Sonny Angel

Sonny angel apple

Sonny Angel is a line of cherub figurines created by Japanese toy manufacturer Toru Soeya, the CEO of the Japanese company Dreams. The character's name is derived from Soeya's nickname, 'Sonny.' Sonny Angels are sold in blind boxes, featuring different headgear and occasionally different outfits in various collections. The slogan of Sonny Angel is, "He may bring you happiness."

Sonny Angels are often purchased as collectibles. Some Sonny Angels are resold for far more than their original retail value and are often exchanged or resold at trading events.

Origins

Sonny Angel was launched on May 15, 2004. The figurine started as an 18-centimeter (7-inch) doll and was inspired by the character Kewpie. Sonny was later transformed into a 7-centimeter (3-inch) minifigure and is now sold in over 33 countries.

The Sonny Angel figurines are sold as blind boxes, a category of collectible product that makes the contents of the package a mystery until it is opened. The blind box industry originated in the early 20th century in Japanese department stores with collectible cards. With a concurrent rise in the popularity of fashion toys, the industry attracted further investment and gained attention from both merchants and investors. Early versions of the blind box concept were seen in Gashapon toys, where small blind-box plastic capsules were dispensed through vending machines.

Media

Sonny Angel figurines grew in popularity in TikTok where the hashtag ‘#sonnyangel’ gathered over 95 million views as of April 2023. In these short TikTok videos, people would create videos that showed unboxings, fan art, purchase hauls, and meetups with other Sony Angel fans. The viral nature of the figurine, in addition to the publicized scarcity of certain variants has increased consumer demand.

The New York Times covered a Sonny Angel figurines event on April 6, 2023, where 150 people met in Washington Square Park to buy, sell, and trade the dolls with other enthusiasts.

Sonny Angels was featured on a Saturday Night Live skit on May 4, 2024, where Dua Lipa and Bowen Yang performed a skit about the craze surrounding the figurines. In the skit, Yang played a Sonny Angel character and Lipa guest starred as Sonny Angel collector.

Collaborations

Donna Wilson

Sonny Angel collaborated with Donna Wilson, an award-winning designer for her distinctive use of color and pattern, to create the Creature series. The series includes 12 kinds and 1 secret. The collaboration was released on June 28th, 2022 in Japan.

Casetify

Sonny Angel collaborated with Casetify and was released all around the world on July 19, 2024. This release included phone cases, a phone charm, and a blind box containing a phone case and its matching Hipper. The products used Sonny Angel Hippers from the best-selling Harvest series.

Cultural Impact

Generation Z

Most fans of Sonny Angels are members of Generation Z. The collectible figurines have been heavily featured on social media platforms including TikTok- resulting in a massive supply shortage amongst the brands’ 441 authorized retailers.

Some attribute mental health benefits to the figurines, as some claim that the dolls provide comfort and nostalgia for one’s childhood. Some also claim that the dolls provide emotionally isolated college students with a sense of personal connection and companionship.

The affordability of the figures may be part of the appeal to Gen Z fans, enabling consumers to build sizable collections.

Mini Figure (Regular Series)

Sonny Angel has a continuous collection known as the "Regular" series. These series are available for an extended period. Each series contains twelve listed Sonny Angels, depicted on the box, along with a secret Sonny and Robby. The series was updated in 2018 and 2019, with minor changes to Sonny and updated packaging, but the characters have largely remained unchanged. There are currently nine Regular Series, and they are as follows:

Animal Series 1

The twelve listed are Rabbit, Elephant, Panda, Sloth, Tiger, White Bear, Cockerel, Dalmatian, Frog, Koala, Monkey, and Owl. The secret Sonny is Chipmunk. The Robby is green.

Animal Series 2

The twelve listed are Mouse, Lesser Panda, Hedgehog, Fawn, Duck, Cow, Chameleon, Uribou, Skunk, Sheep, Reindeer, and Pig. The secret Sonny is Kappa. The Robby is pink.

Animal Series 3

The twelve listed are Parrot, Rhinoceros, Snake, Toy Poodle, Zebra, American Shorthair, Chihuahua, Crocodile, French Bulldog, Giraffe, Lop Ear Rabbit, and Macaw. The secret Sonny is a Unicorn. The Robby is orange.

Animal Series 4

The twelve listed are Hippopotamus, Horse, Lion, Peacock, Shiba Inu, Alpaca, Anteater, Buffalo, Calico Cat, Cheetah, Goat, and Gorilla. The secret Sonny is Dragon. The Robby is light blue.

Flower Series

The twelve listed are Rose, Cherry Blossom, Poppy, Sunflower, Cactus, Morning Glory, Lily Bell, Hydrangea, Pansy, Carnation, Acorn, and Tulip. The secret Sonny is Bee. The Robby is purple.

Fruit Series

The twelve listed are Raspberry, Peach, Orange, Pear, Strawberry, Grape, Watermelon, Melon, Durian, Dragon Fruit, Pineapple, and Apple. The secret Sonny is Seed Leaf. The Robby is yellow.

Marine Series

The twelve listed are Shark, Jellyfish, Dolphin, Seal, Seahorse, Whale, Clownfish, Shell, Penguin, Manta, Blowfish, and Starfish. The secret Sonny is Turtle. The Robby is dark blue.

Sweets Series

The twelve listed are Cream Puff, Cupcake, Fruit Tart, Ice Cream, Jellybeans, Konpeito, Pancake, Popcorn, Pudding, Candy, Cookie, and Strawberry Shortcake. The secret, Sonny is Cook. The Robby is pink.

Vegetable Series

The twelve listed are Carrot, Tomato, Garlic, Zucchini, Onion, Radish, Green Pepper, Eggplant, Bok Choy, Corn, Cauliflower, and Cabbage. The secret Sonny is Mushroom. The Robby is turquoise.

Birthday Series

The six listed are Chocolate Cake, Strawberry Shortcake, Raspberry Cake, Lemon Cake, Mint Cake, and Blueberry Cake. There is no Robby.

Mini Figure (Hipper Series)

Sonny Angel Hippers provides a new way to integrate these cute figures into your daily life. The Hippers come with adhesive tape on the front in order to stick to the back of an electronic device or any other flat surface. Each series includes twelve listed Hippers shown on the blind box. There are currently four Hippers Series and they are as follows:

HIPPERS (2021)

The twelve listed are Rabbit, Elephant, Panda, Lion, Pig, Sheep, Koala, Fawn, Lop Ear Rabbit, Duck, Mouse, and Giraffe.

HIPPERS Harvest Series (2022)

The twelve listed are Apple, Carrot, Pineapple, Strawberry, Pear, Cherry, Grape, Mushroom, Tomato, Melon, Radish, and Eggplant.

HIPPERS Dreaming Series (2022)

The twelve listed are Rabbit, Elephant, Panda, Lion, Pig, Sheep, Koara, Fawn, Lopear Rabbit, Duck, Mouse, and Giraffe.

The Dreaming Series uses the same twelve from Hippers released in 2021, but the designs are different. The Dreaming Series uses pastel colors and each Hipper has their eyes closed.

HIPPERS Looking Back Series (2024)

The twelve listed are Monkey, Rabbit, Fawn, Duck, Crocodile, Mouse, Sloth, Hamster, Cat, Koala, Elephant, and French bulldog.

All the Hippers in the Looking Back Series are facing backward, as opposed to looking forward like every other Series.

Mini Figure (Limited Series)

Sonny Angel Limited Series do not have known set release dates but are typically released every couple of months. The series contains multiple figures and may have Robby’s. Some of the Limited Series are seasonal drops, such as the Valentines, Halloween, and Christmas releases, while others just follow a theme, such as Bug’s World or Refreshing Cold Drinks. The drops are considered Limited as they may only ever be dropped once, never again, or might be re-released sometime in the future.