Pokopon no Yukai na Saiyuuki

Released in 1990, Pokopon no Yukai na Saiyuuki is a feature-length animated film produced by Sanrio. The project centers on the character Pokopon, a tanuki-inspired figure created by the studio during an era when Sanrio was actively expanding its roster of character-led media beyond stationery and gift shop staples. The film serves as a whimsical retelling of the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, adapting the epic tale of the Monkey King into a family-friendly format tailored for Sanrio’s younger target demographic.

The film’s aesthetic reflects the signature soft, rounded design language that defined Sanrio’s animation style throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s. By placing its own established mascot into a well-known cultural myth, the studio aimed to broaden the appeal of its intellectual properties through traditional narrative structures. Like many of Sanrio’s theatrical and home-video productions from this period, it is remembered by enthusiasts today primarily as a nostalgic artifact of the company's efforts to cement its mascots as enduring characters in Japanese pop culture.