Meme History: Surprised Pikachu No internet craze can take off without some element of mockery, cuteness, self-importance, irony, or nostalgia.

Perhaps that’s why Pikachu again popped up at two other protests: at an anti-Netanyahu demonstration in Israel on April 5, 2025, and at an anti-Trump rally in Washington, D.C. that same day.

Both the Pikachu protester and the viral Studio Ghibli-esque animations demonstrate the global appeal of cuteness. But to me, there’s more to cute than its ability to go viral.

Perhaps that’s why Pikachu again popped up at two other protests: at an anti-Netanyahu demonstration in Israel on April 5, 2025, and at an anti-Trump rally in Washington, D.C. that same day.

Both the Pikachu protester and the viral Studio Ghibli-esque animations demonstrate the global appeal of cuteness. But to me, there’s more to cute than its ability to go viral.