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Japan never fails to amaze when it comes to transforming the quotidian into cute. I mean, this is the country that turns cucumber-stealing, human-throttling swamp monsters into adorable toys for kids. The country’s latest go at cute-ification comes from Hello Kitty producing toy company Sanrio: Kirimi-chan, a walking, talking salmon fillet, who is set to debut next month with a line of kawaii craziness.

Last year, Sanrio created 20 characters based on popular food items in Japan and held an online election to see which food the public most wanted to cuddle. Kirimi-chan came out on top, so a line of goods featuring the cute cutlet will go on sale at Sanrio shops around the country beginning on February 13.

There will be 16 items in total, including a mini cushion (2,940 yen/about US$28), a dye-cut change purse (1,470 yen/$14), and plush charms (1,050 yen/$10).

▼Proclaim your love of seafood to the world!

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Lest you think this is just slapping a smiley face on a piece of fish, Kirimi-chan has a whole back story on the Sanrio website. According to them, she is a pop star in the world of sliced meat and fish, and she came into being the moment she was sliced off a salmon, aware of only the desire to be eaten and considered delicious. Her best friend is a slice of kamaboko fish paste, but she also hangs out with Tai-kun and Saba-kun, self-aware sea bream and mackerel fillets respectively.

Kirimi-chan is already active on Twitter, making friends ahead of her big debut. With masochistic tweets like, “Please eat me, I’m delicious,” she’s sure to attract a following among a certain crowd, but it remains to be seen whether she can net a wider audience.

Photos: Sanrio
[ Read in Japanese ]