Meet Japan's Cutest Obsession - Chiikawa ちいかわ
1. | Japan. |
2. | Land of spectacular landscapes. |
3. | Centuries of culture. |
4. | Mouthwatering cuisine. |
5. | And an endless sea of kawaii. |
6. | Cute, cute, and more cute. |
7. | And lately, one particular character |
8. | has skyrocketed through Japan's kawaii economy. |
9. | One special cutie that rises above the rest. |
10. | Literally. |
11. | So, who is this master of cute? |
12. | This champion of kawaii? |
13. | Oh, hello there! |
14. | I'm Tim, and welcome to a new chapter of Tim in Japan, |
15. | where I explain some of the finer points of Japanese culture. |
16. | In today's episode, we'll take a closer look at |
17. | Japan's latest, cutest obsession, Chikawa. |
18. | While relatively unknown in the western world, |
19. | Chikawa has rapidly risen through the ranks of |
20. | Asia's competitive cute mascot culture. |
21. | And so now you're probably wondering, what exactly is Chikawa? |
22. | And what propelled such a meteoric rise to the top? |
23. | Well, this is Chikawa. |
24. | A funny, relatable, cute little something or other. |
25. | Perhaps best described by the Japanese tagline, |
26. | which roughly translates to, something small and cute. |
27. | Chikawa is actually a Japanese portmanteau, |
28. | a combination of the two separate words, |
29. | chiisai, meaning small, and kawaii, meaning cute. |
30. | Put them together and you get Chikawa. |
31. | Both Chikawa's gender and species remain unknown, |
32. | and these are Chikawa's best friends, Hachiware and Usagi. |
33. | and of course there's a whole cast of other buddies to round out the crew |
34. | So who created this kawaii phenomenon? |
35. | A somewhat mysterious Japanese author and illustrator by the pen name, Nagano. |
36. | While originally famous for a cute series of line stickers titled, |
37. | Joke Bear, one fateful tweet would change everything. |
38. | This unassuming little comic strip would unwittingly begin a chain reaction |
39. | that would dramatically alter the landscape of Japan's merchandising forever. |
40. | And don't just take my word for it, |
41. | here is the product director of Kiddyland, |
42. | one of Tokyo's premier toy and collectible stores. |
43. | Chiikawa's sales forecast for fiscal 2023 is double that of fiscal 2022. |
44. | I've been in this industry for 30 years, but I've never seen a character like this. |
45. | From Twitter comic to serialized manga to full-on anime adaptation, |
46. | along with endless amounts of sponsorships, branded tie-ins, |
47. | and sold-out goods along the way, |
48. | Chikawa's journey feels like it's only just getting started. |
49. | Stories are generally self-contained vignettes, |
50. | about a page long or a quick 40-second episode, |
51. | though there are running plot lines that span multiple chapters. |
52. | Generally shy and reserved in nature, |
53. | Chikawa lives in a magical land where delicious foods appear out of nowhere, |
54. | and pudding companies give away hot pot sets and residential housing. |
55. | But it's not all roses. |
56. | They have to work hard to earn a salary, |
57. | whether that's weeding, putting stickers on fruit, |
58. | or fighting off gigantic bugs with a pointy stick. |
59. | Yes, life in Chikawaland is a mixed bag, |
60. | but that's what makes it relatable and heartfelt. |
61. | And so maybe now you're thinking, |
62. | okay, this is just another kid's toy, right? |
63. | Another cute little buddy for children to covet. |
64. | What's the big deal? |
65. | And I'd say, you're about half right. |
66. | While Chikawa is indeed popular with the Japanese youth, |
67. | the core marketable audience is actually the adult population. |
68. | Billions and billions of yen, this adorable little creature |
69. | has become a significant cog in Japan's economy. |
70. | For example, take a look at this special magical Chikawa collaboration. |
71. | Upon release, customers queued for hours, |
72. | just for a 1 in 20 chance to purchase some of the limited time merchandise. |
73. | And it doesn't stop there. |
74. | Handheld consoles, regional keychains, educational laptops, |
75. | refrigerator buddies, an entire train-railway collaboration, |
76. | even the voice actors have become bona fide child TV stars. |
77. | An entire YouTube subculture has spawned around Chikawa. |
78. | Hundreds of millions of views about new merch, |
79. | handmade crafts, fan-made episodes, edits, and parodies. |
80. | And whatever this is... |
81. | And so now you're probably wondering, why? |
82. | What is so special about this Chikawa? |
83. | Especially in Japan, where around every corner it feels like |
84. | there's another cute little mascot slinging |
85. | some kind of unnecessary yet irresistible purchase. |
86. | And so why Chikawa? |
87. | Why has this particular cutie captured the heart of an already kawaii nation? |
88. | Well first, and most obviously, Chikawa is just too darn cute. |
89. | After all, it's just too cute, isn't it? |
90. | If your grandchildren show an interest, try to remember what it was like. |
91. | I want to be able to talk to them about it when they ask me. |
92. | But there is another, deeper reason for the sudden surge in popularity. |
93. | Beyond Chikawa's surface-layer cuteness is a relatable struggle |
94. | that has touched the hearts of millions of fans. |
95. | (Speaking in Japanese) Feelings like, |
96. | "I don't get rewarded even when I try hard," |
97. | or when all of a sudden, a strange creature attacks you - |
98. | Over the years, the harsh reality has become more and more like this, |
99. | and I feel like the situation has only gotten worse. |
100. | But in the mindst of all that, [chiikawa] has happy endings and it's a lot of fun. |
101. | Even though it seems like things are taken for granted, that's actually not the case. |
102. | When I look at the show, I think there's an important "human touch" to it. |
103. | Yes, Chikawa is a small cute something or other. |
104. | Another Hello Kitty, another cute flavor of the month. |
105. | But there is something markedly different about Chikawa. |
106. | Looking past the magically convenient snacks and all the soft cuddly Critters |
107. | Chikawa's life is full of relatable struggles |
108. | work is hard, unforgiving, and doesn't pay enough. |
109. | Life is weird. |
110. | Strange, aggressive creatures attack at random intervals. |
111. | They need to work hard jobs to afford their lifestyles, |
112. | and they often experience failure and hardship. |
113. | Yet despite it all, Chikawa never gives up, determined to keep on going. |
114. | This perseverance and dedication in the face of it all is |
115. | what really seems to resonate with fans. |
116. | Life is hard, and it only seems to get more difficult. |
117. | We've all been there. |
118. | But perhaps knowing that someone so small |
119. | and so cute goes through those very same struggles, |
120. | seeing them face the same challenges and the inescapable ups and downs of life, |
121. | perhaps this forges an empathetic bond with this fuzzy little friend, |
122. | helping to ease a bit of our existential burden. |
123. | When even the cutest among us are out here struggling, |
124. | it helps one feel a little bit less alone. |
125. | And I think this really is the core message that gets through to people, |
126. | to see a little reminder in everyday life that's not only remarkably cute, |
127. | but also relatable and heartfelt. |
128. | An adorable little friend cheering you on, |
129. | encouraging you to never give up through the darkest of times. |
130. | I think this is what sets Chikawa apart, |
131. | what reverberates in the hearts and minds of fans everywhere. |
132. | An adorable, relatable little fighter just trying their best to do right |
133. | by friends and to live a good life, just like you and me. |
134. | Or maybe it really is because Chikawa is just too dang cute. |
135. | Either way, I've completely fallen in love and wouldn't blame you if you did too. |
136. | This video is but another stop on Chikawa's total global kawaii domination. |
137. | I'm Tim, and these are my thoughts. |
138. | I hope you enjoyed this first chapter in the new Tim Explains Japan series. |
139. | For the rest of Tim in Japan, be sure to stop by the channel. |
140. | And for more Tim thoughts like these, be sure to follow me on Instagram and drop by the channel. |