The Honda Koraidon Project Is Everything I Wanted As A Child

Somewhere, tiny past-timeline me is absolutely shrieking with delight that this exists.

By: Janaki Jitchotvisut

Mar 20, at 9:50am ET

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When did you first figure out that you were a rider? Me, I didn't realize it at first. As I've told you in the past, I didn't learn to ride motorcycles as a kid (not even dirt bikes, to adult-me's later regret). I also didn't learn to ride bicycles super early, though I did start on those as a kid.

Know what I did try to ride when I was really young, though? My grandparents' dog. I loved him so much, and to four-year-old me, he looked like a horse. He was big, drooly, and so friendly. Very importantly, he loved me. Naturally, my grandma thought this was adorable, but she was also understandably worried that I'd hurt him if I tried to sit on his back.

So, she made me a life-sized stuffed animal version that I could sit on instead.

I loved him, too, and I really love telling people this story as an adult. It was an extremely cool thing that she did, and one that perfectly encapsulates the kind of lovely, caring person she was. Pokémon wasn't a thing yet, but if it was, rest assured that she probably would have tried to make me one of those, too, if I wanted it. It's just who she was.

No, although Pokémon has now been around for more of my life than it hasn't, it came along when I was a little too old to ride on gigantic stuffed animals (though definitely the right age to appreciate the video games). With all that in mind, the fact that Honda has quietly been collaborating with the Pokémon Company to bring its self-balancing tech to the Koraidon Project just thrills me down to my toes.

Seriously, just look at this behind-the-scenes video and let yourself have a minute of childlike wonder.

It's fitting that the first slide at the beginning has the Honda logo, along with the words "How We Move You" and three additional words underneath: Create, Transcend, Augment. As someone who would very much prefer a future filled with Astro Bot and not murderous Boston Dynamics robodogs, Koraidon's whimsical design hits just right.

At the end of the video, you'll also see a big "To Be Continued" splashed across the end. Where is it going? To quote another favorite fictional character, I have no idea where this will lead us, but I have a definite feeling it will be both wonderful and strange.

Further proof that some kids don't grow up; we just get bigger toys.