Manufacturer says new cushion “makes the dream of being sucked up by Kirby come true!”

No matter how much you love Kirby, you have to admit that he sure does suck. I’m not trying to put the guy down or anything, it’s just that that’s his form of attack: sucking up enemies and taking them into his adorably chubby body in order to absorb their powers.

While that might sound like a terrifying fate for his foes, the atmosphere of Kirby’s various video games are invariably as cuddly and cute as the Nintendo star himself. So maybe being sucked up and swallowed by Kirby actually isn’t such an unpleasant experience? I mean, it looks pretty comfortable here.

Online retailer Premium Bandai has just begun taking orders for the Sucking Kirby, which, in much the same way as Kirby’s exact species is indeterminate, defies easy product categorization. On the one hand, you could say it’s a plushie, since it’s made out of a polyester/nylon blend and looks pretty huggable.

But it’s also big (38 centimeters [15 inches] tall) and capable of standing on its own, so maybe it’s more like a figure or interior decoration?

And finally, you could make the argument that the Sucking Kirby is actually a piece of furniture, or at least a pillow/cushion, since you can lay your head down inside his soft mouth and relax…or, alternatively, you shut your eyes in fear so that you don’t have to look at the opening of his maw (which can accommodate heads up to 21 centimeters in diameter) while worrying that the plushie is about to come to life and close it around you.

Premium Bandai describes it’s inspiration for the product with:

“Wouldn’t it be great if you could be sucked up by Kirby? Here’s a stuffed animal that can make that wish come true! Now you can have Kirby suck you up whenever you like, and where ever you are! Even adults can be sucked up!”

The Sucking Kirby walks a delicate tightrope between comfortingly cute and seriously scary, largely depending on what sort of dialogue you imagine for him at any given moment.

▼ “Wow, candy! My favorite!”

▼ “Bring me tribute, mortals, or I shall become angry and devour you like I did this family’s father!”

▼ “I love hugs!”

▼ “Carry me, slave child, so that I may find more of your relatives to consume! Do not disappoint me like your mother, who has now become my flesh.”

Sucking Kirby can be ordered here from Premium Bandai, priced at 9,500 yen (US$85) and with shipping scheduled for May.

Source, images: Premium Bandai