7 ms·

I do like the idea of mascots, but truthfully I think they are better done as non-human mascots and need to be simple. I think Japan got this right with Yura-ch

I do like the idea of mascots, but truthfully I think they are better done as non-human mascots and need to be simple. I think Japan got this right with Yura-chara[0]. There seems to be a strong preference for non-human characters and when there are human ones, they're still overly simplistic. Seems like same rule about flags[1]: a child should be able to draw it from memory. Only Barty seems to fit these conditions. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuru-chara https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuru-chara [1] https://nava.org/good-flag-bad-flag https://nava.org/good-flag-bad-flag

Lammy 2y ago
> I think Japan got this right I like DPS-kun from beatmaniaⅡᴅx copula: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcfmIKKMu7Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcfmIKKMu7Y They made a plush of him that's very cute too
yellowapple 2y ago
Agreed. Nyango Star is another example of this sort of mascot done right. He's an apple, a cat, and a heavy metal drummer; what's not to love?
spondylosaurus 2y ago
The first BART mascot has a little blue chibi goat next to the human girl, and I can't tell if the chibi is supposed to be an alternate form of the girl or a completely separate entity, but either way it seems like it could be a solid yura-chara.
bobthepanda 2y ago
Not for a transit system per se, but the ORCA farecard in Seattle has a mascot named Boop, who is an orca: https://info.myorca.com/news/meet-boop/ https://info.myorca.com/news/meet-boop/
- godelski 2y ago
  I would feel offended if they chose anything else lol. But the orca mascot is cute. Well done Seattle
- Reason077 2y ago
  There's quite a precedent of sea-related names for transit fare cards. Hong Kong's Octopus, London's Oyster, San Francisco's Clipper... any others I've missed?
  - rexpress 2y ago
    Opal in Sydney
    - thaumasiotes 2y ago
      Opals aren't sea-related.
  - personalcompute 2y ago
    Wellington has the Snapper Card
throwaway314155 2y ago
> Seems like same rule about flags[1]: a child should be able to draw it from memory. Im a grown ass man and can't draw the US flag properly from memory, much less the many far more complicated flags out there. I don't think that definition is particularly useful.
- jonchurch_ 2y ago
  It is a useful concept, and letting the whispers of the vexillophiles[0] into your head will lead you to see that most flags are well, pretty bad. CGP Grey has a lot of opinions[1] about this. [0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vexillology https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vexillology [1] https://youtu.be/l4w6808wJcU https://youtu.be/l4w6808wJcU
- godelski 2y ago
  It's a "you should" kind of rule not a "everyone follows this with no exceptions" kind of rule. Come to think of it, I'm not sure I can think of an example of the latter
  - thaumasiotes 2y ago
    > It's a "you should" kind of rule not a "everyone follows this with no exceptions" kind of rule. It's not a "you should" kind of rule either. It's something someone made up and wants to persuade other people of for no particular reason, similar to "don't split infinitives". There is no benefit to having people be able to draw the flag accurately. A flag has two purposes: 1. Be easy to recognize. 2. Be visually impressive. Two good flags are the flag of California and the flag of Saudi Arabia. You'd have a hard time drawing either one, but that's not a problem. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_California https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_California https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Saudi_Arabia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Saudi_Arabia (Note also that I've seen a Spaniard claim her flag was easy to draw. She meant that it's easy to draw if you don't bother to draw the coat of arms.)
    - godelski 2y ago
imtringued 2y ago
They have non-human characters. The key mistake they made is that they put the human characters front and center. The human characters should appear in accompanying comics where they end up interacting with the animal mascots, not be the mascots themselves.
j4coh 2y ago
I always thought this “a child should be able to draw it” thing was an even better example of a vaguely contrarian factoid that sort of makes you sound smart if you don’t think about it too much, so it becomes endlessly repeated. Which is an interesting phenomenon in its own way.
- deeThrow94 2y ago
  It's not a fact(oid) at all as it's not a statement about reality. it's a principle. You don't have to agree with it, but others might disagree about the quality of the flag you might produce avoiding it.
  - j4coh 2y ago
    Sure but I’m more talking about the way people use it than what it is in reality. Obviously it’s not a real truism, but if you heard it once then it’s something vaguely smart sounding you can say whenever a topic about flags comes up, even when it’s essentially a non-sequitur as in this case. People find it nearly irresistible to mention, which is fascinating.
    - godelski 2y ago
      Real world constraints mean any well constructed principle must at times be violated. That's not a flaw in the principle. A good principle for principles ("rules" in varying uses of the word) is that they need to be simple. Rules/principles of any kind are guides not immutable policies. It would be insane to create immutable policies as the world is constantly changing. If a rule is overly complex, no one can remember it and there can be no expectation for people to follow. tldr: All rules are guides. Be they rules rules or "rules" rules
      - j4coh 2y ago
        Yes makes sense, I’m more talking about the way people use it in casual conversations than what it is in reality. Obviously it’s not a real “rule” with anyone enforcing it, flags children can draw aren’t actually generally inherently better in any non-subjective sense, and reality is a complex place.

Lammy 2y ago

> I think Japan got this right I like DPS-kun from beatmaniaⅡᴅx copula: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcfmIKKMu7Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcfmIKKMu7Y They made a plush of him that's very cute too

yellowapple 2y ago

Agreed. Nyango Star is another example of this sort of mascot done right. He's an apple, a cat, and a heavy metal drummer; what's not to love?

spondylosaurus 2y ago

The first BART mascot has a little blue chibi goat next to the human girl, and I can't tell if the chibi is supposed to be an alternate form of the girl or a completely separate entity, but either way it seems like it could be a solid yura-chara.

bobthepanda 2y ago

Not for a transit system per se, but the ORCA farecard in Seattle has a mascot named Boop, who is an orca: https://info.myorca.com/news/meet-boop/ https://info.myorca.com/news/meet-boop/

godelski 2y ago
I would feel offended if they chose anything else lol. But the orca mascot is cute. Well done Seattle
Reason077 2y ago
There's quite a precedent of sea-related names for transit fare cards. Hong Kong's Octopus, London's Oyster, San Francisco's Clipper... any others I've missed?
- rexpress 2y ago
  Opal in Sydney
  - thaumasiotes 2y ago
    Opals aren't sea-related.
- personalcompute 2y ago
  Wellington has the Snapper Card

throwaway314155 2y ago

> Seems like same rule about flags[1]: a child should be able to draw it from memory. Im a grown ass man and can't draw the US flag properly from memory, much less the many far more complicated flags out there. I don't think that definition is particularly useful.

jonchurch_ 2y ago
It is a useful concept, and letting the whispers of the vexillophiles[0] into your head will lead you to see that most flags are well, pretty bad. CGP Grey has a lot of opinions[1] about this. [0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vexillology https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vexillology [1] https://youtu.be/l4w6808wJcU https://youtu.be/l4w6808wJcU
godelski 2y ago
It's a "you should" kind of rule not a "everyone follows this with no exceptions" kind of rule. Come to think of it, I'm not sure I can think of an example of the latter
- thaumasiotes 2y ago
  > It's a "you should" kind of rule not a "everyone follows this with no exceptions" kind of rule. It's not a "you should" kind of rule either. It's something someone made up and wants to persuade other people of for no particular reason, similar to "don't split infinitives". There is no benefit to having people be able to draw the flag accurately. A flag has two purposes: 1. Be easy to recognize. 2. Be visually impressive. Two good flags are the flag of California and the flag of Saudi Arabia. You'd have a hard time drawing either one, but that's not a problem. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_California https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_California https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Saudi_Arabia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Saudi_Arabia (Note also that I've seen a Spaniard claim her flag was easy to draw. She meant that it's easy to draw if you don't bother to draw the coat of arms.)
  - godelski 2y ago

imtringued 2y ago

They have non-human characters. The key mistake they made is that they put the human characters front and center. The human characters should appear in accompanying comics where they end up interacting with the animal mascots, not be the mascots themselves.

j4coh 2y ago

I always thought this “a child should be able to draw it” thing was an even better example of a vaguely contrarian factoid that sort of makes you sound smart if you don’t think about it too much, so it becomes endlessly repeated. Which is an interesting phenomenon in its own way.

deeThrow94 2y ago
It's not a fact(oid) at all as it's not a statement about reality. it's a principle. You don't have to agree with it, but others might disagree about the quality of the flag you might produce avoiding it.
- j4coh 2y ago
  Sure but I’m more talking about the way people use it than what it is in reality. Obviously it’s not a real truism, but if you heard it once then it’s something vaguely smart sounding you can say whenever a topic about flags comes up, even when it’s essentially a non-sequitur as in this case. People find it nearly irresistible to mention, which is fascinating.
  - godelski 2y ago
    Real world constraints mean any well constructed principle must at times be violated. That's not a flaw in the principle. A good principle for principles ("rules" in varying uses of the word) is that they need to be simple. Rules/principles of any kind are guides not immutable policies. It would be insane to create immutable policies as the world is constantly changing. If a rule is overly complex, no one can remember it and there can be no expectation for people to follow. tldr: All rules are guides. Be they rules rules or "rules" rules
    - j4coh 2y ago
      Yes makes sense, I’m more talking about the way people use it in casual conversations than what it is in reality. Obviously it’s not a real “rule” with anyone enforcing it, flags children can draw aren’t actually generally inherently better in any non-subjective sense, and reality is a complex place.