Ocha-Ken

Ocha-Ken (お茶犬) is a toy line and media franchise created by Sega Toys and Horipro in 2002. The name means "tea puppy" in Japanese,^[1] and most of the characters have tea leaves for ears. An animated series was produced in 2003, and multiple video games for Nintendo handheld systems have also been released, primarily developed by MTO.

Ocha-Ken
DVD cover of Ocha-ken: Ryokutto Monogatari
お茶犬
Anime television series
Ocha-Ken: Chokotto Monogatari
Studio	Teahouse
Original network	Kids Station
English network	TVB (China)
Original run	October 6, 2003 – March 29, 2004
Episodes	26
Anime television series
Ocha-Ken: Hotto Monogatari
Directed by	Green Hillow
Produced by	T.A
Studio	Teahouse
Licensed by	MTO Games
Original network	Kids Station
Original run	January 16, 2006 – March 31, 2023
Episodes	128
Anime television series
Ocha-Ken: Ryokutto Monogatari
Music by	PRESENTDAY Co, Ltd.
Studio	Teahouse
Original network	Nintendo DS
Original run	November 22, 2008 – February 21, 2009
Episodes	13

Characters

The characters are dogs themed around different types of tea.^[2]

• Ryoku: A green tea-themed dog who is laid-back. He was born on May 2nd and he enjoys sunbathing.
• Aru: A red black tea-themed dog. He has a strong sense of justice and can only be seen by people who work hard.
• Ron: A black oolong-themed dog with golden ears. He has a cool personality and can only be seen by the innocent.
• Hana: A pink herbal tea-themed dog. She is the only female in the main cast and can only be seen by kind people.
• Chai: A cream masala chai-themed dog. He has a spoiled personality and can only be seen by lonely people.
• Cafe: A brown coffee-themed dog. He can only be seen by mature people.

Toys

The tea-scented Ocha-Ken toys were the original product of the brand, released by Sega Toys in collaboration with Horipro in 2002.^[1][2]

There are also cat characters known as Ocha-Neko.^[3] In 2007, a new group of characters based on various desserts, entitled "Ocha-Ken Sweets", was introduced.^[4] Special toys have been released as a bonus when purchasing certain bottled teas.^[5][6]

Animated series

The Ocha-Ken animated series aired from October 2003^[7] to March 2004 on Kids Station and was aimed at a younger audience. There are 26 episodes, approximately 3½ minutes long, which include a short story and a lesson.

The third season of the anime, Ocha-ken: Ryokutto Monogatari, had its episodes distributed through special vending machines, where the episodes can be watched on Nintendo DS game consoles.^[1]

Video games

Game Boy Advance

• Ocha-Ken no Heya (MTO, December 19, 2003)^[8]
• Ocha-Ken Kururin: Honwaka Puzzle de Hottoshiyou (MTO, October 28, 2004)^[9]
• Ocha-Ken no Yumebouken (MTO, April 28, 2005)^[10]
• Ocha-Ken no Boukenjima (MTO, December 22, 2005)^[11]

Nintendo DS

• Ocha-Ken no Heya DS (MTO, April 27, 2006)^[12]
• Ocha-Ken no Heya DS2 (MTO, January 18, 2007)^[13]
• Ocha-Ken no Daibouken - Honwaku Yumemiru Sekai Ryoukou (MTO, December 20, 2007)^[14]
• Ocha-Ken no Heya DS3 (MTO, May 22, 2008)^[15]
• Ocha-Ken no Daibouken 2 - Yumeippai no Omochabako (MTO, December 18, 2008)^[16]
• Ocha-Ken no Heya DS4 (MTO, November 2009)^[17]

Nintendo 3DS

• Ocha-Ken to Itsumo Nakayoshi (Nippon Columbia, December 1, 2011)^[18]

Arcade

• Ocha-Ken no Puzzle (Compile Heart, December 2010)^[19]

iOS

• Ocha-Ken App (Comdoors, September 13, 2012)^[20]
• Ocha-Ken Solitaire (Wondershake, December 16, 2013)^[21]