# Rilakkuma and Kaoru (2019)

> A young office worker's life becomes gently unsettled when a lazy, zipper-backed bear named Rilakkuma moves in as her roommate.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/72069

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 13
- Episode runtime: 12 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, comedy
- Network: Netflix
- Cast: Mikako Tabe, Takayuki Yamada, Soki Matsumoto, Mai Kanazawa, Issei Takubo, Shigeru Sugimoto
- TMDB rating: 8.2/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9348716/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: slow
- Intensity: subtle
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: cozy, gentle, deadpan, whimsical, wistful

## What critics say

Audiences find the gentle stop motion comedy charming and comforting, with its lazy bear protagonist praised for warmth and low-stakes appeal.

## Synopsis

Rilakkuma and Kaoru (2019) is a Japanese stop motion slice of life comedy produced by dwarf studios and distributed by Netflix. Office worker Kaoru (voiced by Mikako Tabe) finds her quiet domestic routine upended when Rilakkuma, a bear with a zipper on its back who spends his days lazing around, becomes her unexpected roommate. Supporting voices include Takayuki Yamada as Hayate, Soki Matsumoto as Tokio, Mai Kanazawa as Sayu, and Issei Takubo as the landlord. Rather than driving toward a grand goal, the thirteen short episodes of roughly twelve minutes each are built from small everyday moments: meals, chores, errands, and the modest frustrations of working life in a Tokyo apartment. The engine is the gentle friction between Kaoru's tightly scheduled days and Rilakkuma's effortless idleness, which slowly becomes a source of comfort. The look is handmade and toy-like, with plush characters moving through miniature rooms. The tone is soft, wistful and warmly comic, with a deadpan humor that never turns harsh. Fans of Pingu, Wallace and Gromit and Yotsuba&! will find the same unhurried, cozy charm that rewards a relaxed evening viewing.

## Shows like Rilakkuma and Kaoru

- [Nagi's Long Vacation (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/77564)
- [Non Non Biyori (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/58886)
- [Wagnaria!! (2010)](https://ember.film/tv/41851)
- [Solo Camping for Two (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/187258)
- [My Roommate is a Cat (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/72073)
- [Aggretsuko (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/68045)
- [Tanaka-kun Is Always Listless (2016)](https://ember.film/tv/58314)
- [Kotaro Lives Alone (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/111128)
- [Higehiro: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/88996)
- [SING "YESTERDAY" FOR ME (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/80662)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt