“It will be alright. Since we will always be together.”

Rilakkuma - By Your Side by Aki Kondō

This is one part of the beloved Rilakkuma character books series, where Rilakkuma, Kiroitori (Yellow Bird), and Korilakkuma combine everyday scenes with unexpected insights. This book is great to read from the beginning or from any page you’d like. You can meet Rilakkuma again and again anytime and anywhere you can take this book. It is a great gift for any age, as both adults and children can enjoy the art and wisdom. You can also watch Rilakkuma on screen in the Netflix original series titled “Rilakkuma and Kaoru”! (Goodreads)

“It’s okay to do things out of order.”

I love that the instructions that come with this book encourage the reader to play by their own rules. You can read it any way you want, and discover new things every time you open it another way.

The book is filled with really cute illustrations as can be expected with the Rilakkuma brand. It’s equal parts funny and moving. Every page contains wisdom and reminders on how to live our lives fully and without regrets. The words of wisdom range from the profound to the mundane, but they always ring true. This is the perfect read for anyone needing comfort, fun and a warm hug from friends.

I’ll be sharing some of my favorite pages from the book here and I hope you love them, too! Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.

Rilakkuma - By Your Side by Aki Kondō

Overall Rating: 3/5

About The Artist

Rilakkuma Aki Kondo

Aki Kondō is a Japanese illustrator and character designer.

After graduating from the Junior College of Art and Design at Joshibi University of Art and Design, Kondō was hired to work in the Design studio of San-X in 1997.

Kondō created and produced “Amaguri Chan” (September 2002), “Mikan Bouya” (December 2002) and Rilakkuma (September 2003) while she was at San-X. Kondō left San-X in 2003, and became a freelance illustrator and designer. In 2005, Kondō has released the first Manga Comic “Okutan & Danna chan”.

Kondō is married to Tarouichi Aizawa (Illustrator) and has two daughters. Kondō is a part-time lecturer in Art and Design for Healing at Joshibi University of Art and Design.

About Rilakkuma

Rilakkuma Aki Kondo

Rilakkuma (リラックマ Rirakkuma) is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company San-X, created by former employee Aki Kondō. Companies such as Re-Ment have collaborated with San-X to create Rilakkuma merchandise. Rilakkuma appears on items such as stationery, dishware, backpacks, and stuffed animals. A Netflix original series based on this character titled Rilakkuma and Kaoru premiered globally on April 19, 2019.

The San-X company puts staff members under obligation to create one cute character per month. Kondō recalls how, after watching a TV show about dogs, she wished to own a pet because at that time she was very busy working and hoped for a more relaxing life. Rilakkuma is an embodiment of her wish.

Rilakkuma launched in 2003. As of May 2010, Rilakkuma ranked as the fifth most popular character in Japan in a survey of the Character Databank.

The meaning of Rilakkuma is a combination of the Japanese pronunciation for Relax (rila) and Bear (kuma).