Mon-chichi, Monchichi, oh so soft and cud-dle-ly, with his thumb in his mouth he’s really neat, fun to fiddle with his little feet, yah yah yah..yah yah yah, Happy, happy Monchichi!
Some would say they were cute and adorable. Others would say that they were freaky and disturbing.
One thing is for sure – Monchichis were very popular in the early-80s. Monchichis are stuffed toy monkeys with a hard plastic face and hands and feet. It was designed so that it could suck it’s thumb.
The doll was created in 1974 in Japan. It made it’s way to North America in 1980, where it was licensed by Mattel. I’m pretty sure that the jingle from the commercial annoyed me. It is one of those jingles that get stuck in your head for a while. Here is a commercial. Your welcome!
Monchichi’s may not have been as popular as Cabbage Patch Kids, but they were popular enough to have their own cartoon series that aired on Saturday mornings in 1983, and was produced by Hanna-Barbera.
The line was dropped by Mattel due to poor sales in 1985, but was reintroduced during Monchhichi’s 30 anniversary in 2004 by the Japanese company, Sekiguchi. Monchhichi dolls are still available in the United States.
Return to the 80s 
i’m front end of genX and don’t remember this at all. maybe a bit too old at the time of the marketing blitz that i paid no attention whatsoever. sorry guys and gals.
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Yes, you may have been too old. I only remember them because of the commercial jingle. I do have a younger brother and sister. If anything, my sister may have had one but I don’t remember.
Thank you so much for the comment! I noticed that the picture and videos had disappeared, so I have updated them
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I just turned 50 and have 3 still from the early 1980s from when I was a kid. Never realized they ever came back. They were so soft n cute I hate like 20 at one point.
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Haha! That’s so awesome that you still have some! What a throwback!
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I remember Monchichi but I didn’t know it was a cartoon. I had a monchichi and I vividly remember when I was about 7 I had lent my baby cousin the monchichi since she was crying and she ripped off my monchichi’s arm. I mean by that time my monchichi was about 9 yrs old since it was my sisters first.
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