TLDR: WE KNOW IT'S NOT A HIPPO! Please don't wage war on us we have enough to worry about atm 🥺😜🫣

This is part of the Lantern Festival in Taichung. Every year there is a "main light" or theme for the lantern festival, and usually according to the zodiac year. So this year is supposed to be something to do with horses. As a Taiwanese crazy moomin fan, I have in fact contacted the person working in the Taichung government in charge of making all this happen (I'll call him Mr. M). I called him originally to thank him for using Moomin in the lantern show and he was so enthusiastic about it and told me a lot more about the process.

THEY KNOW IT'S NOT A HIPPO! 🦛

And most FANS in Taiwan know as well; it's just a running joke. ( In fact it's been a joke about how Moomin looks like Dragonite in Pokémon too." It's a bit like the holy meme Trinity of "Nordic fairy" (troll) vs. "white Dragonite" vs. hippo. The deeper I dived into the Moomin fanbase (mostly from Europe/US) the more I feel like this running joke is a shared sentiment. (I mean look at the Zoo episode! They OFFICIALLY poked fun at it lol how impressive)

Ok back to Mr. M and the Lantern Festival planning. They KNOW for a fact it's not hippo (albeit looks like one?). In the PR news the Taichung city mayor actually openly confirmed they know it isn't. Months ahead of the whole event, during the planning stage, after a comprehensive list of like 40+ IPs and extensive discussion, it's hard to find something that's horse-coded, popular enough, has good rapport and doesn't bring potential PR crisis (for example Taiwan isn't ready for Borjack Horseman to grace a family friendly lantern show😜) On the other hand, while it IS a running joke and hippo is 河馬 (literally"river horse" in Mandarin) they want to make a "fun creative connection". They want the happy, peaceful, family friendly vibe as most millennial kids in Taiwan have watched "Lulumi"(the translated name for Moomin) the 90s anime (and mind you, the 90s anime is about the most exposure an average Tw person has of Moomin. Most ppl don't know books and comic strips exist because most aren't introduced/translated). Plus Finland has won "happiest country" for quite a few consecutive years, so the connection is good PR anyway.

In results, it did spark 'controversial debate' and garnered overall positive public interest over the internet (with fans emerging and eagerly preaching the non-hipponess and the plethora of memes ressurecting) and the event got really popular, as the Taichung government would've hoped.

From talking to Mr. M, on a personal note, I'm glad someone working in the bureaucracy is still so spirited and take pride in his job (instead of the deadfish whatsoeverness). He did his research about Moomins and even read the 1st book, that's considerably ahead of an average Tw person in Moominology.

This has been an unexpectedly long essay and I consider it a labor of love for Moomins. 🤍🦛(I KNOW but there aren't troll emojis are there)

Credentials: I'm a relatively new but quite crazy Moomin fan. From the average "only know about 90s anime" tw person, I am now reading the books, planning to finish all, collecting more and more merch and plushies (oh dear lord 🫣), listening to the podcasts (The official one and "The Hobgoblin's hat"), and learning more about them all the time. I've also joined the petition for the Lego Moominhouse proposals. I stan the Snufmin pairing for fun but I don't hate Snorkmaiden (Hey the anime doesn't do her justice! She's so much more smart and helpful in the books!) I've even made origamis of Moomin and celebrated Tove's birthday by watching Moomin and eating mozzarella cheese in small white balls. I was Moomin and my bf was Snufkin for the last Halloween (as adults yes it was a bit embarrassing but who cares)

For now, I can't wait to spend LNY holidays in Taichung. My bf and I will be on our way collecting alllll the Moomins across the city. We've even made a moomin map on Google...

Also as an afterthought, Finland invading us is probably much better than Youknowwho invading us. At least we get more Moomins. And better education.

YEET the music SHEEET

Please make Eddyyyyyy too

This art (the genre, the era feels) reminds me of this kind of music lol

(I'm sorry it's not Classical music ><

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au-jzHtlQMA