Toro Inoue
| Computing Mascot | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General Information | |
| Name | Toro Inoue |
| Alias | Sony Cat |
| Birthday | May 6[1] [2] |
| Designer | 🇯🇵 BeXide Inc. |
| Debut | 1999-07-22 |
| Representation | |
| Represents | 🇯🇵 PlayStation (in Japan) |
| Owner | 🇯🇵 Sony Group Corporation |
| Appearance | |
| Eye Color | Black |
Toro Inoue (Japanese: 井上トロ), colloquially known as the Sony Cat, is the mascot of PlayStation brand in Japan.[3]
History
Toro first appeared in the game Doko Demo Issyo (Japanese: どこでもいっしょ, lit. Everywhere Together)[4], the first of the series of the same name by BeXide Inc. (formerly Bomber eXpress), and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment on July 22, 1999. He was one of the Pokepi (ポケピ, pocket people), the unique characters in the game.
As early as 2002, Toro's popularity made him chosen as PlayStation's brand mascot in Japan, appearing frequently in various promotional media, including billboards and TV commercials. However, Sony's American branch did not want a single mascot to represent the brand. [3] Gamesindustry.biz in 2004 mentioned Toro as a "cultural icon in the Far East."[5]
Toro continued to appear as a main character of the Doko Demo Issyo series, including the latest entry Toro and Friends: Onsen Town released in 2019.
Character and Backstory[2]
Name: Toro Inoue
Birthday: May 6 (Taurus)
Blood Type: A
Name Origin: From Inoue Sushi
Favorite Food: Chūtoro, nattō-maki, mantis shrimp
Qualifications: 3rd-level buttoning
Dreams: Becoming a human being
Personality: Naive, pure, spoiled, yet lonely
When Toro was just a kitten, his parents had already passed away and he was left abandoned in a cardboard box. When no one would give him shelter, he ran away and wandered into an abandoned apartment, where he meets a human and begins to live with them.
During this time he believed he was a human, and wanted to go to school and make friends. However, he eventually learned the nature of his existence as a cat and ran away again, becoming obsessed with the idea of becoming a human. He was eventually taken in by the elderly owner of a sushi restaurant (presumably named Inoue), and was named Toro Inoue, after his favorite kind of sushi. Unfortunately, the owner passes away too soon afterward, and Toro is alone again. Toro then wanders, in search of making his dream of becoming a human come true.[6]
Trivia
- Chūtoro (中トロ, "medium toro"), is a fatty cut of tuna used in sushi making.
Notes and References
- ↑ PlayStation Japan Mascot Toro Inoue Celebrates Birthday, Needs Fish
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Toro Inoue official bio
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Official US PlayStation Magazine, Issue 52, 2002-01
- ↑ Doko Demo Issyo official page on PlayStation Japan website
- ↑ Gamesindustry.biz - Japan Charts Winning Eleven 8 Passes The Million Mark
- ↑ Toro's backstory