Susuwatari
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214299533
2008-05-22T22:53:38Z
Cydebot
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Robot - Moving category Fictional species to Fictional life forms per [[WP:CFD|CFD]] at [[Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2008 May 17]].
'''Susuwatari''' (ススワタリ lit. meaning "travelling soot") are the "[[dust bunny|dust bunnies]]" or "[[soot]] sprites" first featured in ''[[My Neighbor Totoro]]'' as shy, slightly frightful creatures that live in abandoned buildings such as houses. They later reappeared in ''[[Spirited Away]]'' as workers in Kamaji's boiler room. They are small, black as soot and apparently fuzzy, with spherical bodies and two inquisitive eyes. They move by hovering around, but they can extend stick-like legs and arms from their bodies to do certain tasks, and can lift objects many times heavier than their own weight. They make a squeaky murmuring sound when excited, and dissolve into powder (soot) if crushed.
In '' My Neighbour Totoro'', the house the main characters move into is full of Susuwatari, which are rationalized as ''Makkuro Kurosuke'' (''pitch-black blackie''), an optical illusion caused by moving quickly from light into darkness. Later, the family drives the Susuwatari out of the house, as the home that was once abandoned is now inhabited. They would move to another abandoned area.
In ''Spirited Away'', the protagonist Sen (Chihiro) befriends a number of them by helping them carry [[coal]]. Sen is told that if these Susuwatari aren't given a job to do, they turn back into soot. Another character, Lin, feeds the Susuwatari much like farmers feed [[chicken]]s, throwing handfuls of the Japanese candy [[Kompeito]] onto the ground for them to eat.
{{Unreferenced|date=October 2007}}
[[Category:Fictional life forms]]
[[ru:Сасуватари]]