today we’re going to hang out with the boys of Hapidanbui and learn more about the challenges they face as the cutest boy group of the kawaii world!
- Group name: Hapidanbui (はぴだんぶい)
- Number of Members: 6
- Debut year: 2020
- Fun fact: Hapidanbui is actually a retro Sanrio group!
WHAT DOES HAPIDANBUI MEAN?
The name Hapidanbui actually comes from three different things. First is Hapi (はぴ) which means happy in Japanese. Next is Dan which comes from danshi, the Japanese word for boy. Last but not least is bui (ぶい) which is actually how the Japanese pronounce the English letter V. According to Sanrio, bui or v stands for victory! Put all these three together and you get Hapidanbui!
THE HAPIDANBUI’S V-SHAPED RECOVERY
Did you know that the name of the Hapidanbui has a deeper explanation to it besides hapi, danshi, and bui? The full meaning of the Hapidanbui is actually "ハッピーになりたい男子たち、V字回復をねらう.” In English, that directly translates to “boys who want to be happy, aiming for v-shaped recovery.”
V-shaped recovery? What’s that? You see, the Hapidanbui is actually made up of retro Sanrio characters from the 90s (you can check out our Complete List of Sanrio Characters to learn about all of Sanrio's other cuties too). As cute as these characters are, they had a decline in popularity in the early 2000s. It wasn’t until the mid-2000s that they started gaining popularity again. The Sanrio boys’ comeback is shaped like a V. That’s why the Hapidanbui is going for a “V-shaped recovery.”
THE HISTORY OF HAPIDANBUI
Tuxedosam, Badtz-Maru, Hangyodon, Pochacco, Keroppi, and Pekkle might be boys of the 90s, but Hapidanbui is actually pretty new! The unit was first announced through a short promo video by Sanrio on January 31, 2020. A few months after on March 1, 2020, Sanrio held a livestream event on the official Hapidanbui Twitter account celebrating the boy band’s debut. If you'd like to learn more about the kawaii powerhouse that helped bring the Hapidanbui together, you can read our fun blog on Sanrio.
WHAT’S THE GOAL OF HAPIDANBUI?
Now, that’s an easy question to answer! The kawaii boys of Hapidanbui want only one thing really and that’s to make everyone happy. Tuxedosam, Hangyodon, Pochacco, Keroppi, Bad Badtz-Maru, and Pekkle all just really want to see the entire world smiling just a little bit more.
We protect your happiness!
They have one simple message and that's “大丈夫！ 君は君のままで、きっとうまくいく.” In English, that means “It’s okay! You’re still you, I’m sure it will work out.” That’s a really nice message, don’t you think?
WHO ARE THE CHARACTERS IN HAPIDANBUI?
Hapidanbui has six cute little boys who hope to make the world a little bit happier! These cuties are Tuxedosam, Hangyodon, Pochacco, Keroppi, Bad Badtz-Maru, and Pekkle. Let’s get to know them a little bit better!
Keroppi
Did you know that Keroppi is actually one of Sanrio’s smallest characters? That’s right, this froggo is one heck of a cutie. Keroppi’s got one big personality though! A cheerful frog, Keroppi loves going on adventures with his buds. He never gives up! In the Hapidanbui, Keroppi plays the tambourine. You can learn more about him in our Keroppi blog!
Pekkle
Gentle and kind-hearted, Pekkle is a cute little duck that debuted in 1989. His dream is to fly high in the sky! Pekkle is one of the friendliest ducks around. While this quacker is known for singing and tap dancing, in the Hapidanbui Pekkle is actually loved for his great keyboarding skills. If you want to learn more about him, then check our full article on Pekkle.
Pochacco
Sporty and charming, Pochacco is a Sanrio puppy that remains forever young. He’s a leap-year baby (he was born on February 29, 1989). Sporty Sanrio fanatics love Pochacco. That’s because this cute doggo has a whole lot of energy - he’s always ready to play with his buddies! In the Hapidanbui, Pochacco gives his all when he plays the guitar. Read more about him in our Pochacco blog!
Tuxedosam
Tuxedosam is a fashionable Sanrio penguin with more than 365 bowties! This cutie has a keen sense of style. All about chill vibes, delicious snacks, and sophistication, Tuxedosam is a retro character born in 1979. He plays drums in the Hapidanbui boy band! If you want to learn more about Sam, head over to our Tuxedosam article.
Hangyodon
One of the most unique retro Sanrio characters, Hangyodon is actually part fish and part man! Born in China on March 14, he dreams of being a hero someday even though his attempts at being bold and courageous don’t always work out. Hangyodon plays the bass in the Hapidanbui! Read everything about this fishboy in our blog on Hangyodon.
Bad Badtz-Maru
Badtz-Maru is Sanrio’s bad-boy penguin! A bit of a rebel like Kuromi, Bad Badtz-Maru is known for being mischievous. He even has his own gang called the XO clan! However, while most people know Badtz-Maru for his rebellious personality, this penguin is also a softie at heart. He actually sings for the Hapidanbui! Learn everything about him on our Badtz-Maru blog!
HAPPY HAPIDANBUI MUSIC
Hapidanbui is all about happy music. When the group first debuted in March 2020, Hapidanbui released a cute single called “Daijoubu.” The song was all about easing everyone’s anxieties and how things would be fine.
Their second single “Happy Sentai★Hapidanbui” was released in September of that same year. Written by the band Monkey Magik, the song was all about the Sanrio boys fighting the Coronavirus-related worries that people had.
We’ve been practicing with all our might to get this dance exactly right!
Together with the song “Daijabou,” the single was added to the mobile rhythm game SHOW BY ROCK!! Fes A Live.
LET’S WATCH THE HAPIDANBUI!
The boys of the Hapidanbui are true performers. Not only do they have a couple of singles on their slate, but they also have their own short series titled "はぴだんぶいの今日もHAPPY DAY.” The 12-episode show started airing together with the Mewkledreamy anime on TV Tokyo on July 19, 2020. Each episode featured fun little skits!
COLLABS WITH THE HAPIDANBUI ROCKSTARS
Everyone wants to work with Hapidanbui! After all, these Sanrio cuties are the best kawaii rockers around town. These collaborations include a team-up with the magical girl anime Ojamajo Doremi, a fun mashup with Tower Records, and a short stint with the popular creator Yuuji Nishimura!
That’s not all! The Hapidanbui boys seem to be pretty popular among Japanese snack enthusiasts, nabbing sponsorships from major food brands like Pastel (for drinks) Lotteria (for kiddie meals), and Pocky (for snacks). The Pocky collab came up with special Hapidanbui Pocky boxes and fun challenges in which fans could win all kinds of Hapidanbui merch!
MEET & GREET THE HAPIDANBUI
From time to time lucky fans in Japan actually get to meet the Hapidanbui! Most of the time you can find the boys in Sanrio Puroland where they perform at live shows together with their other Sanrio siblings like Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, and Pompompurin. Sometimes you can even spot them in the colorful Puroland show, Miracle Gift Parade.
Fans have also been meeting the Hapidanbui at Joypolis thanks to a neat little team-up with the Tokyo amusement park. From November to December 2023, fans who purchase tickets not only get access to Joypolis rides, but they also get to see Tuxedosam, Badtz-Maru, Hangyodon, Pochacco, Keroppi, and Pekkle up close at the main stage! Plus they get trading cards that they can collect and exchange with friends.
HAPIDANBUI GAMES!
Unfortunately, as cute and as talented as the boys are, Hapidanbui doesn't have its own videogames. They do make appearances in other Sanrio games though! You can find them in the cute Sanrio game, Miracle Match. It's a kawaii Sanrio mobile PVP game.
RIDING TRAINS WITH THE HAPIDANBUI
The boys at the Hapidanbui sure have a lot of great collabs! This includes the Sanrio rockers’ stint with the JR Shinkansen in Japan. Working together with the Hapidanbui boys, the JR network is giving commuters traveling from Tokyo to Osaka on the shinkansen the chance to join a limited-time event. Shinkansen travels get to choose their favorite Hapidanbui character and get limited-edition Hapidanbui merchandise for themselves! It’s a fun treat!
HANGING OUT AT THE HAPIDANBUI CAFE
The Hapidanbui boys aren’t just about rocking out. Pochacco, Tuxedosam, Keroppi, Bad Badtz-Maru, Hangyodon, and Pekkle like taking it easy too! That's why from time to time the gang gets its own Hapidanbui pop-up cafes around Japan.
Smiles, excitement, and joy abound making for fun all around!
That includes a cute collab cafe with Taiwan Ten Cafe in Shinjuku, Japan. The Hapidanbui pop-up cafe had quite a number of Taiwawnese-style Hapidanbui desserts and drinks. It was quite a treat!
Hapidanbui also had a couple of collab cafes too. One was with Godiva Cafe! The special chocolate cafe in Tokyo came up with special drinks called the Hapidanbui Chocoelixer and a couple of special plushies for fans to grab. Another collab cafe was with KADOKAWA at the Narita Anime Deck in the Narita airport. It had a lot of yummy Hapidanbui meals, drinks, and lattes!
WHERE CAN I GET HAPIDANBUI MERCH?
Sanrio has a ton of Hapidanbui merch for fans to collect! What kind of boyband would the Hapidanbui be without kawaii items for their fandom to hoard? You can choose from Hapidanbui stationery, Hapidanbui bags, Hapidanbui home items, and more. If you’re worried that you have to go to Japan to find Hapidanbui goodies, then worry no more! You can find lots of cute merch in our Hapidanbui collection here!
So there you have it! That’s all you need to know about the Sanrio rock group, Hapidanbui. Did you enjoy learning about the boy band? Which of the Hapidanbui’s songs do you like? Who’s your favorite Hapidanbui member? Don’t be shy and let us know in the comment section below. Until next time, stay cool and kawaii! ✨🎇