In which, if life’s got to be janky sometimes, we remind ourselves there is charm in the jank.
I guess I can’t really call this a review blog. It’s really me taking about things I specifically sought out, usually made by companies like Movic or Sanrio or San-x that are known for creative and high quality products, so of course it’s mostly me gushing about how great everything is, interrupted occasionally by candy related linguistics facts or details on sea slug sex. But in addition to my interests in otter cops and ptsd-afflicted sweethearts, I also really like things that are kind of….janky.
Sometimes, a lack of quality is sort of endearing. Does that make sense? There is something about some level of badly-put-together that charms me, especially with things like plush. Even when I was little, there was always something about a toy sewed a little wrong or just slightly off that made me want to hug it extra tight.
So I fell for these slightly janky dinosaur plush when I first saw them on Toreba, and while I wasn’t willing to pay to win them, I was willing to throw a set in when I bought my sea slug crew. When the dinos arrived, their odd charm was even greater than I’d hoped. And since we’re all trying to make it through the Jankiest Year in History 2020, let’s celebrate the weird fun to be had even in these jankosauruses (actually ふんわりゆるゆるだいなそーFunwari Yuru-Yuru Dinosaur, Soft Relaxed Dinosaur)!
We begin with the prize I figure you use to bounce others off of in the crane game: the egg. And it sure is, er, an egg. It’s made of what I would call medium quality prize plush, like all of these. That means they are furry a bit like a high quality dog toy (still pleasantly soft, just tangibly not top quality). And, like the rest of them, it measures around five and a half inches tall (or long, or whatever, depending).
Next we have the ankylosaurus, who I like quite a bit with its odd lopsided flatness. Viewed face on, it reminds me a bit of a salamander.
Why can’t I ever manage to snag a Wooper on Toreba? 
In fact, despite the type of quality issues you’d expect from this level of prize plush, lots of these had exactly the charm I’d hoped for. Take, for instance, the stegosaurus He could be literally any animal — he’s just a cute squishy wad — save for those limp little dermal plates. Yet his helpless little flippy feet need smooches!
And the triceratops, whose downward glance and overall smushed-ness gets me right in the feels:
Although it sort of messed with my original plan to put these on a shelf, I also found it amusing that these don’t generally sit up very well. This is especially true of the brachiosaurus, whose weird head kind of weighs them down:
And, for some odd reason, the brown T-rex, but not the red one coming up shortly. We cannot understand the nuances of the jank.
Nor can we understand how a plush can look so different from its concept art and yet so lovably, derpily cute, as with the pterodactyl:
Since I started this blog a month ago, I’ve started slowly making friends related to it, far away from work and local politics and everything — people who are happy to spend a little time back with the simpler joys of childhood, maybe, or those wanting to have a proper first childhood, and just busy ourselves with toys and cuteness and play for a while. It’s truly been amazing. I like finding my people. 🙂
So if you’re reading this, it’s nice to remember that when life is at its jankiest, there is still cuteness to be found. I think I’ll nominate this second T-rex as my own unofficial mascot for the year. His smile is off, and his nails look terrible, but somehow he’s managing to stand.
Stay safe out there.
hello somebunny 