Our Kawaii Favourites of 2018

Last year, I asked all the SCK writers to share their top kawaii picks for the year and we’re doing it again! Tell us yours for a chance to win a little prize – details at the end.

Favourite Kawaii Character

Marceline: Sumikko Gurashi are still my faves but Rilakkuma and Pusheen have been close behind this year.

Natasja: Yeastken the Dog Bread is a recent favorite of mine, but Sumikko Gurashi comes closely second.

MissMuffcake: Pusheen and Care Bears!

Andi: It’s still Marumofubiyori, which is illustrated by my already sizable (and still growing) collection of Marumofubiyori stationery.

Nicolette: Chairoikoguma – Obviously I already knew about Rilakkuma’s new friend Kogumachan but became a bit obsessed with him on our trip to Japan! He has such an adorable sad little face and the plushie I bought with all the cute outfits is definitely one of my fave purchases this year. 

Favourite Kawaii Artist/Maker

Marceline: I’ve really loved discovering Pikaole‘s animal art this year. I got some cool postcards and cleaning cloth through her Patreon and I couldn’t resist these spooky shrimp iMessage stickers.

Natasja: I really like the cute bunnies from Heather Sketcheroos and the kawaii cats from Erik Buikema.

MissMuffcake: Love Pain and Stitches – they help me celebrate Halloween all year long.

Andi: Willow Works Studio! I’ve always loved 3D art and things like shadow boxes, and I find their whimsical/pastel style very inspiring. Owning one of their pieces is a 2019 goal of mine!

Nicolette: Toshinori Mori – this artist makes colourful and whimsical illustrations of cats having adventures in beautifully drawn Japanese locations. I was really happy to find some postcards featuring his work when I was in Japan as I think it’s just gorgeous. 

Favourite Kawaii/Craft Book

Marceline: Can I choose my own book? I just had to read it through again before it goes to print and I really think you’ll love it! Okay, I also bought this cute Sumikko Gurashi Visual Dictionary in Japan. It’s a big book with the whole story of their first few years and so nice to look through. There’s character profiles, comics, products, full page illustrations, a quiz and more.

Natasja: This Summer I got the Kawaii! How to Draw Really Cute Stuff book, with easy to follow steps on how to draw kawaii characters. For 2019 I would like to have more drawing/creative time!

Andi: The happy addition of the Serene Little Village coloring book by Julia Rivers to my to-be-colored pile. It’s very reminiscent of the Rhapsody in the Forest coloring book by Kanoko Egusa, and I can’t get enough of it!

Favourite Kawaii Food/Snack

Marceline: The cutest thing I’ve eaten this year was my panda donut from Siretoco in Tokyo. I also really liked the yuzu Gudetama chocolate from Tofu Cute.

Natasja: Chocolate is my all time favorite snack, especially when it comes in a cute shape. For this reason I find Koala’s March cookies hard to resist!

Andi: Happy Nikukyu peach gummies!

Nicolette: We had so much cute food in Japan that it’s really hard to choose! I’ll have to go with the candy floss Korilakkuma just because of all the skill which went into making it – amazing! 

Favourite Instagram Account

Marceline: I’ve been following @schinako on Tumblr for a few years, but recently discovered she posts on Instagram too with time lapse videos of her cute bunny paintings. I also love the @rilakkuma_sanx_official account.

Natasja: It’s impossible to pick just a couple of IG accounts (O_o), but I have to say that @kaopan27 and @chichilittle are amongst my favorites.

MissMuffcake: @naturally.jo – cute vegan food!

Andi: @miniature.mame. Miniatures are already cute by definition, but this IG has taken it to a whole new level.

Nicolette: @Jennillustrations – I love her adorable super sparkly creations, especially the bunnies with their heart shaped ears – kawaii! 

Favourite Kawaii Discovery

Marceline: Patreon. It’s been such a joy for me to connect with and learn more about the creators I follow and see behind the scenes at their process. I really recommend it.

Natasja: At the beginning of this year I stumbled upon a kawaiii Korean brand called Manet, their stickers are the cutest.

MissMuffcake: Lydia Jean Art  – cute cat and Pokemon prints!

Andi: My Time At Portia is a PC game that has some really cute graphics and gameplay that reminds me of a combination of Animal Crossing, Harvest Moon, and Fantasy Life.

Nicolette: One of my fave purchases this year was this adorable ‘Step Over Snails’ patch by Tom Eccles. The only problem is finding a worthy place to display this epic piece of art. 

We’ll be back soon to share our favourite makes and purchases of the year.