Sanrio’s New 30th Anniversary Interactive Pompompurin Plush Can Talk, Dance and Even Sing
Image by James RichardsonSanrio and Bandai have officially teamed up to create a new interactive Pompompurin plush created specifically for his 30th anniversary, packing around 70 completely new voice lines into a cute new commemorative design.
The “Talking Pompompurin 30th Anniversary!” plush dresses the golden retriever in an outfit created especially for the release while adding several different modes that respond to how its owner talks to, moves and positions it.
Pompompurin originally debuted in 1996 and has spent his anniversary year at the center of a particularly wide range of celebrations, from collectible merchandise to dedicated events built around three decades of the character.
One of the earliest major celebrations saw an entire JR Yamanote Line train wrapped in Pompompurin artwork, while McDonald’s Japan simultaneously introduced anniversary Happy Set toys and in-store broadcasts featuring Pompompurin and Muffin.
More recently, Sanrio returned to Pompompurin’s earliest merchandise history with the “Pompompurin From Back Then Design Series,” reviving artwork and styling from his original 1996 “Boku, Purin” range across 16 new items.
His anniversary has even expanded into music with PomFes, a dedicated two-day festival in Yokohama built around Pompompurin following both his 30th anniversary and another first-place finish in the 2026 Sanrio Character Ranking.
The new 25cm tall talking anniversary plush takes a much more interactive approach to commemorating the milestone, with every one of its approximately 70 speech patterns recorded specifically for this release rather than being reused from an older Pompompurin toy.
Its main “Talking Mode” allows Pompompurin to chatter freely and includes original dialogue referring directly to his 30th anniversary.
Switching into “Reply Mode” lets owners speak to the plush and receive responses, creating a simple back-and-forth conversation rather than limiting it to predetermined phrases triggered by a button.
Placing Pompompurin on his side activates “Sleep Mode,” while shaking him switches to a “Dance Mode” that makes the character react as though he is dancing.
The fifth option is “Singing Mode,” which lets Pompompurin perform “Pompom Pow,” the official theme song created for his 30th anniversary celebrations.
All five modes are selected by holding the plush’s hand, keeping the controls integrated into the character rather than adding a separate visible switch to the front of the toy.
Bandai has also recorded a special 30th anniversary message from Pompompurin that can be heard through the plush, adding another piece of content created specifically for the commemorative release.
The plush also comes bundled with a collectible newly illustrated art sheet, which is finished with a foil-stamped Pompompurin signature.
Pre-orders for the “Talking Pompompurin 30th Anniversary!” plush, priced at ¥8,360 (approximately $54 / £40), opened through Premium Bandai in Japan on September 11.
The pre-order period will close on November 27 at 11:00 PM JST and shipping is planned for March 2027.
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