How a Gorilla in Chicago Made Me Think About Yuru-chara
A quirky gorilla mural in Chicago got me thinking—what makes something charming? A touch of awkwardness might be the secret, just like Yuru-chara.
There’s a street near my house lined with murals, and among them, there’s one I absolutely love!
It’s this gorilla mural — and every time I see it, it makes me giggle for reasons I can’t quite explain. There’s just something about it that’s irresistibly funny. Normally, I just catch a glimpse of it from the passenger seat when someone else is driving, but today I decided to walk over and spend some time appreciating it up close.
As I stood there looking at it, I started thinking about why I find this gorilla so funny. And I realized — it’s the expression. It’s a gorilla, but it has this weirdly human-like facial expression.
Basically, the humor comes from this mismatch — the disconnect between what you expect to see and the way it’s actually portrayed. It’s like when something is just off enough to feel funny, but not so off that it’s confusing. That perfect balance creates the charm.
It reminded me of Japan’s yuru-chara (mascot characters). The truly successful ones aren’t just cute — they always have a bit of awkwardness or looseness to them. That little gap, that feeling of something slightly off, is what makes them funny, lovable, and ultimately, iconic.