Nesoberi
The term nesoberi (寝そべりぬいぐるみ, lit. "lying down plush doll") refers to a line of plush toys produced by SEGA Toys with a distinctive "lying down" appearance.
Debuting in 2015 to SEGA-licensed crane machines throughout Japan, the nesoberi plush series has proliferated far and wide, reaching even legacy or non-anime series such as Detective Conan and Touhou Project. However, as the original series for which they were produced, the nesoberi plush is still strongly associated with Love Live!, with many different variations and form factors of the plush being produced - some are still exclusive to Love Live! nesoberi even today.
Nesoberi are often colloquially referred to as "nesos" by fans.
Characteristics
Nesoberi are plushes characterized by their large, round heads and comparatively small, cylindrical bodies, with arms and legs (also simple tubes which lack hands and feet) outstretched to convey a "lying down" position, hence the name. They lack detailed facial features, typically only having embroidered eyes (brows optional) and mouth, and felt blush stickers on their cheeks. Their bodies are made of soft felt, while their bodies are stuffed with cotton fill with the exception of plastic nesoberi figurines (which, of course, are made of and filled with plastic).
Albeit a trait not exclusive to them, Love Live! series nesoberi are noted for having rather large blank eyes as opposed to ones which adhere to their actual series' artstyles. The eye outline on most commercially-available Love Live! nesoberi merchandise is black, and the interior is white; however, nesoberi featured in Puchiguru Love Live! have colored outlines corresponding to the members' respective image colors.
Earlier releases of nesoberi featured stitched-on felt clothing, with certain characters (such as Honoka and Nico) featuring polyester accessories such as bows. Other characters, such as Eli and Ai feature stuffed protrusions to represent their hairstyles.
However, perhaps as a cost saving measure, nesoberi releases following the release of the Nijigasaki High School Idol Club Mega Jumbo series began to feature printed-on clothing patterns which adheres to the form of the nesoberi's body. Additionally, the aforementioned felted blush sticker was replaced with a flat embroidered pattern.
Nesoberi come in a variety of sizes:
| Series name (English) | Series name (Japanese) | Length (head to foot) | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petit (figurine) | プチ | 3cm |  |
Also frequently rendered as "puchi", they are not actually plushes, but figurines made of plastic. Some releases featured keychains, while others had magnets on their undersides. |
| Petit (plush) | プチ | 10cm | In a rather confusing decision to reuse the "petit" classification, this range of nesoberi was exclusive to a collaboration between Love Live! Sunshine!! and Hatsune Miku in order to promote the song "BANZAI! digital trippers". These nesoberi notably have features much different from other Love Live! series nesoberi, with small black eyes and smaller mouths among others. | |
| Keychain Mascot (KCM) | キーチェンマスコット | 10 ~ 13cm |  |
A small nesoberi intended to be displayed on bags or lanyards. Typically come with a silver ball chain attached to their heads. Also referred to by "SS" (super small). |
| Normal (NNN) | 寝そべりぬいぐるみ | 15 ~ 16 cm |  |
A normal sized nesoberi. Tend to have somewhat fat, squashed-looking heads in comparison to other nesoberi. Originally, they came with ball chains attached to their heads but this was removed in later releases, leaving only the ball chain loop (if at all). Prize machine nesoberi of this class tend to be referred to as "NNN", but retail nesoberi (i.e., which must be purchased from a shop) tend to be referred to as "S" (small) and frequently lack the ball chain loop. |
| Jumbo (J/JNN) | ジャンボ | 30cm | A somewhat uncommon nesoberi size which is generally reserved for limited releases. Retail nesoberi of this size are generally referred to as "M" nesoberi. | |
| Mega Jumbo (MEJ) | メガジャンボ | 40cm |  |
Originally "Hyper Jumbo (HJNN)" (ハイパージャンボ寝そべりぬいぐるみ, "hyper jumbo lying down plush"), these are the first class of nesoberi to be released in crane games. Mega jumbo nesoberi have somewhat soft, underfilled bodies in comparison to the other nesoberi. Also referred to as "L" nesoberi. These nesoberi are frequently bootlegged due to their popularity. |
| Large (LL) | ジャンボ | 50 ~ 60cm | Rather confusingly, they are also referred to as "jumbo nesoberi", despite the jumboness conveyed by "mega jumbo" being considerably greater. These somewhat inconveniently sized nesoberi are quite uncommon and are restricted to in-store purchase only. Also sometimes referred to as "GJNN"/"Giga Jumbo" (ギガジャンボ), especially in the context of non-Love Live! nesoberi. | |
| Tera Jumbo (TJNN) | テラジャンボ | 100cm |  |
The largest commercially available size of nesoberi at a whopping one meter in length. These nesoberi notably come shipped in bespoke boxes adorned with nesoberi imagery and a cloth transit bag in the member's image color. Additionally, they come with certificates of purchase to ensure their authenticity. |
| Hyper Fabulous Ultimate Jumbo Nesoberi EX (HFUJNEX) | ハイパーファビュラスアルティメットジャンボ寝そべり | 10000cm |  |
At 7 meters tall and 10 meters long, it is far too large to keep in your home. In reality, this inflatable Chika nesoberi was erected as part of an April Fools' Day promotion in Numazu. It was summarily killed a few days later, making it the only extinct species of nesoberi. |
List of nesoberi
- Main article: List of nesoberi by character
In Love Live! media
Love Live! School idol project
Cotaro Yazawa is briefly seen playing a whack-a-mole type game featuring μ's nesoberi drawings in No. 1 Idol in the Universe.
Love Live! Sunshine!!
In the episode TOKYO, nesoberi are seen among other pieces of μ's merchandise.
Games
- Main article: Puchiguru Love Live!
Trivia
- Currently, there are no A-RISE, Sunny Passion, or School Idol Musical school idols with a nesoberi.
- While previous members have had multiple sizes of nesoberi, only NNN nesos have so far been released for Margarete, Tomari, and the Hasunosora Girls' High School Idol Club.