Personal - Fell into an Otter’s World

Hi Blog,

I still remember my first trip to Korea (post on 4th Oct 2024) — the cool air, the endless streets of little shops, and the way everything felt so new. Somewhere in the middle of it all, I saw them: two otter plushies, one light brown, one dark.

(credit unknown resource) They were sitting side by side on a shelf, like a little couple in their own world.

Two otter plushies sitting side by side on a shelf in a tiny shop, tucked among other plush toys, vying for attention. I lingered there longer than I intended, feeling that strange, warm tug in my chest. It sounds silly now, but at that moment, I felt like I was intruding on their togetherness. I couldn’t take both home — not yet...

So I picked up the light brown one and told myself it would be enough. It looks absolutely adorable! Obtaining this type of otter plushie is rare in Singapore; even on Korea Street, I do not see many stores carrying it.

I posed the otter for a photo for my collection, but I sensed something was off —a strong sense of loneliness. The whole night, I kept thinking of the other one I left behind. It wasn’t just a plushie — it felt like I had separated a happy pair. I know it sounds childish, but in my heart, it was almost like the otters stood for something I quietly longed for: a sweet, simple kind of togetherness.

I searched online for the other pair, but the results were disappointing. None of them is as cute as Usouso-chan うそうそうそちゃん.

Ultimately, I returned all the way to the shopping area to get this otter; the sense of completion was strong.

Seeing them got together... Simply satisfying.

When I returned home to Singapore, I showed my otter plushie to a friend. He instantly fell in love with it, and I realised that such a unique item was hard to find here. So, I decided to give one to him; it felt like the right thing to do. However, later on, I felt a sense of incompleteness. I realised that I had let go of more than just a plushie. That was the moment I made a decision: if I returned to Korea, whenever that might be, I would go back and bring home the missing otter.

My friend sent me a picture of that light brown otter... Oh well, I hope I can find it again when I return to Korea.

Back in Singapore, I started to watch a lot of adorable Asian small-clawed otter videos, and honestly, I got poisoned...

Then, I realised it all started in Japan, a short series about Usoyan.

Then I found these cute otters in a box sold in Vietnam, but somehow...

It is an imitation because the craftsmanship is off, the proportions are awkward, which detracts from its cuteness, and the fabric is rather cheap.

Back in Singapore, I decided to purchase these original otter plushies I got from Japan; you can tell the difference in quality and craftsmanship. The Korean otter plushies retained the cuteness of an otter.

While I waited and saved, something unexpected happened. End of 2024 - I found this otter dressed up as a basrista in the Green Party! So adorable!

Light brown and dark brown complement each other; they look adorable together. However, I can’t help but feel that something is missing.

Later, around December 2024, I discovered four new otter plushies from the Green Party, each in a different costume! My excitement began to build. Although they weren’t the same as the plain common otter, each one was rare. I felt a growing fear that I might never see them again.

(image credit to suzythestrange) As I waited to decide whether or not to buy them, I realised that not every Green Party had the otter plushie, they kept on stocking up the capybara plushies, and I hadn’t seen any restock once for the otter plushies, they were sold out.

In January 2025, while on my way home, I decided to take a detour to The Green Party and picked up an adorable otter plushie. I reminded myself to be mindful of my spending habits, as my impulsive tendency to add to my collection had come up again.

In February 2025, my otter collection is growing, and I can not help but add more of these adorable creatures! While I was carrying it in my arm and in the lift, one of the passengers mentioned how adorable the otter plush was, and I could not agree more! It makes perfect sense why they are so beloved.

During a weekend in April 2025, I visited five different Green Party outlets that used to stock otter plushies, but none of them had any left! In one of the stores, I distinctly remembered seeing a particular otter plushie that I still wanted to get. It was the only one remaining on the shelf for over a month since I last saw it. That lone otter had been waiting for quite some time—and maybe, just maybe, it was waiting for me.

In May 2025, my friend got me the last otter plushie with the burger. I realise it is partly an impulsive desire to give things a sense of completion. But I also realised it carried emotional meaning. It symbolised a cute, complete relationship I long for, so leaving one behind felt like breaking up a happy couple. When I gave one away, I wasn’t just losing a plushie — you were giving away part of that symbol. The “missing piece” stayed in your mind, unresolved.

In June 2025, I finally returned to Korea. One item on my shopping list was otter plushies, and I was thrilled to discover a new one that had never been sold online. I also found several smaller otter plushies at one of the stores. Although I wanted to buy a pair, I decided to focus on getting just one.

YIPPEE!!! I found my cute light brown otter again! Feeling completed!

While walking down the street, I spotted the pairs of otter plushies again. They look adorable together. I also noticed another pair with hair and nose drips, but they were too expensive, so I decided to take photos of them instead.

It's funny—despite having completed my collection, the line between “just enough” and “too much” became blurred. The cuteness overwhelmed me, and I felt a strong fear of missing out as I noticed other otters. My mind raced with thoughts like, "What if I never see them again? I should buy them all now." However, I managed to control my impulse and decided to get just one instead of a pair.

(Image from unknown) I held the same warm brown fur in my hands and felt a quiet wave of peace. At last, my pair was complete, but somehow my thirst didn't diminish.

Then I stumbled upon Taobao, Aliexpress and Global Bunjang - a Korean website. They were selling other authentic otters in different outfits! Let me show you what I got myself in this crazy purchase journey.

(image from Aliexpress) OMG! I saw a new family of otters on Aliexpress! From my purchasing experience with Taobao and Aliexpress, I found that many otter plushies were out of stock, indicating they wouldn’t be restocked again.

(image from Aliexpress) Otters try to learn to swim.

(image from Aliexpress) Otters serve.

(image from Aliexpress) Otters with headsets, listening to their pod.

(image from Aliexpress) My favourite - Otter photographers! But I couldn't get this in time, and no more in stock... But I tried to get one from each design.

(Image from Taobao) Alien pulling Otter's fur!

One otter transformed into a small colony. They watched me from the corner as I slept, cheerful and soft. Childish, I know. Then, while I was trying to search on Global Bunjang, I found the other otters...

(image from globalbunjang) Otters pillow!

(image from globalbunjang) Otters wearing a paper bag!

(image from globalbunjang) Farmer Otters! This one is so charming.

(image from globalbunjang) I already have it, but I just wanted to show the Basrita Otters.

(image from globalbunjang) Otters are going to a hot spring in a Korean style.

(image from globalbunjang) Otters prepare for winter.

(image from globalbunjang) Otter babies!

(image from globalbunjang) This one looked so different from the rest, especially the eyes. They are working as McDonald's staff.

(image from globalbunjang) I got my hands on the Christmas Otter! It’s super hard to find, just like the Photographer Otter, but it was out of stock before. Lucky me!

(image from globalbunjang) It’s quite adorable how otters settle down for the night. I gave this to my friend, who likes it a lot.

(image from globalbunjang) You should have seen it in one of my pictures above when I went to Korea for the second time: the shoe-head otters. I think I should stop because there are so many of them in Global Bunjang.

After making my purchase and paying the costly shipping fee, it arrived in two large parcels in July...

From a small colony... now it has become a school of otters! Luckily, I didn't go too far to get every single one of them... like some designs below that I don't pursue or am unable to.

(image from globalbunjang) There are many otter plushies that I didn't get, like this Ladybug and Bee Otters, because I prefer those otter plushies that carry an image of the otter.

(image from globalbunjang) I might want to get this Banana Otter, but I have to let it go due to the quantity I added to the cart. I don't feel the need to complete my otter collection with this since I have been selective after getting the initial pair of otters.

(image from globalbunjang) Wanted to get it when I was in Korea, but...that hair or the top.... just nope.

(image from globalbunjang) Similar to Ladybug, Bee, and Banana Otter, this Capybara Otter is tempting, but the style is different, so I skipped it.

(image from globalbunjang) I wanted to get both, but I know that, unlike the initial pair, this one I will just go for the pattern that I already have.

(image from globalbunjang) Shell otters look so cute! But I have to let this go as well...

(image from globalbunjang) Speaking of Shell Otters, what about this pair? I will pass. Haha.

(image from globalbunjang) These sandwich otters are a new edition while I wait for the delivery of my purchased otters. They are so cute! But I cannot keep any more...

(image from globalbunjang) Speaking of the new edition, I came across this pair; it is a custom edition! It is so tempting! Perfect for wedding display items, if I were to get married... In fact, can even rent it out, but I can't keep it because it is expensive and unique.

(image from globalbunjang) From the same store/seller/user, they also sell these custom Sporty Otters! The otter's look with spectacles makes me feel relatable. Should I get this one?

Now, when I look at my otters — the pair at the centre, surrounded by their colourful, quirky friends — I smile. I realise collecting is never just about owning. It’s about longing, meaning, and that stubborn human wish to make something whole again.

Looking back, I can see why things spiralled the way they did. The first otter wasn’t just a cute souvenir — it carried a piece of my longing, a little symbol of connection and togetherness. When I gave one away, it left a space that no amount of “almost the same” could fill. While I waited to find the missing one, FOMO quietly moved in, whispering that I should grab every rare otter I saw before it was gone forever. What started as a single, meaningful pair slowly grew into an entire otter family… and maybe a little beyond what I truly needed.

I don’t regret my collection — each otter has its own charm — but I’ve learned to keep it healthy. For me, that means pausing before buying, asking if it really adds joy or just fills a temporary gap, and setting limits for display space so things don’t overflow (Even if it may seem like overflow to the majority). Collecting should feel like a happy journey, not a restless chase. After all, it’s not the number of otters that matters, but the meaning they hold and the smile they still bring to my heart. Anyway, my Otter collection ends here before they gets out of hand. Hahaha.

Jeff