# Japanese cartoon bird?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-cartoon-bird/178716>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 31, 2003, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-cartoon-bird/178716 "2003-05-31T04:20:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-cartoon-bird/178716/1 "2003-05-31T04:20:10Z")

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In some of the cars I valet I’ve noticed some interesting 'toon characters from Japan…Hello Kitty, a rabbit called Mashi Maro, and a black Penguin-like bird with a crown? and half-lidded eyes, as if he has an attitude. Who is he?

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**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-cartoon-bird/178716/2 "2003-05-31T04:48:05Z")

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I can’t believe I’m answering this. Blame it on a lack of sleep, a good search engine, and a surplus of boredom.

Is it [this thing?](http://www.badtz-maru.com/) From Google’s group of [characters](http://directory.google.com/Top/Arts/Animation/Cartoons/Titles/H/Hello_Kitty/Characters/), apparently it’s named Badtz Maru.

Don’t we have a poster here named that?

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**Author:** ![Gunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-cartoon-bird/178716/3 "2003-05-31T04:53:05Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by BraheSilver \*  
> \*\*Don’t we have a poster here named that? \*\*

Yes. Haven’t seen anything from him in awhile, but that might just be because I don’t read the boards very often anymore.

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**Author:** ![Popsicle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/51bf81/32.png) [@Popsicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Popsicle)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-cartoon-bird/178716/4 "2003-05-31T04:54:57Z")

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Yes, it’s Badtz-Maru (also known as Bad Badtz-Maru or XO). You can check out the penguin’s [official bio](http://www.sanrio.com/main/charactersection/xo.html) at the Sanrio site.

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**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-cartoon-bird/178716/5 "2003-05-31T13:25:05Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by BraheSilver \*  
> Is it [this thing?](http://www.badtz-maru.com/)

Yep, that’s him.

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**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2003, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-cartoon-bird/178716/6 "2003-06-03T16:36:14Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Gunslinger \*  
> \*\*Yes. Haven’t seen anything from him in awhile, but that might just be because I don’t read the boards very often anymore. \*\*

I’ve found love again and have been distracted. I’ll probably be back more after she breaks my heart.