Hey all you weebs, I know you have all thought about this at one point in your life…
Hayao Miyazaki and his anime team, Studio Ghibli, are responsible for crafting some of the cutest nature-based creatures in popular culture, whether from the realms of Japanese folklore or from the depths of Miyazaki’s own imagination. These nature spirits were born to capture your attention, celebrate Shinto and maybe, just maybe, be there to give you one big ass hug… but who hugs the best? Well, let us see.
Soot Sprites
Appearing in My Neighbour Totoro (1988) and Spirited Away (2001)
Who knew dust could be so cute? These fuzzy round balls accumulate and come to life in the corners of your uncleaned house. These little spirits, known specifically as Susuwatari, may be adorable to look at, but hey, at the end of the day, you would be cuddling a ball of ash… so…
Cuddle Rating: 2½ stars
Totoro
Appearing in My Neighbour Totoro (1988)
Big, cuddly, fluffy and absolutely loveable, Miyazaki’s Totoro may be the ultimate snuggle buddy! The living and breathing plush bear is the PERFECT mix of an owl, a cat and a raccoon dog, but magnified to just the right size. There is no doubt this spiritual guardian of the forest is the one and only critter you want as your personal pillow.
Cuddle Rating: 5 stars
Catbus
Appearing in My Neighbour Totoro (1988)
Maybe the most obscure of the creatures that inhabit the Ghibli pantheon, the Catbus is so bizarre to look at with its hollow body and headlight eyes. Although, tell me you would not fall asleep sitting inside the Catbus as it rumbles and runs you on a long journey home late at night. Tell me that would not comfortably put you to sleep!
Cuddle Rating: 4 stars
Tanuki
Appearing in Pom Poko (1994)
The Tanuki, or the raccoon dog, is a shapeshifting ecowarrior that stands for the protection of various ecosystems… but we only ask the important questions here, like how cuddly is it? Considering the creature can shapeshift into the best hugger ever, we would say its cuddles are pretty good! But why would the Tanuki want to give us dumb polluting humans a hug? I certainly would not if I was them.
Cuddle Rating: 3 stars
No Face
Appearing in Spirited Away (2001)
Look… it literally has no face and its whole personality is in its literal consumption of humans and animals. Nope, no good hug here.
Cuddle Rating: 1 star
The Radish Spirit
Appearing in Spirited Away (2001)
If you are looking for some serious cuddles after a bad day, the Radish Spirit may just be your keno choice. I mean, this guy is basically one big old marshmallow! But just because he may look like it, I would advise against biting into him mid-hug… I mean unless you like the taste of a humanoid radish.
Cuddle Rating: 4 stars
Kodama
Appearing in Princess Mononoke (1997)
The Kodama are fascinating little critters. They exist as a sign that a forest is healthy and, if you find them giving you a miniature cuddle, then surely you know you are in healthy hands. Then again, these little brats can be bastards, so in many ways I also would not trust them in my hands as far as I could throw them… which, now that I think about it, is pretty far.
Cuddle Rating: 3 stars
Written by Nahum Gale
Art by Xanthe Midwinter
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