If there’s one thing we learned from the pandemic, it’s that joy can be found in the most unexpected things. It encourages us to surround ourselves with items that truly bring us happiness.
For Ash Rivera, leader of the rising P-Pop rookie group AJAA, that happiness comes from collecting—or adopting—Sonny Angels.
In one way or another, Sonny Angels might ring a bell. They’ve been a craze for Filipinos since 2023, with people hunting these adorable little cherubs who love wearing all sorts of headgear along with their tiny angel wings.
As told by Japanese creator and toy manufacturer Toru Soeya, these angel boys are here to keep us company and make us smile.
With at most 15 Sonny Angels at home, the “Torpe” performer shared that he started collecting around July of last year after seeing them randomly on social media and finding them “really cute and aesthetically pleasing.”
Well, these angels perfectly match his idol vibe!
“Seeing how many I’ve collected and how cute they look together makes me want to buy more,” he adds, and just like any of us, he candidly says, “it’s just the price that pulls me back sometimes.”
But the kicker here is, these angels mostly come in blind boxes, so there’s an element of surprise just like K-pop photocards hidden between pages of albums. And it’s the same sentiment echoed by Ash whenever he buys and opens one.
“Since it’s a blind box, I get too excited and a bit nervous since I really don’t know what I will get,” he expresses. “It might sound weird for some, but it gives me so much joy whenever I pull a cute one.”
It’s definitely not weird, as Marie Kondo, the acclaimed tidying expert and author of “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” advocates for the idea of objects sparking joy. In her philosophy, she encourages us to surround ourselves only with items that bring genuine happiness.
Just like Ash’s excitement over the surprise of discovering a cute angel from a blind box, Kondo believes that objects should evoke positive emotions and contribute to a sense of joy in our lives.
“They’re really special to me since they genuinely make me feel happy. I didn’t really expect myself to be addicted to these types of stuff, but collecting them makes me really happy,” he quips.
Whether it’s Sonny Angels, K-pop photocards, or any other cherished items, the act of collecting often brings a sense of fulfillment and happiness. It’s not uncommon for people like Ash to find unexpected delight in accumulating objects that resonate with them on a personal level. It’s normal and it’s happening.