everything you need to know about japan's kawaii industry

[@gremlita]

hello! so the part where i talk about the "morally grey" area of adults liking cutesy things... i really should've specified because i was referring to people like b*ll* d*lphine and others who capitalize on acting like children and actively feed this sector of the p*rn industry, which imo harms literal children. (i just didn't want to cause toooooo much controversy because it's a lot to get into but i realize not being specific in the end made some people upset.) i'm not referring to adult lolitas or adults who like to collect sanrio merch. i'm sorry for the confusion!

[@thewakinghat]

Hello, just wanted to mention that the book lolita and lolita fashion is two diffrent things. ^^ The fashion style is inspired by historical clothes like gowns from the rocco and victorian era and not children's clothes! I think of the fashionstyle is like a modern take on historical gowns. Also, the fashionstyle, among other harajuku styles, were a response, and rebellion, against strict work outfits/uniforms that allowed little personal expression. The fashion style lolita isn't named after the book. Adittionally, the name lolita is not synonomous with the book in Japan to my knowledge which led to lolita just being a cute name without the bagage of the book.

[@misojimo2154]

@@thewakinghat oh wow, i was wondering about this! because every time i see lolita clothing it’s all like a historical style with lots of layers and details. it didn’t seem like children’s clothing. thanks for the info!

[@maywalker997]

Whatever unlikeable characteristics Belle Delphine has, blaming her for the rise in child pornography is a bit far. I wouldn't say that she looks like a child; her appeal more lies in that she looks like a real-life anime girl.

[@profjayromotta]

Try to see the lolita fashion movement that is a high femenine and cute usually for adult woman 20 -40 years old . There is a few channels about it. On top of muito head tyler from i am telling tyler and lore from lovely lore

[@awesomesmith4489]

@@maywalker997 no one is blaming her for the rise in cp she just plays into it

[@nnimra]

hello kitty basically suits every audience, due to the fact that the simple character is so adaptable

[@user-us7py1cy2k]

I love your pfp

[@katechuuu1383]

Beside Catholics XD

[@nnimra]

@@user-us7py1cy2k thank you!!

[@bluebarrymore5442]

that is a weird way to think of it. lol. seems like a negative. basically just called it generic

[@nnimra]

@@bluebarrymore5442 i didn't mean for it to come off as negative, as i quite like the way sanrio designs it characters and hello kitty's influence on pop culture

[@reyduaXO]

I wish girls could like cute things without it being sexualized or looked down upon. Maybe I just like cute animals and girly things because it's something that brings me joy and reminds me of the joys of childhood. People can't let women have anything without ruining it at this point.

[@clarapadilha9365]

Right?? Just look at movie/tv shows mocking on KZbin! Like sure riverdale is kinda shit but I feel everything targeted to teenagers these days gets a mocking video or a roast! There are loads of extremely bad tv shows and movies for adults that don’t get that much hate

[@user-us7py1cy2k]

Reminds me of belle delphine or hero hei. Anytime someone tries to point out what they do their fanboys come to defend them. Especially in the anime community they love to fetishize the young female characters and hide behind the argument that it’s just a cartoon to justify themselves.

[@josefina1789]

Agree!! Who are they to spoil the fun

[@Alltherestofus]

@agh what’s DDLG 🥺👉🏾👈🏾

[@byulharangforlife]

@@maddypainter4486 fr, i want to be a mature and badass woman while dressing in pastel clothes, it doesn't necessary mean i wanna be a kid or that i am immature dvdl.aenicgjswlsmioew2

[@paula-rv6hl]

i think this has been more targeted to women because in our society, while men can do the same things they've been doing since they're kids, like playing videogames or football with friends, they're still considered grown up, mature people, there's no dichotomy. but we as women always have to chose between looking, act or be perceived as "cute and innocent" or "independent and mature", we can never be both and we are critiqued either way.

[@brennacurvey8791]

so true bestie!!

[@f.t633]

god you're so right! men get to have the respect of being a man and the coddling of a boy while women get the treatment of a child and the responsibilities of a woman P.S: this is broadly speaking and more intra-community focused, because i think when other factors come to play, especially race, things change a lot (for example boys of color and especially young black men and boys get treated like adult men and white women get coddled in a lot of ways)

[@belendarias6975]

your comment is amazing

[@markhor468]

yes!!!!! There's some paradox things going on regarding women and "infantilization". Somehow it's considered sexy and desirable, when women are cute hairless shy barely-adults but at the same time they can not enjoy "childish" activities without being seen as very weird. At the same time, men are considered real adults, even if they don't do much of their adult responsibilites and have "childish" interests and hobbies. What adds to it is, that once again, "masculine" activities seem to be valued more. The interests and hobbies that are associated and sometimes forced on boys are okay for adults (miniature cars, sports with balls lol, video games) while adults having "girls' toys" is deemed ridiculous and ebarrassing.

[@markhor468]

@@f.t633 I've been thinking about this so much and you worded it perfectly

[@cat_clifford]

The shit about how being an adult isn’t as fun as being young and cute is because adults aren’t encouraged to have fun! We don’t have play time, we are expected to be serious and logical, and we don’t explore the world or other people with the same curiosity as children are encouraged to. We need more adult play time that doesn’t have to result in people overdosing or getting hungover. Why can’t adults use our imaginations and play? I think we’d all be a lot happier….

[@amaridesu1141]

The line between adulthood and being a kid is based on jamming everyone into the personality of the ideal worker. Its gross. The rebellion of being childish has transformed to be more than just role-playing a toddler. People just want to reclaim a part of themselves they've had to kill for their whole lives. Whether this gets sexualized and whether that's okay depends more on the dynamics and practices and behaviors of people in that group and the problems arise in predators trying to take advantage and creating unhealthy dynamics

[@baby.yogurt]

this is sooo true, the expectation is always that you become an adult and then look down on being "childish" or "immature" because it's unproductive/antithetical to adulthood. but that's not the way it should be! we should be able to have fun and use our imaginations no matter what age we are, it's not like those functions in our brains are removed/switched off the moment we turn 18. it's ridiculous how rigid the adult world usually is

[@angelface333]

true :(

[@melnamaizite2979]

this

[@poilaaliop]

I absolutely agree! That's exactly what I love about Live Action Roleplay. Pretend for grown ups, without involving party culture ❤️

[@VicsinArtandStyle]

The only thing I want to add is that cuteness doesn't have to be inherently submissive. As this video explained the Kawaii movement was a form of rebellion. You can wear all the pastels and frills and still be self assured and outspoken.

[@glow9303]

Yes!! I was thinking to myself we exist

[@justafish9618]

It's not that those who wear it are submissive, it's just that child like attributes go along the lines of obedience socially wise as it was throughout the world and history with women too (for exemple their status as children under the care of a man which was predominant in history and patriarchy)

[@mitatf]

I think we can't just forget the assosiation between childhood/youtufulness, naivity and womenhood, specially coming from a sexist culture. Like, have you seen moe characters? The cultural association exist, even if it's not real, and I can get how it gets damaging towards asian women who racist stereotypes already lean to subnessivrness, pasivrness, being loud mouth, baby faced and a sexual fetish.

[@justafish9618]

@@mitatf yes exactly, it doesn't mean you condone any of that but it just plays into a timeless stereotype unintentionally, it's good that you show yourself as outspoken and confident and it will work to break this association but you can't deny it exists and is forced onto some people. I agree

[@kstar1489]

It doesn’t have to be but it often is because of how cuteness is associated with childishness and femininity

[@mielikin]

The part about Hello Kitty et al having a neutral expression so you can mirror your feelings better on them is LITERALLY the same thing I was told at a catholic church tour about statues of angels and saints :DDD Doesn't feel good to ask St. Ambrose for a cure for your mother's illness if he's grinning down at you.

[@cerisecerezacherry]

Makes sense I never knew until now why they were expression less

[@melibwin]

It's about formality, they're doing ceremonial royalty stuff. Dignity is serious business. Can't have a giggling 8 year old king.

[@lenani9143]

@@cerisecerezacherry IMAGINE THO

[@fnfbf]

i am NOT religious.

[@davebob4973]

@@fnfbf thanks for telling?

[@teraphIl1000]

I'm a guy and I love cute things. As a kid, I'd always hide my cute stuff when my male friends came over because I didn't wanna be mocked (even my female friends gave me a hard time for it in junior high). Nowadays, as a young adult, I don't hide at all.

[@user-us7py1cy2k]

🙌

[@urugozo]

I find guys liking cute things very cute in itself! :D

[@giuliab8484]

@@urugozo Yes, me too

[@twiggledowntown3564]

I enjoy cute stuff as well, and I wish I would've shown more interest, when I was younger and allowed myself to be excited about stuff. I did for a lot of things, but I also hid it too.

[@kuroyamaevisekai]

As you shouldn't, have fun with whatever you like!

[@hotandslavic]

THE COLOUR SUITS YOU SO MUCH! it complements your features and skin tone massively

[@lilac2131]

Yess Mina Le could pull off anything

[@hotandslavic]

@@lilac2131 yes yes yes!!! she's such an icon

[@missunicorn6322]

Ariel cosplays are definitely easier now:3 Love the hair!!!

[@lilac2131]

@@hotandslavic haha yes

[@aenwynn950]

Maybe it's the lighting but I feel like a warmer color would look better

[@DragonfruithouseDesigns]

I was abused my whole childhood so I never got to enjoy the things I wanted. I wanted to play and make art and wear the clothes I dreamed of. I am currently overcoming my trauma and kawaii-culture has always been present in my life. As an adult I finally have control over my life so I can be as cute or as not cute as I like. Thank you for bringing up multiple sides of this conversation!

[@Memi-cp4yc]

Love and strength to you dear.

[@corriejo3655]

Relatable

[@Candyy248]

I was always into Kawaii stuff (still am) but my clothing was and still is sport clothes (I love them) But for Halloween I Will wear the the Eevee ears and tail v:

[@BambiLena666]

@Katie Lewis This were my thoughts too. I grew up with boys and we were very poor, with 2 very "sensible and logical parents" that would ridicule anything "frivolous" or "girly", stuff you used was either make shifted and reused or bought to be the cheapest and most neutral possible to fit anything and not stand out. Im still in the process of just allowing myself to just be cute when I feel like it, to own cute clothes or household items. still working on it tho, its still hard to allow myself to buy that cute kitty soap dispenser instead of the much cheaper neutral colored and shaped one. On top of the family programming there society programming telling us that grown women shouldnt be like that. Silly, but its a process.

[@safyre1704]

Honestly I feel like that's the case with a lot of people. As adults we have certain freedoms and income that we didn't have as children to invest in things that interest us and for those of us that didn't get to experience or purchase certain things we wanted in childhood and imo it's silly to ridicule or embarrass people over it as long as it's not harming anyone.

[@BeatrizKirshe]

I saw a post on tumblr like eight years ago saying kawaii culture was the punk movement of Japan and I didn't click the source links and didn't save the post at the time and then later couldn't find it anymore and NEVER stopped thinking about it, and this video kinda came full circle for me lmao Also your new hair color suits you really well, it's not a drastic change as it's not a fantasy color but it looks fresh and so pretty!

[@user-us7py1cy2k]

I love your blue hair

[@khxliakhxlia3605]

Time to go to reddit lol r/tipofthetongue

[@drariet9190]

Aaaaaa same, but i saw it on Pinterest

[@sofiahammerschlag6273]

@@drariet9190 same! i live there lol

[@drariet9190]

@@sofiahammerschlag6273 it's such a chill place xD

[@froggygirl999]

I hate the criticism that liking kawaii things makes you docile. You can be assertive and “smart” (whatever that means) and still enjoy kawaii things. One of my best friends is the edgiest girl you’ll ever meet, yet she really enjoys hello kitty and kurumi. Women just get criticised no matter what they do. If you enjoy something and it’s not harming anybody, continue to enjoy it. Don’t let other people tell you how to live your life. *Also, i find it somewhat funny that women are called docile for likely kawaii and are told to be more assertive , yet when they are assertive they’re called bitches. It’s just pure Misogyny

[@kstar1489]

But I do think the cultural enforcement and expectation of cuteness for women say in Japan can discourage things like being assertive or taken seriously because it’s not seen as cute or feminine

[@timingmile7030]

@@kstar1489 Yeah I think it depends where feminism is in the culture. in the 2nd wave of western feminism, women had to reject feminity in order to be taken seriously in the work place and to avoid being labelled stupid, ditzy and being traditionally pretty was still heavily emphasised. But now women in the west are reclaiming feminity and cute things have become a lot more popular as we relearn that being feminie does not mean being docile, submissive. But for Japan, being further away from an equal society, i would agree that presenting overly feminine would give off a lot of traditional stereotypes about a woman.

[@lunix3259]

My boss at the law firm collects hello kitty stuff and have some of them displayed in her room. It's kind of a split at my work, some think she's immature and that she shouldn't be displaying them. While some clients thought it's pretty cute and it made them felt more comfortable. I hate that a women can't do something "out of the box" even if they're at the top of their careers, it will usually be met with insults for all sides. You'd see some men display their hunting prize and instead it's met with admiration.

[@elineeugenie5224]

Women get criticised... Word!

[@sophisticatedPJs]

Thinking abt Natsuki from DDLC while reading this

[@mmmchkplss]

This reminds me of the Wholesome Grandma stereotype in the West, where Grandma's sew quilts, bake cookies, and knit sweaters with houses full of handmade doilies and frills and lace and stuff. Think Granny from the Baby Looney Tunes. It's sort of like a form of cute culture, but much older. It's seen as a sort of innocence that is returned to a woman when she becomes older... Is it submission? A reclamation of hyper-feminity? To what extent are grandmother's forced into or affected by this stereotype today? 🤔

[@lesmisfan12]

This is actually something I've thought about a lot. In the West, it's acceptable to call children and the elderly cute, but adults who are cute or enjoy cute things tend to be criticized. It makes me wonder if Western cultures associate cuteness with a lack of agency or independence (which can be lost as you age and your body ages), and that's why people think adult women who enjoy cute things are infantilizing themselves, since the only adults they see as cute might be becoming more dependent on those around them as they age.

[@mmmchkplss]

@@lesmisfan12 I didn't even think of the dependence part of it. It's very engrained in western, or mostly American, culture that a person has to go out on their own and rely on themselves solely for survival, as a part of growing up. And when someone doesn't do that, or can't, they're seen as "not growing up", which is obviously a fundamentally flawed outlook. Its strange how in societies where people are able to find their own agency, they're often Expected to, or otherwise face ridicule. And it seems your age, gender, and sex in society determine whether your choices in style are acceptable or not. Very young people and old people may enjoy cute things, but no one in between 🤔

[@AliaslsailA]

I think it has a lot to do with the fact that mature/older women are desexualized. Women have a very short period of time where they get to be children, then it's quickly going to sexobject, often when they're still minors and when you have too many wrinkles you get to be the cute, gentle grandma. Many women experience the (alleged) loss of they're sexuality as freeing because they finally get to be human 🤓

[@emmadoesartonline]

i love this take

[@beep6621]

Damn I didnt think of it like that, that’s really interesting

[@kshina3624]

I thought anything cute and feminine is weak when I was 12 and am just gradually accepting that being feminine and liking pink isn't being submissive and "girly" isn't an insult. It was really hard for me to get over my I am not like other girls phase where I essentially thought being feminine was bad. And now that I am fully into kawaii and accepted it as a part of my personal aesthetic, I liked knowing that the kawaii aesthetic I used to see as weak and passive is actually a form of rebellion.

[@pheebsszz]

Same!

[@wheretao6960]

This is me rn

[@Zay33n]

Exactly

[@334...4]

Sorta happened to me, getting out of that phase step by step Except I'm way more into darker fashion styles

[@ellililo]

yes i relate to this a lot. I grew up in an all boys class as the only girl, and all my friends were boys. That had a big impact on me. Not only did I dress and act like them but I felt like a boy. I've had a toxic relationship with femininity growing up and am only now, in my late teen years really starting to embrace my femininity.

[@inspirefolie]

I read a post on Twitter where someone commented that having a "cute" aesthetic as an adult now was their way of reclaiming the innocence that was stolen from them when they were young and couldn't express themselves that way. I kinda resonated with that, ngl. The idea that anyone - particularly women - have some kind of expiration date on us is so gross/dehumanizing/misogynistic/p-dofilic in essence, and future generations should just throw the concept away altogether for their own mental wellbeing. If we're all being honest, in times like these, we'd be lucky to grow old. I just wanna live my best Golden Girls life, man 😭

[@fireflythinking1290]

I agree, I saw quite a few girls in my life and online who had a lot of teddies etc, and they all had suffered from various abuse during childhood..

[@MewMewSun]

I'm definitely one of those women that embraces the cute to regain some form of childhood freedom. Verbal and physical abuse and sexual harassment are more adult issues I dealt with in my pre-teen and teen years and embracing things that are soft innocent and comfy gives me space away from those types of memories. Especially since I grew up poor and was denied those types of things... long short give me all the stuffed animals so I can know what a hug feels like at night 🙃

[@AmandaFreitas1998]

Omg I relate so much to this person who said that. When I was younger, I used to put up a "tough" girl pose, I liked rock bands, played FPS videogames, not that I didn't genuinely like this stuff, but seeing how girls who liked cute stuff and "girly" stuff were treated, I kinda internalized it. Nowadays I am allowing myself to openly enjoy the cute things I always liked in secret. It's funny what misogyny does to us at such a young age.

[@chuforeichi]

What is cute aethetics though? Some people think any kpop or asian fashion trend counts as 'cute' aesthetic. I remember I wore a white tshirt with vertical stripe blue pants and someone said I was dressing too young.

[@baby.yogurt]

@@MewMewSun This is so relatable to me, I love that cute things help me connect with my inner child and experience being childish sometimes, since I never got to actually be a kid. It's been soo healing for me

[@steveofthewoods3119]

Is cottage core an "adult interests" version of kawaii culture? The escapism, the cute astetics, the rejection of society's expectations, the consumerism of cottage core themed products (mushrooms, frogs, ferns, etc)

[@sobbos8975]

Cottage core and kawaii from what I’ve seen have a ton in common

[@pokemonfanthings4444]

I sometimes see it as the opposite. I associate kawaii with consumerism and manufactured cuteness, with lots of colors that aren’t common in nature, like pink, purple, and pastel shades. Cottage core i associate more with nature/ realistic portrayals of the subjects. However, I am not big into either aesthetic so I am kinda viewing each theme as a sorta ‘outside’ observer

[@steveofthewoods3119]

@@pokemonfanthings4444 I def agree with you that their subject matter and color palette are complete opposites. However, both started as a counter to the pressures of capitalism. One through nature and one through childhood nostalgia. Then, over time, the world went 'how can I make a profit off of this' and found a way to do it. There's been a huge uptick in frog or mushroom or fern themed home decor items in recent(ish) years. There are many people (myself included) who will gush over cute scultpures of mushrooms or frogs. But they're very rarly a real depictions of their subject matter, they're stylized and cleaned up to fit the aesthetic. And they're often resin or plastic or polymer clay, all of which are bad for the environment, which go against the ideas of CottageCore as an idea but they're really prevalent. (This is not intended to shame anyone. I'm just pointing out the hypocrisy between a nature loving aesthetic and buying nature themed plastic home decor. Also, it's me. I'm the hypocryt.). Either way you cut it, it's cute plastic materialism. One with earth tones and one with pastels.

[@mallorycarpinski1160]

@@steveofthewoods3119 "The world went 'how can I make a profit of this'" Encapsulating the true issues with so many human attempts to understand and express ourselves...

[@swecheekypanda]

The thing about “left over women” is really disturbing. I recently listened to a podcast when Ashley from the kpop group Ladies code talked about her mom encouraging her to get married ever since she was 16 but when she turned 25 her mom said she would stop bothering with that now as she had gotten “too old”. As she is almost 30 now Ashley said her mother doesn’t even bring up the subject anymore. That women are considered “undesirable” after 25 is just horrible. Heck I’m turning 25 in a few months, am I the old witch from Snow White now!?! Apparently according to society I am.

[@beekah992]

I actually learned that in China there are more men than women, but women are still called "leftover women" and many men there still insist on the age thing despite there being a sheer ratio difference between men and women. It really should be "leftover men" in this society because there are too many of them so they are left over?? But because of the sexism within that society the negativity of not being married beyond 25 is pushed on women. Pretty nasty stuff.

[@corinacorina5028]

25 is so young

[@ii954]

@@corinacorina5028 right!! As adults are brains aren't even fully done growing until we turn 25, we still have our whole lives in front of us

[@Cat-tastrophee]

When I was in my late 20's I stressed often about wasting my youth or trying to fulfill someone else's fantasy, but now that I'm in my 30's I kind of don't give a fuck. If I'm leftover cake, fantastic! It means I'm no longer expected to make other people happy. I'm free to do things for myself.

[@JT-fu7zz]

For women marriage is almost like a purpose they should run after and for men marriage is smth they get praised for at literally any age (except as a child ofc)

[@astranuit]

It's nice to remember that the Lolita movement as a fashion statement walked hand in hand with the handwriting movement, in which these young women were dressing up like "kids" in cutesy pastel, frilly ways because they wanted MEN to see them as unappealing, unsexy. I love that Lolita was/is Japan's punk phase!!

[@batmanlikespizza2541]

Exactly

[@starlitbun]

Its not based on the styling of kids, it’s based on historical rococo and victorian fashion styles, and were seen as unsexy because of their modesty and appeal to hyper-femininity. Lolitas dont dress like kids, and neither want to be associated with children in any way

[@atr0phaneura726]

@@starlitbun but in those, only children would wear short dresses like the ones Lolitas wear...

[@PeaceDreams0]

A lot of Lolita fashioned woman are gay

[@katitadeb]

@@atr0phaneura726 Lolita dresses are just at knee length tho, and below,not short

[@MadamMopGee]

I’m autistic, an adult, and I love cute things. Where I grew up it’s not considered normal or even okay to like cutesy things as an adult. When I went to Japan, I was so relieved at how easy it was to find cutesy things and how many people enjoy them

[@jesschampagne1310]

I feel like 'older women hobbies' can really be just doing all the things you wanted to do earlier but were too insecure or didn't have the money to do. Painting / sculpting / felting / arts, making videos, wearing makeup how you want, dressing how you want (comfortable? Warm? Girly? Punky?), traveling, garden / caring for plants/ caring for ecosystems like removing invasive plants, cooking / learning how to make pastry / whatever, hiking, moving for your body. You don't have the hot spotlight feeling of being a teen/young twenties and it definitely sucks feeling 'old' starting at 25, but with that comes a liberation. *all this depends on your life situation / cash!

[@rachel1576e]

Hot spotlight feeling is such a good description of that age

[@muirgirl]

Hah I swear social media has ruined an entire generations expectations.. your brain doesn't even begin to undergo its final adult growth until that age you cite, 25 (its a series of processes beginning then and only finishing up after several years, so around 30-32 depending on the person). This biological fact is inconvenient to marketers who want you to think you NEED all these things because of their arbitrary BEST BY date. "Feeling" old is a perspective, and one that advertisers count upon. 100% spot on about the confidence that comes with surviving your 20s, as well as the whole money factor (turns out cool hobbies can be kind of pricey lol).

[@wrighamy]

This is one of the most therapeutic comments I’ve read in a long time! Thank you!

[@exclarabur8808]

Yes!! We don't need this worry of adulthood that older generations put onto us. Adulthood is really just being who you are and doing what you want. I hated growing up and hearing people say it's horrible to grow up because you have all these things piled onto you like taxes and stuff but.... it's so much more than that? I honestly don't see doing taxes or any other "adult" things as annoying or hard to do. They are easy as long as you do them on time/early and you do it only once every year. It is not as big of a part of adulthood as many people say. I think there's just a big pressure on it that does not need to be there. I love working and all that though so maybe it just comes a lot easier to me than others, but I've helped multiple friends learn how to do taxes and remind them when I am about to do mine so it's easier for everyone around me. It really depends because everyone is in a different situation and has different backgrounds.

[@kora4185]

I know I’m a happy grown up when I’m doing everything I dreamt of doing as a child. Sometimes is like I even owe my younger self things I don’t even particularly care much anymore, such as buying fictional merch (because in my country we just didn’t had _anything_ like that when I was younger) or going to concerts of artists I was obsessed as a child. Feels like a cleansing of the soul or something, like ‘there, it’s done, all is complete now ☺️’

[@ojyochan]

As an assertive feminist who also likes kawaii, I lean more towards the "rebellion" explanation. Men will sexualize anything a woman does, so it's not helpful when women are told we "should not infantalize ourselves" with things we genuinely like for our own comfort.

[@j1430]

also yeah same, i see a lot of women going against the whole cutesy kawaii girls thinking they’re infantalizing themselves and promoting pedophilia which is just stupid as fuck they’re grown women

[@inacatt]

Right!! I dabble in kawaii aesthetics because it helps me cope with trauma and I've always gravitated towards cute and relaxing things, especially games like Animal Crossing and shows like My Little Pony. For me it's because I never had a proper childhood and was always expected to be mature as long as I can remember, so I'm taking the opportunity to enjoy those things now. That's just my personal experience, of course, but my point is that cute doesn't mean weak or docile. I can stand up for what I believe in and be independent while liking cartoons and soft colors.

[@waetae]

I agree, part of being a feminist should be reclaiming letting women like what they like because they like it. Not focusing on what others could think of it. If she likes it, then she is free to do it. That is part of feminism

[@lemony3719]

I totally agree. Saying we shouldn't "play up the cute" after a certain age strongly implies that we dress cute to appeal to the male gaze. Just wear and like whatever you want.

[@katherine_queen5294]

Exactly like maybe let people enjoy things and tell the fetishizers it’s not okay

[@alexb4310]

Like another commenter said. Exploring kawaii or cute fashion has been a way of reclaiming my femininity as a black woman. We are sexualised and masculinised even from childhood. I never got to experience being seen as cute, innocent or soft.

[@freedomisthechoicesyoumake8594]

I totally agree..

[@ojyochan]

That handwriting style is how Usagi writes even when she's queen of the world (Sailor Moon/ Neo Queen Serenity)

[@pudding1255]

That's so great

[@traplordvee]

Love that

[@apocryph0n]

Literal Qween

[@pixelilly]

Usagi is goals

[@AlexaWexaa]

YESSSS

[@sadolas5306]

the eyeliner with the red hair and lipstick is ICONIC

[@hannahblairbaer]

I think the red looks soo lovely on you ❤️

[@FYTJ]

Agreed! Do not change it PLEASE

[@missmatti]

The 'older woman interests' that comes to mind straight away for me are knitting, quilting & gardening. All of these had had a resurgence too in the past couple of years with more and more millennials taking up these hobbies. I used to as a 20-year-old look down on quilting as a craft and now I love it! 😜 I think these are all activities that we can take up as a rebellion towards our consumerist society, but if we are not careful we can also just end up just consuming massive amounts of fabric, yarns & plants.

[@joelle4226]

I feel like if people were making their own clothes they would be consuming less fast fashion?

[@KoKoAkiko]

I think things like scrapbooking and journaling as well tend to skew older, but I see a lot of journaling in younger people within the past couple of years.

[@inacatt]

I think of any crafty or DIY as generally an adult woman's hobbies. Maybe it's because I'm a zoomer and grew up with internet culture, but I tend to think of Hobby Lobby when I think of mature women. Not in a bad way, of course! I found diamond painting to be super fun and of course liking certain things isn't bound to any age group or gender.

[@lydiawalker0714]

Meanwhile, I'm currently knitting a sweater with a girly/cute aesthetic.

[@missmatti]

@@lydiawalker0714 Love it! I am a knitter so I love hearing about fun knitting projects 💖

[@hehfghghiofidhtshtnt]

When you started talking about how Hello Kitty expressionless face can be imagined as whatever emotion you may be feeling at the time kinda made me think about trauma-core. Which (if you not already aware), is an aesthetic movement that I’m pretty sure took off on TikTok and often features Sanrio characters in these super dank spaces that’s suppose to represent abuse participants in the movement may have suffered and the innocence they lost as a child. It’s another interesting movement that uses imagery of ‘cuteness’ to cope with pain and trauma.

[@moonchildmonster1]

it didn't take off in tiktok, it was popularized on tumblr (just like cottagecore, at more or less the same time)

[@JulietteKernDiamond]

Omg I've had a zombie hello kitty on the back of my neck for 15 years and do have cptsd is this trauma core?

[@NeoNovastar]

Holy fuck I shouldn't have looked up traumacore. That's intense. I'm glad people have found an outlet in this way though. Its heartbreaking but powerful.

[@loreleiflare7388]

You know, isn't cottagecore kind of a celebration of the hobbies and interests of older women in many ways? Arts and crafts, cooking, gardening, witch/wise woman aesthetics... I dunno, I think the LGBTA community's got a lot of pro-old lady sentiment buried under the surface. Maybe it's because so many LGBTA elders were taken from us during the AIDS crisis, so now we're becoming our own. Also, I think the sexualization of "cute" aesthetic is thorny as hell, and it makes me uneasy when people act like it's not. People act like it's either, "all kink is okay as long as it's a fantasy" or "any kink that makes someone uncomfortable is probably morally reprehensible". Human sexuality is complicated. Some sexualized "cute" content is incredibly irresponsible, but people who are into catgirls aren't on a slippery slope to p*d*ph*lia.

[@MissMisnomer_]

What an interesting take, I hadn't even thought of that

[@dewdropmushroom]

Exact same thought popped into my head!

[@sofiahammerschlag6273]

it make me sad honestly that girls sought to cuteness to escape the male gaze, but it also accommodated to that, we can never win.

[@Amayram21]

THANK YOU! You said it better than I ever could

[@inacatt]

TW: kink and age play The general sentiment within kink communities is that it must always be 100% consensual and always amongst adults only. People that violate those boundaries are not welcome in kink communities, but I am aware that any age-play group can be heavily populated with creeps.

[@sannah1441]

This helped me to debunk this internalized hatred of teenage girls, that I grew up with. Never really thought about cuteness as this rebellious, but now I connect it to girls often being pushed into performing as adults way before boys are. So leaning into these cute and girly-coded things, creating their own, childish and friendly space was maybe quite genius.

[@timingmile7030]

Lolita fashion with the long skirts and sleeves was also a way for women to reject the sexualised male gaze which encourages women to dress in very short, revealing outfits for men. The full body covering and long hems keep men away, they call women prudes and tell them to loosen up but the whole point is to prevent male attention while looking cute and feminine. Women have a lot of creative ways of getting around perverts, seeing as society still puts the onous on women to take responsbility, sadly.

[@jaimzag]

I wear lolita and kawaii fashion (amongst other styles) and for me, personally, it isn't about being 'childish', I don't want to be or appear to be a child in any way, it's more the concept of... why are we only 'allowed' to like these things as a child? I remember insisting on giving my pink room a blue makeover when I was /9/ because I somehow got it into my head that pink was for babies and that blows my mind looking back nearly 20 years on, that I was so young but somehow felt such pressure to give up something I loved and be 'grown up'. It's also, for me, become a part of my personal gender acceptance - again, I look back on how when I came out as a trans man I immediately felt the need to reject things I loved to fit a certain mould, giving away dresses I loved and wearing only things that made me 'pass' as male. Now I'm at a point where I just can't see the logic of being a certain age or gender or anything else meaning you can't like certain colours or clothing styles.

[@thearcheriskind]

When I was in middle school I used to go to the basement of a local church with my mom to knit. A lot of these women being older were taught to knit as children and were now making quilts and other items for children. It really made me appreciate all the stuff they had to go through and I agree with you, there should be more of an appreciation for older women in society

[@lynndoesntexist]

Man, I wish I could find a knitting group like that- the one at my school’s schedule doesn’t work with mine. I knit and crochet on my own most of the time, but I was taught crochet by my great grandma and most of the women in my mom’s family do yarn crafts. It’s good to continue the legacy

[@thearcheriskind]

@@lynndoesntexist Yeah, that’s the kind of stuff I wish was more common place. My mother learned to crochet and she tried to teach me but I was super attention deficit as a kid so it didn’t really stick with me. Now I wish I could do stuff like crocheting and knitting but I’m the laziest person you’ll meet so I haven’t actively tried to learn them whatsoever. I am a pretty decent cook but I learned most of that from my father with the exception of how to make pasta and ravioli, I learned that from my mom who learned it from a polish grandmother (not her grandmother, I think she met her through my dad but she’s not in any way related to us).

[@frill.dweller]

Wearing any alternative fashion is honestly the opposite of submissive and weak. You're doing it DESPITE other people's opinion, not for them. Doesn't matter whether that's dark, bright, or light colors, you need the same confidence and independence. Don't blame alternative fashion for the existence of pedophiles 😭

[@kirbysthiccthighs]

this!!!! if the individual themselves isn’t doing any harm, let them enjoy it!!

[@ravequeenellisd2680]

subcultures often enforce their own aesthetic standards and refuse to accept people tho don't fit them though, there is absolutely a lot of submission in listening to people telling you you have to look a certain way to be their kind of alternative

[@Lea-im3wr]

True! I do think it's fine if someone thinks I look sexy while wearing egl. Like I'm a grown ass woman in beautiful clothes and there is more to being sexy then just your appearance. But once shouldn't be freaking objectified or talked down on for wearing alternative fashion. Alternative fashion is meant to empower the people who wear it!

[@Littllebabydoll]

Exactly. Alternate styles like lolita, fairy kei, and the like aren't the blame for pedophiles. This type of thinking is what perpetuates this type of thinking. These sub styles are rooted in feminism.

[@idwbyailytho4472]

@@Littllebabydoll do you know where the lolita thing comes from...?

[@bonbonbons]

For me I never was super into kawaii, but the legally blonde type of rebellious femininity always appealed to me as someone who was always told if I wanted to be taken seriously I needed to look serious. No cute things, no pink, no feminine touch. Those weren't allowed for women who wanted a career and academic achievement. So having my cute key chains and stickers and pink things and long skirts and hair was a small rebellion against the push to look masculine🤷‍♀️

[@kaz1819]

It is crazy to me how cute or hyperfeminity is treated that way in the workspace. It's either women being disrespected or sexuslised (obviously happens whether or not they are dressing cute or serious). It just shows how still male dominated the workforce is and how important feminism still is to our western society despite the fact so many say we don't need it anymore.

[@LegallyBoopy]

I don't know if there needs to be a separation from "child hobbies" and "adult hobbies." I just turned 30 recently and I really like the color pink, have enjoyed well written YA novels, have Sailor Moon on my makeup bags, and have cute cat and moon stickers on my phone. I don't think that infantalizes me. I like cute things idk lol. I don't think that deeply about it. I don't see being an adult and enjoying cute stuff as mutually exclusive. 100000% agree on getting older is not a big deal. Honestly I hated turning 25 but since I turned 30 I just feel awesome ngl. I plan on dressing however I want for as long as I want and if I want to wear short skirts or dresses when I'm 40 then I'm going to because no one pays my bills but me. 💅

[@fnfbf]

adult hobbies = stuff that kids shouldnt know types of hobbies (drgz, person1+person2= person3, smokìng)

[@pokemonfanthings4444]

@@fnfbf i think of those things as ‘edgy’ and not necessarily’adult’. In some cases, with recklessness and ‘teen rebellion’. I think of adult hobbies as ‘sophisticated’ stuff like wine-tasting, playing scrabble, dinner parties, crosswords, and cooking. These are my associations/implicit biases not facts or a stance.

[@JamesChessman]

Well the best way is to stay as young looking as possible, for example, I still hang out with beautiful women in their 20’s and 30’s even though I could be a grandfather , but they think I’m in my 20’s, so it all works out

[@LegallyBoopy]

@@JamesChessman Who asked?

[@epb9000]

Preach! People should just be able to like whatever they want. I'm in my mid 30s (and male) and obsess over cute stuff. Kid shows, video games, kawaii stuff etc. In my field I'm, somehow, a respected professional and I insert cute stuff all the time. (My avatar, imagery used in presentations, etc). Unfortunately, out in public, when I was younger and people would see my laptop stickers or pins they'd assume I was a deviant. Until I reached parent age and they started assuming I had daughters.

[@a.o.5695]

Now that I’m an adult I’m into stuff like this because when I was younger I became “not like other girls” thanks to media like the hunger games and twilight, does anyone else relate to this?

[@MaeBeeNott]

Yeahh I wasted way too much of my youth hating anything I deemed "too girly." Once I got older and some self esteem, I learned to allow myself the joy of pink and makeup and dresses.

[@melibwin]

I was a 'tomboy' growing up because I liked sports and doing stuff, girls were associated with pink and not doing anything besides make up and twirling in skirts. Not like other girls wasn't my concern. To me, I was the same as the boys I knew. My friends were boys or big readers, so I read a lot or played sports. When puberty hit, and I had to stop being like the boys. This was not an easy transition. Now I feel alienated from both. I get along with readers and artists, and I wear lots of pink.

[@lauraola8153]

Saaaame

[@windclaw39]

You're all just part of the cycle. The media you consume has created you into the person you are today. You are written by executives. Good day.

[@NeoNovastar]

YES. Ugh.

[@talzaenvy]

Using cute items/visuals to escape is so familiar to me as I child I never really liked toys or "girly" stuff only when I was beginning high school (grade 7) was when I really got into cute stuff and now I realize that was when growing up was becoming real and I was terrified that sense of escapism has persisted till this day (I'm 21 atm)

[@pudding1255]

SAME! I never liked girly stuff until I started developing depression as an early teenager. its just so nice to escape to a girly world where everything is bright you know?

[@silent-hills]

@@pudding1255 SAME!! I mean, don’t get me wrong - I still had some interest, but not enough to be into the fashion/etc. Just enough to be like “oh, that’s cute”.

[@teardrop6392]

I was really into cute things as a kid, probably because i might have gotten some issues from being separated from my parents for a year and didn't have any siblings to play with until i was 7, so i would just play with cute things all day long. I grew out of it a bit because other people weren't into that stuff in my middle school and made fun of it a bit, but now i definitely want to get back into it, seems like it is a kind of coping mechanism.

[@misojimo2154]

i’m 19 and honestly just scared of the future and all the uncertainty and doubts i have for myself in my school life and career, you know? anyway ever since i was little i LOVED cute stuffed animals. i have so many of the ones from my childhood all stored in my house now. i never stopped liking them because they always served as a method for me to escape and unwind a bit and be brought back to happier days of my childhood. i’m also an only child so whenever my parents were busy with work i just played with my stuffed animals all the time, they were my friends haha. they’ve always gave me comfort starting from back then. i’m now a university student and recently been having a hard time and my stuffed toys i brought to my dorm are still helping me to escape when i need it, whenever i freak out about the fact that we are all growing older every single second of the day and that i’m getting closer and closer to having to move into “the real world.”

[@alpacafish1269]

@@pudding1255 same!

[@user-us7py1cy2k]

Japans Kawaii industry got me spending 300$ on Sanrio school supplies with no shame

[@user-us7py1cy2k]

Someone needs to take my wallet away

[@user-us7py1cy2k]

I also really connect with the later part of the video. The main reason why I stopped watching a lot of shonen anime is because of how uncomfortable I felt with how grown men would just be talking about the Asian characters, especially the young ones

[@julietteserrano9862]

same bro same...

[@bananochloe]

Yup, same :/

[@julietteserrano9862]

@@user-us7py1cy2k omg same tho the amount of money i spend on the kawaii merch LMAO ITS NOT HEALTHY

[@andrewlong566]

I feel like people always misconstrue Avril Lavigne's japanese music videos because they forget just how MASSIVE the Japanese contingent of her fan base has always been. Like lets not forget she has been releasing Japanese versions of her songs (where she sings in japanese) since the early 2000's. Also, her Japanese music videos always contain an almost fully Japanese staff (exceptions i believe are just her personal people, which aren't many), leading to them choosing some of the concepts for her music videos, including the Hello Kitty one you used in this video.

[@seraph3m]

In terms of kawaii culture becoming popular outside of Japan, particularly in Black American communities, it’s important to understand that the chance to be hyper-feminine in a soft, gentle way is NEW. Until very recently, a Black girl trying to be soft and sweet and Disney princess-esque would immediately be viewed as more masculine than her non-Black counterparts. In that way, I’ve been able to relate to darker-skinned Japanese girls who face a harsher stereotype, and get to find the sweeter parts of themselves through kawaii. :))

[@batmanlikespizza2541]

Thank you!!!!

[@itsbeyondme5560]

I don't think so. It isn't new. It is just criticized by most blacks think hat you are white and weak. It is so annoying

[@NDMeow93]

Omg this is so interesting and insightful! I can totally see that. And it’s similar to how kawaii started in Japan, as a rebellion to gender stereotypes and women facing hardship of pressures to have good jobs with long hours while raising a family. It was a rebellious fuck you to society and a choice to live differently.

[@eggsammich1186]

THIS!!

[@lindistar]

@@itsbeyondme5560 blacks??

[@AlexDincht]

You made a passing mention about how Japanese authorities jumped on the kawaii bandwagon and got themselves mascots, and that reminded me of an article I read several years ago, whose author or provenance I can't for the life of me remember, which basically purpoted that Japan's aggressive pushing of the kawaii image abroad, especially the West, may be tied to the awkward relationships and reputation it was left with in the wake of WW2. The "cuteness" completely overtook the West's perception of Japan in a matter of decades, replacing the previous strong militaristic impression, and the article purpoted that it might have been deliberate to elicit in the international consciousness a sense of empathy and pathos for the perceived helplessness and harmlessness o the country as a whole, to play up Japan's role as a victim of Western violence (i.e. fire and atomic bomibings) and kind of swipe its own war crimes in East Asia under the rug. I'm reporting this from memory and, again, I don't remember the source (or i it was an online one rather than an actual paper, for that matter), but the core of the argument was that.

[@dog771]

this makes a lotta sense! i'm east asian + american and i definitely see a huge difference between the west's perception of japan as "cute," and the east's image of japan as cruel and militaristic. it never occurred to me that japan might've pushed the "cute" image intentionally, but it was a genius PR move.

[@laninfapimentel311]

There is a video in the channel Unseen Japan that talks about this phenomena. Basically, Japan rebranded itself after WW2. But they have a long history of commiting war crimes and even associating with fascist countries. Japan was ruled by it's warrior class for centuries (up until the mid XIX century), and the Bushido, the samurai moral code (and by extention the nation's moral code) says explicitly that every Japanese person must carry a weapon at all times, because "Japan is a warrior nation".

[@cassandra-]

very true, and it's working because why am i seeing people on social media totally unaware of their war crimes and whose only perception of it is basically cute :3 kawaii

[@elysee.3018]

This is called “soft power” FYI if you ever want to read more on this issue

[@alinktoana]

I think you might be talking about Cool Japan en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cool_Japan and I felt really conflicted about learning about it, and Japanese military history as a whole :/ edit: yet here I am talking about it with a Japanese character on my pfp

[@beths_version]

I find this whole topic so interesting. I'm 24 so not exactly young but also not exactly old either. For a very long time I was against everything feminine and pink, which changed when I went to university. Since the beginning of the pandemic however, I've found comfort in a lot of cute things; whether it's pastel colours, Animal Crossing, or BT21 plushies! I'm not sure why it happened, but my grown-ass adult room has kind of become a pink haven for me and it feels more representative of my likes than a "typical adult woman room" would. This being said, I'm told frequently by family members to "grow up" or like "adult hobbies", even down to criticising the fact I enjoy music by boybands ("like a teenage girl") and show a keen interest in softer, hyper-feminine makeup styles. It's reassuring to read the comments and see that I'm not alone in this, but it does propose the question; why can't women just enjoy things that are feminine without ridicule?

[@lunabundance88]

I totally agree on everything, especially the BT21 plushies!! I'm around the same age and always had such a negative stereotype of everything girly/overtly feminine or even cute until I started liking bts/kpop and allowed myself to enjoy the cuteness of things like the BT21 characters and the comfort they bring. Like sometimes I'm really tired after my day but seeing my little koya magnet on my fridge makes me happy

[@Zeldafan1ify]

24 is still pretty young.

[@muscleandhate]

24 is still super young, and not caring about what others think and surrounding yourself with stuff that makes you feel playful and happy (as you are already doing) is what will keep you young! I wear silly clothes and collect plushies and have never felt younger haha (I am 34!) I also have a serious strategy job so these things are totally not mutually exclusive.

[@jtjty6563]

❤️hello, do you think this has something to do with covid and the period of confinement? I'm 29 and I find solace in kawaii things. Especially during the covid period, since this interest in kawaii things has never left me. Maybe it has to do with the fact that it was a stressful time for us? Or on the contrary, that confinement has allowed us to find our true "self", to be free to be ourselves? Are there other people in this situation where your attraction to kawaii culture has increased during COVID?

[@larissasplaylists]

"I'm 24 so not exactly young" Bro, that's literally sexist thought

[@puffyslime]

u look like a stunning redheaded queen of life, obsessed with the color & it suits your brow situation extremely well

[@zepa_ashley]

I never noticed the blank expressions of the mascots...that just opened my eyes so much 👀

[@jin6vx117]

sameee especially the end with hello kitty having an “expressionless” face/no mouth and how it feeds into the “submissive asian woman” stereotype

[@LucisZ39]

The Japanese view of Kawaii is different than the view from outside. I will say especially as I have gotten older I have tried to be more careful and conscious about how I consume the Kawaii culture. But it’s always important to remember it started as counter culture. I’ve been part of Lolita Fashion since about 2006 so that is what I know best and feel comfortable talking about. In the US if you dress in the fashion you get asked if you’re going to a play, what your costume is, or just receive general harassment (many of us are sensitive to Little Bo Peep comments). However in japan there is a different reaction to dressing in Lolita fashion. Many individuals started dressing this way because they liked it and they were old enough to have the kind of agency to explore and dress how they would like in their free time. This went hand in hand with interpreting fashions from historical periods, films, and fairytales to express themselves via fashion. It also has/d the benefit of not being sexualized. That kind of expression against the norm sends a message and does a good job of keeping people away. If we are talking about the male gaze, Lolita Fashion was not meant to appeal to men and in Japan it generally receives poor reception from them which is seen as a bonus. Going back to the counter culture bit. Lolita come from the Otome-kei (maidens style) which was popular in the late 70s. The Harajuku Fashion district was the epicenter for a lot of youth culture due to the fact that from 1977-1998 car traffic was banned on Sundays which allowed more pedestrian travel and gathering. Information about the earliest parts of Lolita is hard to find. We’ve got magazines, and personal accounts from the early 90s. A lot of the chat rooms and forums from the late 90s to early 00s are just gone as many were hosted by defunct servers. From what we can tell the name, lolita, was picked for the sound of the word not for the literary reference. For Western Lolitas (NOTE: western is an exclusionary term that I don’t like using but Western Lolitas has been the term used for Lolitas outside of Asia for at least the last 15 years ) it is seen as a very unfortunate name while understanding there is nothing to be done about it. Young people would gather together to dress in cute clothes and go shopping or to meals together. Like many other subcultures across history it was heavily intertwined with the music scenes especially the gothic scenes of Harajuku, especially the Visual Kei scene. Malice Mizer in particular since one of the band’s founders, Mana, also founded clothing label, Moi-même-Moitié which really popularized the fashion. The fashion is referred to Gothic Lolita because of the popularity he brought towards the gothic substyle in the late 90s early 00s. Many fans would dress in Lolita to see the live performances. If they were going to Malice Mizer show or one of Mana’s subsequent bands they would dress in the gothic style. If they could wear his MMM label even better. There is also something to be said about how all Kawaii fashion clashes against the uniform culture Japan has cultivated. Even if each subculture can have “rules” to follow it does allow for a lot of individuality to shine through. Lolita fashions can be particularly complex between sub styles and have been a contentious debate over the years. I’m not saying the subculture is without faults or that it’s beyond reproach. But it exists for a reason. At this point it has decades of history that I barely scratched the surface of here. Not to mention in all these words I’ve barely even discussed the actual clothing. Which also has many issues and discussion points such as cost, sizing limitations, material quality, and labor. Plenty of participants is the subculture are teenagers but plenty are also adults with rich lives outside the culture. If you look at some of the street snaps published in magazines like Kera, Fruits, or even published online by independent photographers there were diverse participants in the culture. Teenagers with friends, young couples with their infants, adults that would otherwise be considered too old, and they included photos differently abled people enjoying the subculture. As the style has gotten more popular, the photos you see currently published are much more curated and do not represent many people who wear the fashion which is an issue. But you can also look at normal people posting outfit picks on Instagram or Weibo (which has replaced blogs, which replaced livejournal, which replaced yahoo groups, which replaced geocitied pages). Communities were built based on mutual interest in a fashion and expanded out into life long friendships in many cases. How buying second hand, trading items within smaller communities, learning to repair, alter and properly launder your pieces is the norm. Making your own accessories or clothing if your skilled enough. Lolita and J-fashion magazines like otome no sewing do offer patterns to make your own items. These are all thing that help build up relationships between Lolitas. If someone in your community starts a business you buy from them to support them. If you did want to buy pieces new or from brands/ sites that didn’t ship outside of Japan (y!japan auctions, closet child, most major brands labels didn’t start shipping internationally till like 2010) you hired a shopping service who was usually a fellow Lolita or j-fashion enthusiast. Now there is easy communication and wider communities. For every individual who has moved on from the subculture for feeling they were too old or felt it doesn’t fit their livestyle any longer I know another person who has kept going. And just because you stop dressing in that way doesn’t mean you stop loving it. It’s not always an easy community to be a part of. In fact I remember as a quite nasty place for many years. However it is a global community that has grown over the years because what Lolita Fashion is appeals deeply to so many people. Beyond Lolita fashion, Kawaii culture in general needs to be treated with respect and appreciation not commodification or fetishization. There are aspects like consumerism, overconsumption, and cost prohibition that should be addressed but Kawaii culture itself is not inherently bad.

[@sillysilly366]

this is so beautifully written! i love lolita fashion because unlike a lot of other fashion styles, it’s not about showing off the body its all about color and fabric patterns and combinations of coords

[@LucisZ39]

@@sillysilly366 Thank-you for appreciating my grammatically poor 3 am rambling 😳

[@nnimra]

this is wonderfully written,it was worded perfectly!!

[@vzoen6015]

I really enjoyed reading this and have learned a lot from your comment, thank you for taking the time to write this!

[@tehrinny7031]

I'm 41 and I've been wearing lolita for a little over a decade now. Being older, I feel like I have a bit of a different perspective? I feel like I'm in an odd space where women my age tend to find their identity and sense of self within family or careers. I'm childfree, and while I do love my career, it's something I do, not what I am. Society even in the west expects women to sort of fit into specific boxes. Most of those boxes after 35 tend to be labeled as undesireable. Youthfulness doesn't have to embody childhood. You can be 70 years old and still find wonder in the simple things, and still be full of curiosity. You can still express yourself via your appearance or dress. You can love color. You can laugh loudly. You can jump into puddles, get dirty, buy yourself a toy because you like it. Adulthood does not need to be represented strictly by biege, grey, all business and "socially acceptable forms of enjoyment only (cough-sports-cough)". For me, Adulthood is a period of freedom. I would not want to go back to childhood. I do not want to be a child again and hated the whole experience. As an adult, I have agency. I have freedom (outside things like work, bills, taxes, and given responsibilities). I really feel like I'm entering the best years of my life as I'm becoming more financially stable. But that doesn't mean that I want to dress and appear like other 40 year old mid-western women. I like having pink and purple hair. I like wearing pastels, even when I'm not wearing lolita (I wear sweet, classic and a bit of gothic). I think the only thing that I am doing that respresents childhood, is living the best life that my younger self would've wanted. I don't think there ever will be a time where I "tone it down". As I get older, I have less f's to give and I'm pretty sure I will only become more eccentric. I enjoy the collecting aspects of the fashion. As long as I feel a sense of joy opening up my wardrobe, I will continue to wear it. There will be parts of my wardrobe that remain if I leave the fashion, unless it's a "I need to sell this" situation.

[@kutubeg]

THE HAIR IS SUCH A SERVEEEEEEEEE

[@kutubeg]

@@muntohaoranempel8381 im gayyyyyyy

[@ixlovexrain]

When I was living in Japan I had already formed a minimalist mindset but I ended up buying lots of little useless things just because they looked cute and/or reminded me of my childhood :c The power of kawaii is too strong.

[@lili-oy1xf]

It's how they get our wallets

[@Sincerely.Nature]

Can we not ever enjoy cute things without men being gross about it? I loved how you talked about it in this video.

[@draalttom844]

Stop acting like only men talk against it

[@TheGood_LeftUndone]

When I'll be a mother I won't be particularly bothered about gender roles portrayed in those old stories, because that's not the only impression my children will get. If I can be a good rolemodel and if I can teach them to stand up for themselves and that these stories are, well, only stories and not real life, I'm certain they will grow up great.

[@otakutoongamer5616]

You'll be an amazing mother 😉

[@karacoconutag]

This!!!!

[@ginoiminoi]

@@SpyderT22 That’s what I was thinking!! Showing kids outdated ideas and then *explaining why they’re wrong* teaches them to think critically and to judge the outside world with a grain of salt. I remember growing up with princess movies, but I have no recollection of actually enforcing the ideas in them.

[@kstar1489]

That woman was also just completely wrong about Cinderella. It is stereotypical in come ways but it’s not Cinderella sitting around waiting for the prince, it’s the opposite in a lot of ways actually. Her ultimate goal was freedom not marriage

[@ananyasrivastava8771]

@@kstar1489 right?? exactly!! She actually had some good lessons of kindness and inner strength to share too

[@sapphicsiren]

I can definitely relate using cuteness and hyperfeminity as a form of rebellion in my communities especially as a queer Asian woman. We have a very strict view about gender and sexuality. I also just love cute things. As a South East Asian woman I always felt like cuteness was something that we culturally shared with other Asian cultures. It's too bad cuteness is weaponized as a capitalist tool, that leads to overconsumption. I have contributed to that. I have definitely been part of that group of people who have bought products for the cute packaging. It does have an impact. I feel like as an American over here we have more of a focus on hypersexualization, to be more sultry, wear full glam makeup, and wear tight clothes which I also enjoy. My fashion aesthetics are sweet lolita, fairy kei, and Y2K, and I have heard a lot of arguments that we're trying to to cater to creeps. It's frustrating because as an Asian woman I am already infantilized, no matter what I do. I also can't stop Asian fetishists from projecting their views on me of being submissive or docile. I might as well wear what I enjoy.

[@user-us7py1cy2k]

It’s not your fault that people do that to you

[@xuan5469]

"It's frustrating because as an Asian woman I am already infantilized, no matter what I do." YES YES thank you this is 1000% what I feel. I can be wearing glasses and baggy clothes and not shower for 3 days and still be hit on by some random guy, "hey cutie" FAWK

[@dae8665]

i remember reading about how kawaii culture started with handwriting in the 70s, it got to the point that girls were adding so many cutesy animals and swirls to the text that even their friends couldn't read what it said. but it made it perfect for girls to keep their own feelings private in like journals and such

[@أقولأيشيءوأنتنعمأنا]

idk about other but i started buying and appreciating cute things when i was around 14/15 (i'm 18 now) because that's when i started to notice that people tend to hold prejudices and expectations towards me as an arabian girl; in France they see us as very aggressive and cold-hearted so i really wanted to break with that image and try to incorporate at least one cute thing in my outfit?? like i have a cute teddy-bear as a keychain on my school bag and because of that i kind of feel less pressured

[@mariaallali9036]

I"m arab too and i understand it ,even in our own communties we're seen as loud and mood killers or whatever it makes it harder to enjoy cute stuff without deling with their shit for it.

[@ginoiminoi]

unrelated but i love ur twice pfp

[@z.6480]

I can relate a bit, people see us as annoying and lazy people who don't want to do chores even though we're just regular people. I love cute things, but I never get to show it.

[@أقولأيشيءوأنتنعمأنا]

@@ginoiminoi thank you!

[@talzaenvy]

I've loved hyperfeminity and kawaii culture for a long time now as a form of escape and a hobby it's very silly but often I feel so overwhelmingly emotional when looking at 'kawaii' things I'll often just start tearing up at the sight of a plushie or a macoto takahashi painting. Maybe I'm just too emotional but it means a lot to me I guess.

[@silent-hills]

Same!!

[@sweetandyyy]

I love it! Cute stuff make me feel so happy

[@poprocksstrawberrybubblegu9384]

tell me youre an infp without telling me youre an infp

[@talzaenvy]

@@poprocksstrawberrybubblegu9384 😳 u got me . . .

[@scarlett-moriko1543]

@@poprocksstrawberrybubblegu9384 damn I feel called out lmao-

[@glitterbounce]

mina, im literally arranging my budget so i can support the artists/authors/curators that really matter to me. ive been following for a while now. I have autism a sleep disorder so your content is really important as i get really overstimulated with the vastness of the internet. your curated sources really help me not live under a rock, but still say grounded

[@clover6377]

In my opinion I guess I feel like you should have gone into more detail about how Kawaii culture has helped Japan clean up its image after WWII. But great video as always, Mina!!!

[@literaIIyshy]

I was hoping for this

[@biancam.4052]

Agreed

[@jin6vx117]

that’s what i thought before i clicked on the video

[@traplordvee]

That part

[@veepie-sz4ui]

Wow that makes sense

[@hjkim1980]

In Japan, "kawaii" is the best compliment for young girls and women over pretty, beautiful, cool etc. I think this shows how this "kawaii" culture, although it was seemed rebellious at its start, pressures women to act in a certain way.

[@danisarmi30]

I think the lack of adult culture is the general idea that most (if not all) things are childish or frivolous, and thus must be shed once you hit either college or the workforce. Be it crafting, video games, cute things, whatever, there's very little approved for the proper, serious adult. At 25 you're expected to shed the frills and prints, put away the games and become the stereotype worker. And many adults are insecure enough to avoid anything that will label them as unserious, or too exhausted to find or hold on to things that bring them joy. I remember being 10 and comenting to an aunt that I loved hello kitty, and my mom getting mad because I was "too old" for that. One of the things I've found is that if adults have a thing they love outside of work (and the limited serious, approved hobbies), it's usually part of a subculture and frowned upon by other adults as "immature" or "ridiculous". Be it alternative fashion, gaming, cosplay, some kinds of crafts, cuteness, etc, there's usually a group of "serious" adults ringing the shame bell. In a way, the lack of adult culture feels purposeful, and those that have interests ouside of work and childrearing before hitting retirement age are in rebellion to that. By the time you can retire and stop being serious, most people are either too tired to search or too used to shaming. It'd be an interesting topic, of you think about it.

[@Chachixo]

I think an interesting discussion would also be how we define what "age" liking a certain thing or activity really is. I have a lot of people who don't know me well comment on how I like a lot of childish things, but when I think about it, a lot of tastes were defined by my great grandmother who wasn't childish at all. She liked to sew and bake and wore pastel cat t-shirts when she didn't have any company for the day. She loved pink and blue so much she had the entire house painted that way. None of her clothes were dark and she loved gold and pearl jewelry. She had ceramic cats and paintings of them hung up and she collected decorative plates in addition to the figures and dishes she kept in her China cabinet. A lot of the collecting woman tend to do now with anime/kawaii characters is very similar except ours are way easier to indulge in because they're so affordable and durable. I think the reason Mina couldn't quickly come up with an "old" activity is because there really aren't any. Sewing is something men call me old for but other women think it's really cool and even trendy.

[@nicolec.5352]

Your great grandmother seemed amazing

[@cryforhelp7270]

I've always wanted to dress super cute, but my mom definitely doesn't like my preferred style of clothing, which ends up with limited choices. And as a black girl, ngl, it does make me feel wary about fully embracing the style. I always hope that one day I'll just go all out and not care for it anymore, as long as I can get the money needed lmfao. I wanna be cute!

[@shamallowo]

for sure that day will come and you'll be able to wear whatever you like! ^^ rooting for you~~💞 I've recently embraced my love for cuter clothing. I used to be a tomboy, and last year I got around buying skirts and colorful sweaters 🥺 let me tell you it's so great to feel cute it naturally brings confidence and happiness;;

[@marisolet]

you are cute 🐰💕

[@beingWantable]

I love cute things, clothes and characters. However having watched anime since I was 14, Im 27 now, I have seen so many anime with "lolicon" girls. Like either they're actually young or they are supposedly old or like 100's of years old. This also happens with boys "shotacon". It's scare, cause people sexualize these characters, it also happens in the show itself as "fan service". This bothers me way more (now I'm older) than people loving cute things and the lolita/kawaii fashion sub-culture.

[@zeejacks8220]

on the bright side, though it is mostly represented by young attractive people, recent popular fads like dark academia/academia in general, cottagecore, etc. are more applicable to mature women's hobbies and can hopefully let people explore more appreciation for older women

[@TheEmilyMonster]

It’s important to mention that Japan put such a big emphasis on kawaii culture and products especially in its exports so that the world will forget about what Japan was like up until WW2, they wanted to change its reputation to a positive one

[@Maialeen]

I never thought about that once. But it's true that people will bring up Germany, a country that has recognised its past and works hard for something like that to never happen again through education and remembrance. It's a country that's done a lot of real apologies and a lot of work. And then you have Japan whose atrocities are not talked about nearly in the same amount. They have offered no recognition, no apologies, no admittance to any fault. They've only amped up the nationalism.

[@Danuxsy]

@@Maialeen now they are fearing China's ever growing influence lol

[@Guy-cb1oh]

No.... They put a big emphasis on Kawaii Culture because people like it and it sells. It has nothing to do with WW2 or Japan wanting to change it's reputation. That's something internet trolls made up. Also, the importance of kawaii on Japanese culture is greatly exaggerated. While it's popular, its not a nationwide obsession like Westerner's think it is. As another user point out if you type in "Kawaii"(the way english users type it) and かわいい (the way actual Japanese people type it) google search you get two wildly different concepts of "kawaii".

[@TheEmilyMonster]

@@Guy-cb1oh check out the video "Is Kawaii Culture Hiding a Dark Secret? | Prism of the PastIs Kawaii Culture Hiding a Dark Secret?" which will explain more in depth the point I was trying to make! Look into things such as the Nanjing Massacre.

[@ladygrey4113]

My thing with kawaii is similar to the director of Perfect Blue. His show paranoia agent he almost directly says that Japan uses kawaii to escape their culpability and war crimes in ww2 while simultaneously focusing on their victimization from the atomic bomb.

[@nuhaomar9542]

That’s interesting. Where can I read more about it?

[@ladygrey4113]

@@nuhaomar9542 there’s a few online articles in English but the OP is pretty blatant that it’s all the bomb. Just look up Paranoia Agent and kawaii and/or atomic bomb. The show is ultimately a social satire and his own condemnation of what he viewed as a bad collective habit of Japanese people to avoid owning the consequences for your own actions and assigning blame to other people (youtuber Shogo covered it in an episode on business culture in Japan) or even lying to avoid blame.

[@sheenyhive]

@@ladygrey4113 So in a way that tasteless joke about Japan/anime being weird due to ww2 is actually kinda accurate?

[@Guy-cb1oh]

Oh my hell. Japan uses Kawaii because they like cute things. Not everything has a hidden motive or is connected to geopolitics. It's pathetic that westerners try to think that the only two things they know about Japan(WW2 and Modern Anime/Manga/Kawaii culture) is somehow connected. its not.

[@Guy-cb1oh]

@@sheenyhive No. It's not accurate at all. It's obvious it's something trolls made up. Japan may have been involved in anime and WW2 but it doesn't mean the two are connected. Also, it's a myth that Japan is "Weird". Most of what westerners know about Japan is through the media such as TV, Movies, Anime, KZbin etc. And of course the weird aspects of Japan depicted are going to be cherrypicked or exaggerated. The US in particular brought the world Michael Jackson, Miley Cyrus and Donald Trump. We are in no make fun of other cultures for being "weird".

[@KaylaNoelle1]

Watching this while playing happy home paradise lol. Another interesting reason for Kawaii culture is from Shintoism! One of my friend's Grandmas was from Japan and she said that they believe that every object has a spirit so people started to draw cute faces on random things like rocks to signal that there is a kind and sweet spirit inhabiting it. Also, I have a really bad case of babyface disease so even though I'm in my 20's I pull off the cutesy look the best and I WISH it wasn't so sexualized. I feel like an idiot sometimes when I try to dress mature or cool, I look like a kid playing dress-up in my mom's closet. I feel way more confident just accentuating the way I actually look than striving to look older, I know I'll be sexualized no matter what I do because I live in a patriarchy that hates me... so I may as well wear what I like.

[@STICKY_]

Omg same girl I'm 18 with a massive babyface but it's a blessing really because everyone thinks I'm sweet when they look at me and I don't receive shit for dressing kawaii cuz I look like a kid myself lolz xD

[@KaylaNoelle1]

@@STICKY_ Yeah we can literally get away with anything haha It gets more awkward the older you get though. I've had bouncers at the club look at my I.D. and laugh 🥲I'm sure it will be nice to look younger when I'm like 40 though.

[@aestaeticedits7998]

I’m 22 but look like I’m 15-17 which is good for me because my younger looks fits my personality, interests and sense of fashion. I love cutesy and kawaii things, shoujo anime, kpop, Ulzzang and kawaii fashion, Y2K fashion and cottagecore.

[@xielianobsessor]

omg i’m playing happy home paradise too! i love the new dlc lol

[@Pondfish]

Capitalistic pressure-> Depression -> Escapism-> Consumption Rinse and repeat

[@frillSquid]

kawaii is nice, though, when it's in the spirit of the 'female' gaze-- it releases feminine-presenting people from sexiness and the male gaze and promotes individual expression and wardrobe curation over the showcasing of the body. it's also interesting how mechanical pencils enabled the handwriting change-- the thin, even lines would be impossible with brushes, brush-pens, or even most regular pencils

[@elusivemayfly7534]

I’m middle aged, and my office is full of kawaii stuff. It makes me happy! I feel very loved when I receive something for my collection. I think it also disarms people who meet me. I plan to enjoy adorable things til I go to that massive Sanrio store in the sky.

[@barbaramarina0]

I just think hyper feminine aesthetics and maturity shouldn't be opposites. The cute aesthetic shows empathy and understanding, at least originally; unfortunately, some go has evolved into tools of mass manipulation of women, which is tragic.

[@AmelieMews]

You look SO damn good with red hair. Welcome to the club. 💕✨❤️❤️🖍🎒🧶♦️💋🥢📕🔺🥤🐙🔴💄🎈

[@bilkisum.3747]

It suits her so well 😍

[@nikemaraje5]

She looks fierce ❤🔥

[@Nyc.summayah]

Girls with red hair have anger issues

[@nikemaraje5]

@@Nyc.summayah whatever u say

[@Nyc.summayah]

@@nikemaraje5 I’m just joking but I mean look at bhad baby whatever u know what I mean the girl on doctor Phil

[@Cat-tastrophee]

When I was in my late 20's I stressed often about wasting my youth or trying to fulfill someone else's fantasy, but now that I'm in my 30's I kind of don't give a fuck. If I'm leftover cake, fantastic! It means I'm no longer expected to make other people happy. I'm free to live for myself.

[@lulylulyanka2676]

There are some wrong parts in this video. Utskushi means beautiful, but not beautiful as in pretty, beautiful as in enlighten beauty. Like the beauty of a sunset, almost poetic. Kawaii doesn't mean just traditional cute, it can also mean something like "appealing", eyeballs can be kawaii, dark themes can be kawaii. **EDIT** The word for darkness and the word for sick has a similar pronunciation but different kanji. As someone involved with the Jfashion community and trends, we all just assumed that the Yami in "Yami Kawaii" was darkness or dark themed. It does seem like it's a common mistake since even my Japanese friends assumed it's the word for darkness... The next few paragraphs explained my thoughts under this assumption but I was corrected in the comments! I will still keep the original paragraphs for people that felt like me so they can be corrected too :) **The next few paragraphs have wrong parts of assumption in it** This need for "cute" stuff in our life is in fact a trend in the west as well, Scene kids and Emo kids had all indulged in "kawaii" aethetic, having lil doddles on their T's , drawing on their shoes, wearing kids jewelry and acting like brats, etc. Even the more "mature" and "hardcore" aesthetics have the not traditionally cute kawaii aesthetics, like maybe skulls and raves? Currently there is a rise in the popularity of a goth like, scene like, emo like aesthetic I call "Hello kitty core" or "kawaii grunge" which is the punkish grunge aesthetic with the ripped stockings and the colored boots but with hello kitty or sanrio aspects to it, mostly Hello kitty and Kuromi. Which amazingly in Japan has also been on a rise along side the "yami kawaii". Yami kawaii does not mean "Sickly Cute" That's what "Yandere" means, Yami means darkness and Kawaii means cute, so it's a Dark Cute, Kinda like emo, being dark and sad and depressed but with a sense of cuteness in personality or aspects like accessories. There was an article written in Japan asking why are people more attracted towards Sanrio characters when they feel bad or depressed like the current pandemic that caused a spike in a new fashion trend based on sanrio and sadness, and in the article it says we are more prone to gravitate towards what brings us comfort during times of sadness and that would be childish things that used to bring us joy and comfort as children. Sanrio, Ice cream, Cartoons, Being in our pajamas etc. The Mental health issues associated with *some* yami kawaii aesthetics is called "Menhera" which is literally the word "Mental Health" but shortened, and although it feels like it comes hand in hand sometimes, Menhera isn't a main core of Yami kawaii. The reason mental health aspects keep reappearing is because mental health issues are part of "darkness" in humans, It's part of "Yami", if you consider Yami kawaii to be always connected to Menhera it's almost the same as saying Pink is always connected to yami kawaii just because it's part of what is considered "kawaii" or "cute", it's very common yes but it's not a core. I don't meant to criticize, just to inform. I'm not native to English, sorry for mistakes.

[@VenusianLissette]

very intriguing

[@le.chihoahoa]

I also stop the video since she mentioned incorrect translation of 美 and 可愛. Speaking about a culture topic without knowledge of japanese or chinese characters could lead to wrong explanation

[@heidimichel]

thanks, you said exactly what I was thinking!

[@erachel7152]

I am Japanese. You’re not correct about Yami kawaii. It’s 病み可愛い, not 闇可愛い . The phonetic sound is the same but she is right, it means sick/ill. The first time I heard the term I thought it was 闇 (dark/darkness) but it’s actually 病み。Like mental illness (病んでる).

[@lulylulyanka2676]

That's my bad! I will edit that in, I didn't know it came from the word yanderu. I'm involved with the international Jfashion community and I think we all just assumed the Yami was from the word darkness.

[@katieb4314]

I love kawaii culture. It’s a way for me, after years of believing femininity is bad, to reclaim my own womanhood. I can like cute, girly things and be proud to be a girl.

[@charlottecady9417]

Same, I used to be a tomboy but I’m reclaiming my femininity and the childhood I never had

[@xoxoso295]

Preach!

[@sitron7224]

I like how all kawaii fashion trends have this element of rebellion to them, but I especially admire the ones like the Decora fashion styles. They take that cuteness, but amp it up to the point where it can't possibly be interpreted as submissiveness or innocence. it's like Aggresively Cute to the point where it can even be intimidating, all while keeping childhood wonder close to the heart. I just think that's really cool

[@aleishataylor973]

I don’t understand the whole “young is better than old”. Growing old is such a privilege that I’ll always be grateful for. The older I get, the wiser I am; Gandalf was 300 years old, you think he felt bad for being wrinkly and grey/white?

[@tokkia1384]

Living a long time is a privilege. I will never agree that *Getting old* is a privilege. It is not a privilege to lose memory, for a pianist to get arthritis and be unable to make the music he loves, to lose teeth, get cancer, lose hearing, lose the pigment in hair, even lose ones hair entirely...Gandalf isn’t a great analogy because he was purposefully given such a body for his mission by the “gods”, while himself being immortal and able to take any shape. He didn’t age into that body. I feel that many people misconstrue the “age positivity” narrative to where it becomes toxic positivity. My skin sagging and my organs failing contributes nothing to my wisdom, unless you subscribe to some philosophy that idolises suffering. I wish I could catapult myself into a future where science has won or at least taken the lead in the fight against senescence and mortality.

[@kiriki4558]

I like to think that phases like that are incomplete. "Young is better than old, for who want to take advantage of one"

[@majonoriegao]

REDHEAD MINA IS SO ICONIC

[@valentinaartaud]

I'm 28 and since my teenage years I feel connected to kawaii culture and aesthetic. I know that sometimes can be very childish but it helps me a lot with childhood trauma and specially Yami kawaii helps me to cope with my mental illness

[@fusetunes]

i definitely think that the princess role is oversold to kids, but i still don't agree with that kiera knightley interview at all. ariel is an anthropologist who saves eric way before he saves her, and cinderella only goes to the ball to have a night off while standing up to her abusive family. people just end up thinking otherwise because those sides of them haven't been marketed until recently. i think there's definitely a way for all ages to be feminine/cutesy and strong, we just have to be aware of how that combination is actually advertised, like everything else!

[@rosyjupiter]

@@Vivi-el9jo "had to change herself for naveen" yeah cause she totally turned into a frog willingly 😭

[@itsturt]

Anyone who thinks Ariel "gave up her voice for a man" completely missed the signature scene in the movie where she sings about how going up on land has always been a dream and passion of hers. Eric was just icing on the cake/extra motivation. And I also find it irritating how people conveniently forget that Cinderella having the courage to *directly disobey her abusers* is the only way she met the prince in the first place

[@piarateking8094]

banning the movies wouldnt really work anyway they are too big in our culture that your going to be exposed to it no matter what, personally i think its better to have a conversation about the good and bad messages in the films rather then outright banning them glad to see she changed her mind about the ban though

[@apocryph0n]

Yessss thank you!!

[@fusetunes]

@@Vivi-el9joyeah exactly! obviously they aren't exempt from criticism, but it's frustrating when a lot of the popular critiques avoid nuance and just boil down to surface-level 'romance/femininity is bad' stuff. not only does it ignore the positive traits found in some of those characters, but it also implies you can't have those things without being dependent or weak, which is absolutely not true. obviously you can be strong as a single or androgynous/masculine person too, but it goes both ways! i think there's a whole separate conversation to be had about how women are expected to be feminine, but whether they are or not they're still criticized for things that make no sense. having a conversation with your kids about that sort of thing while watching these movies is a good first step to combatting it

[@medhyak148]

Your ad breaks give me very traditional cable vibes, absolutely love it!

[@Candyy528]

When Mina said that it makes sense that we buy cute things to replace the intimacy we’re missing I looked around my Sanrio filled room. I have bought way more Sanrio/San-x since my breakup…🙃

[@valenfigurka]

Mina that cut and color look GORGEOUS on you! About the intensity of the color: don't worry too much! Red washes out quickly! It'll look more natural in a sec!

[@vivrrs]

Agree! It'll washes out quickly

[@anangel-y3x]

Girl that hair is EVERYTHINGG! Can't take my eyes off of youu 😭

[@darealdeal8185]

This was very eye opening. Im a guy who likes kawaii aesthetic, and I always thought I was weird for being into cute things as a male. But I didnt know that even females are looked down on for liking cute "girly" stuff. I find this concept very odd coming from a male perspective because unlike girls, guys are never looked down on for liking "boyish" stuff well into adulthood. In fact, we actually look forward to how much better our "boyish" hobbies will become when we're adults. For example: those toy cars and racing games you played as a kid? Well once you're a successful adult with money to spend, now you can actually drive a real sports car and essentially take your childhood hobby to the next level. This is just coming from my view as a guy, so not sure if Im entirely correct or not. Also, are any other guys into cute/kawaii stuff as well? Please let me know below!

[@rOCKETmANbLASTOFF]

wow. i didnt even think of that point

[@lavender5655]

I think that crocheting and sewing your own clothing is something that has been stereotyped as being an “old lady thing” but it is slowly becoming more popular. I love going to my grandmas house and getting tips on sewing, knitting, crocheting, etc.

[@ashmorehouse8016]

I love the hair colour!! In my experience whenever I dye my hair a new fashion colour I go through a phase of like 'this looks insane' into super loving it and being so sad when it fades - hopefully you grow to love it, it looks so good on you!

[@bethiguess1695]

THE RED IS SO CUTE !!!! i love love love your hair

[@Mpatey-b7t]

This is really helpful as for my art project I'm basing it around Asian hate as it has been quite looked upon in media but I wanted to see both sides of the argument with the fetishization and stereotyping, so thank you so much

[@teddygrahamm]

Omg that Zack and Cody clip unlocked a childhood memory... oh how I wish I was currently as carefree as I was then lmfao😂😅

[@Tukstah360]

as a PLUS-SIZED adult girl, I play up my cuteness because that's all people see on me (im round and baby-like). I'm not really allowed to be beautiful or sexy but cute is the description i get. it used to hurt my feelings until i decided to just claim it. what ive noticed tho is that as a black woman my cuteness is rejected, for example people don't like us cosplaying. so theres an element of rebelling against that as well. m tired of being forced to be a "strong,black woman" what do you think about that??

[@anniemeridian270]

I think the cosplaying part might be that there’re not so many cute black roles for people to cosplay compared to the usual role model of “strong black women”?

[@GraveyardMaiden]

You are cute, like everything about your cuteness comes with you being black. From your cute hair to your lovely glowing skin, it is impossible for you not to be cute

[@_hypef1sh_]

i totally get what you're saying! i'm only half black and even i experience the repercussions of this!!! i would personally prefer to be seen as cute, but almost every black character and celebrity is/is painted as a strong confident black woman! but i'm still a kid. i'm in high school. i'm not ready to be a confident strong woman yet. i'm still a GIRL. i'm not ready to grow up! there's nothing wrong with being a strong confident black woman. but it seems like they are the only ones shown in the media, leaving no representation for black/brown girls who don't fit that concept. i appreciate everything else about your comment too. thank you very much!! :)

[@junkoenoshima9346]

never seen anyone cuter girl that was a lie but it doesn't matter, like what u like :)

[@wildmarjoramdieselpunk6396]

Cute can be sexy so WTW?

[@MOadven]

I would appreciate it if I could like cute and soft things without being judged so harshly, most people either think you are a p3do or a freak etc, like many other women said it just brings us joy

[@karisdonaldson]

please do a video about the “catholic virgin” type aesthetic if you know what i mean. its not talked about enough. the virgin suicides is a very good cinematic representation of the style.

[@Kick0a0cat]

I realize there's limited space in these videos, but I would like to add the relatively recent trend of aggressive cute, best examplified in the cartoon "Aggretsuko". Honestly Aggretsuko deserves a video on it's own, though 😅

[@galasidan]

I was hoping to hear about how kawaii and Lolita are connected, Lolita basically being the next step in the counterculture movement of "being cute in opposition to being a sexy mature woman (wife) as expected by society", but overall it was a fun and interesting video! Love these subculture deep dives.

[@8p604]

Great video! But a bit thin on exploration from a historical and materialist perspective. For more depth and some incredibly interesting context, I'd recommend anyone interested in this subject do some research into immediate post-war Japan and the cultural/social/political upheaval of the 1960s. The emergence of "kawaii" and the ensuing market (becoming one of Japan's most prominent cultural exports) was intrinsically linked to Japan's demilitarization/postwar anxiety and shame, as well as the death of the massive student uprisings of the 60s and early 70s.

[@Emily-rv4ue]

I love kawaii/cute stuff now as an adult more than ever. going through the 2008 recession as a girl was tough, my dad lost his job and my family was in no position to spend extra money on things that i wanted but didn't need, things like dolls, stuffed animals, and cute clothes. dressing up and enjoying things that are youthful and feminine is like a reward for making it through those hard times!

[@Miwako_vklolita]

im 31, i love and always loved kawaii fashion and lifestyle. i have zero shame and i dont even understand why there has to be... i hate this idea that just because youre an adult you have to behave a different way?? its so bizarre??? liking hello kitty or anything has nothing to do about who you are as a person. i havent even tho about the submissive or etc ppl assume... i have a big mouth and a big attitude, i just like to look pretty for myself and like cute things. i might like these things and might be a way better person than a lot of people. im more opened to understand and accept. something that regular ppl lack..

[@reyduaXO]

This makes sense why when I started college this year I started to really enjoy all the cute stuff I was into when I was little.

[@udoism]

im sorry if this is too much to ask but being an anime enjoyer the lolicon uprise is terribly concerning to me, and what's more worrying is many ppl try to defend it. would it be possible for you to explore this in a video of yours? id love to hear ur views and input

[@xxxxOS]

Totally agree.

[@frostyskeletons8950]

Absolutely agree. I grew up in an anime family, went to a lot of conventions as a kid, and can confirm stuff like this effects real children. Seeing it become even more popular than the 00s has been very unnerving and I worry for current kids.

[@dolly3141]

Media effects culture its not a surprise I 100% believe that they want children to have way less protection from adults and I believe lolicon as well as other medias like it is edging it on.... age have already dropped lower in some places As someone who likes to look how media effects culture I can say media specially movies and series have already changes our culture so much... I would hope people would bring more awareness to this but last time I have brought it up I was bombarded with comments how stupid this opinion is....

[@espeon871]

She tackled this topic on her uniform video

[@espeon871]

Same!! Yea seriously to see people claim that loli con isnt bad is so weird like dude if youre attracted to a childlike character its cuz youre attracted to their childlike behaviour and appearance

[@katv3116]

I took a course back in college that taught us kawaii history (kpop fandom, anime etc..) a couple years ago, honestly it was really fun and interesting to sign up for a class that discusses all these fun sub-cultures

[@sandrasim46]

growing up in a conservative east asian family i was discouraged from being girly, i was pushed to be more masculine and mature than i wanted as a young girl, now that im an adult i find myself still gravitating towards more feminine youthful things, it does feel like im passively rebelling against some past misogyny lol

[@lemghtysn00terb00per]

When you talked about a trend embracing more adult lifestyle I thought there should be something like grandmacore where knitting and being wise and feeding the birds is essential

[@samanthascarcella526]

On the topic of getting old, here is my take. Yes, I use retinol and I use sunscreen. Yes, I try to eat/drink more things with antioxidants in them when I can. I have no desire to get work done and I’m not going to avoid things like sugar(said to break down collagen) or ever going outside. I love going to the beach once in awhile and I have a huge sweet tooth. So I’ll do a few things here and there that are convenient for me to fit into my lifestyle, but I’m not going to torture myself to fight what happens to everyone. I think the *more* I would try to prevent aging the more I would stress myself out and hate my body more.

[@victoriareissilveira9129]

Tangent, but since you've mentioned it: sunscreen helps prevent cancer too, and I am glad ppl are becoming more aware of its importance, even if they still do it due to esthetic purposes - I do wish there was less pressure to be and look young, tho