How Japanese character designers nail cuteness with such consistency will always be a mystery to me. It's not like other nations haven't invented cute characters of their own, but Japan is the Pablo Escobar of pushing adorable designs on the globe. Some grandmothers who've never touched a single Pokemon game know who Pikachu is. Hell, I don't even know what Hello Kitty does in the narrative of her universe except overburden the "oh my goodness, this too cute to handle" circuits in my brain. What, does she go to, like, an animal school or something? It doesn't matter; Hello Kitty and her cohorts from Sanrio have a monopoly on all things adorable, and may heaven help anyone that stands in their way.
In the trailer linked above, you can check out one of Sanrio's most underrated characters—at least in the West—Gutedama in a live-action/CGI hybrid adventure that looks impossibly charming and fun.
