Small light bulb moment

So, being moderately into crochet, I have occasionally seen books in shops for some strange craft called "Amigurumi". Or at least I thought it was a craft, but I'd look at the pictures in confusion and wonder what the difference between Amigurumi and crochet actually was. So then, doing what you do when you're confused, I looked up wikipedia. It would seem I am years behind on all this, but now I understand:

Amigurumi (編みぐるみ?, lit. knitted stuffed toy) is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and anthropomorphic creatures. The word is derived from a combination of the Japanese words ami, meaning crocheted or knitted, and nuigurumi, meaning stuffed doll. Amigurumi are typically animals, but can include artistic renderings or inanimate objects endowed with anthropomorphic features.

Aesthetic

Amigurumi have no practical use; they are created and collected for aesthetic reasons.The pervading aesthetic of amigurumi is cuteness. To this end, typical amigurumi animals have an over-sized spherical head on a cylindrical body with undersized extremities.

An online fad for creating and collecting amigurumi began in 2003. By 2006, amigurumi were reported to be the most popular items on Etsy, an online craft marketplace, where they typically sold for $10 to $100.

I can't say as I'm into Japanese cuteness of no practical use, which is possibly why I've never taken much notice, and I won't be making Amigurumi Hello Kittys anytime soon, but at least I won't die wondering.