Tsum Tsum’s and Ufufys: What are they?

If you know of Disney, then by now I’m sure you’ve at least seen a tsum tsum or an ufufy, even without knowing what they are called. These things are everywhere (as with most things Disney)- but what exactly are they?

To start, we have to look at tsum tsums. The first set of tsum tsums premiered in Japan in 2013, as merchandise to go along with the release of the tsum tsum mobile game, where people can match the tsum tsum versions of characters for points and coins.

These stackable versions of Disney and Pixar characters, named after the Japanese word ‘tsumu’, which literally means “to stack”, quickly gained popularity within the nation, for their cute appearance and their variable sizes (anywhere from small to giant).

In 2014, because of their popularity, the tsum tsum line was released in the US, with Paris following quickly thereafter. They are now sold in disney stores, at disneyland and disneyworld, D23, and various other locations around the world. They’re cute, soft, and collectible, which makes them insanely popular. There are even shorts about tsum tsums, which can be found online or showing at a Disney store.

But what about Ufufys? What was the point of them (aside from merchandising)? Well, unlike being tied to a game, the ufufy is simply a part of the “kawaii collection” initially sold exclusively in Japan in 2016. These versions of the characters are supposed to be “born of the clouds”- light, fluffy, and filled with happiness. These characters are pastel colored and in the shape of balls, and they some with a spray to make them smell sweet. They took off without a hitch in Japan, to the point so that they were released in the US and other locations less than a year after their Japanese release (a slightly shorter time period than the tsum tsum).

The word ‘ufufy’, unlike tsum tsum, is not based off a word. It is simply to add to the cuteness of the ufufy. That doesn’t make them any less cute, however (I have a weakness for cute stuffed animals, if you couldn’t already tell).

A Hollywood History of Vampires

With the revival of vampire literature after the release of Twilight back in 2006, vampires, having faded in popularity, suddenly skyrocketed, with shows such as True Blood, Vampire Diaries, and films such as Hotel Transylvania (and of course, the Twilight Saga) pumping out at every turn, amassing massive popularity. But how did the vampire evolve? From the “Golden Age” of Hollywood to now, the vampire has changed quite a bit. But how?

To start, we’ll look at the most famous vampire of all, Dracula (if you thought Edward Cullen, shame on you). The character, having originated in Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1897, was originally portrayed as a Count from the fictional Eastern European country known as Transylvania. He attempts to move to England and “vampify” the nation, leaving a small team of men and a woman to stop him.

Dracula found his first film appearance as Count Orlok in F.W Murnau’s Nosferatu, which was released in 1922. Although his name was not Dracula, Count Orlok was very similar to Bram Stoker’s character, with the plot closely following the story line of the novel (in fact, it was so similar, Florence Stoker, Bram Stoker’s wife, sued and demanded that every copy of Nosferatu be destroyed). Later, Count Dracula would find himself back on the screen (this time with his namesake) in Universal Studios’ release of Dracula by Tod Browning in 1931. This film, would cause Dracula to become a household name, his character becoming a permanent figure in Hollywood history. This film would gain so much popularity that it would lead to the release of the sequel Dracula’s Daughter in 1936.

In their original forms, vampires represented beings of pure evil, with no remorse over what they were, and nothing to gain sympathy from the audience. However, with the relaxation of Hollywood standards around what could be shown on the screen in the 1960’s and 1970’s, more dimensional elements began creeping into vampire films, in particular, sensuality. These elements would lead to a shift in how the vampire is portrayed, a marker of this being 1983’s “The Hunger”, by Tony Scott. In this film, John, a human lover of the vampire Miriam Blaylock, is hit with “sudden living death”, where he ages rapidly but is still alive. Sexual promiscuity is apparent throughout the film, with Miriam sleeping with both men and women, and trying to tie them to her as lovers to make them “vampire-like”. While still pertaining horror-like qualities, the films adds a new, less horrifying dimension to vampires, setting them up for the eventual “humanization” that would occur in the 1990’s and 2000’s.

Vampires from then on would be defanged-literally. Their fangs would become retractable, and in Buffy the Vampire Slayer they acted just like normal humans. By the release of Twilight in 2008, vampires had become super-sexy almost human beings. During the time period, they were considered the apex of supernatural romance, (although sparkling in the sun rather than burning to death didn’t catch on very well). And it wasn’t just Twilight. True Blood and Vampire Diaries also boasted super-sexy male vampires, with fans fawning over them at every which way and point.

With Hollywood so drastically changing the vampire from nightmare-inducing to hot and cuddly, it does beg the question- are we stuck with them like this? I don’t think so. While vampires have lost some of their popularity on the big screen, shows like Penny Dreadful and the Strain have portrayed vampires back in their original form-truly terrifying. There is a decent turn away from the romantic protagonist vampire, with vampires once again being seen as the villains, acting sort-of-human but still definitely different. It seems, now, that audiences are getting sick of the “softening” of vampires-which, in my opinion, is probably for the best.

From Godzilla to Studio Ghibli: A History of Japanese Cultural Trade

When it comes to pop culture, Japan has a long history of influence. Having a unique access to Western markets (granted by the US under occupation to make sure their changes to the Japanese economy survived), set Japan off to the comfortable position of domination in the cultural trade, only to be challenged in recent years by the rise of South Korea and Hallyu.

But how extensive is Japan’s pop culture influence? To explain that, I have to begin with one of the most famous classic monsters in cinema history, Godzilla. Godzilla, also known in the Japanese form (Gojira, ゴジラ), by Ishiro Honda, was initially released in Japan in 1954, made as a message against nuclear bombing and H-bomb testing by the US near Japan). Godzilla in its initial form acts as a metaphor against nuclear testing, being an ancient monster that is awakened from a deep sleep by nuclear radiation. By the end of the Cold War, however, some versions of Godzilla have him portrayed as an antihero, defending humanity against a greater threat, while more modern versions have included natural disasters, environmental degradation, Japanese forgetfulness over its imperial past, and human conflict. While the films have shifted Godzilla’s meaning over time, the lizard monster itself has become a staple in Western pop culture, being recognizable to most, even if they haven’t seen any Godzilla films.

Another easily recognizable figure would have to be Hello Kitty (Haro Kiti, ハロー・キティ), created in 1974 by Sanrio. Hello Kitty is a staple of the “kawaii” segment of Japanese culture, having been created as part of a line for “kawaii merch” by the company. According to creator’s Yuko Shimizu’s backstory, Hello Kitty (or Kitty White) is a perpetual third grader living outside of London, with the target audience being pre-adolescent girls. Now Sanrio has expanded to include a more adult audience, with dozens of characters all contributing to “kawaii culture”. Hello Kitty holds immense popularity in Western markets, but a character released in 2013 by the name of Gudetama (a lazy egg yoke with a butt), seems to have become a cultural phenomenon as well, being seen as particularly relatable among teens and young adults. With the popular release of both the merchandise and the show Aggretsuko by Netflix in 2018, Sanrio’s newest character, a red panda battling discrimination and microaggressions at work, seems to be on the same path of popularity.

Around the same time as Sanrio’s release of Hello Kitty, another influential character arose, although not nearly as remembered in the modern era. This character was Astro Boy (Testuwan Atomu, 鉄腕アトム). The 1963 TV series, written by Yoshiyuki Tomino, was based off of the 1952 manga with the same name (written by Osamu Tezuka, or the “God of Manga”), was the first popular Japanese show that used the style later classified as “anime”. It was the first actual anime to be broadcast outside of Japan, enjoying popularity in both Japan and the West. Astro Boy, taking after many futuristic shows of the 1960’s takes place in the “distant 2000”, he is the most advanced robot ever developed. In 1965, NBC Enterprises released English-dubbed episodes to American audiences, with episodes and names altered to cater to both restrictions placed by the American television networks and to American tastes. Despite Tezuka’s frustration with the restrictions, it gained massive popularity, holding reruns until the early 1970’s. Remakes of the original anime would still follow into the 1980’s and 1990’s, however, revamping the animation style and story to progress with time.

The success of Astro Boy would lead directly to the further development of the “anime” style of animation, and with an ever-growing market, the style flourished throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s in both Eastern and Western markets, with shows like Sailor Moon (Bishojo Senshi Sera Mun 美少女戦士セーラームーン), Pokemon (ポケモン), Gundam (Gandamu, ガンダム), and Neon Genesis: Evangelion (Shinseiki Evangerion,新世紀エヴァンゲリオン)  influencing an entire generation as English dubbed versions of the shows played on normal daytime television. This influence would lead to the incorportation of the anime style into Western shows, such as the Simpsons “30 Minutes over Tokyo” in 1999, which dedicated an entire episode to referencing different Japanese cultural aspects that Westerners were familiar with, and poking fun as some of the pop culture aspects as well. The influence of these shows throughout the 1990’s would also lead to the development of Avatar the Last Airbender (2006-2008) and its sequel series, both of which were produced by a Western company, but with an anime-esque style, leading to the coining of the new term “American anime”.

Of course, in mentioning the influence of individual shows in the anime style, I simply can’t ignore the influence of an entire company that redefines it. Studio Ghibli (Kabushiki gaisha Sutajio Jiburi, 株式会社スタジオジブリ), founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, is perhaps the most influential Japanese animated film company in the Western market, with seven of the fifteen highest-grossing anime films, Spirited Away (2001) clocking in at number two with $290 million globally, and an Oscar nomination for best animated film. Studio Ghibli has provided a wide array of films, focusing around the nuances of human nature, even if they take place in fantastical worlds. With Disney’s English dubbing and releasing of the films in Western markets, Studio Ghibli has gained seemingly legendary status, with films such as Princess Mononoke (1997), Howl’s Moving Castle (2004), My Neighbor Totoro (1988), and Ponyo (2008) having cult status among Western youth. Studio Ghibli is and will remain a permanent figure when one thinks about Japanese pop culture, having one of the largest and most recognizable names of any Japanese animation company. Despite their announced temporary hiatus in 2014, fans of the films still eagerly await for another film to come.