#i follow chiitan on instagram i love chiitan

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Chiitan is the hilariously masochistic mascot of our dreams

This is Ode To..., a weekly column where we share the stuff we're really into in hopes that you'll be really into it, too.

Tired of actual animal videos? Here's an alternative: there's a sublime and mysterious otter mascot that deserves all your praise and love. Her name is Chiitan and according to her Twitter bio she's a "0-year-old fairy baby." She's also the Sightseeing Ambassador for Susaki, a city in Japan known for its adorable mascots. 

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Chiitan worked pretty hard to reach the status of viral icon, suffering multiple costume-threatening injuries to build her audience. But as any wide-eyed, internationally renowned "fairy baby" will tell you, no pain, no viral glory.

Here are just a few examples of her greatness.

As BuzzFeed News reported back in March, despite Chiitan's bizarre appearance, she's actually based off of a real-life otter who goes by the same name. The OG Chiitan went viral in Japan for her ability to make adorable squeaks that could melt even the coldest of hearts. She's just as curious and active as the Chiitan mascot created in her image. 

Mascot characters tied to cities in Japan are actually a pretty common sight. According to the Japan Times, every year the Yuru-kyara Grand Prix competition attracts plush mascots from all over the country to compete for the public's love. Chiitan herself has never entered this particular competition, but her predecessor Shinjo-kun — another otter mascot — competed and won in 2016 for their home city of Susaki. After winning, Shinjo-kun retired from his position as the Sightseeing Ambassador and left the role in Chiitan's hands to do as she pleased.

When Chiitan rose to this coveted position, her power over the masses only grew. Thanks to regular posts of zany viral videos, she's amassed a following of more than 750,000 fans on Twitter, plus more than 535,000 followers on her English-translated account. 

The videos usually involve Chiitan failing at a particular sport or activity, and more often than not, she winds up splayed out on the ground by the end of the clip. The person behind Chiitan told BuzzFeed News that the character has to exercise a ton to use up all that frenetic otter energy. 

Honestly, live your truth, Chiitan. Burn those calories.                                                               

It's the surreal nature of Chiitan's videos that gets me. Here we have a huge, goofy character standing in an all white room, screwing up every task thrown her way. 

How's this mascot supposed to represent an entire city? That I don't know. What I do know is that this is comedy at its finest. You can check out all of Chiitan's amazing videos on her Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube channel.

Chiitan, may you long reign as the Sightseeing Ambassador for your city, and a mascot for all the dorks on Twitter.

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