Company: Pokémon Center Japan
Year: December, 2014
Size: 8″
Main distribution: Japan
For the December period the Pokémon Center released a new line to celebrate Christmas 2014. It was exclusive during the Christmas period in Japan Pokémon Centers.
Several plush were made for this line, as well as keychains, pins and other merchandise. 5 different plush were released; a Pikachu dressed as Santa, and Snowmen of Pikachu, Chespin, Froakie and Fennekin.
I got 1, the Pikachu Snowman.
The plush is about 8″ tall. It has a bumpy, fuzzy texture that imitates the fluffy snow. The face is embroidered. The plush is a typical snowman of 2 white bolls, with added Pikachu details like ears and its face.
On top of its head is an orange bucket, and it’s wearing a scarf in Pikachu’s iconic yellow and brown colours.
It has a standard Pokémon Center tush tag; on it it’ll have the Pokémon Center, as well as 2014 and the © for Pokémon / Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK. The Pokéball logo is fully filled in and the text is a dark brown colour.
The hang tag features cute art of the 2014 Christmas line, with the Snowman Pikachu in the center as it’s the snowman Pikachu plush.
I like to dress up my house “geeky” with the holidays. Christmas and winter themed merchandise is great to put out around Christmas time. I’m not that big of a fan of characters dressed up as Santa or simply holding presents; it’s too cliché. But snowman are always cute.
I really liked this snowman Pikachu as it felt like a realmade snowman with the bucket and scarf. I find the one from 2016 more like a winter / white Pikachu, and the 2015 ones had too fancy clothes for my taste (I always put old clothes on snowmen). There is another one from 2012 I actually would still like, as it has twigs for arms and a knitted hat and mittens. That just feels more “snowman” to me.
He only gets put out for display halfway in November (when Sinterklaas arrives, as that’s when the festive winter season for me starts) and stays for the duration of the winter period, usually till about late February as I clean up the winter stuff then to prepare for my birthday early March. Only pure Christmas decorations go on January 6 (like Santa’s and Christmas trees). So the snowmen can be enjoyed a little longer.
Because of his wintery theme this does mean I don’t see him as much as some of my other “general” merchandise as he’s boxed away. But that makes him more enjoyable when he is out. He’s more home decoration in that way as well, and sits proudly in the living room.
He’s not too big and the colours are plain enough that he can be combined with anything. I usually create a “snow” corner with a snow blanket and other snowmen plush.
Because of his roundness (his body is a ball) he can be hard to balance and make him stand up, but because I usually display him on a snow blanket I manage.
If you like wintery or Christmas themed plush, this one is great!
Got any more details / information you think I should add? Or did I get something wrong? Do you own the same plush or any other Christmas / winter themed merchandise? Do you agree or disagree with my findings? Let me know in the comments below!