![Silly Baby Seal With Tongue Out / Ponsuke-kun Smiling And Winking Baby Seal with Tongue Out meme format.](https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/mobile/000/040/791/smilingwinkingseal.jpg)
Silly Baby Seal With Tongue Out / Ponsuke-kun
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About
Silly Baby Seal With Tongue Out, also known as Smiling And Winking Baby Seal, is a viral video of a Japanese baby seal named Ponsuke-kun, or ポンすけくん, smiling, winking and sticking his tongue out at the camera in a cute and wholesome manner. The original video was posted on Instagram by @tokkaricenter_official in mid-2022 and earned attention and memes on platforms like Twitter and Reddit in the following months. The video is similar to the crying seal who was forced to eat cement when he was six meme and Ponsuke-kun was compared to the BLEHHHHH :P Cat and other silly cats in memes about being silly. On May 4th, 2023, The Instagram page @tokkaricenter_official shared news that Ponsuke-kun had passed away. Ponsuke-kun's death was mourned by many online.
Origin
On May 30th, 2022, the Instagram[1] account tokkaricenter_official, being the official account of the Okhotsk Tokkari Center (オホーツクとっかりセンタ), or "Seal Land," in Mombetsu, Japan, posted a video showing one of their seals named Ponsuke-kun (ポンすけくん) smiling, winking and sticking his tongue out. According to the video's description, he'd just eaten some rice and was preparing for a nap. Over the course of 11 days, the video received roughly 14.8 million plays and 2.3 million likes (shown below).
Spread
Later in the day on May 30th, 2022, Twitter[2] user Shbloing reposted the video in a tweet that received roughly 9.5 million views and 423,300 likes in 11 days. Additionally, they captioned the video, "😌😛," subsequently relating Ponsuke-kun's facial expression to emojis.
Inspired by Shbloing's tweet, multiple Twitter users started to reply and post quote retweets that turned the baby seal video into a meme and image macro. For instance, on May 30th, Twitter[3] user @andolynparrish captioned the screenshot of Ponsuke-kun with his tongue out, "Me walking past a mirror while crying," earning roughly 3,000 likes in 11 days (shown below, left). On May 31st, 2022, Twitter[4] user @awholeassmood photoshopped hands doing "peace signs" and Hello Kitty hairclips onto Ponsuke-kun, earning roughly 2,000 likes in ten days (shown below, right).
![Smiling And Winking Baby Seal Sticking Its Tongue Out (meme) Andolyn Parrish @andolynparrish Replying to @Shbloing Me walking past a mirror while crying 1:54 AM. May 31, 2022. Twitter for iPhone : ...](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/383/918/cf3.png)
![Smiling And Winking Baby Seal Sticking Its Tongue Out (meme)](https://a.kym-cdn.com/assets/blank-b3f96f160b75b1b49b426754ba188fe8.gif)
On May 31st, 2022, the video was shared on Reddit[5] in /r/AnimalsBeingDerps by Redditor /u/westcoastcdn19, earning roughly 35,500 upvotes in 11 days. The next day, on June 1st, 2022, the video was reshared to Reddit's /r/aww[6] by Redditor tamilvanan31, earning roughly 53,900 upvotes in nine days.
More memes surfaced using the baby seal video going into June 2022. For instance, on June 8th, 2022, Twitter[7] user @avantgodjazz posted a parody "Now That" video which labeled Ponsuke-ku the seal as a seal who loves to murder. The video received roughly 29,500 views and 3,900 likes in two days (shown below).
— ryan gosling official (@avantgodjazz) June 9, 2022
Ponsuke-kun's Death
On May 4th, 2023, the Instagram[8] account of @tokkaricenter_official posted a carousel of Ponsuke-kun photos with a long-form caption that claimed Ponsuke-kun had passed away earlier that day. The account's admin wrote in the description, "Thank you Pon-chan. I love you so much," among other statements. In less than a day, the post gained roughly 19,800 likes (shown below).
![Ponsuke-kun the Seal's death announced by tokkaricenter_official r tokkaricenter_official Follow オホーツクとっかりセンター tokkaricenter_official. アザラシランドよりお知らせです。 May 4th 2023 at the Wamon Seals ポンすけくんが亡くなりました。 7歳でした。 ポンすけくんは2016年4月17日に保護され、 She's been doing "Akkanbe" so far with her cute expressions Loved by many with a loving personality. Since my appetite is less than last few days Moves to seal pen and do treatment, May 4th under supervision by the caretaker We have traveled to heaven. ● The direct cause of death has not been established, Going forward, we're planning to do an autopsy, pathological tests, and other determinations of the cause of death. To everyone who loved Ponsuke-kun 改めて、お礼を申し上げますとともに、 Expressing my gratitude to 'Ponsuke'. Now from May 5 to May 28, 2023 In the observatory in seal land We set up the vase. Thank you Pon-chan. I love you so much. With the caretaker дь Ah Q V 16 HOURS AGO Liked by xok_36 and 19,824 others Add a comment... FASIYE B Post](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/583/344/528.jpg)
In the days that followed the announcement, users on Instagram expressed their sadness over Ponsuke-kun's passing. For instance, on May 4th, 2023, Instagram[9] user @nectarplasm posted a video of this nature, gaining over 330 likes in less than a day (shown below).
Various Examples
![Smiling And Winking Baby Seal Sticking Its Tongue Out (meme) when I'm in a Crazzzzzzy competition and my opponent is](https://a.kym-cdn.com/assets/blank-b3f96f160b75b1b49b426754ba188fe8.gif)
![Smiling And Winking Baby Seal Sticking Its Tongue Out (meme) 8 @imgoonn Who taught him how to do that Who taught him to get silly like that Felix @Shbloing. May 30 Show this thread 0:09 9.5M views 12:15 PM . May 30, 2022. Twitter for iPhone](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/383/952/fbb.png)
![Smiling And Winking Baby Seal Sticking Its Tongue Out (meme) She's so crazzzzzzzy! Love her!!!](https://a.kym-cdn.com/assets/blank-b3f96f160b75b1b49b426754ba188fe8.gif)
![Smiling And Winking Baby Seal Sticking Its Tongue Out (meme) LAINGEAR @OCELGEAR 17 serious contender for silliest little guys 2022 Felix @Shbloing. May 30 Show this thread 0:09 9.5M views 8:09 PM Jun 5, 2022 · Twitter Web App :](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/383/974/78b.png)
![Smiling And Winking Baby Seal Sticking Its Tongue Out (meme) sunflower @spinubzilla me after begging my friends to take my picture 12:16 AM Jun 1, 2022 · Twitter for iPhone ...](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/383/977/985.png)
Search Interest
Unavailable.
External References
[1] Instagram – @tokkaricenter_official
[3] Twitter – @andolynparrish
[4] Twitter – @awholeassmood
[5] Reddit – /r/AnimalsBeingDerps
[7] Twitter – @avantgodjazz
[8] Instagram – @tokkaricenter_official
[9] Instagram – @nectarplasm
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