Contents
- How did it all start?
- My discoveries!
- It's about quality, not quantity!
- It’s okay to have a preference
- In conclusion
Morisaka Global’s Mochis and Kelly Toy’s Squishmallows ranges are two of the most well known and loved squishy soft toy lines available to buy right now – but what do each line have to offer? We’ll answer that question below, in our comparison guide!
About me
Hi! My name is Grace, and I'm a great fan of both Morisaka Global and Squishmallows! I love them both, and in this blog, I want to share my experience and what I prefer about these two.
How did it all start?
Morisaka Global (previously Shinada Global) started in 1997, but introduced the Mochi series to the world in 2015-2016, after designing products for other companies. The company started off with the ever-popular cat, hedgehog and Shiba Inu animals. Since then, multiple iterations of the Mochi plushies were created and have been loved by fans globally ever since, including otters, bears, dogs, and even boars.
On the other hand, Squishmallows were created by the parent company Kelly Toys in 2017 and created mostly for North American markets. Available in small, medium and large sizes and in an array of animals, the line went on to gain huge success during the COVID-19 pandemic.
My discoveries!
In 2018 was when I first found my first Squishmallow. At the time they were being sold in Aldi in the UK where I’m from, and I picked up the medium sized purple unicorn on offer in the store. I didn’t know the brand nor did I know they were collectible; I just loved the soft material and how it felt like a marshmallow!
It wasn’t until I found Facebook groups full of trading, buying and selling, that I knew just how sought after they were. Some of these groups had upwards of 20k members in them, all much more knowledgeable than me. They also had collections of hundreds, maybe even thousands, and went out to stores specifically looking for these popular plushies, affectionately known as “squish hunting”.
I spent the next 5 years obsessively collecting solely Squishmallows, I would spend hours on the online groups, finding out how many different designs they had which weren’t even animals. They had fruits, food, technological items, mythical creatures, and even collaborations with other companies, all turned into cute and aesthetically pleasing circular plushies.
They each even had their own names and biographies on their tags, meaning collectors would often track down specific toys with names they resonated with.
In 2020, Kelly Toys started releasing their Select Series Squishmallows, specially designed plushies with extremely limited numbers. However, despite their global popularity, the company did not ship overseas and therefore the majority of their international fans missed out on what would’ve been major collector’s items. It’s only recently in 2024, 7 years after Squishmallows inception, that their official website finally ships to other countries.
In 2021 I discovered Morisaka Global on Instagram. I saw a few posts with the Mochi otters in mostly the large size, and it was love at first sight. Similarly, to what caught my attention with Squishmallows, I was captivated by how soft and squishy they looked.
Brown otter plushie with beautiful flowers. Get yours now by clicking this link!
The otters’ faces looked extremely charismatic and the slightly dumb expression (in the nicest and cutest way!) completely won me over. I ordered my first, a medium brown otter, in February 2022 and the rest is history.
Unlike Kelly Toys, Morisaka Global lived up to their name and shipped their plushies to international collectors. It was already a very welcome change to what I had been used to in my collecting until now, and I made full use of this advantage by buying many more!
At the time of writing, I own the majority of the otters in all colours and sizes, with a few frogs, bears, boars, and a seal. I always bring a key chain turtle called Sheldon with me everywhere too as it brings me comfort when I get anxious or overwhelmed.
A green turtle and lush lawns. Want one? Click here!
I personally have slowed down a lot in collecting Squishmallows as I believe they oversaturated the market, released too many ‘Special Editions’, did not respect their international demographic as much as they should have, and my tastes have also changed.
I still consistently buy the Mochi range from Morisaka Global however, because their designs are timeless.
It's about quality, not quantity!
Whilst each brand haves their unique qualities, both plush ranges offer:
- A ‘marshmallow’ feel, which makes them squishy
- No hard or irritating parts which can be uncomfortable to touch or cuddle
- Reasonable price point
- A range of sizes from key chain size, to almost human sized
Morisaka Global have managed to one-up Squishmallows however with the addition of beans to make the plushies weighted, which makes them perfect for cuddling, and they can also sit up unaided. They are also under stuffed for extra squish, whereas an under stuffed Squishmallow turns out flat and unappealing.
The Mochi range also have the added design choice of limbs; they have arms, legs, noses and tails. This is something Squishmallows lack, which is an intended design choice on their part, but means it doesn’t really feel like the plushies are ‘hugging’ you back since you are effectively hugging a squishy cushion and less so a plush.
Three pink otters relaxing together. Find these plushies here!
Aforementioned was the Mochi series designs and how I described them as timeless. To touch on this in comparison to Squishmallows, I find the Kelly Toy plushies to look quite childish sometimes.
Their main demographic is children, so understandably the designs are simple, with lots of colour blocking and very rarely any distinguishable features. There is nothing wrong with this, but it’s simply not my taste as much anymore.
I believe Morisaka Global know their demographic and that is also adults as well as children. Therefore, their designs are simple but with more detail, they also offer a more muted colour range instead of Squishmallows and their brighter colours.
A Morisaka Fan with her favorite otter plushie (@Kitten_the_pirate). Get yours here!
Based on my own personal anecdotes and from what I’ve seen on Facebook pages, there tend to be more quality issues with Squishmallows.
Due to their mass production on a very large scale , you can often find plushies with extra or missing limbs, or even with no face. There also sometimes can be loose threads or fur that should be glued to the plush and is now falling off.
However, I, nor anyone else I know, have ever had any quality issues with Morisaka Global Mochi plushies. They have always been of impeccable quality.
It’s okay to have a preference
Now that we’ve seen quite the comparison for both brands and ranges, we can make a good judgement on which one we’d prefer.
Personally, I prefer Morisaka Global, and have done for the past few years since my discovery of their plushies, and purchase of the products.
This does not take away from the fact I still love Squishmallows, and still own a huge number of them. However, as an international collector, I find the company simply does not care as much about us in comparison to their North American market.
I do realise the brand does hail from the USA and therefore it’s where they are based, but they often fail to give back to their other fans. Historically this has included giveaways on their social media which excludes anyone outside of North America, less stock/choice, and the Select Series and other Squishmallows not being shipped abroad.
The nail in the coffin was when the Golden Hans limited edition Squishmallow (created in celebration of selling 100 million products) was not eligible for purchase for international fans– despite us contributing to those sales!
As I’ve grown older, I do tend to prefer the more detailed and good quality product, which is also reflected in my preference. Kelly Toy is no doubt a bigger company than family-run Morisaka Global, but this does not excuse the amount of quality issues seen in the bigger mass produced plushies.
I’m also more willing to wait longer for my plush to be shipped from Japan where Morisaka Global is based, than obtain a Squishmallow quicker, but be disappointed in the overall design and craftsmanship.
Selling in actual stores would be a good way for Morisaka Global to go next, although I acknowledge this is already the case in some USA stores. I would love to be able to see the Mochi plushies in a local shop to me in the UK, as Squishmallows do have this advantage.
A drawing from Morisaka Otter fan!
In conclusion
Overall whilst I have my preferences, it’s important to appreciate the root purpose of both plush ranges and ultimately both brands: to make people happy!
Given the popularity of both lines, it’s very clear to see why both ranges make people of all ages and backgrounds satisfied, because plushies of all shapes and sizes are good for the soul.
I will continue to collect both brands as I see fit. If one day I stop collecting plushies or a specific brand (although unlikely!), I will keep the ones near and dear to me and know the quality has stood the biggest test: the test of time.
I regularly post and show my collection on my Instagram account which is @icedplushies, I would love to hear from you with your own opinions regarding both Morisaka Global and Squishmallows!
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Discover the Morisaka Otter Plushies Collection! Want one? Click here to get yours!
