Captain Pikachu is one of the protagonists of the Pokemon Horizons anime and partner to Captain Friede.

Both the Pikachu protester and the viral Studio Ghibli-esque animations demonstrate the global appeal of cuteness.

Both the Pikachu protester and the viral Studio Ghibli-esque animations demonstrate the global appeal of cuteness.

Yet to me, the Studio Ghibli memes that swept American social media platforms revealed a widespread longing for tenderness at a time when the world seems particularly harsh, violent and unpredictable.

Both the Pikachu protester and the viral Studio Ghibli-esque animations demonstrate the global appeal of cuteness. But to me, there’s more to cute than its ability to go viral.