Owning an Usuki

So you think you want an Usuki? There are a lot of things you need to know before you make the big decision to paint your Usul, or to adopt an Usuki Usul. First, some facts. The Usuki is not a species in itself, but is a colour of Usul, which is achieved by painting one with an Usuki Paint Brush. Unlike most species or colours, whether your Usul is male or female will have a big impact on what he or she will look like when you paint them. As a guide, your Usukigirl will look much like the Magical Hair Usuki doll, whereas your Usukiboy will look like the Usuki Musketeer! Whether you choose an Usukiboy or an Usukigirl, you will find that your beautiful new pet is a joy to own, but you will also soon come to realise that it is perhaps a little more... high maintenance than most. Read on to find out if this fabulous pet is right for you.

Grooming

Both the Usukiboy and Usukigirl like to look their best at all times, so grooming is an important factor when you’re deciding whether or not to own an Usuki. Do you have the time to keep up with an Usuki’s rigorous beauty regime? If you’re a little short on time, but still desperately want an Usuki, I’d recommend you choose an Usukiboy. These fellows require much less time spent beautifying than their female counterparts, although it’s still an essential part of owning one. All they need is a brush through their neatly trimmed locks, and a tidy of their carefully shaped goatee as and when required. Otherwise, just keep their clothes neat and pressed and they’re quite happy.

An Usukigirl, on the other hand, takes up a lot of time in the mornings preparing for the day ahead. You will quickly find that your Usukigirl develops a bit of an obsession with her hair, and will not be seen in public unless every last strand is shiny, smooth and in its proper place. This means for you a lot of work washing, conditioning, brushing and blow drying her hair on a daily basis, and I assure you now she will not let you take shortcuts where her hairdo is concerned! In addition to this, Usukigirls like to wear more makeup than your average Neopet, and will want to have all the best and latest cosmetics available at the Grooming Parlour, which will drain not only your finances but also your time as you’ll be the one applying it. When all’s said and done however, you’ll be the proud owner of one of the most beautiful pets in all Neopia, and isn’t that worth the effort? That’s for you to decide!

Clothes

When you paint an Usul with an Usuki Paint Brush, you may notice that he or she is gifted with a brand new outfit. Your Usukiboy will love his fetching Musketeer getup, and an Usukigirl’s classic pink dress is always her favourite thing to wear. However, do not be fooled into believing that the outfit they are painted with is the only thing they’ll ever want to wear. Usukis are notorious for their love of fashion, and will undoubtedly want whatever new outfits are available as soon as they’re released. An Usuki’s closet is bigger than any other Neopet’s, and he or she will want to change their look regularly, so be prepared to get customising! Whether you shop at Uni’s Clothing or the NC Mall, be sure to keep an eye out for the latest trends, as one of your Usuki’s greatest fears is wearing last season’s fashions, and they won’t be happy if you don’t keep up with Neopia’s ever changing styles!

Petpet

Every Neopet loves their petpet, and your Usuki will be no exception. A petpet is like the ultimate accessory, but there are a few things you’ll need to consider before you buy one for your new pet. First, Usukis love coordination, so you’ll need to choose one that goes with their style and colour. Usukiboys tend to like tougher, loyal petpets in rich colours like red and gold, whilst Usukigirls go for pretty and delicate petpets in floral pink or purple, preferably with hair that they can style as they so wish! There are a few specific species which Usukis particularly seem to like, which I will list here for your convenience. It so happens that these are also the species of petpet available in Usuki doll sets... Coincidence? You be the judge! Here are an Usuki’s favourite kinds of petpet:

Babaa, Buzzer, Candychan, Calabat, Cobrall, Doglefox, Ettaphant, Faerie Slorg, Feepit, Fir, Gracklebug, Green Doglefox, Hoovle, Island Slorg, Jinjah, Kadoatie, Ona, Snorkle, Powtry, Puppyblew, Purple Slorg, Rainbow Slorg, Red Anubis, Slorg, Snoogy, Snowickle, Snuffly, Turdle, Uniocto and Warf.

Usuki Dolls

As I mentioned earlier, your new Usuki will very closely resemble a Magical Hair Usuki or Usuki Musketeer doll when your first paint him or her. It is no coincidence that Usuki Usuls share their name and their looks with these special little dolls; they are very closely linked to each other! Usuki Usuls simply adore these little dolls. You will find that every time you take your new pet into Neopia Central, she will want to visit a place called “Usukiland”. You may or may not have heard of this before , but you will certainly hear a lot about it when you own an Usuki yourself. This is the shop in the Neopian Bazaar which sells Usuki Dolls, which were originally tipped to be a huge trend in Neopia and still going strong to this day. You may have stumbled across galleries owned by Usuki collectors in your travels, and this is no surprise, as the dolls have a huge following, and no small percentage of this fan base comes from Usukiboys and girls themselves!

No one is definite about why they like the dolls so much, but there are a couple of interesting theories. First is the simple fact that the dolls look just like them, and so the explanation is vanity! Usukis do not have access to a mirror at all times, so carrying their favourite Usuki around with them means they can glance at it every now and then to remind themselves how fabulous they look too. A second suggestion is that the Usuki dolls allow the Usukis to indulge in their love of fashion without the cost involved in buying the clothes for themselves. There’s an enormous array of accessories and clothing available for Usuki dolls which aren’t available for Neopets, and as you already know, Usukis like little more than dressing up! These are just two ideas about why Usuki dolls are so popular with their real Neopets counterparts, but perhaps you have your own theory? Either way, just bear in mind that you’ll need to factor an Usuki doll budget into your spending if you choose to own an Usuki. Oh, and, if you hear from your Usuki about how great one “Sally the Usul” is, be afraid. She is the number one collector of Usuki dolls, and it sounds like your Usuki wants to give her a run for her money. Good luck with that!

Usukicon

There is just one thing that becomes absolutely mandatory when you decide to own an Usuki; every year you must keep the 20th of August free because it’s time for the Annual Usuki Doll Convention, or Usukicon! This is a day celebrating how great Usuki is, and yours will be distraught if she doesn’t get to go. Usukicon began in Year 3, and has only grown in popularity since then. On this day many of the shops in Neopia pay tribute to Usuki, lots of Neopian features revolve around these great dolls and, most importantly, Usukiland releases new Usuki dolls! This is the most exciting event of the year for any Usuki, and should you be generous enough to take yours, he or she will come home with an Usukicon gift bag in hand and a smile on their face.

So, now that you’ve considered some of the important points to think about when choosing whether or not to own an Usuki, I’m sure you’ve been able to reach a decision. I hope that now you know that they are hard work to own, but the effort is worth it, because perhaps more than any other kind of Neopet they are rewarding and special pets to have. Now go and get yourself an Usuki Paint Brush; your new best friend is waiting for you!