Unico

Unico is a Japanese manga and multimedia property created by manga artist Osamu Tezuka. The central character is a kind-hearted young unicorn whose unusual power is the ability to bring happiness to people and other creatures around him. Because this power angers gods who regard emotional influence as their prerogative, Unico is repeatedly transported through space and time by the West Wind, often with his memories erased so that he cannot be traced by the gods or remain with the friends he makes. The character originated in 1976, when Tezuka sketched an unnamed unicorn during a visit to Sanrio’s American headquarters in Los Angeles. He later named the character Unico during his flight back to Japan. The concept became a serialized full-color manga in Sanrio’s shōjo magazine Lyrica, where it ran from November 1976 through March 1979. The series was unusual for its period because it used a Western-influenced visual style, was printed in color, and was read from left to right. Tezuka described the character as an appeal to American audiences and as a personal tribute to Walt Disney and Disney animation. The original story begins in ancient Greece, where Unico befriends Psyche. Venus becomes jealous of Psyche’s happiness and beauty and arranges for Unico to be removed. The West Wind, ordered to take him to the Hill of Oblivion, instead shows compassion and carries him to other places and eras. This episodic structure allows the franchise to explore friendship, empathy, abandonment, prejudice, environmental harm, and the destructive effects of possessiveness. Unico’s principal recurring companions include Chao, a cat who wishes to become a witch’s cat, and Beezle or Akuma-kun, a young demon who appears in the manga and film adaptations. The property expanded beyond the manga through animated productions and later reprints and collections. A 1979 pilot preceded the feature film The Fantastic Adventures of Unico in 1981. A second feature, Unico in the Island of Magic, followed in 1983. These productions introduced or revised character designs, voices, and plot elements while retaining the themes of compassion and the forced separation of Unico from his friends. The character has also appeared in later short-form and audio-related adaptations. A modern English-language reboot began publication through Scholastic’s Graphix imprint in 2024. The reboot updates the setting and terminology while preserving the basic premise: Unico travels through different places and periods, forms friendships, and confronts forces that oppose the spread of happiness. In this version, the cat companion is named Chloe in English-language editions. Unico therefore functions both as a Tezuka character and as a continuing family-oriented franchise spanning manga, animation, publishing, and licensed character use. The available reference material does not establish a separate Canadian corporate brand, headquarters, owner, financial profile, or current executive structure.

Unico was conceived by Osamu Tezuka in 1976. During a visit to Sanrio’s American headquarters in Los Angeles, Tezuka drew an unnamed unicorn in a sketchbook. He later gave the character the name Unico while returning to Japan by airplane. The design and concept were developed for Sanrio’s Lyrica magazine, a full-color publication aimed at younger readers and initially oriented toward Western audiences. Tezuka’s stated intention was to make the character accessible to American audiences, while also expressing his admiration for Walt Disney and animation. The manga was serialized in Lyrica from November 1976 to March 1979 and was subsequently collected in two volumes. It used a Western-influenced page design, full color, and left-to-right reading direction, distinguishing it from much contemporary Japanese manga. The narrative follows a recurring pattern: Unico arrives in a new location or historical period, encounters someone in distress, develops a friendship, and uses his magical abilities to help. The West Wind then carries him away to protect him from divine persecution, frequently removing his memories of the people he has helped. The story’s opening arc is set in ancient Greece and involves Psyche, whose happiness and beauty provoke Venus’s jealousy. Venus treats Unico’s power to make others happy as a threat and orders his removal. The West Wind disobeys the instruction to leave Unico at the Hill of Oblivion and instead transports him through different eras. This premise gives the series a flexible setting and allows each episode to examine a different moral or social problem. Several companion characters became important to the property. Chao is a black-and-white cat who wants to become a witch’s cat after being rejected by humans. Her story addresses abandonment, the desire for dignity, and the dangers of trusting appearances. Beezle, also called Akuma-kun or Mr. Demon in different translations, is a young demon associated with the original manga’s climactic material and the first feature film. The stories generally portray Unico as compassionate even toward antagonistic figures, with his powers becoming stronger when he is genuinely loved. The franchise moved into animation through a 1979 pilot and the 1981 feature The Fantastic Adventures of Unico. The film reworked parts of the manga, including the roles of Chao, the Old Lady or Granny, Baron Ghost, and Beezle. It was followed by Unico in the Island of Magic in 1983. These films established a distinct visual identity for Unico, including revised color schemes and animation designs, while retaining the character’s blue-and-pink appearance in several versions and his larger adult or Mighty Unicorn form. Later activity included additional collections, short-form appearances, audio adaptations, and other character uses. A modern reboot began publication in English through Scholastic’s Graphix imprint in 2024. The reboot reframes parts of the mythology, describes unicorns as emerging from a hidden force within life, and introduces updated versions of the supporting cast. The cat companion is called Chloe in the English-language reboot. The new series maintains the central conflict between Unico’s ability to inspire happiness and the forces attempting to control or suppress it. In 2025, Unico was selected by the Takarazuka City Council of Social Welfare in Hyōgo as the mascot for a Red Feather Joint Fundraising initiative. The selection connected the character’s themes of kindness and mutual aid with a public fundraising campaign. The available reference material identifies Unico as a Japanese creative property rather than a Canadian food brand; consequently, the original consumer-staples classification has been corrected to a media and entertainment taxonomy.

• 2025

  Selected as a Red Feather fundraising mascot

  [1]Unicoen.wikipedia.org

  Takarazuka’s social-welfare council selected Unico for a kindness- and community-focused fundraising program.

• 2024

  Graphix reboot begins

  [1]Unicoen.wikipedia.org

  Scholastic launched a modern English-language reboot under its Graphix imprint.

• 1983

  Second feature film released

  [1]Unicoen.wikipedia.org

  Unico in the Island of Magic continued the animated film series.

• 1981

  First feature film released

  [1]Unicoen.wikipedia.org

  The Fantastic Adventures of Unico adapted the property for feature animation.

• 1979

  Original serialization ends

  [1]Unicoen.wikipedia.org

  The Lyrica serialization concluded in March after establishing the core characters and time-traveling premise.

• 1979

  Animated pilot produced

  [1]Unicoen.wikipedia.org

  A pilot adaptation preceded the theatrical Unico films.

• 1976

  Unico character conceived

  [1]Unicoen.wikipedia.org

  Osamu Tezuka sketched the initial unicorn concept during a visit to Sanrio’s American headquarters and later named the character Unico.

• 1976

  Manga serialization begins

  [1]Unicoen.wikipedia.org

  The full-color Unico manga began running in Sanrio’s Lyrica magazine in November.

A family-oriented fantasy property centered on kindness, friendship, emotional freedom, and cross-cultural adventure, presented through manga, animation, graphic novels, and character licensing.

• Manga series · 1976

  Unico original manga

  Tezuka’s original full-color series follows a young unicorn who travels through different eras and locations after the gods attempt to erase his memories and separate him from his friends. It was serialized in Lyrica from 1976 to 1979 and later collected in two volumes.

• Animated feature film · 1981

  The Fantastic Adventures of Unico

  The first major feature adaptation presents Unico’s confrontation with divine forces and develops his relationships with Chao, Granny, and Beezle. It adapts core manga ideas while making changes for theatrical animation.

• Animated feature film · 1983

  Unico in the Island of Magic

  The second feature-length animated entry expanded Unico’s film continuity and continued the franchise’s focus on magical conflict, friendship, and the protection of vulnerable characters.

• Graphic novel series · 2024

  Unico Graphix reboot

  The modern reboot, published by Scholastic through Graphix, updates the mythology and supporting cast for contemporary English-language readers while retaining Unico’s ability to inspire happiness and his continual movement across places and time.

• 2025Red Feather Joint Fundraising mascot program

  Japan

  The Takarazuka City Council of Social Welfare chose Unico as the mascot for a Red Feather Joint Fundraising initiative focused on kindness and addressing social issues. The program was scheduled to run from October 1 through November 30, 2025.

  Source

1. 1Unicoen.wikipedia.org