Understanding Usul Mania

     When people first meet me on this site, the first thing they tell me is that “I have a lot of nice looking Usuls”. That is then followed up usually with “can’t you own anything else but Usuls?” Well, the answer is simply no! In my last article, I discussed how owning one species is a very good thing. I did keep mentioning my Usuls but I never did explain why I have this Usul obsession. So, in this article, I am going to give you my top ten reasons why I absolutely adore Usuls.

     #1: That cute and fluffy tail.

      This one should give you a bit of a chuckle but here me out. Usuls have such a cute and fluffy tail and most of them have a cute bow attached to them (only the royals, Usukis, desert, Halloween, Maraquan, pirate, and robot do not have a bow with them). While the tails are cute and fluffy what many do not know is that are heavy and essential for an Usul’s defence. When an Usul is pretty angry, they are not afraid to whip that tail and knock an opponent down. My own battledome pet, whom I call Spark, uses his tail quite often and it gives quite a punch. Yet, those tails are quite soft to the touch. So, when looking at that tail, you can admire it for its beauty but also be aware of its power.

     #2: Usuls have kind hearts

      Usuls are known to be kind tree folk that will open up their homes to anyone in need. They do not mind sharing in their abundance and listening to those who need a friend to talk to. Usuls are not vain like unis are nor are they ferocious like Grarrls. Now, I am not saying all Usuls are like this, there are some exceptions and I will draw that from my own Usuls. One of my Usuls, whom I call Daisy, is known to be the vain one in my family, it is only because she started off her neo-life as an Uni and not an Usul. One of my other Usuls, whom I call Kees, is known for having a twisted personality, but at one time he was a Halloween acara. Right now, he is a royal boy Usul, but I still think the Halloween never left his personality. Yet, I know that if any Neopian needed a place to stay or someone to talk to, they would all be there for them. It is in the Usuls nature.

     #3: They have a calming presence about them.

      While Nimmos are known for being peaceful and spiritual, Usuls actually do exhibit a calming presence. It could be their kind hearts shining through, or their cheerful smile (more on that later), or that they have an openness about them. Whether you are having a bad day or you want something to smile at, an Usul is usually the way to go. When I have a rough day at work or swamped with school, when I log on to neo and I see one of my Usuls, I feel more calm about everything and it makes me forget that the day was bad. While I am sure some of you out there will say it can be that way for any Neopets species, I will not deny that but come on here. Look at those cute little Usuls.

     #4: They have such a sweet smile.

      Usuls always look so cute when they are happy. Even though it is a basic smile, there is something about that smile that makes you want to love the Usul. While most of them have a plain smile, there are some Usul colors that have such a cute and open smile. Have you ever seen the smile a Darigan Usul or a Halloween Usul or a wraith Usul? They are the cutest devilish grins you will ever see. Now, the robot Usul does not have a smile but with that color, you can make the exception. Instead, the robot Usul is just mysterious and it is up to you to decide what the robot Usul is thinking of.

     #5: Usuls are smarter than we realize.

      Usuls are very intelligent beings in the world of Neopia. While many will claim that it is the Lenny (and I can see why—remember the Lenny Conundrum?), Usuls have a special intelligence about them. They are smart in various situations. Some Usuls are read quite a bit and they are book smart. Other Usuls are smart when it comes to the battledome, so they are smart in a sticky situation. Some Usuls are fashionistas and they are smart when it comes to picking out clothing to wear. No matter the area, Usuls are great at figuring things out and also passing it around. So, if you ever come across an Usul and you are in a sticky situation, you may be in luck.

     #6: Usul heroes are great!

      Who does not love Hannah, Garin, and Gilly? Those three are known heroes in all of Neopia. While both Hannah and Garin have earned their respective places in the Gallery of Heroes, Gilly also earns a spot here for being fearless in both the Castle of Eliv Thade and the Tale of Woe plot. What makes these heroes great is that they are all brave and ready to fight for what is right. They jump into action and they make sure that enemy pays. Hannah is pretty cool because she went from being bored to taking charge and changing her destiny. Even when she felt betrayed, she overcame that and helped free the Bori. With Garin, although he is a pirate, he is a pirate in the sense of going out for adventure and treasure, not to cause trouble. Garin was instrumental in helping out King Kelpbeard in the Curse of Maraqua plot. These brave Usuls reflect what is best about Usuls and why you should consider having one.

     #7: They are one of two species to be painted Usuki!

      Only the Quiggle can be painted Usuki along with the Usul. If you have ever collected Usukis like I have, you have a love for the Usuki color. I have both an Usuki girl Usul and an Usuki boy Usul. They are both amazing pets and the colors look great on the Usul. While neither Usuki produces a bow, they provide some nifty clothing to use. But the fact that this specific color is modeled after two specific Usuki dolls—Magical Hair Usuki and Usuki Musketeer—makes it all the more special. With the Usuki girl, the hair is fun to base customization after and with the Usuki boy, it is fun to play with the hat and goatee. What is even more of a bonus is that prior to conversion, there were some people who kept the old artwork of these Usukis. So, if someone owns an UC Usuki girl or boy, they own a classic Usuki Usul, and even though I am not into UCs, they are amazing to admire.

     #8: Usuls can be very inspirational.

      When I used to have a diverse set of Neopets, it was always my Usul, Sweetie_Tweetie7 that inspired me to love Usuls. She also inspired me to collect Usuki items and other Usul items for the longest time (until I grew fond of collecting stamps). Usuls also inspire me in my customizations (and there will be more on that soon) and for achieving my goals here. When studying the character of the Usul, it helped me with character development for my actual pets. For example, I have a troublemaking Usul that I call Emily. She loves to play tricks and she loves to cause trouble, but beneath that, she has a sweet heart. When looking at my Usuls, I study their past, present, and what color they may have. Emily is my shadow Usul and I sense from her that she has a tricky personality but I also know that she is a very good Usul. As someone who does a lot of writing in real life, it is important to develop characters and stick with their personalities. I find each pet to inspire me and it also helps me with other characters I have created outside of neo. My Usuls do help me out on this site and I enjoy making their characters.

     #9: Usuls are the best to customize.

      I may sound a bit biased here and it is all about the eye of the beholder but I think Usuls are the best species to customize. Hear me out on this. When I used to have a lot of different species, I always found my Usuls the easiest to customize and they look great in pretty much everything. While there have been a couple of flubs along the way (no one species looks great in everything 100 percent of the time), Usuls can pretty much wear anything. It is always up to the personal customizer but if you enjoy customizing and you are looking for an easy species to dress, I nominate the Usul. My closet is bursting because of my Usuls. Some of it is their Usul bows and paint brush clothing but a majority of it is from all the neocash I have spent. Yes, I am very addicted and it is because I love how my Usuls look in these items. For my girls, they usually have an Usul bow on them whereas my males do not. I love all that they can wear and most of the Usul specific clothing is absolutely adorable. I cannot wait to get the new Usul clothing set that was introduced this past Usul day. I also love a lot of the actual Usul colors and I have fun customizing with them. My wraith Usul, whom I call Luvs, looks best in pinks, purples, golds, reds, and blacks. I know what works for her and without knowing what works, then my whole customization scheme falls apart.

     #10: Usuls are fun overall.

      And finally, Usuls are so much fun. Whether it is customizing them, battling with them, reading to them, or developing their characters, Usuls remain fun. They make this site fun and they have such interesting characters. Even one of the major villains, the Shadow Usul, is such a fun villain. We may never know when she will strike and when she does, it comes suddenly. The Usul characters on Neopets are interesting, whether they are good or bad, you cannot help but dive right into their stories. It is also so much fun owning an Usul. They have such a cute and sassy pose and I look forward to customizing them.

     Conclusion:

      While it is not my job to convince you to own nothing but Usuls, I hope you do consider owning at least one Usul. They bring such joy and they do bring happiness. Whatever your forte is here on this site, it can always be improved with an Usul. I love customizing them, I love improving my Usuls, and I love the inspiration they have given me. They also reflect some of my personality in real life. I hope you have enjoyed reading about the Usul and may I leave you all with a bit of Usul magic.