It seems like sad hamsters (and other trends loosely involving hamsters) are trending quite a bit lately, with the Hamster With Big Eyes tugging on everyone's heartstrings over on TikTok.

But there's another sad, sobbing hamster out there making the rounds in memes, and this time, he's got an anime twist. Here's the story of Ebichu, better known as the Crying Hamster meme.

Who Is Ebichu The Crying Hamster?

Ebichu is the main character from the 1999 anime Oruchuban Ebichu. Oruchuban Ebichu is the story of Ebichu's many failed attempts to please her sad owner, who does not like Ebichu very much. It's a bleak premise, but has a loyal fanbase who think the anime is cute. Years later, some images and scenes have been resurfacing online as it's made a bit of a comeback.

On October 1st, 1999, an episode entitled "Is It Okay to Drink?" aired, and in it, there was a moment in which Ebichu cried while holding a wooden bucket. This scene resurfaced recently and led to the creation of a meme. Since not everyone is familiar with Ebichu, it's often called the "Crying Hamster" rather than "Ebichu Crying."

How Is the Crying Hamster / Ebichu Crying Meme Used Online?

The meme first began to trend online in the early 2010s, and the reason you might be seeing it popping up again lately is likely due to its similarities with the Sad Hamster meme that's simultaneously going viral right now:

@schmetterling471 This is me if you even care😞 #thisismeifyouevencare #thisisme #real #silly #sad #sillymeme #goofymeme #goofy #sadmeme #hampter #sadhampter #sadhamster #hamster #fyp #foryou ♬ sad hamster meme sound – CrazyToastCat

The image of Ebichu crying seems to be used primarily as a reaction format. People will associate Ebichu with their reactions to various situations, particularly within the anime community or similar communities where anime is prevalent, like the K-Pop fandom.

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To learn more about the Crying Hamster, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.