A simple, relaxing title I chose as a birthday gift to myself last year was Hello Kitty Island Adventure. In this game, you are quite literally tossed from a moving plane onto a seemingly deserted island. Our goal is to bring the island back to life, helping TopHAT recover his lost memories and save his best friend.
I don’t want to dwell too much on the plot or the gameplay mechanics. Instead, I’d like to share a reflection similar to the one I wrote for Xenoblade Chronicles X: a look at my favorite characters and the reasons why they truly resonate with me.
In Hello Kitty Island Adventure, we get to explore so many different areas, each one interesting in its own unique way.
In my personal ranking, the top spot belongs to Aggretsuko, because she is the mirror of my daily struggles. Watching her try to enjoy the island, despite her anxious nature, feels like giving myself permission to do the same. It is a gentle reminder: it’s okay to be tired, it’s okay to feel the weight of the office; what matters is still searching for your own little corner of paradise.
If Aggretsuko represents the part of me that can’t quite leave the office behind, Keroppi is the part of me I want to protect. He is that pure, somewhat childlike and beautiful joy that I only rediscover when I finally manage to silence my notifications. Spending time catching bugs with him is my way of telling myself that life isn’t just made of deadlines, but also of tiny creatures glowing in the darkness of the swamp.
If Keroppi teaches me wonder, Hangyodon teaches me to laugh at my own shadows. He is the character that reminds me most of home, because he shares the same spirit as my partner: that slightly absurd, almost cabaret-style humor that arrives exactly when I need it most. Watching Hangyodon organize his evening shows on the island feels like receiving a hug made of laughter: a reminder that even after the heaviest workday, there is always room for some healthy, bewildering fun.
Meeting Badtz-maru on the island is like flipping through an old comic book found in the attic. With him, I am no longer the employee working 40 hours a week, but the little girl who spent her afternoons imagining detective cases and staring at the sea’s horizon. When I fish alongside him, the sound of the in-game waves overlaps with the sound of my hometown, momentarily filling that void I’ve carried within me for years. He is my little piece of home, away from home.
In essence, each of them is a visual representation of a part of me and a lesson I strive to keep close to my heart:
- ♥ Aggretsuko accepts me in my exhaustion;
- 🌿 Keroppi teaches me to watch the grass grow;
- ✨ Hangyodon makes me laugh when my heart feels heavy;
- 🌊 Badtz-maru leads me back to my roots.
Sometimes, a simple video game is enough to remind us of who we are, what belongs to us, and which small things help keep our spirits high—even when most of our energy is poured into activities that consume us. The true struggle lies in not letting ourselves be overwhelmed, and in remembering that if Hello Kitty and her friends could find the strength to rebuild a resort and nurture friendships after a plane crash, then we, too, can find the energy within ourselves to feel alive—even when our lives seem to drown in commuting and office walls.
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