Pocari Roo

Joining a new community of people who share the same interests as you can be quite fun, especially when the community is focused around something you feel very passionate about. But what happens when the community is widely negatively viewed because of misinformation, lies, and exaggerations? Thus was the fate that befell the furry community. When I first joined, I was afraid to tell people, as I was afraid they’d flip their entire view of me and just completely remove me from their lives: a worst case scenario. I didn’t know where to turn for help.

Pocari in suitLuna on AminoThen I found Pocari Roo, a fellow fur on YouTube. Until then, I had been watching many furs to somewhat get a feel for how the fandom works and what you can do in it, but none of the furs I had been watching uploaded the kind of general how-to-furry videos that Pocari did. Their how-to-furry series, titled “The Bottle,” is an easy-to-understand video series pertaining to any and every topic one can think of in the fandom, be it making friends, contributing your talents, working out convention budgeting and scheduling, or getting to know whatever custom species the community makes.

Expressive Pocaribagel lord on AminoPocari was a friendly face I could turn to if I had questions about this new and exciting community I was becoming part of. They were very welcoming and inviting in how they talked to the people beyond the camera and how they generally edited their content. Even if it wasn’t an episode of The Bottle, they still acted this way, showing videos of them hanging out with friends and doing fun activities, going out and greeting people in public, taking pictures with curious and excited children, and so on. They definitely seemed like the kind of person I would want to hang out with myself, which is always a good thing. It’s not just me who has benefited, of course. Many, many other fans have expressed their appreciation for Pocari, one letter that was sent to them saying, “I admire your work and I personally think you’re amazing. Your videos make me happy and they got me through some hard times by making me laugh” (Roo).

Pocari's new suit (3.0)ScotiaconWhen looking at a community with such a negative public view, it can possibly be hard to find actual information on how the community runs. You might have so many questions that any one source or selection of sources might not be able to answer. That’s where Pocari steps in. Many of their Bottle episodes are answers to questions that viewers have. And what better source for answers than someone who has spent years in the fandom themselves? Even if your question didn’t spark the creation of the video, it’s still always nice to scroll through their selection and stumble across a video that answers a question you’ve been dying to know the answer to.

I stumbled across Pocari long before I told my parents about my new interest. They tore down the negative walls of stereotypes and misconceptions and really helped me find my footing and establish myself as part of the community so that I didn’t feel like a free-floating semi-outsider. From finding friends to making my fursona to how to find a job in the fandom, Pocari has been a great help for me in finding my place in this community. For acting as a friendly and informative welcome gate to a community with so much undeserved hate from the public, I believe Pocari Roo is a true hero.

Works cited

- Roo, Pocari, director. How to Melt Pocars: Sweet Words & Swiss Chocolate :3 [Mail 14 pt2]. YouTube, 24 Sept. 2018, youtu.be/W8MX5qdWdu4.
- (Amino username), Luna. “Amino.” Amino, 2018, aminoapps.com/c/lgbt-1/page/item/pocari-roo/QKB7_qQbuYIwkd6ovvYvoo1n8KjZNDJ1lP.
- (Amino username), Bagel lord. “Amino.” Amino, 2018, aminoapps.com/c/hangout-zone/page/item/pocari-roo/Z6jp_V3qtXI0PLoaRNKrnl8Dvxwjbg561Ek.
- “Scotiacon Site.” Scotiacon Site, 2019, www.scotiacon.org.uk/guest-of-honour/.