Something That I've Noticed Ever Since The Smiling Critters Were Introduced Is That They Can So Easily

Something that I've noticed ever since the Smiling Critters were introduced is that they can so easily be paired off into complementary duos, ones that are specifically designed to teach children fundamental lessons about life and self-care from two different angles. It's really interesting to me.

Like obviously you have Dogday and Catnap, with their sun/moon, dog/cat dichotomy, that stress how important it is to have fun and get things done during the day, but also that it's important to wind down, relax, and get a good night's sleep.

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Bubba Bubbaphant and Craftycorn were introduced as a duo in the Smiling Critter show's intro, and their dichotomy is quite obvious. They are basically the right and left sides of the brain personified. Bubba is the left side of the brain, logical, analytical, focused on math and science. Craftycorn is the right side of the brain, creative and imaginative, focused on the arts and self-expression. They represent learning and academia in all its forms, the different ways people engage with and understand the world.

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Hoppy Hopscotch and Kickin' Chicken form the sportsmanship duo. They are both portrayed as enjoying sports and the outdoors, but in different ways that highlight the different ways sports can be played and enjoyed and also what it entails to be successful at them. Hoppy Hopscotch may be loud and impatient, but she is also a team player, shown in her willingness to slow down her fast pace to make sure none of her friends are left behind. Kickin' Chicken, on the other hand, is laid-back, relaxed, and chill, the described "cool kid" of the group, but he's also described as having a ton of perseverance, more of a "slow and steady wins the race" type of person.

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This leaves Bobby Bearhug and Picky Piggy as the last pair. Fittingly, these two are all about how to meet the fundamental needs of yourself and others. Bobby teaches children how to nourish themselves emotionally through showing and receiving care from others, while Picky teaches them how good food is important to nourish the body and soul. Depriving oneself of either of these things only makes oneself and therefore everyone around one miserable, because those fundamental needs are no longer being met.

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Like fr, this is some pretty genius marketing right here. You have enough characters that every kid will have their favorite, but not so many that any would get lost in the shuffle, because the lessons each one of them would teach would be integral to the group as a whole. It really makes me that much sadder we saw basically nothing of the Smiling Critters during the game itself, because Mob Games struck gold with this concept, only to ultimately do nothing with it. :/

But I guess that's what fandom is for, eh?

cried

og:

GRAAAHHHHHHH THESE GO SO HARD

The CMC girls in the UPA art style.

Good morning!

Toon Dogday made by @/colorfulcyclone

Red Rest Dogday by @/deleted_va

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW THIS IS ADORABLLEEEEEEDUHUH

I was supposed to be redrawing The Selfish Critters, but I just got motivated for this

Ig I just enjoy them a lot

Prissy's Birthday surprise (ik it's not her birthday)

I'm gonna name this hc the Craftyswap siblings for the meantime (ill get back to work)

Prissy Piggy by @anothersmilingcrittersau

Clay Paclayderm by @funny-critter-blog

Souffle Sow by me

SOBBING SCREAMING AND THROWING UP THIS IS SO ADORABLE

BOBBY IS LOVED BY ALL HEE FRIENDS

JUST FOUND THIS IMAGE IN THE WIKI AWWWW