ive seen a lot of overly demonizing yet oversimplifying content made on this topic, but design is design. things that are designed for people are intended to result in some kind of feeling or interaction from those people. it’s nice to see someone cover the topic of kawaii as a design strategy in a way that isnt sensationalized but that does cover the serious aspects related to it. thank you for posting and keep up the good work
Kawaii has literally taken over my life or my room rather. My room is literally filled with cute things. I can’t stop buying them, from sanrio to summikko gurashi to sylvanian families to sonny angels, I am obsessed T__T
… I’m planning to buy a bunch of cute things later on today… my bf has told me how I am too “obsessed” (HAHA I have my room full of kawaii things) and how it doesn’t bother him at all, for my own happiness :’) I like staying in this type of comfort zone because it makes me feel… comfort being surrounded by cute little things :’) I am scared that im gonna still be obsessed with this type of stuff 30 years later, im only 16, spending my allowances on cute little stuff :’D
I'm 23 and I'm still into sanrio my fav is pompompurin and I have merch of pompompurin and cinnamon everywhere. It's comforting to me. My sister is 35 and has kids she still loves hello kitty and buys the merch for herself and her kids.
I clicked this link off Reddit taking a chance, expecting to close it again within a few seconds. I was pleasantly surprised at the content and the presentation, that taught this jaded and cynical designer something new about the world. Thank you :)
I need more kawaii in my life... My favorite mascot is Lino from the Croatian brand Podravka. I didn't understand why a character marketed towards toddlers was so appealing to a foreigner like myself, but this video gave me some new thoughts. Thanks for sharing!
this randomly appeared in my recommended, i don't know much about this subject personally to say anything but it seems very well researched! I've never knew some of this stuff before so it was very informational! also, the answer to the question at the end of the video is Kuromi, she influenced my fashion style, made me watch a show, heck I even have a shirt of her that I keep in my room just out in the open-.
Squishmallows and Pusheen are my weakness... I love plushies soooo much. I can't afford to spend on them often, but every few months I can't help but add another little character to my collection. They make me happy!
BRUH I UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE THINK OF STUFF AS CUTE EASILY BUT NO HELP I GET CUTENESS OVERLOAD OVER THINGS THAT DONT AMEK SENSE THIS ISNT NOTMAL ANYMORE
This is such a good video, I started watching it intending to leave it on as background noise but it captured my attention so quickly and I wasn't able to tear my eyes off until the end. Immediately sharing this with all of my friends, I love it so much. Keep up the good work!
I'm obsessed with Cinnamoroll and Tuxedosam. I carry either one of those Squishmallows with me. They're 6'' ones. The cute Kawaii food characters are my favorite things to draw. Cupcakes, Coffee Cups, and various other desserts are my favorite kawaii foods to draw
This also why now we are seeing every season more and more animes catered to teens and adults with kids as protagonists, cause who wouldnt want to have the popularity that Anya has for example?
A character I've being extremely obsessed with for years is tony tony chopper from one piece. Not just his cute appearance but also his personality and backstory made me fall in love with him deeply. Not a day goes by that I didn't think about him. He helps me with my depression an loneliness.
Thank you! I learned a lot more about kawaii than I knew before. 💖 I love the deeper meanings behind it and appreciate how it's not just cute and childlike like everyone makes it to be. I feel connected to kawaii things because I have found them to be relaxing and helpful for my stress and anxiety. Especially since I started dealing with more stressful situations. Seeing cute sanrio characters and pink pastels makes me calmer.
Just found your account and i‘m so sad you haven’t uploaded for so long!! Followed with the hope to be there when you guys drop again 💗 obsessed with the japanese design series!!
I loooove your videos I’m so invested in this series, it’s so interesting to finally find someone who talks about Japanese design. Have you considered working on Japanese religious culture ? It’s so interesting and not talked enough about, the drawings and building hold so much information and meaning I would love to see a video about that.
I’m obsessed with Pompompurin. I love dogs, I love desserts, so he’s right up my alley. I think his dream of becoming bigger is so cute and funny. It has also become my dream, too. Bigger Pompompurin = bigger plushies. It’s a win-win for both of us really. I hope that one day I can go to the Pompompurin cafe.
Wow. What an amazing video 💖💞 I just recently gotten into Kawaii culture maybe 4 months ago. I was going through a lot with the passing of my grandfather. I watched a few videos on Sanrio characters, and my heart was overjoyed with laughter, healing, and love. I lean towards Cinnamoroll, he is so stinking cute. My 2nd favorite is my Melody. 🤩😘 This was a wonderful video 🥰😍
Honestly people don't often talk about how all these cutesy kawaii unboxing channels that start as just your basic aliexpress hauls but end up somehow sponsored by big tech companies (while also reviewing a new model of Samsung Z Flip every year because it's the ~kawaii phone~) are basically peak consumerism made to look harmless because it's kawaii and a girl is doing it, when it's barely distinguishable from techbro influencers. And like, I get it. I am not immune to watching yet another "kawaii Switch/iPad accessory unboxing" video, or a cute mechanical keyboard and stuff like that, I get the aesthetic of it. But I try not to fall for it because consumerism is a big problem nowadays.
Kawaii characters actually help me a lot, naturally I'm very shy around people and tired all the time but you'd be surprised that simply looking at a character like my Melony helps me become more energized and social around people, It also helps me to keep my head up and be more confident on myself, helps with my overthinking problems and reliefs stress that's set upon me, the funny thing is that whenever I see something like a hello kitty hat or a backpack I seem more interested in them than my sister does XD
I’m sure you’ve heard this before but this is my first time watching your video and your voice is so cute! 🥰 it makes the videos you make nice to listen to even if there was no visual I would still watch it because of your voice!❤️💕 adds to the kawaii topic lol
I really love Pandapple. He's a sanrio character that isn't popular enough. He's b-day is June 2and he was born in Shanghai, but now lives on Southern California having his own farm and dreaming of growing the biggest apple ever. He has a pet called Imomushi, who's a caterpillar. I LOVE HIM SOOOOO MUCH he's a sweetie tiny good guy who has no bad intentions
Kawaiiness is very subjective. 🌹 The quest for Beauty is a absolute norm. It's tyrannical. It can't take a joke 🥀 Cuteness (kawaii) however can because cuteness can be very subjective . That's why cuteness is suitable to question society . I mean you must very cute to assume that you aren't cute aren't ya ?
Kuromi has to be my top pick for cute and round characters. I have her on T shirts, bags and I have plushies. But another pair characters that I find strangely cute are the Lego Monkie Kid renditions of Sun Wukong and The Six Eared Macaque. I love them for their simplicity, their eyes and little flat noses. The Lego style is so cute and underrated
Speaking of kawaii characters, I’m obsessed with Bluey (yes, the Australian cartoon dog from a preschool show). It also helps that the cartoon also deals with dark or taboo things most preschool cartoons tend to avoid (the episode “Copycat” dealt with death (of a bird), “Flat Pack” tries to sneak in an interpretation of both religion and science’s view of evolution, “Army” deals with both ADHD and kids whose parents are in the military, “Turtle Boy” features a deaf character, and “Onesies” shows a lonely adult character (Brandy, who was childless)).
Hello there! I’m using my alt to comment on this, so I hope it’s alright to ask a few question so so I’m more familiar with this subject. My style is based off of kawaii things cause they make me happy as you said in the video, but is it a bad or good thing that they use cute mascots to help their business? I thought it doesn’t sound bad to put in some cute characters to help it look more approachable, but maybe I’m wrong on this And does it manipulate everyone if I may ask? Sorry for asking a lot, I just hope it isn’t a bad kind of marketing
Hi!! I'm not an expert, I just did a lot of reading, so I'll just try to summarise what I've found. In my opinion, kawaii is not bad if it makes you happy!! Buy cute things if it brings you joy! I think it's only bad marketing if you're trying to use it to sell bad things to vulnerable people (for an extreme example, like selling hard drugs to kids or something) This is a good video to watch if you want more perspectives about the bad parts of kawaii culture (i.e. p*dophilia and promoting overconsumption) th-cam.com/video/E-VoKwMDdLg/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=MinaLe This article also touches on how kawaii used as military/police mascots creates the illusion that these organizations are your friend -- unthreatening, warm, and fuzzy -- rather than an authority figure that can enforce state violence. I don't think kawaii has a psychological fact on everyone, I think it affects different people in different levels. Just like how some people really loves babies and want to take care of them, there are people who don't like/want kids at all. Hope this helped a bit! Here's a bunch of sources if you want to know more: dstoryco.notion.site/Extra-Reading-How-Kawaii-Manipulates-Your-Mind-c45b5f7187e1469baa204e7fb636535e
I discovered your series yesterday and became a little bit sad when I saw that you didn't make more videos. Is there any chance you return to this topic? It's really interesting!
Yes I am obsessed with My Melody & Kuromi. I love how their personalities play together. I am truly a sucker for anything that’s like adorable angel/devil themed 😅
Excellent video I never thought about kawaii in that way, I'm beginning to learn about Japanese design. Do you have any recommendations of books, podcasts or videos that talk about this subject
Yes!! I compiled all my resources in this document: dstoryco.notion.site/How-Kawaii-Manipulates-Your-Mind-c45b5f7187e1469baa204e7fb636535e I also have a separate video called "Japanese Design Is More Than Minimalism" - please check it out if you haven't already!
I was a huge fan of Hello Kitty. But all of this stuff is made in China, Blangladesh or Taiwan. My fav fashion are Sweet and Gothic lolita and Decora, but my wardrobe are almost handmade. I´m anticapitalistic, but I love kawaii culture. My fastination with japanese culture in general started with geishas. Harajuku was my inspiration for decades. The DIY that appears in "Fruits" magazine connected with my own approach to fashion. Sadly the emerge alternative fashion decays under Harakuju neighborhood gentrification, the rise of normcore and the capitalistic version of j-fashion under famous brands and people wearing head-to-toe burando. I love mascots and I´ve desingned some mascot in the past. They allowed to communicate difficult feelings and ethical concerns without exposure yourself to criticism.
Correction: Hello Kitty's rise to popularity didn't even start until the 1990s. She was created by the illustrator Yuko Shimizu. If you look into her history, you'll notice that there's a lot of sentiment to be seen, stuff that can't possibly be erased entirely by capitalism. Same goes for a lot of things in this world that are created through artistic expression.
Not necessarily kawaii, but Gir from Invader Zin has taken over my whole life. His clumsiness and simple design and personality made me fall in love with his silliness. I’ve bought gir clothing, gir plushies, gir posters, and essentially indoctrinatied myself into gir 😅
Anyways I agree that sometimes we should care about aesthetics -- it's why I hate modern/minimalist architecture so much. It's so soulless and corporate and people defend it by saying that it's cheaper to build, but the areas with modern architecture are the most expensive anyways! I hate this new wave so much. Even brutalism is better because although it's grey and drab, at least it has some texture. Efficiency can be beautiful, but it's not to me, at least, when it's been taken over by the rich. Fuck modernism (in architecture).
i like the charater snaily from omori. they look like a little marshmellow and tho there weak if if interact with them during a few cutseens they tell you they want to train .
im glad to see this topic in a more general light, being a guy interested in things that would be broken down by what seems like most people as “childish” or “weird” or “corporate” when men have this stigma of being “strong, mature people who only do things for themselves” feels demeaning, especially because that’s not really who i want to be, why should these things relegated as “cute” just be “just girl things!!!” because i think that anyone should be able to enjoy things like this without judgement all im saying is that im snuggling a my melody plushie while writing this comment and i think it shouldn’t be weird for a guy to do that sorry to bring the topic of gender into this, i just found a youtube video on the topic would be be an appropriate place to yell into the void
3:46 You- You did not- XD 6:12 ☺😶 7:31 Yes! Waiting for Rezzuko and the: having animal or kawaii at work is worth it! Since hugging cute things seems to help stressed adults than using anger to cope it, and your right! it feels so relatable
I think cuteness also has the same effect as sex. Usually sex could be used in shocked value or arousal. But kawaii uses a part of our brain that wants to protect it or take care of it. Like how a baby do! If sex sells so do cuteness!
8:43 my fave kawaii character is nezuko Also she basically sums up the entire video She is child like even tho she’s a teen She is cute so EVERYONE WANTS TO GET THEIR GRIMY LITTLE PAWS ON HER MERCH Ect. (Also miku)
kawaii things are assumed to be baby-like and pastel colored, but my cute characters are the different forms of hatsune miku (& other vocaloids). along with sonic characters. Bratz dolls, and the disney fairies. Experiencing the kawaii obsession in Hawaii was a baffling thing. on day 1 of landing, we just thought the Hawaiian sanrio characters were ok at best. by the time we left, we got: 2 keychains, a PEARL HARBOR kitty tote bag, and wasted enough money at ABCmart to get *another* tote bag! If there was a centralized sanrio Store in o'ahu, we would have bought everything!
ive seen a lot of overly demonizing yet oversimplifying content made on this topic, but design is design. things that are designed for people are intended to result in some kind of feeling or interaction from those people. it’s nice to see someone cover the topic of kawaii as a design strategy in a way that isnt sensationalized but that does cover the serious aspects related to it. thank you for posting and keep up the good work
It was so incredibly fascinating to go down the rabbit hole!
Kawaii has literally taken over my life or my room rather. My room is literally filled with cute things. I can’t stop buying them, from sanrio to summikko gurashi to sylvanian families to sonny angels, I am obsessed T__T
Same but I can't buy them because I'm a kid TvT
@@user-jn9ck3bd5j I feel your pain TvT
@@user-jn9ck3bd5j same :’)
R u still the same after two years
@@Vanadiummmo yup! They’ve multiplied in number!
… I’m planning to buy a bunch of cute things later on today… my bf has told me how I am too “obsessed” (HAHA I have my room full of kawaii things) and how it doesn’t bother him at all, for my own happiness :’) I like staying in this type of comfort zone because it makes me feel… comfort being surrounded by cute little things :’) I am scared that im gonna still be obsessed with this type of stuff 30 years later, im only 16, spending my allowances on cute little stuff :’D
hahahah i love that for you!! definitely buy it if makes you happy 🥰
I'm 23 and I'm still into sanrio my fav is pompompurin and I have merch of pompompurin and cinnamon everywhere. It's comforting to me. My sister is 35 and has kids she still loves hello kitty and buys the merch for herself and her kids.
Continue embracing it! Even well into your 30s
For me, I think the most comforting cute thing, would be to become said comforting cute thing...
@dansman1729 ok
I clicked this link off Reddit taking a chance, expecting to close it again within a few seconds. I was pleasantly surprised at the content and the presentation, that taught this jaded and cynical designer something new about the world. Thank you :)
Literally the same goes for me. Was it r/AssholeDesign?
Thanks for giving it a chance 🥺 Glad you enjoyed it!
this is too underrated. i hope more people come across this soon
Thanks a lot!!! hope you can share it with friends too! 🥰
@@dstoryco i absolutely will!
I need more kawaii in my life... My favorite mascot is Lino from the Croatian brand Podravka. I didn't understand why a character marketed towards toddlers was so appealing to a foreigner like myself, but this video gave me some new thoughts. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing! Always interesting to hear about less well-known mascots outside of Japan/Korea/America!
this randomly appeared in my recommended, i don't know much about this subject personally to say anything but it seems very well researched! I've never knew some of this stuff before so it was very informational! also, the answer to the question at the end of the video is Kuromi, she influenced my fashion style, made me watch a show, heck I even have a shirt of her that I keep in my room just out in the open-.
Thanks!! Turns out it's a quite researched topic so I went through a rabbit hole reading everything! I definitely had a Kuromi obsession too!!
its such a shame you've dropped the japanese design series. I love your videos.
Do they even upload anymore?
Did she alive?
niewiedzialem ze spotkam tutaj ciebie azi lol
When were you when D Story is kill?
I was sat at home when fred ring
'DStory is kill'
'no'
F
Squishmallows and Pusheen are my weakness...
I love plushies soooo much.
I can't afford to spend on them often, but every few months I can't help but add another little character to my collection. They make me happy!
Absolutly in love with this seires, cant wait for the next episodes!!!
Thanks a lot!!! :^ )
BRUH I UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE THINK OF STUFF AS CUTE EASILY BUT NO HELP I GET CUTENESS OVERLOAD OVER THINGS THAT DONT AMEK SENSE THIS ISNT NOTMAL ANYMORE
Wow, thank you for sharing some of the history of kawaii's use to make government/public transport more approachable and less intimidating. Very cool!
Thank you for watching!! It's a super interesting topic ^^
This is a great intro to a unique topic. Really interesting to think about "cute" as a marketing technique in the ways you describe.
This is such a good video, I started watching it intending to leave it on as background noise but it captured my attention so quickly and I wasn't able to tear my eyes off until the end. Immediately sharing this with all of my friends, I love it so much. Keep up the good work!
I'm obsessed with Cinnamoroll and Tuxedosam. I carry either one of those Squishmallows with me. They're 6'' ones. The cute Kawaii food characters are my favorite things to draw. Cupcakes, Coffee Cups, and various other desserts are my favorite kawaii foods to draw
For all you Sanrio fans, please look up Cogimyun and give her the love she deserves because none of the other characters speak to me like she does 💖
AAAAAA I LOVE HER
I LOVE HER TOO SHES SO ADORABLE （≧∇≦）
OMG SO FRICKING CUTE THANK YOU
SHE'S SO CUTE!!! I ALSO LOVE PANDAPPLE, HE'S SUCH A SWEETIE AND NO ONE TALKS ABOUT HIM
JUST THE OTHER DAY I FOUND OUT ABOUT HER AND IM OBSESSED
This also why now we are seeing every season more and more animes catered to teens and adults with kids as protagonists, cause who wouldnt want to have the popularity that Anya has for example?
I’ll be honest, I think Anya is popular because of weirdos
Anya isn't the protagonist tho? The anime focuses on the whole family, not just her
@@IPutFishInAWashingMachineAnya is more of a Mascot-type Character, where they Slap her Face in the Marketing.
🇨🇦 That’s P E R F E C T! A character to unite a cause to stop loneliness & climate change!
wow... having an actual explanation on why kawaii works so well is game changing... Dang, guess I have to start being MORE critical now lol
A character I've being extremely obsessed with for years is tony tony chopper from one piece. Not just his cute appearance but also his personality and backstory made me fall in love with him deeply. Not a day goes by that I didn't think about him. He helps me with my depression an loneliness.
This video needs more views!! This is the whole reason I love kawaii culture!
8:59 My life came back I swear 😫♥️💕
I didn’t read 1:12 well and read it as “How kawaii EATS our minds” Im like NOOO WAYY
I expected this to be a depressing video based on seeing "capitalism," but I actually found this enjoyable and learned some things. Great job! :3
Amazing vid, never realized how much kawaii gets used and why!!
Thank you! I learned a lot more about kawaii than I knew before. 💖 I love the deeper meanings behind it and appreciate how it's not just cute and childlike like everyone makes it to be. I feel connected to kawaii things because I have found them to be relaxing and helpful for my stress and anxiety. Especially since I started dealing with more stressful situations. Seeing cute sanrio characters and pink pastels makes me calmer.
I'm glad to hear that cute things helps soothe you!
8:41 deddy bears have absolutely taken over my heart and brain. Bought a mini-zombat and i love it so much.
how clickbate title manipulates your mind
Just found these series recommendation out of the blue algorithm and its so dope! Hope you continue with them soon! Cheers and congrats!
Just found your account and i‘m so sad you haven’t uploaded for so long!! Followed with the hope to be there when you guys drop again 💗 obsessed with the japanese design series!!
damn, I didn't know that the kawaii culture had an origin like that. Great video!
Great to know this!
I loooove your videos I’m so invested in this series, it’s so interesting to finally find someone who talks about Japanese design. Have you considered working on Japanese religious culture ? It’s so interesting and not talked enough about, the drawings and building hold so much information and meaning I would love to see a video about that.
Knowledge I did not know I needed 😮😮
All super unexpected haha
3:02 cute?nah that thing is keeping my eyes becuasse it's whining so loud my eardrums burst💀
I’m obsessed with Pompompurin. I love dogs, I love desserts, so he’s right up my alley. I think his dream of becoming bigger is so cute and funny. It has also become my dream, too. Bigger Pompompurin = bigger plushies. It’s a win-win for both of us really. I hope that one day I can go to the Pompompurin cafe.
I’m addicted to everything my melody and Sanrio in general😅 my melody is my main obsession lmao
🐰💓
Stay away from me
Wow. What an amazing video 💖💞 I just recently gotten into Kawaii culture maybe 4 months ago. I was going through a lot with the passing of my grandfather. I watched a few videos on Sanrio characters, and my heart was overjoyed with laughter, healing, and love. I lean towards Cinnamoroll, he is so stinking cute. My 2nd favorite is my Melody. 🤩😘
This was a wonderful video 🥰😍
Honestly people don't often talk about how all these cutesy kawaii unboxing channels that start as just your basic aliexpress hauls but end up somehow sponsored by big tech companies (while also reviewing a new model of Samsung Z Flip every year because it's the ~kawaii phone~) are basically peak consumerism made to look harmless because it's kawaii and a girl is doing it, when it's barely distinguishable from techbro influencers.
And like, I get it. I am not immune to watching yet another "kawaii Switch/iPad accessory unboxing" video, or a cute mechanical keyboard and stuff like that, I get the aesthetic of it. But I try not to fall for it because consumerism is a big problem nowadays.
Good videos with good storytelling! Please continue the seriess!
I’m blown away by your use of references in these videos 👏🏼 so well researched aghhh 😁
Kawaii characters actually help me a lot, naturally I'm very shy around people and tired all the time but you'd be surprised that simply looking at a character like my Melony helps me become more energized and social around people, It also helps me to keep my head up and be more confident on myself, helps with my overthinking problems and reliefs stress that's set upon me, the funny thing is that whenever I see something like a hello kitty hat or a backpack I seem more interested in them than my sister does XD
I hope your channel explodes, great work on this video, too kawaiiii
Thank you for explaining and articulating what I have been thinking for a while now lol. Also learned a few things, nice work! Keep it up!
I’m sure you’ve heard this before but this is my first time watching your video and your voice is so cute! 🥰 it makes the videos you make nice to listen to even if there was no visual I would still watch it because of your voice!❤️💕 adds to the kawaii topic lol
I have a few cute characters owning my soul. Particularly Astro Boy, Tails from Sonic the Hedgehog and Disney’s Pinocchio
3:57 Completely off the rails for what this video is talking about but that mascot really reminds me of C. Round from Deltarune
to answer your question, yes, I am obsessed with miffy. she has taken over my life. she is a cute little bunny, and a sweet little bunny.
Im obsessed with Arpakasso, I have so many of the plushies, extra large to mini. They just make we smile when ever I see them
Well your voice is kawaii too :3
Just found out your series loved it and want more, PLEASE.
are y'all ready to get kawaiii as fucc
I chose to be kawaii and I don't regret it
I really love Pandapple. He's a sanrio character that isn't popular enough. He's b-day is June 2and he was born in Shanghai, but now lives on Southern California having his own farm and dreaming of growing the biggest apple ever. He has a pet called Imomushi, who's a caterpillar. I LOVE HIM SOOOOO MUCH he's a sweetie tiny good guy who has no bad intentions
IS THAT P DIDDY AT 8:15
I THINK IT IS LMAOO
Your videos are amazing! Your content is so complete and the theme is very interesting. Please, keep doing more videos ❤
Kawaiiness is very subjective.
🌹 The quest for Beauty is a absolute norm. It's tyrannical. It can't take a joke 🥀
Cuteness (kawaii) however can because cuteness can be very subjective . That's why cuteness is suitable to question society . I mean you must very cute to assume that you aren't cute aren't ya ?
What? I don't get your point.
Kuromi has to be my top pick for cute and round characters.
I have her on T shirts, bags and I have plushies.
But another pair characters that I find strangely cute are the Lego Monkie Kid renditions of Sun Wukong and The Six Eared Macaque.
I love them for their simplicity, their eyes and little flat noses.
The Lego style is so cute and underrated
8:11 Sprout from Brawl Stars mentioned x)
Also pretty nice and interesting video!
Gret video, really interesting and im only at 2:25 :P, now that i have finished it i can say i loved it. Thanks for making this quality content.
Speaking of kawaii characters, I’m obsessed with Bluey (yes, the Australian cartoon dog from a preschool show). It also helps that the cartoon also deals with dark or taboo things most preschool cartoons tend to avoid (the episode “Copycat” dealt with death (of a bird), “Flat Pack” tries to sneak in an interpretation of both religion and science’s view of evolution, “Army” deals with both ADHD and kids whose parents are in the military, “Turtle Boy” features a deaf character, and “Onesies” shows a lonely adult character (Brandy, who was childless)).
Hello there! I’m using my alt to comment on this, so I hope it’s alright to ask a few question so so I’m more familiar with this subject.
My style is based off of kawaii things cause they make me happy as you said in the video, but is it a bad or good thing that they use cute mascots to help their business? I thought it doesn’t sound bad to put in some cute characters to help it look more approachable, but maybe I’m wrong on this
And does it manipulate everyone if I may ask? Sorry for asking a lot, I just hope it isn’t a bad kind of marketing
Hi!! I'm not an expert, I just did a lot of reading, so I'll just try to summarise what I've found. In my opinion, kawaii is not bad if it makes you happy!! Buy cute things if it brings you joy! I think it's only bad marketing if you're trying to use it to sell bad things to vulnerable people (for an extreme example, like selling hard drugs to kids or something)
This is a good video to watch if you want more perspectives about the bad parts of kawaii culture (i.e. p*dophilia and promoting overconsumption) th-cam.com/video/E-VoKwMDdLg/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=MinaLe
This article also touches on how kawaii used as military/police mascots creates the illusion that these organizations are your friend -- unthreatening, warm, and fuzzy -- rather than an authority figure that can enforce state violence.
I don't think kawaii has a psychological fact on everyone, I think it affects different people in different levels. Just like how some people really loves babies and want to take care of them, there are people who don't like/want kids at all.
Hope this helped a bit! Here's a bunch of sources if you want to know more:
dstoryco.notion.site/Extra-Reading-How-Kawaii-Manipulates-Your-Mind-c45b5f7187e1469baa204e7fb636535e
Please continue the series : )
Very nice narration and tone of voice
I discovered your series yesterday and became a little bit sad when I saw that you didn't make more videos. Is there any chance you return to this topic? It's really interesting!
4:52 omg Twice🤩
8:11 SPROUT MENTIONED 🌱
thanks for the video!
Your videos are so interesting!! Please make more
Pikachu (did i wrote it right?) is my current obsession
Kawaii relies on the golden ratio and pastell colors.
Narrator has such a kawaii voice ;o x
Yes I am obsessed with My Melody & Kuromi. I love how their personalities play together. I am truly a sucker for anything that’s like adorable angel/devil themed 😅
Excellent video I never thought about kawaii in that way, I'm beginning to learn about Japanese design. Do you have any recommendations of books, podcasts or videos that talk about this subject
Yes!! I compiled all my resources in this document: dstoryco.notion.site/How-Kawaii-Manipulates-Your-Mind-c45b5f7187e1469baa204e7fb636535e
I also have a separate video called "Japanese Design Is More Than Minimalism" - please check it out if you haven't already!
Oh... so that is WHY I started liking My Melody. I was so worried with school in that moment...
Those videos are awesome!! Pls more
this was rlly interesting!!!
I wish there was next part about Japanese web-sites. You are making amazing content!
I was a huge fan of Hello Kitty. But all of this stuff is made in China, Blangladesh or Taiwan. My fav fashion are Sweet and Gothic lolita and Decora, but my wardrobe are almost handmade. I´m anticapitalistic, but I love kawaii culture. My fastination with japanese culture in general started with geishas. Harajuku was my inspiration for decades. The DIY that appears in "Fruits" magazine connected with my own approach to fashion. Sadly the emerge alternative fashion decays under Harakuju neighborhood gentrification, the rise of normcore and the capitalistic version of j-fashion under famous brands and people wearing head-to-toe burando. I love mascots and I´ve desingned some mascot in the past. They allowed to communicate difficult feelings and ethical concerns without exposure yourself to criticism.
Correction: Hello Kitty's rise to popularity didn't even start until the 1990s. She was created by the illustrator Yuko Shimizu. If you look into her history, you'll notice that there's a lot of sentiment to be seen, stuff that can't possibly be erased entirely by capitalism. Same goes for a lot of things in this world that are created through artistic expression.
Why did this make me cry
2:50 nah i cant look away from them because i know the second i do they’ll throw something at me 💀 if it wasn’t obvious i hate human babies
fr dont hate them but they arent cute,... kinda gross
Such a nice video! I learned a lot from it. That's exactly what I was looking for when I typed in 'understaind kawaii culture in Japan'
Glad you liked it!!
Are there any more videos coming? These two were fantastic❤
Hi! First time in your chanel and I already subscribed ahhahahaha .
Great insight in the subtle manipulation that cute things gives us 💜.
Not necessarily kawaii, but Gir from Invader Zin has taken over my whole life. His clumsiness and simple design and personality made me fall in love with his silliness. I’ve bought gir clothing, gir plushies, gir posters, and essentially indoctrinatied myself into gir 😅
Right now I'm obsessed with sanrio characters, sugarbunnies, and rilakkuma too
OMG YES
Anyways I agree that sometimes we should care about aesthetics -- it's why I hate modern/minimalist architecture so much. It's so soulless and corporate and people defend it by saying that it's cheaper to build, but the areas with modern architecture are the most expensive anyways! I hate this new wave so much. Even brutalism is better because although it's grey and drab, at least it has some texture. Efficiency can be beautiful, but it's not to me, at least, when it's been taken over by the rich. Fuck modernism (in architecture).
Also there may or may not be a sand shortage and what is so prevalent in modernist designs? GLASS
One of the arguments for modernist buildings is their sustainability soo
i like the charater snaily from omori. they look like a little marshmellow and tho there weak if if interact with them during a few cutseens they tell you they want to train .
its a shame you stopped posting videos i really like them specially the power point ones
I have just been educated on cuteness. How elegant!
im glad to see this topic in a more general light, being a guy interested in things that would be broken down by what seems like most people as “childish” or “weird” or “corporate” when men have this stigma of being “strong, mature people who only do things for themselves” feels demeaning, especially because that’s not really who i want to be, why should these things relegated as “cute” just be “just girl things!!!” because i think that anyone should be able to enjoy things like this without judgement
all im saying is that im snuggling a my melody plushie while writing this comment and i think it shouldn’t be weird for a guy to do that
sorry to bring the topic of gender into this, i just found a youtube video on the topic would be be an appropriate place to yell into the void
seeing japanese text in this video, makes me excited to be able to understand japanese one day
3:46 You- You did not- XD 6:12 ☺😶
7:31 Yes! Waiting for Rezzuko and the: having animal or kawaii at work is worth it! Since hugging cute things seems to help stressed adults than using anger to cope it, and your right! it feels so relatable
Your videos are pretty awesome
I think cuteness also has the same effect as sex. Usually sex could be used in shocked value or arousal. But kawaii uses a part of our brain that wants to protect it or take care of it. Like how a baby do! If sex sells so do cuteness!
4:53 it’s TWICE!! 🎀🎀💞💞
8:12 SPROUT!!!
Love your videos!
8:43 my fave kawaii character is nezuko
Also she basically sums up the entire video
She is child like even tho she’s a teen
She is cute so EVERYONE WANTS TO GET THEIR GRIMY LITTLE PAWS ON HER MERCH
Ect.
(Also miku)
kawaii things are assumed to be baby-like and pastel colored, but my cute characters are the different forms of hatsune miku (& other vocaloids). along with sonic characters. Bratz dolls, and the disney fairies.
Experiencing the kawaii obsession in Hawaii was a baffling thing. on day 1 of landing, we just thought the Hawaiian sanrio characters were ok at best. by the time we left, we got: 2 keychains, a PEARL HARBOR kitty tote bag, and wasted enough money at ABCmart to get *another* tote bag! If there was a centralized sanrio Store in o'ahu, we would have bought everything!
LOVE YOUR VIDEOS!
thank you!!
I already knew everything here so I wish that there was something more substantial