"[...] a bored ape is pleasant to look at [...]" Is it really, though? Maybe the word you're looking for is striking or distinctive. Possibly-- competent. But

"[...] a bored ape is pleasant to look at [...]" Is it really, though? Maybe the word you're looking for is striking or distinctive. Possibly-- competent. But pleasant is not the first word that comes to mind. BAYC had first-mover advantage, there isn't anything particular about them that wasn't done better by a project that came later. That they are uniquely fugly made them stand out as a novelty.