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If you've been interested in 'kawaii' things for a while, you'll no doubt have come across SuperCuteKawaii, an amazingly comprehensive blog with reviews, news, tips, recipes and many more handy resources for those trying to make their life more cute! Today on the Tofu Cute Blog, we're interviewing Marceline, the founder and editor for SuperCuteKawaii, and we asked them about their life running the cutest blog, their favourite cute things and more!
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How did SuperCuteKawaii get started?
"I started SCK in 2008 with my friend Claire when we worked at the same office doing boring jobs. Blogging was really popular and there wasn’t a blog covering both Japanese kawaii characters and the independent designer/makers inspired by them, so we started one ourselves.
SCK is now a team of 5 with me, Natasja, Kendy, Andi and Nicolette so we can
create a wider range of content. We’re celebrating our 12th anniversary(!!!) in September!"
Wow - SCK is even older than Tofu Cute! Happy birthday to SuperCuteKawaii!
How did you learn about the world of 'kawaii culture'?
"I didn’t know the word kawaii for a long time but my sister Nicolette and I grew up with cute characters like Miffy and Barbapapa and then discovered Sanrio and Pokemon. Nintendo games made us interested in visiting Japan and it all grew from there!"
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Of course, we had to ask about some of SCK's favourite cute things, too.
What's your favourite animal, and what type of animal do you think makes the best kind of plushie?
"Bunnies! I do love a bunny plushie but my favourite kind when you combine animals with food, especially bread!"
Who's your favourite cute character?
"At the moment it’s Rilakkuma but I also love Sumikko Gurashi and Pusheen!"
Do you have a favourite cute snack or drink?
My favourites are probably Pocky and fizzy drinks like melon soda and ramune.
These are all some great choices, and clearly the people of SuperCuteKawaii have refined taste. It's a well known fact that if you like Sumikko Gurashi, you're basically confirmed to be pretty cool, and I can vouch for the appeal of any kind of melon soda, too. Here's a picture of Marceline's plush collection, which as you can see - is full of variety. |
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Is there a trend in 'kawaii culture' that you would like to see return, or something new and exciting that you want to see more of?
"This is a difficult one! I keep coming back to character cafes. They’ve been around for a
while but have improved so much recently with healthier food, vegan options and more care over making it a memorable experience. The ARTBOX Cafe has been so exciting to have in the UK and it would be great to see more character cafes opening around the world so all kawaii fans can visit one."
We love the ARTBOX cafe too (maybe we're a little bias, ARTBOX are very nice to us). It's well worth a visit if you haven't been; it's currently Gudetama Themed!
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Last year SCK released the 'Super Cute Book of Kawaii' - a thoroughly comprehensive look at all things cute! What inspired you to create the book, and what was your favourite part of creating it?
"I’ve self-published a few books and zines about my trips to Japan and dreamed about writing a real book. Luckily, my editor at Pop Press/Penguin found SCK and made that happen. I really wanted it to be a positive book and help people learn about kawaii and how to make every part of their lives more cute, colourful and creative. I especially enjoyed planning 'A Perfect Day in Tokyo' but my favourite thing was how collaborative it all was. The book designer Sophie made everything look so cute and I was able to bring in some of my favourite people in the kawaii scene to share their tips and DIYs."
If you're looking for a handy go-to guide on Kawaii Culture, SCK's book is the perfect read. Click here to find out how to get a copy!" |
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What your favourite way to spend your free time?
"I love crafts and art and always have a few projects on the go. At the moment, I’m doing cross stitch and drawing on my iPad. I’m still a big Nintendo fan too so I’m playing a lot of Animal Crossing this year."
Do you have any tips for our customers on how to make their lives more cute?
"Surround yourself with things that make you happy and don’t worry about what other people think. I love wearing bright clothes and cute bags and my home is full of kawaii plush, art and kitchenware. Being surrounded by colour and happy faces always keeps me feeling good!"
That's some good advice. Although we've tried to provide our own advice on embracing kawaii culture before, this really sums up the spirit of it all - don't worry about others, and surround yourself with things that make you happy! I think we can all take a little something from that sentiment. |
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SCK has been a relaxed, useful resource on all things cute for the past 12 years, and the site has expanded in many different ways. I wondered what they might want to do next.
What do you want for the future of SuperCuteKawaii?
"I don’t tend to make a lot of long term plans as things change so fast but I hope we can
continue being a helpful resource for kawaii fans, old and new. Like everyone, we’ve had to
adapt quickly to the weird world of 2020 and it’s made us care even more about supporting
small artists and shops, and creating useful content like guides for visiting Japan and how to
get started with different crafts. I wouldn’t say no to writing another book either, now that I’ve
recovered from the first one!" |
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That's all for our interview, and it seems like a good place to end it. The future looks exciting for SuperCuteKawaii, and it's been amazing to see just how much they've grown throughout their 12 year history. They've always been kind enough to share things that we have going on in our own 10 years in this strange world of kawaii - please head to
their site or buy their book to show them some love!
DigiFest continues, and with our recently announced Art competition and Tofu Cute Live stage event, there's no better time than right now to get involved!
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If you've been interested in 'kawaii' things for a while, you'll no doubt have come across SuperCuteKawaii, an amazingly comprehensive blog with reviews, news, tips, recipes and many more handy resources for those trying to make their life more cute! Today on the Tofu Cute Blog, we're interviewing Marceline, the founder and editor for SuperCuteKawaii, and we asked them about their life running the cutest blog, their favourite cute things and more!
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How did SuperCuteKawaii get started?
"I started SCK in 2008 with my friend Claire when we worked at the same office doing boring jobs. Blogging was really popular and there wasn’t a blog covering both Japanese kawaii characters and the independent designer/makers inspired by them, so we started one ourselves.
SCK is now a team of 5 with me, Natasja, Kendy, Andi and Nicolette so we can
create a wider range of content. We’re celebrating our 12th anniversary(!!!) in September!"
Wow - SCK is even older than Tofu Cute! Happy birthday to SuperCuteKawaii!
How did you learn about the world of 'kawaii culture'?
"I didn’t know the word kawaii for a long time but my sister Nicolette and I grew up with cute characters like Miffy and Barbapapa and then discovered Sanrio and Pokemon. Nintendo games made us interested in visiting Japan and it all grew from there!"
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Of course, we had to ask about some of SCK's favourite cute things, too.
What's your favourite animal, and what type of animal do you think makes the best kind of plushie?
"Bunnies! I do love a bunny plushie but my favourite kind when you combine animals with food, especially bread!"
Who's your favourite cute character?
"At the moment it’s Rilakkuma but I also love Sumikko Gurashi and Pusheen!"
Do you have a favourite cute snack or drink?
My favourites are probably Pocky and fizzy drinks like melon soda and ramune.
These are all some great choices, and clearly the people of SuperCuteKawaii have refined taste. It's a well known fact that if you like Sumikko Gurashi, you're basically confirmed to be pretty cool, and I can vouch for the appeal of any kind of melon soda, too. Here's a picture of Marceline's plush collection, which as you can see - is full of variety. |
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|
Is there a trend in 'kawaii culture' that you would like to see return, or something new and exciting that you want to see more of?
"This is a difficult one! I keep coming back to character cafes. They’ve been around for a
while but have improved so much recently with healthier food, vegan options and more care over making it a memorable experience. The ARTBOX Cafe has been so exciting to have in the UK and it would be great to see more character cafes opening around the world so all kawaii fans can visit one."
We love the ARTBOX cafe too (maybe we're a little bias, ARTBOX are very nice to us). It's well worth a visit if you haven't been; it's currently Gudetama Themed!
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Last year SCK released the 'Super Cute Book of Kawaii' - a thoroughly comprehensive look at all things cute! What inspired you to create the book, and what was your favourite part of creating it?
"I’ve self-published a few books and zines about my trips to Japan and dreamed about writing a real book. Luckily, my editor at Pop Press/Penguin found SCK and made that happen. I really wanted it to be a positive book and help people learn about kawaii and how to make every part of their lives more cute, colourful and creative. I especially enjoyed planning 'A Perfect Day in Tokyo' but my favourite thing was how collaborative it all was. The book designer Sophie made everything look so cute and I was able to bring in some of my favourite people in the kawaii scene to share their tips and DIYs."
If you're looking for a handy go-to guide on Kawaii Culture, SCK's book is the perfect read. Click here to find out how to get a copy!" |
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|
What your favourite way to spend your free time?
"I love crafts and art and always have a few projects on the go. At the moment, I’m doing cross stitch and drawing on my iPad. I’m still a big Nintendo fan too so I’m playing a lot of Animal Crossing this year."
Do you have any tips for our customers on how to make their lives more cute?
"Surround yourself with things that make you happy and don’t worry about what other people think. I love wearing bright clothes and cute bags and my home is full of kawaii plush, art and kitchenware. Being surrounded by colour and happy faces always keeps me feeling good!"
That's some good advice. Although we've tried to provide our own advice on embracing kawaii culture before, this really sums up the spirit of it all - don't worry about others, and surround yourself with things that make you happy! I think we can all take a little something from that sentiment. |
SCK has been a relaxed, useful resource on all things cute for the past 12 years, and the site has expanded in many different ways. I wondered what they might want to do next.
What do you want for the future of SuperCuteKawaii?
"I don’t tend to make a lot of long term plans as things change so fast but I hope we can
continue being a helpful resource for kawaii fans, old and new. Like everyone, we’ve had to
adapt quickly to the weird world of 2020 and it’s made us care even more about supporting
small artists and shops, and creating useful content like guides for visiting Japan and how to
get started with different crafts. I wouldn’t say no to writing another book either, now that I’ve
recovered from the first one!" |
|
That's all for our interview, and it seems like a good place to end it. The future looks exciting for SuperCuteKawaii, and it's been amazing to see just how much they've grown throughout their 12 year history. They've always been kind enough to share things that we have going on in our own 10 years in this strange world of kawaii - please head to
their site or buy their book to show them some love!
DigiFest continues, and with our recently announced Art competition and Tofu Cute Live stage event, there's no better time than right now to get involved!
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