If you surf the internet and are also an anime and manga fan, you will surely have come across the term kawaii quite often, because the term kawaii is mainly used in anime and manga. Kawaii is Japanese and means cute, adorable, sweet, adorable, nice, and is mostly used in connection with younger girls and dolls, etc. It can refer to objects as well as people and non-people who are somehow charming, vulnerable, shy, and childlike. Examples to which the term is applied include:
- sweet handwritings
- certain manga genres
- Characters like Hello Kitty and Pikachu
From this outright cuteness culture, a kind of Japanese popular culture has developed, encompassing things like entertainment, clothing, food, toys, personal appearance, and so on.
Because of this ever-growing trend, companies like Sanrio came out with products like Hello Kitty. Lately, Sanrio has been releasing new kawaii characters with deeper personalities again to reach a slightly older audience – Gudetama and Aggretsuko.
Hello, Kitty was and is not only a resounding success in Japan but also spilled over to the West. So, nowadays you can find some kind of Hello Kitty accessories in almost every household with little and also bigger girls and women.
Anything cute in any way seems to appeal to a wide audience.
Popstars in the West vs. Japan
Interestingly, pop stars in the West tend to show their erotic side, while in Japan the kawaii culture prevails. I.e. many successful Japanese artists put their cute and rather childish side in the foreground.
One example that has also made it to Germany is the metal band “Babymetal”. The three female members, namely Su-Metal, MoaMetal, and YuiMetal, sing sweet songs like “Gimme chocolate!” to hard metal sounds.
Kawaii smileys
The whole thing goes so far that there are now plenty of kawaii-style smileys. So cute, cuddly, and harmless.
Kawaii fashion
More and more girls even in the West are adopting the girlie look of the kawaii movement. Accordingly, there are plenty of fashion items like clothes, jewelry, and accessories to buy in this style. Of course, all Hello Kitty articles or merchandise with cute anime characters are always popular.
There’s even a game – Kawaii Fashion – where you can style yourself a girl with a Kawaii look. You can try out all sorts of things, from colors, patterns, clothes, etc.
Kawaii articles – the choice is almost unlimited
In addition to clothing, hair clips, accessories, and jewelry, you can find just about anything with a kawaii motif.
Popular for the household are of course Kawaii cups, cutlery, other dishes, and other things that you can use or put on the shelf.
For little girls, there is even wallpaper with kawaii figures to decorate the room and of course lots of blankets, pillows, pictures, and other things.
School can also be sweetened for the girls with writing pads, notebook covers, pens, pencils, sharpeners, erasers, calendars, and other things with Kawaii print – at least to a certain extent.
Especially popular with girls is of course the matching Kawaii mobile phone case, handbag, and backpack.
And then, of course, there are dolls and stuffed animals in every size, color, and motif. Whether as a small gift or as a massive design statement – something cuddly and soft should simply not be missing in the room.
For a successful girl’s party, there are also lots of party accessories, from paper plates and plastic cups to piñatas and party decorations.
And if you still haven’t had enough, you’ll find costumes for cosplay, Halloween, and carnival.
Of course, we at Epic Games also have a wide selection of great Kawaii items in our assortment!