Ocha-Ken
Ocha-Ken means in Japanese "tea puppy" or "tea dog". They are colorful puppies, most of them with leaves for ears, representing "tea leaves". They were first introduced as toys released by Sega Toys. Later, due to the popularity, an animated series was made based on the Ocha-Ken.
Characters
There are seven main Ocha-Ken.
Aru - Aru is the red Ocha-Ken, who has two red leaves for ears. Aru wears a cape, and is very adventurous. He is inspired by heroes on television, and wants to be a superhero, although most of his attempts do not turn out the way he wanted them to.
Cafe - Cafe is the dark brown Ocha-Ken, who has coffee beans for ears, unlike the other Ocha-Ken. In early episodes, Cafe was upset because of his difference, but later in the series got over it.
Chai - Chai is the cream-colored Ocha-Ken, who has two yellow leaves for ears. Chai is the troublemaker of the group, and is often doing silly things. Chai loves to eat pudding.
Hana - Hana is the pink Ocha-Ken, who has two purple leaves for ears. On her ears she has flowers, due to her love of flowers. She is the only female Ocha-Ken in the group. She loves flowers and is usually in a good mood.
Muha - Muha is the gold Ocha-Ken, who has multiple brown leaves for ears. Muha is very hyper, and has a lot of energy. He can be seen running around, while the other Ocha-Ken are resting.
Ron - Ron is the black Ocha-Ken, who has two gold leaves for ears. He is the most mysterious of the Ocha-Ken, who in one episode predicted rainfall, and had the ability to find Ryoku while no one else was able to.
Ryoku - Ryoku is the light green Ocha-Ken, who has two green leaves for ears. Most of the time, Ryoku is seen sleeping. His nose has a special tendency to notice green tea, which Ryoku loves to drink.
In addition to the seven main Ocha-Ken, there are three "Ocha-Neko", which are the same, except they are kittens. There is a pink one, blue one, and a yellow one.
Animated Series
The Ocha-Ken animated series consists of only 26 episodes, and was aimed at a younger audience. They are only approximately 3½ minutes long, and include a short story and a lesson.
Toys
The Ocha-Ken toys were the original idea of the tea puppies. They are tea-scented and in the first year of its release, 400,000 of the Ocha-Ken toys were sold. They were released by Sega Toys.
Video Games
Ocha-Ken Kururin: Honwaka Puzzle de Hottosho(GBA), released on October 28, 2004 by MTO. This is a puzzle game featuring the Ocha-Ken, and Ocha-Neko.
Ocha-Ken no Yumebouken(GBA), released on April 28, 2005 by MTO. In this action game, you control the Ocha-Ken, to go and gather balloons. You can collect parts to make your own Ocha-Ken.
Ocha-Ken no Heya(DS), released on April 27, 2006 by MTO. This is a Nintendogs-like game, but instead you play with the Ocha-Ken. By playing mini-games, you can collect parts to make and design your own room.