Tarow the Taro

Tarow the Taro [c28] is a taro yuruchara mascot character. He is a mascot created for a town that produces taros. He has a pathetic looking face that looks exactly like a taro with pitiful downward slanting eyes, a nose and a mouth stuck on. He is light brown and plain. [c31]

Perhaps the person (mascot?) himself is painfully aware of how pathetic his looks and popularity are because, during yuruchara events, he always stays in a small corner to avoid getting in the way of the stars. At festivals, he’s overwhelmed by the star yurucharas, and has really little presence. He’s a complete extra. [c28]

Appeal
At first glance, one may decide that Tarow the Taro is definitely not popular. He is plain, and his face is not even cute. But after seeing him a few times, one starts to feel sorry for him, and before long one starts to think that maybe his lazily created face was kind of cute too. Even though he was a mascot character created to revitalize his town, he doesn’t have any self-assertion at all, or so one may think as maternal instincts start firing up. [c28] He gets fans out of sympathy, mainly because people felt sorry for him. [c31]

During big events, he wears a little tie to make himself a bit more presentable. It leaves the fans with an odd sense of melancholy. [c28]

Fans are reportedly saying: ‘…that timidity and cowardliness, I totally get it… I have a Tarow in me as well! If I don’t cheer for him, who will?!’

Merchandise
There isn’t much variety in Tarow the Taro goods as they don’t sell very well. [c31] They are only sold in his own hometown, [c31] although there is some merchandise for sale on the internet.

Some of the known Tarow the Taro merchandise are: it in her bag; Kisshouin Reika puts hers in her house keys [c37])
 * Keychain (Yorino Aoi bought some in her 4th grade in primary school and puts
 * Tenugui merchandise [c44]
 * Tarow pouch [c31]
 * Cardboard Printouts [c31]