Kawaisa: Difference between revisions

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Since the 1970s, cuteness (可愛さ kawaisa) has become a prominent aspect of Japanese popular culture, entertainment, clothing, food, toys, personal appearance, behavior, iconography and mannerisms. Foreign observers can find this cuteness odd because the Japanese are stereotypically seen as stoic and employ it in a vast array of situations and demographics where, in other cultures, it would be considered incongruously juvenile or frivolous (public service warnings, office environments, commercial airlines, government publications -- even ''military advertisements'').

The word "kawaii" in Japanese has a broader definition than the English word "cute". When applied to pop culture, "cute" will suffice; however "kawaii" refers primarily to the affection of a parent toward a child coupled with the protectiveness for the innocent and weak. Thus a pop cartoon character is considered "kawaii" because it exemplifies the innocence of a child and evokes general protective, caring instincts in the viewer. Other translations of "kawaii" can include "precious", "lovable", "adorable" or "innocent". Can very easily mean "[[Tastes Like Diabetes]]". It could be considered a factor on why the [[Christmas Cake]] [[Trope]] exists. Cuteness saturates Japanese culture so much that one can call this "The Cult of Cute". Just like being sexy and attractive is considered desirable for Western women, this is considered a desirable trait for a Japanese woman, [[Yamato Nadeshiko|among other feminine traits]]. Women in their twenties or even thirties might use a high-pitched voice simply because it sounds cute, despite the rest of the world finding it rather weird.

Cute elements can be found almost everywhere in Japan, from big business to corner markets and national government, ward and town offices. Many companies, large and small, use cute mascots to present their wares and services to the public.

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Cute merchandise and products are especially popular in some parts of east Asia, such as China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore. In America, however, [[American Kirby Is Hardcore|the opposite applies]].

This phenomenon probably explains why it's hard to pin down the ages of [[Anime]] characters, particularly females, as they tend to combine young characteristics (wide eyes, overall cuteness/vulnerability) with 'older' characteristics (such as disproportionate intelligence, wisdom... or breasts). See "[[Generic Cuteness]]" for related information.

In Japanese culture, the polar opposite of this is [[Hentai]].

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* ''[[Haruhi Suzumiya]]'': Mikuru's defining characteristic is that Kyon thinks she is cute. Really really cute. He goes on and on about it. After that there's something about being a time traveller but {{spoiler|Nagato and her (Mikuru's) adult form}} are usually the ones to take care of that. Oh, and there was one more thing but [[Catch Phrase|it's classified]].

* The Tachikomas from ''[[Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex]]'' are six-foot-tall spider-tanks equipped with autonomous AIs, gatling guns, and grenade launchers. They work for an elite counter-terrorism task force. They have rounded edges, a bright blue paint scheme, and the voices and personalities of six-year-old children. They're the most adorable weapons ever.

** Unless you're fighting them, in which case they're probably more like the sentry turrets from [[Portal (series)|Portal]].

*** Which, incidentally, are the cutest sentry turrets ever.

** It is telling that the Tachikomas can be cute while still looking like completely pragmatically designed and functional weapons, their cuteness having more to do with their voices and personalities than anything else. Further, it is a credit to the writers, art directors, and animators that they can maintain their cuteness without clashing with an otherwise relatively serious and realistically animated series.

* Saito Ayaka is the queen of kawaisa. Apparently, her voice is soft and high-pitched even for a female seiyuu.

* ''[[Potemayo]]'' (the series) is very, very cute and very, very weird. Potemayo herself is a 2-foot-tall blob of [[Moe]] features who acts like a 8-year-old... and was found in a fridge.

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[[Category:index]]

[[Category:Kawaisa]]

[[Category:Useful Notes]]