Even if you’re not a fan of the Harry Potter series, you would have heard of the scary dementors that suck the happiness out of people in the fantasy world. Recently, a giant octopus kite with a black body and long tentacles had been making a buzz on Twitter for looking like one of these creatures. The kite also ignited the Internet’s creativity, sparking netizens to draw references not only to the dementors from Harry Potter, but to the extraterrestrial creatures in the 2016 film Arrival as well.
Image adapted from: @nasan0321
It all started when Twitter user @nasan0321 got confused when they received photos about “flying an octopus kite” from their friend, as it seemed nothing like that at first glance.
Instead, the OP remarked, “No matter how I look at the photos, this looks like a moment when an unidentified creature attacked.” Studying the photos without context, it’s not hard to see why they said that.
Image credit: @nasan0321
In the series of photos, it appears that a mysterious black creature has emerged on a large empty field. The first one sees it hanging menacing in mid-air against the blazing sun, gazing upon the human before it.
Image credit: @nasan0321
Without warning, the creature approaches the human.
The final photo captures the diminishing proximity between the 2 parties, and the rest of the tale is up to your imagination.
Image credit: @nasan0321
The tweet, posted on 26th April 2021, has amused many. It has garnered over 47,000 retweets and 188,500 likes as of 3rd May 2021.
Upon seeing the photos, netizens began to draw their own references to different shows and games.
Image adapted from: @arc_naga
For example, they pointed out that the kite looks a lot like the evil Dementors of the Harry Potter franchise. It’s a “perfect match”, Twitter user @arc_naga commented.
Image credit: @chimpanzee2619
Meanwhile, Twitter user @chimpanzee2619 compared the kite to the Moon Presence – a boss in the highly acclaimed game Bloodborne.
Image credit: @izanagitendo
Netizens, such as @izanagitendo, also likened the kite to the aliens called “Heptapods” in Arrival – a sci-fi film released in 2016.
Image adapted from: @okotatumikan
An amusing coincidence also occurred for some Twitter users, including @okotatumikan. While the OP’s post was going viral, another post by @0ctahedral was gaining traction on the platform. Due to the concurrent virality, the 2 posts happened to appear next to each other on some Twitter users’ timelines.
The other post, on its own, features a wisteria tree’s unique tree trunk. But when placed next to the OP’s post, the tree trunk has an uncanny resemblance to the “unidentified black creature”.
Image credit: Amazon
The octopus kite can be bought from Amazon here. It costs ¥4,680 (~USD42.82), with an additional ¥400 (~USD3.66) shipping fee.
Image adapted from: @nasan0321
While the kite may look small in the OP’s post, it is approximately 7m-long. Given its size, the OP warns the Internet to not to fly the kite in confined spaces, or to let children or people with inadequate strength fly the kite. The manufacturers of the product recommend that its users should at least be 10 years old.
Do heed these advice, lest your kid really ends up being “abducted” by the “aliens”.
For more news, check out:
Cover image adapted from: @nasan0321 and Patrice123
Interact with farm animals, and experience life-sized recreations of sets and popular characters from Shaun…
From seasonal blooms to millions of LED light on display, Nabana no Sato in Mie…
At Shiroi Koibito Park, you can take a peek at how the iconic Hokkaido souvenir…
Flaunt your anime ninja moves and try Naruto's favourite ramen at Shinobi Zato, a Naruto…
With English cottage-style shops and adorable animals, Yufuin Floral Village is the place to be…
One of Hokkaido's most iconic sightseeing spots, Farm Tomita comes alive in summer when rows…