Hello Kitty

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:27:07 +0100

Hello Kitty

Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty at a Sanrio Store appearance
Information
Species	Cat
Gender	Female

Hello Kitty (ハローキティ, Harō Kiti^?)^[1], is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, first designed by Ikuko Shimizu.^[2] Her first appearance on an item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974 and brought to the United States in 1976.^[3]^[4]

The character is portrayed as a female white cat with a red bow and no drawn mouth. She lives in London, England with her parents and twin sister, Mimmy.

The Hello Kitty line has since developed licensing arrangements worth more than $1 billion a year in sales.^[5] Examples of products depicting the character include dolls, stickers, greeting cards, clothes, accessories, school supplies, dishes and home appliances.^[6] Hello Kitty has an official theme park, Sanrio Puroland, which opened in 1990.

[hide]

1 In media
2 Reception
3 Cultural references
4 References
5 External links

[edit] In media

[edit] Television series

This section does not cite any references or sources.
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2008)

Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty in a kimono from Hello Kitty Animation Theater vol.1
ハローキティ (Harō Kiti)
Genre	Kodomo manga
TV anime
Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater
Studio	DIC Entertainment Madhouse
English network	CBS
Original run	1987 – ongoing
Episodes	13
TV anime
Hello Kitty and Friends
Studio	Madhouse
Network	TV Tokyo
English network	CBS
Original run	1991 – 1992
Episodes	13
TV anime
Hello Kitty's Paradise
Studio	Madhouse
Licensor	Enoki Films USA, Saban Entertainment
Network	TV Tokyo
English network	Fox Family (now ABC Family)
Original run	1993 – 1994
Episodes	16
Anime and Manga Portal

The Japanese anime series Hello Kitty and Friends aired on TV Tokyo in Japan, and CBS in the United States in 1991. It also ran in reruns on Toon Disney. On the show, Kitty is a little girl living with her mother, father, and twin sister Mimmy, who is identical to Kitty but has different colored clothes and wears her bow under the opposite ear. 13 episodes were produced, using animation produced as early as 1991.

On Japanese television, Hello Kitty (and her pals) have starred in an anime series. Hello Kitty's Paradise ran for 16 episodes between 1993 and 1994. This version was released in English in 2000, and like "Hello Kitty and Friends". Hello Kitty and friends also appeared in Hello Kitty's Animation Theatre, which had Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters appearing in their versions of different fairy tales. Available in the U.S. from ADV Films (who also own the video/DVD rights to Hello Kitty and Friends & Hello Kitty's Paradise)

Hello Kitty appeared in a new Japanese clay-animated series called Hello Kitty's Stump Village in 2005. At Anime Expo 2006, Geneon Universal Entertainment announced that Hello Kitty's Stump Village was one of the series it licensed for U.S. release. Volume 1 was released in October, and Volume 2 was released in January and in 2008. After Geneon withdrew from the US market at the end of 2007, it was later re-licensed by Funimation Entertainment, who will continue to release it in North America. Hello Kitty appeared for the first time in a full 3D animation The Adventures of Hello Kitty & Friends developed by Sanrio's digital entertainment entity Sanrio Digital.

By 1996, Hello Kitty had already grossed over 20 million dollars throughout Japan. As time progressed, many more Japanese artists exploited this arsenal of business by creating a second second type of Hello Kitty featured in Clay. This version was released in English in 2000, and like many episodes in "Hello Kitty and Friends". Hello Kitty and friends also appeared in Hello Kitty's Animation Theatre, which had Hello Kitty buying other Sanrio characters appearing in their versions of different fairy tales. Over all, the Hello Kitty franchise has influenced many individuals to make similar productions.

[edit] Video games

Numerous Hello Kitty games have been produced since the release of the first title for NES in 1992; however, the majority of these games haven't seen a release outside of Japan. Hello Kitty also has made cameo appearances in games featuring other Sanrio characters, such as the Keroppi game, Kero Kero Keroppi no Bōken Nikki: Nemureru Mori no Keroleen. Special edition consoles such as the Hello Kitty Dreamcast, Hello Kitty Game Boy Pocket, and Hello Kitty Crystal Edition Xbox have also been released exclusively in Japan. Hello Kitty is a very popular figure all around the world nowadays. It is highly recognisable and is featured everywhere. Its friends and it are a huge part of the toy industry selling many different articles such as clothing, toys, stationary etc.

Examples of Hello Kitty games include:

Hello Kitty no Hanabatake (1992, NES) - a platformer
Hello Kitty World (1992, Famicom) - a Balloon Fight clone
Hello Kitty's Big Fun Piano (1994, PC) - a piano simulation^[7]
Hello Kitty's Cube Frenzy (1998, Game Boy Color) - a life simulation/minigame collection
DDR Hello Kitty (1999, Bemani Pocket) - a handheld Hello Kitty game in the Dance Dance Revolution series
The Hello Kitty Simple 1500 series (PlayStation) - a series of specifically low-priced games
Hello Kitty: Happy Party Pals (2005, Game Boy Advance) - an action/adventure game
Hello Kitty: Roller Rescue (2005, Xbox, GameCube, PlayStation 2) - an action/adventure game
Mainichi Suteki! Hello Kitty no Life Kit (2007, Nintendo DS) - a puzzle game
The Hello Kitty Simple 2000 series (2007, PlayStation 2) - a series of specifically low-priced games
Hello Kitty: Big City Dreams (2008, Nintendo DS) - an adventure game published by Empire Interactive developed by Sanrio Digital. In the game, Hello Kitty moves to the Big City where she meets other Sanrio characters and makes new friends.^[8]
Hello Kitty Daily (2008, Nintendo DS) - a PDA application featuring a diary, calendar, alarm clock, money managing system and school planner
Hello Kitty Online (2009, PC) - an online MMORPG developed by Sanrio Digital and Typhoon Games. The game allows players to create and customize characters, then use them to battle monsters, socialize with one another, mine for ore, do domestic chores like farming or cooking, and participate in quests.
Hello Kitty Parachute Paradise (2009, iPhone/iPod Touch) - an iPhone game with tilt-based controls^[9]

[edit] Products

Sanrio Shop in Madrid, Spain

The Hello Kitty Airbus A330-200

Hello Kitty can be found on a variety of consumer products ranging from school supplies to fashion accessories. In Japan, Hello Kitty products is the theme of local tourist attractions.

Hello Kitty has her own branded album, Hello World, featuring Hello Kitty-inspired songs performed by a collection of artists, including Keke Palmer and Cori Yarckin. Sanrio and Fender released a series of Hello Kitty guitars (the Hello Kitty Stratocaster), and even a jet airplane (the Hello Kitty Jet).

In Asia, they released limited-edition Hello Kitty credit cards.^{[not specific enough to verify]} As of 2010, Bank of America offers Hello Kitty-themed checking accounts, where the account holder can get cheques and a Visa debit card with Kitty's face on it.^[10]

In 2008 Hello Kitty collaboration with Tokidoki.

In 2009, Make-up Art Cosmetics (MAC) approached Sanrio to produce a limited-edition Hello Kitty makeup collection, which has now become an expensive collector's item.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Establishments

There is a themed restaurant named Hello Kitty Sweets in Taipei, Taiwan. The restaurant's decor and many of its dishes are visually patterned after the Hello Kitty character.^[11]^[12]

In 2008, a Hello Kitty-themed maternity hospital opened in Yuanlin, Taiwan. Hello Kitty is featured on the receiving blankets, room decor, bed linens, birth certificate covers, and nurses' uniforms. The hospital's owner explained that he hoped that the theming would help ease the stress of childbirth.^[13]^[14]

[edit] Reception

UNICEF awarded Hello Kitty the exclusive title of UNICEF Special Friend of Children.^[15]^[16]

The brand rose to greater prominence during the late 1990s when several celebrities such as Mariah Carey adopted Hello Kitty as a fashion statement.^[17] New products featuring the character can be found in many American department stores.

Since 2004, Hello Kitty has been featured on a MasterCard debit card from Legend Credit Inc. The card was released to teach young girls how to shop and use a debit card.^[18]

In May 2008, Japan named Hello Kitty the ambassador of Japanese tourism in China and Hong Kong, two places where the character is exceptionally popular among children and young women. This marked the first time Japan's tourism ministry had appointed a fictional character to the role.^[19]

[edit] Cultural references

In 1999, in Hong Kong, a brutal murder known as the Hello Kitty murder took place. The popular name of the case derives from the fact that the murderer inserted his victim's head into a Hello Kitty doll after decapitating her.

As of August 2007, Thai police officers who have committed minor transgressions such as showing up late or parking in the wrong place are forced to wear Hello Kitty armbands for several days as penance.^[20]

On the episode "Stocks" of the television sitcom NewsRadio, Matthew gives Bill a backpack with Hello Kitty on it when he returns from a trip to Japan.

In the Homestar Runner Halloween cartoon "Most in the Graveyard", The King of Town dresses up as Hello Kitty for Halloween.

The video game Hello Kitty: Island Adventure is referenced in the South Park episode "Make Love, Not Warcraft".

During the financial crisis of 2007–2010, a poster of a Hello Kitty pre-paid debit card expanded to roughly 1 meter in length was displayed on the floor of the US Senate by Senator Byron Dorgan as a demonstration of extreme methods used by credit companies to attract "children 10 to 14 years of age". Though not an actual credit card, it was criticized for its promotional website encouraging users to "shop 'til you drop."^[21]

[edit] References

^ "サンリオキャラクターたちの本名、言えますか？" (in Japanese). 2008-07-11. http://www.excite.co.jp/News/bit/E1215736595745.html. Retrieved 2008-07-11.
^ Takagi, Jun (August 21, 2008). "10 Questions for Yuko Yamaguchi". TIME Magazine. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1834451,00.html. Retrieved 2009-10-31.
^ Dhamija, Tina (April 1, 2003). "Designing an Icon: Hello Kitty Transcends Generational and Cultural Limits". ToyDirectory. http://www.toydirectory.com/MONTHLY/Apr2003/designinspiration.asp. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
^ "Hello Kitty celebrates 30". China News Daily. 2005-08-19. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-08/19/content_470573.htm. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
^ Segers, Rien T. (2008). A New Japan for the Twenty-First Century. Routledge. pp. 127. ISBN 9780415453110. http://books.google.com/books?id=03SAVAaiwn4C&pg=PA127&dq=sanrio+%22hello+kitty%22+sales+billion&lr=&client=firefox-a&sig=ACfU3U1EB9MVsmtjEFnpnL6n3XlHtxHm0w.
^ Paschal (2003-05-18). "Sanrio's Hula Kitty heads to the beach". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. http://starbulletin.com/2003/05/18/business/story3.html. Retrieved 1998-08-21.
^ "Hello Kitty's Big Fun Piano". MobyGames. http://www.mobygames.com/game/hello-kittys-big-fun-piano. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
^ "Hello Kitty: Big City Dreams". IGN. http://uk.ds.ign.com/objects/142/14250212.html. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
^ "Hello Kitty Parachute Paradise". ZIO Interactive. http://hellokittyparachuteparadise.sanriotown.com.
^ ""Bank of America's "My Expression Banking" page with the Hello Kitty theme". https://www.bankofamerica.com/myexpression_banking/productInfo.do?affinity=22755&segmentid=SPIN. Retrieved 2010-21-01.
^ Catherine Shu (March 27, 2009). "RESTAURANTS : Hello Kitty Sweets". http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2009/03/27/2003439508. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
^ "Hello Kitty Sweets resto in Taipei (Part I)". April 30, 2008. http://lunchmaniac.blogspot.com/2008/04/hello-kitty-sweets-resto-in-taipei-part.html. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
^ "Hello baby! Hello Kitty welcomes Taiwan newborns". Reuters. December 5, 2008. http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssLeisureProducts/idUSTP33674020081205. Retrieved 2008-12-09.
^ "Taiwan hospital a hit with Hello Kitty fans". January 21, 2009. http://www.smh.com.au/world/strangebuttrue/taiwan-hospital-a-hit-with-hello-kitty-fans-20090122-7n8u.html. Retrieved 2009-03-06.
^ "UNICEF Special Friend of Children". Sanrio. March 23, 2007. http://blog.sanriotown.com/kt_world:hellokitty.com/2007/03/23/unicef-special-friend-of-children/. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
^ "Hello Kitty marks 30th birthday". The Japan Times Online. June 10, 2004. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20040610b6.html. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
^ Walker, Esther (21 May 2008). "Top cat: how 'Hello Kitty' conquered the world". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/top-cat-how-hello-kitty-conquered-the-world-831522.html. Retrieved 2008-09-19.
^ Mayer, Caroline E. (October 3, 2004). "Girls Go From Hello Kitty To Hello Debit Card". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2959-2004Oct2.html. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
^ "Hello Kitty named Japan tourism ambassador". MSNBC. May 19, 2008. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24708771/. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
^ BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Thai cops punished by Hello Kitty
^ "Credit card reform bill: Bye-bye to Hello Kitty?". http://blogs.consumerreports.org/money/2009/05/credit-card-reform-bill-teenagers-teens-teen-hello-kitty-obama-children-prepaid-marketing-fees.html. Retrieved 2010-05-02.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hello Kitty

Wikinews has related news: Thai police to wear 'Hello Kitty' armbands as punishment

Official Hello Kitty website
Hello Kitty Online
Sanriotown
Kittylab Singapore Expo 2009 Hello Kitty 35th Anniversary Project Kitty Lab
How to Draw Hello Kitty Step by Step Hello Kitty drawing tutorial

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hello_Kitty"

Sanrio

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:22:00 +0100

Sanrio

Sanrio Co., Ltd.
Type	Public (TYO: 8136)
Founded	1960
Founder(s)	Shintaro Tsuji
Headquarters	Tokyo, Japan
Website	http://www.sanrio.com

Sanrio products stand at a commercial convention

Sanrio Co., Ltd. (株式会社サンリオ, Kabushiki-kaisha Sanrio^?) is a Japanese company that designs and licenses cute branded characters. Their products include stationery, school supplies, gifts and accessories. Sanrio's best known character is Hello Kitty, a white cat with red bow and no visible mouth, one of the most successful marketing brands in the world.^[1]

Besides selling character goods, Sanrio also takes part in movie production and publishing. Furthermore, they participate in the fast food industry, running a franchise of KFC in Saitama. They also own the rights to the Peanuts characters in Japan. Sanrio also has an animatronics company branch called Kokoro Company, Ltd. ("Kokoro" being the Japanese word for "heart"), best known for the Actroid android.

1 History
2 Locations
3 Sanrio characters
4 Filmography
5 Publishing
6 Notes
7 Further reading
8 External links

History

Sanrio was founded by Shintaro Tsuji as the Yamanashi Silk Company in 1960, using 1 million yen in capital. The company produced a line of character merchandise around gift-giving occasions^[2]. It wasn't until 1973 that the company was officially established under the name "Sanrio." The word Sanrio comes from the Japanese word "San" and the Spanish one "Rio". These words mean "three" and "river" respectively.

Hello Kitty was added to the early characters of Sanrio in 1974 and was released in 1975. The popular mouthless feline has had both peaks and drops in sales over the years, but always has been the highest contributor to Sanrio's sales. Other notably popular characters through the years have been The Little Twin Stars (created by Mr. Tsuji himself), My Melody, Keroppi, Tuxedo Sam, Badtz-Maru, Tenorikuma, Usahana, Pochacco, Chococat, and Cinnamoroll. Sanrio constantly adds new characters to its lineup (up to three a year), so some of the older characters go into retirement. Some of Sanrio's newest characters are Charmmy Kitty (Hello Kitty's pet cat), Kuromi (My Melody's rival) and Chi Chai Monchan (a pink monkey who balances bananas on his head.) For a time, Osamu Tezuka's baby unicorn character Unico, who starred in two feature-length anime movies in the early 1980s, was also part of the Sanrio empire; however, the rights to Unico shifted to Tezuka's own company after Tezuka's death in 1989.

Sanrio is the largest greeting card manufacturer in Japan.^{[citation needed]} In 2002, they began a joint business venture with the Walt Disney Company for their greeting cards.^{[citation needed]}

In late 2003, Sanrio won the "Top Brand with a Conscience" award from the Medinge Group of Sweden for its communication principles. The company has partnered with UNICEF since 1984.

In 2006, Sanrio went Digital with a joint venture with Typhoon Games and launched Sanrio Digital to expand its brand and revenues through the Internet, Online Games and Mobile Services.

The Adventures of Hello Kitty & Friends is the first Hello Kitty TV series animation in 3D. The animation is licensed by Sanrio Digital and produced by Dream Cortex. The first season with 26 episodes aired on networks in Europe and Asia, including Hong Kong, beginning in 2008.

Locations

Sanrio, Inc. headquarters in South San Francisco

Sanrio hosts two theme parks in Japan, Sanrio Puroland in Tama, Tokyo, and Harmonyland ^[3] in Hiji, Ōita, Kyūshū.

Sanrio Inc. is Sanrio's American subsidiary. Sanrio Inc. has offices in South San Francisco, California and Torrance, California. Sanrio's first Western hemisphere store opened in San Jose's Eastridge Mall. In 2008, Sanrio opened its high-end boutique called Sanrio Luxe in New York City's Times Square. In the Western Hemisphere, Sanrio character-branded products are sold in upwards of 12,000 locations including department, specialty, national chain stores and over 85 Sanrio boutiques.

Sanrio characters

Sanrio character Hello Kitty depicted on a bus

Main article: List of Sanrio characters

Sario has created a large number of characters, the most well known of which is Hello Kitty. Other well known characters include Badtz-Maru, Chococat and My Melody. Sugarbunnies were adapted into an anime series in 2007.

Filmography

From 1977 to 1985, Sanrio produced movies through their Sanrio Films label. After A Journey Through Fairyland Sanrio switched gears and started doing short films, OAVs, and TV shows based on their characters. In 2006, Sanrio announced they're going to do feature-length films again.

Little Jumbo (1977) (Chiisana Jumbo)
Ringing Bell (1978) (Chirin no Suzu or Bell of Chirin)
The Mouse and His Child (1978) (Oyaro Nezumi no Fushigina Tabi or The Wonderful Journey of the Mouse Family)
Metamorphoses/Winds of Change (1978) (Hoshi no Orpheus or Orpheus of the Stars)
The Glacier Fox (1979) (Kita-Kitsune Monogatari or The Story of the Northern Fox)
Nutcracker Fantasy (1979) (Kurumiwari Ningyo or The Nutcracker)
Unico (1979)
A Tale of Africa (1980)^[4]
The Sea Prince and the Fire Child (1981) (Sirius no Densetsu or Legend of Sirius)
The Fantastic Adventures of Unico (1981) - with Tezuka Productions and Madhouse Studios
The Ideon: A Contact (1982) - with Sunrise and Shochiku
The Ideon: Be Invoked (1982) - with Sunrise
Don't Cry, It's Only Thunder (1982)^[5]
Unico in the Island of Magic (1983) (Yuniko: Maho no Shima he) - with Tezuka Productions
Oshin (1984)
A Journey Through Fairyland (1985) (Yosei Florence or Florence the Fairy)
Mouse Story: George and Gerald's Adventure (2007) (Nezumi Monogatari: George To Gerald no Bouken) - with Madhouse Studios
Cinnamoroll: The Movie (2007) - with Madhouse Studios, featuring the character Cinnamoroll
The Adventures of Hello Kitty & Friends (2008) - with Dream Cortex and Sanrio Digital

Publishing

Sanrio publishes many books featuring its own characters. Additionally, they publish art books (for instance, those by Keibun Ōta) and other books. Sanrio publishes books in many different languages, including Japanese and English. Sanrio Notes

^ Michael Kanellos, Hello Kitty's guide to business success
^ "Sanrio Europe". http://www.sanrioeurope.com/about.asp. Retrieved 2009-09-14.
^ Harmonyland
^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081987/companycredits
^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083843/companycredits

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sanrio

Miffy

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:09:24 +0100

Miffy is a small female rabbit in a series of picture books drawn and written by Dutch artist Dick Bruna. Her original Dutch name is Nijntje [nɛɪ̯ncǝ] which stems from a toddler's pronunciation of the word "konijntje" meaning "little rabbit".

The first Miffy book was produced in 1955, and almost 30 others have followed. In total they have sold over 85 million copies, and inspired a television series as well as items such as clothes and toys featuring the character.

[hide]

1 History
2 Miffy Story Books
- 2.1 Miffy & Friends
3 References
4 External links

[edit] History

Miffy was created in 1955 after Bruna had been telling his one-year-old son Sierk stories about a little rabbit they had seen earlier in the dunes,^[1] while on holiday at Egmond aan Zee. Miffy became a dude after Bruna decided that he wanted to draw a shirt without trousers on his rabbit. Depending on the story, Miffy can be a baby or four years old.

At first Miffy looked like a toy animal, with floppy ears, but by 1963 he looked the way we see Miffy today. Miffy is drawn in a very minimalist style, requiring only a few lines and one or two primary colors. There are some colors that are never used, and Bruna can be picky about a certain shade of color, brown and grey for example, and will search for it until he is happy. Even though the things that he draws are not realistic, they are instantly recognisable, and Miffy is obviously a rabbit.

There are now almost 30 titles for Miffy, and many more for the other characters. Bruna has produced almost 100 books.

The Miffy books each contain sixteen pages of story. Each page has one illustration and four lines of verse, the last word of the second line rhymes with the last of the fourth. They are written about things that children can understand, and situations they will face such as going to the hospital and going to school, and they always have a happy ending. Some books have no text at all, such as Miffy's Dream

The books are printed in small format. Bruna considers it important that his audience feels that his books are there for them, not for their parents. Most Miffy books have an advisory reading level of age 4 to 8 years.

Bruna's books have now been translated into 40 different languages, and over 85 million copies have been sold all over the world.^[2] He has won many awards for his books, such as the Golden Brush in 1990 for Boris Bear and the Silver Brush for Miffy In The Tent in 1996. In 1997 he was awarded the Silver Slate for Dear Grandma Bunny, a book where Miffy's Grandmother was sick and died.

The other characters that appear in the books are her family: Miffy's parents, her Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt Alice, and her Uncle Bob, who appears in Miffy Goes Flying. A new brother or sister for Miffy is introduced in Miffy And The New Baby. She also has many friends, Boris and Barbara Bear, who first appeared in 1989 and are boyfriend and girlfriend, Poppy Pig, who appeared in 1977, and her niece Grunty, Snuffy, who appeared in 1969, and other bunnies such as Aggie and Melanie.

Miffy was designed as a children's book character, but the design is now used on many other things like clothes, stationery, toys, glasses, household items etc.

Miffy statue at the Nijntjepleintje ('little Nijntje square') in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Miffy has been appearing on TV since 2003, in a show named after her that airs on children's television channels such as Treehouse in Canada and Noggin in the U.S. from April 7, 2003 through April 1, 2007. Miffy and Friends moved to public television. The show adds several new characters such as Melanie's African family, as well as the family of Boris' and Barbara's common cousin, Umik. It is very likely animated by the use of mostly stiff-jointed plastic forms, covered with thick vinyl faces and torsos, accented with cloth and clay- following the minimalistic Bruna hallmark. The TV series was produced by Pedri Animation BV [1], a Dutch stop-motion animation company. It is voiced simply by a feminine storytelling narrator.

Many think that Miffy is Japanese, because Sanrio's Hello Kitty and friends are rendered using a similar line style. In addition, the Miffy brand is popular in Japan and there is a lot of Japanese-made Miffy merchandise. In an interview for the British paper The Daily Telegraph, Bruna expressed his dislike for Hello Kitty. "'That,' he says darkly, 'is a copy [of Miffy], I think. I don't like that at all. I always think, "No, don't do that. Try to make something that you think of yourself",^[2].

In Bruna's hometown, Utrecht, there is a square named after Nijntje, the Nijntjepleintje (lit: Little Nijntje Square, to retain the rhyme) and in 2006, the Centraal Museum opened a permanent exhibition, the dick bruna huis (Dick Bruna house).^[3]

Miffy celebrated her fiftieth birthday in 2005. This has been celebrated in cities across the globe, for example in the Manchester Art Gallery in England. She also serves a "celebrity character spokesperson" for Unicef.^[4]

[edit] Miffy Story Books

From Dick Bruna, Linders J, Sierman K, de Wijs I and Vrooland-Löb T. Wanders Publishers, Zwolle, 2006. (English) ISBN 90 400 8342 8 (Dutch) ISBN 90 400 9106 4

1955 Miffy, Miffy at the Zoo (First Version of Miffy)
1963 Miffy, Miffy at the Zoo, Miffy in the Snow, Miffy at the Seaside
1970 Miffy Goes Flying, Miffy's Birthday
1975 Miffy at the Playground, Miffy in Hospital
1979 Miffy's Dream
1982 Miffy's Bicycle
1984 Miffy at School
1988 Miffy Goes to Stay, Grandpa and Grandma Bunny
1991 Miffy is Crying, Miffy's House
1992 Auntie Alice's Party
1995 Miffy in the Tent
1996 Dear Grandma Bunny
1997 Miffy at the Gallery
1999 Miffy and Melanie
2001 Miffy the Ghost, Miffy the Fairy
2002 Miffy Dances
2003 Miffy's Letter, The New Baby
2004 Miffy's Garden
2005 Miffy in Lolly Land, A Flute for Miffy
2006 Hangoor (Flopear) In Dutch only
2007 Queen Miffy
2008 Miffy the Artist, Nijntje en de seizoenen (Miffy and the seasons), Nijntje is Stout (Miffy is naughty)

[edit] Miffy & Friends

Miffy was shown on Noggin in 2003. (see History)

Miffy the Artist is published in association with the Tate Gallery, London.

[edit] References

^ The Guardian, 15 February 2006, Bunny love
^ ^a ^b Daily Telegraph, 31 July 2008, Dick Bruna, creator of the Miffy books, talks about his life and work
^ [http://www.centraalmuseum.nl/page.ocl?pageid=86 , Centrall Museum Utrecht
^ Miffy exhibition comes to Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Miffy

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miffy"

Categories: Children's ITV television programmes | Fictional hares and rabbits | Programs broadcast by Treehouse TV | 1955 introductions

Pikachu

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:06:05 +0100

Pikachu (ピカチュウ, Pikachū^?) is one of the fictional species of Pokémon creatures from the Pokémon media franchise—a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards, and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. As do all Pokémon, Pikachu fight other Pokémon in battles central to the anime, manga, and games of the series.^[1] Pikachu is among the most recognizable Pokémon, largely because a Pikachu is a central character in the Pokémon anime series. Pikachu is widely considered the most popular Pokémon,^[2] is regarded as the official mascot of the Pokémon franchise, and has become an icon of Japanese culture in recent years.

In the Pokémon franchise, Pikachu are often found in houses, forests,^[3] plains, and occasionally near mountains, islands, and electrical sources (such as power plants), on most continents throughout the fictional world. As an Electric-type Pokémon, Pikachu can store electricity in its cheeks and release it in lightning-based attacks.^[4]

[hide]

1 Concept and creation
2 Characteristics
3 Appearances
4 Cultural impact
5 Notes
6 References
7 External links

Concept and creation

The design and art direction for Pikachu were provided by Ken Sugimori,^[5] a friend of the creator of the Pocket Monsters game, Satoshi Tajiri, and the species appeared as the starting character for players in Pokémon Yellow: Special Edition . In the early Pokémon video games, all Pokémon were portrayed by two-dimensional sprites, but in later releases appearance has been conveyed by 3D computer graphics. Throughout the games, Pikachu has been portrayed with no spoken dialogue. In the series' anime, Pikachu has facial expressions, body language, and speaks by repeating syllables of its name, using different pitches and tones.

Though not the first Pokémon created, Pikachu was the first "Electric-type" Pokémon created, conceived after the type was suggested to Sugimori and designed around the concept of electricity and the common symbol for lightning.^[6] The name is a portmanteau of the Japanese words pikapika, an onomatopoeia for electric sparkling, and chū, which is the Japanese onomatopoeia for a mouse's squeak.^[7] In an interview, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl director Junichi Masuda noted Pikachu's name as one of the most difficult to create, due to an effort to make it appealing to both Japanese and American audiences.^[8] It refers to both the overall species and to the individual within the games, anime, and manga series.

Characteristics

Pikachu are small, mouse-like Pokémon that have short, yellow fur with brown markings covering their backs and parts of their tails.^[9] They have black-tipped, pointy ears and red circles on their cheeks, which are said to contain "electrical sacs".^[3] Their tails are shaped in the form of a lightning bolt.^[10] In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, gender differences were introduced for some Pokémon; a female Pikachu now has an indent at the end of its tail, giving it a heart-shaped appearance.

The Pokédex, in the series, states that Pikachu forage for berries. In lieu of climbing trees,^[11] they use small electrical bolts to release the berries and apples from the tree, roasting them at the same time.^[12] For already fallen berries and apples they use their electricity to roast and tenderize them. They are said to store electricity in their cheeks,^[3] and by simply squeezing them they can discharge sparks, lightning bolts, or other forms of electricity. Discharging sparks and thunderbolts may be a sign of wariness from the Pokémon. An inability to discharge electricity, as occurs in the presence of a strong magnetic field, causes an illness with flu-like symptoms. Pikachu tend to gather in areas with high amounts of thunderstorm activity. When threatened, a group of Pikachu can generate an intense electrical output, and the electro-magnetic forces exerted by the resulting field can even produce short-lived, localized thunder and lightning storms.^[13] They occasionally use an electric shock to recharge a fellow Pikachu that is in a weakened state.^[14]

Pikachu evolves into Raichu via the use of a Thunder Stone; however, it is somewhat common for trainers to choose not to evolve their Pikachu. In the Pokémon Yellow game, using a Thunder Stone on a Pikachu makes it cry and refuse to evolve. From the second generation of the Pokémon games onward, Pikachu has an evolutionary predecessor, Pichu, which evolves into Pikachu after establishing a close friendship with its trainer.

Appearances

In the video games

In the video games, Pikachu is a low-level Pokémon, which stores electricity in its cheeks and is capable of firing said electricity in various forms of attack. It has appeared in all of the games naturally without having to trade. The game Pokémon Yellow features a Pikachu as the representative Pokémon, featured on the box art and as the only available starter Pokémon. Based on the Pikachu from the Pokémon anime, it refuses to stay in its Poké Ball, and instead follows the main character around on screen. The trainer can speak to it and it displays different reactions depending on how it is treated. Another game centered around Pikachu is Hey You, Pikachu! for the Nintendo 64.^[15] The player interacts with Pikachu through a microphone, issuing commands to play various mini-games and act out situations. The game Pokémon Channel follows a similar premise of interacting with the Pikachu, though without the microphone.^[16] Pikachu also appear in almost all levels of Pokémon Snap. A Pikachu is also one of the sixteen starters and ten partners in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games. Pikachu will also be starring in the upcoming wii game Pokepark Wii.

Pikachu has also appeared in Super Smash Bros.,^[17] Super Smash Bros. Melee,^[18] and Super Smash Bros. Brawl^[19] as a player character.

In the anime

Ash Ketchum and Pikachu together in the pilot episode, "Pokémon, I Choose You!"

The Pokémon anime series and films feature the adventures of Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu, traveling through the various regions of the Pokémon universe. They are accompanied by a group of alternating friends, including Misty, Brock, May, Max, Tracey, and Dawn.

In the first episode, Ash Ketchum receives his Pikachu from Professor Oak as his starting Pokémon. New trainers are given a starting Pokémon; in Ash's homeland of Kanto this is often Charmander, Squirtle, or Bulbasaur, but Ash slept in and got Pikachu instead. At first, Pikachu largely ignores Ash's requests, shocking him frequently and refusing to be confined to the conventional method of Pokémon transportation, a Poké Ball. However, Ash puts himself in danger to defend Pikachu from a flock of wild Spearow,^[20] then rushes the electric mouse to a Pokémon Center. Through these demonstrations of respect and unconditional commitment to Pokémon, Pikachu warms up to Ash, and their friendship is formed. However, it still refuses to go into its Poké Ball. Soon after, Pikachu shows great power that sets it apart from Pokémon, and other Pikachu, which causes Team Rocket to constantly attempt to capture it in order to win favor from their boss, Giovanni.

Other wild and trained Pikachu appear throughout the series, often interacting with Ash and his Pikachu. The most notable among these is Richie's Pikachu, Sparky. Like most other Pokémon, Pikachu communicates only by saying syllables of its own name. It is voiced by Ikue Ōtani in all versions of the anime.

In other Pokémon media

Pikachu is one of the main Pokémon used in most of the Pokémon manga series. In Pokémon Adventures, Red and Yellow both train a strong Pikachu. It is originally captured by Red, but after Red goes missing two years later, Yellow teams up with his Pikachu, accompanying it in their quest to find Red. It is also featured in series based on the anime, such as Electric Tale of Pikachu, Ash & Pikachu, and other series, such as Magical Pokémon Journey and Getto Da Ze.

Collectible cards featuring Pikachu have appeared since the initial Pokémon Trading Card Game released in October 1996, including limited edition promotional cards.^[21] The character has also been used in promotional merchandising at fast-food chains such as McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King.^[22]^[23]^[24]^[25]

Cultural impact

Background

A Toyota Ist customised to resemble Pikachu

Pikachu first appeared in 1996, among the 151 initial Pokémon mascots when Game Freak delivered the first-ever Pokémon game for the Japanese Game Boy.^[26] The creators of the initial 151 Pokémon characters treated each one equally, and left it to the fans to decide which one would become the official mascot. The fans chose Pikachu, which alternatively led to its appearance in the anime alongside Ash.^[27]

Today, Pikachu is regarded as the Japanese answer to Mickey Mouse^[2] and as being part of a movement of "cute capitalism".^[28] Pikachu are obtainable in all of the Pokémon video games to date, with a prominent role in Pokémon Yellow. The leading characters of the anime and manga series, including Pokémon Adventures, and Magical Pokémon Journey, have captured or befriended Pikachu. In an Oricon poll from 2008, Pikachu was voted as the fourth most popular video game character in Japan, tying with Solid Snake.^[29]

In popular culture

Pikachu, being the most famous of the Pokémon characters, has made multiple appearances in popular culture. In 1998, the Mayor of Topeka, Kansas renamed the town "ToPikachu" for a day as part of a promotional event for the franchise.^[30] A "got milk?" advertisement featured Pikachu on April 25, 2000.^[31]

A Pikachu balloon has been featured in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since 2001.^[32] Its appearance on 22 May 2006 during the morning rush hour was as part of a test examining parade balloon handling procedures.^[33] The original balloon was flown for the last time publicly at the Pokémon Tenth Anniversary "Party of the Decade" on August 8, 2006 in Bryant Park in New York City,^[34]^[35]^[36]^[37] and a new Pikachu Balloon that chases a Poké Ball and has light-up cheeks debuted at the 2006 Parade.^[38] The balloon was chosen on an online survey at iVillage as the second-best balloon in the 2007 Parade.^[39]

The ANA Boeing 747-400 airplane painted with Pikachu and other Pokémon (visible: Clefairy, Togepi, Mewtwo, and Snorlax)

A picture of Pikachu has also been featured on the ANA Boeing 747-400 (JA8962), landing at London Heathrow Airport.^[28] In 2000, Pikachu placed eighth in an Animax poll of favorite anime characters.^[40] In 2002, Ash's Pikachu received fifteenth place in TV Guide's 50 greatest cartoon characters of all time.^[41] GameSpot featured it in their article "All Time Greatest Game Hero".^[42]

During the first episode of the eleventh series of Top Gear, presentor Richard Hammond compared an image of the Tata Nano to one of Pikachu stating "they've saved money on the styling 'cause they've just based it on this."^[43] In the third season of Heroes, Hiro Nakamura is nicknamed "Pikachu" by Daphne Millbrook, much to his chagrin. He is called this again by Tracy Strauss, after which he excuses himself before punching her in the face.

Pikachurin

Main article: Pikachurin

A newly-discovered ligand believed to provide better visual acuity, discovered by Osaka Bioscience Institute Foundation (大阪バイオサイエンス研究所^?), is named "Pikachurin", borrowed from the nimbleness of Pikachu.^[44] The name was inspired due to Pikachu's "lightning-fast moves and shocking electric effects".^[45]

Notes

^ "Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire Review (page 1)". IGN. http://uk.gameboy.ign.com/articles/389/389660p1.html. Retrieved 2006-06-01.
^ ^a ^b Tobin, Joseph (2004) (PDF). Pikachu's Global Adventure: The Rise and Fall of Pokémon. Duke University Press. ISBN 0822332876. http://www.nordicom.gu.se/common/publ_pdf/87_Yearbook%202002.pdf#page=55. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
^ ^a ^b ^c Pokédex: It lives in forests with others. It stores electricity in the pouches on its cheeks. Game Freak. Pokémon Diamond. (Nintendo). Nintendo DS. (2007-04-22)
^ Sora Ltd.. Pikachu Trophy Information. (Nintendo). Wii. (2008-01-31) "When danger draws near, it uses tiny electric pouches within its cheeks to discharge electricity."
^ Stuart Bishop (2003-05-30). "Game Freak on Pokémon!". CVG. Archived from the original on 2008-02-08. http://www.webcitation.org/5VSJaR6xT. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
^ "『ポケットモンスター』ˈˈスタッフインタビュー" (in Japanese). Nintendo. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/nom/0007/gfreak/page06.html. Retrieved June 6, 2009.
^ "Japan: The True Meaning of". http://kotaku.com/347021/the-true-meaning-of-. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
^ Noble, McKinley (2009-03-23). "Pokemon Platinum: Developer Interview!". GamePro. http://www.gamepro.com/article/previews/209340/pokemon-platinum-developer-interview-pt-2/. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
^ The in-game Pokédex of the Game Boy series (A copy of them from pokémondungeon.com) URL accessed on March 27, 2006.
^ Sora Ltd.. Pikachu Trophy Information. (Nintendo). Wii. (2008-01-31) "Its lightning-bolt tail and round cheeks are its trademarks."
^ "PokeZam.com - Episode 366 - Pokeblock, Stock and Berry". PokeZam.com. http://www.pokezam.com/anime/episodes/challenge/366.php.
^ Pokédex: This intelligent Pokémon roasts hard Berries with electricity to make them tender enough to eat. Game Freak. Pokémon Stadium. (Nintendo). Nintendo 64. (2000-03-06)
^ Pokédex: When several of these Pokémon gather, their electricity could build and cause lightning storms. Game Freak. Pokémon Red and Blue. (Nintendo). Game Boy. (1998-09-30)
^ Pokédex: It occasionally uses an electric shock to recharge a fellow Pikachu that is in a weakened state. Game Freak. Pokémon Platinum. (Nintendo). Nintendo DS. (2009-03-22)
^ Hey You, Pikachu! Nintendo.com Retrieved July 17, 2006
^ Pokémon Channel IGN.com Retrieved July 17, 2006
^ Smash Bros.com Retrieved July 17, 2006
^ Super Smash Bros Melee. detstar.com Retrieved July 17, 2006
^ Smash Bros. Dojo! Pikachu Retrieved September 17, 2008
^ "Pokémon - I Choose You!". Takeshi Shudō (writer). Pokémon. Various. September 8, 1998. No. 01, season 1.
^ EX Legend Maker set card list Pokebeach.com. Retrieved October 15, 2006.
^ "The Pojo - TCG Set Lists McDonald's Campaign Expansion Set". http://www.pojo.com/priceguide/jpMcD.html. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
^ "Fastfoodtoys.Net Pokémon 2000 Toys". http://www.fastfoodtoys.net/burger%20king%20pokemon%20power%20cards.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
^ "Restaurant chain entertainment promotions monitor, June 2003". Entertainment Marketing Letter. June 1, 2003. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-3479164_ITM. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
^ "Pokemon at Wendy's Promotion Begins!". May 20, 2003. http://web.archive.org/web/20080212014130/http://pokemonelite2000.com/pastnews0503.html. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
^ Sora Ltd.. Pikachu Trophy Information. (Nintendo). Wii. (2008-01-31) "Appearances: Pokémon Red/Green (1996)"
^ "Pikachu (Character Profile)". IGN. http://stars.ign.com/objects/920/920547.html. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
^ ^a ^b Allison, Anne (2002) The Cultural Politics of Pokemon Capitalism Media in Transition 2: globalization and convergence
^ Ashcraft, Brian (2009-10-04). "And Japan's Favorite Video Game Characters Are...?". Kotaku. http://kotaku.com/5035884/and-japans-favorite-video-game-characters-are. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
^ Staff (November 1999). "What's the Deal with Pokémon?". Electronic Gaming Monthly (124): 172.
^ "Pikachu Guzzles Milk to Become Most Powerful Pokemon". Business Wire. 2000-05-25. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2000_April_26/ai_61858603/. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
^ Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Ncytourist.com Retrieved July 17, 2006
^ Crecente, Brian (2006-05-22). "Giant Pikachu Runs Flights Through NYC". Kotaku. http://kotaku.com/gaming/pokemon/giant-Pikachu-runs-flights-through-nyc-175515.php. Retrieved 2006-06-26.
^ Zappia, Corina (August 8, 2006). "How Has Pokémon Not Died Yet?". NY Mirror (The Village Voice). http://www.villagevoice.com/2006-08-08/nyc-life/how-has-pok-mon-not-died-yet/. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
^ Clark, Roger (August 8, 2006). "Pokemon Mania Takes Over Bryant Park". NY1 News. NY1 News. http://www.ny1.com/Default.aspx?SecID=1000&ArID=61663. Retr

Cuteness in Japanese culture

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:01:38 +0100

Cuteness in Japanese culture

Since the 1970s, cuteness, in Japanesekawaii (可愛い^?), has become a prominent aspect of Japanese popular culture, entertainment, clothing, food, toys, personal appearance, behavior, and mannerisms.^[1] Foreign observers^[who?] often find this cuteness intriguing, revolting or even childish because the Japaneseemploy it in a vast array of situations and demographics where, in other cultures, it would be considered incongruously juvenile or frivolous (for example, in government publications, public service warnings, office environments, military advertisements, and commercial airliners, among many others).

Contents
[hide]

1 History

2 Prevalence

3 Perception in Japan

4 Linguistics

5 Influence on other cultures

6 See also

7 References

7.1 Notes

7.2 Additional reading

[edit] History

The rise of cuteness in Japanese culture emerged in the 1970s as part of a new style of writing. Many teenage girls began to write laterally using mechanical pencils. These pencils produced very fine lines, as opposed to traditional Japanese writing that varied in thickness and was vertical. Also, the girls would write in big, round characters and they added little pictures to their writing, such as hearts, stars, smiley faces, and letters of the Latin alphabet. These pictures would be inserted randomly and made the writing very hard to read.^[2] As a result, this writing style caused a lot of controversy and was banned in many schools. During the 1980s, however, this cute new writing was adopted by magazines and comics and was put onto packaging and advertising. From 1984-86, Yamane Kazuma studied the development of cute handwriting, which he called Anomalous Female Teenage Handwriting, in depth. Although it was commonly thought that the writing style was something that teenagers had picked up from comics, he found that teenagers had come up with the style themselves, as part of an underground movement.^[2]

Later, cute handwriting became associated with acting childishly and using infantile slang words. Because of this growing trend, companies, such as Sanrio, came out with merchandise like Hello Kitty. Hello Kitty was an immediate success and the obsession with cute continued to progress in other areas as well. The 1980s also saw the rise of cute idols, such as Seiko Matsuda, who is largely credited with popularizing the trend. Women began to emulate Seiko Matsuda and her cute fashion style and mannerisms, which emphasized the helplessness and innocence of young girls.^[3] No longer limited to teenagers, however, the spread of making things as cute as possible, even common household items, was embraced by people of all ages. Now there are airplanes painted with Pikachu on the side, and each of Japan’s 47 prefectures, the Tokyo police, and the government television station all have their own cute mascots. Currently, Sanrio’s line of more than 50 characters takes in more than $1 billion a year and remains the most successful company to capitalize on the cute trend.^[4]

[edit] Prevalence

An All Nippon Airways Boeing 747 with a Pokémon livery.

Cute elements can be found almost everywhere in Japan, from big business to corner markets and national government, ward, and town offices.^[4]^[5] Many companies, large and small, use cute mascots to present their wares and services to the public. For example:

Pikachu, a character from Pokémon, adorns the side of three All Nippon Airways passenger jets.

Asahi Bank used Miffy (Nijntje), a character from a Dutch series of children's picture books, on some of its ATM and credit cards.

All 47 prefectures have cute mascot characters.^{[citation needed]}

The Japan Post "Yū-Pack" mascot is a stylized mailbox.^[6]

The Japan Post also uses other cute mascot characters (for example, on stamps).

Some police forces in Japan have their own moe mascots, which sometimes adorn the front of kōban (police boxes).

Sanrio, the company behind Hello Kitty and other similarly cute characters run the Sanrio Puroland theme park in Tokyo.

Cute can be also used to describe a specific fashion sense^[7]^[8] of an individual, and generally includes clothing that appears to be made for young children, outside of the size, or clothing that accentuates the cuteness of the individual wearing the clothing. Ruffles and pastel colors are commonly (but not always) featured, and accessories often include toys or bags featuring anime characters.^[4]

The fashionableness of cuteness has recently been challenged by the more Western-oriented ero kawaii image of sexiness.^{[clarification needed]}^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Perception in Japan

As a cultural phenomenon, cuteness is increasingly accepted in Japan as a part of Japanese culture and national identity. Tomoyuki Sugiyama, author of "Cool Japan", believes that "cuteness" is rooted in Japan's harmony-loving culture, and Nobuyoshi Kurita, a sociology professor at Musashi University in Tokyo, has stated that "cute" is a "magic term" that encompasses everything that's acceptable and desirable in Japan.^[9]

On the other hand, those skeptical of cuteness consider it a sign of an infantile mentality.^[9] In particular, Hiroto Murasawa, professor of beauty and culture at Osaka Shoin Women’s University asserts that cuteness is "a mentality that breeds non-assertion ... Individuals who choose to stand out get beaten down."^[9]

[edit] Linguistics

The Japanese word kawaii has a narrower definition than the English word cute. When applied to pop culture, cute will suffice. Kawaii, however, refers primarily to the affection of a parent toward a child coupled with the protectiveness for the innocent and weak. For example, a pop cartoon character might be considered kawaii because it exemplifies the innocence of a child and evokes general protective, caring instincts in the viewer. Other translations of kawaii can include adorable, precious, lovable, or innocent.^[10] According to sociologist Sharon Kinsella:

"Kawaii is a derivation of a term whose principle meaning was shy or embarrassed and secondary meanings were pathetic, vulnerable, darling, loveable and small. In fact the modern sense of the word kawaii still has some nuances of pitiful whilst the term kawaisô derived directly from kawaii means pathetic, poor, and pitiable in a generally negative if not pleasing sense."^[2]

[edit] Influence on other cultures

Cute merchandise and products are especially popular in some parts of East Asia, such as China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan.^[4]^[11]

In some asian and western cultures, the Japanese word for cute kawaii has joined a number of other Japanese words borrowed by overseas Japanophiles, sometimes in the wrong context. While the usage is almost entirely limited to the otaku subculture, it has been used by American singer Gwen Stefani, who gave kawaii a brief mention in her Hollaback Girl music video, Gwen also released a line of fragrances inspired by this love of kawaii dubbed harajuku lovers^[12] Correction: Gwen Stefani's fragrances are not inspired by the concept of kawaii but by the very creative fashion seen on the young Japanese women in the Harajuku district of Tokyo.

[edit] See also

Culture of Japan

Japanese popular culture

Japanese street fashion

Beauty

Moe (slang)

Ero kawaii

Lolita fashion

Sociology:**

Escapism

Feminization (sociology)

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

^ Diana Lee, "Inside Look at Japanese Cute Culture" (September 1, 2005).

^ ^a ^b ^c Kinsella, Sharon. 1995. "Cuties in Japan" [1] accessed August 1, 2009.

^ See [2] URL accessed February 11, 2009.

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Cute Inc.". WIRED. December 1999. http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/7.12/cute.html.

^ Business Week, "In Japan, Cute Conquers All".

^ Japan Post site showing mailbox mascot. URL accessed April 19, 2006.

^ The New Yorker "FACT: SHOPPING REBELLION: What the kids want". Retrieved on 2006-04-19 from http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?020318fa_FACT.

^ Time Asia: "Arts: Kwest For Kawaii". Retrieved on 2006-04-19 from http://www.time.com/time/asia/arts/magazine/0,9754,131022,00.html.

^ ^a ^b ^c Quotes and paraphrases from: Yuri Kageyama (June 14, 2006). "Cuteness a hot-selling commodity in Japan". Associated Press. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/14/AR2006061401122.html.

^ [3] _The Japanese Self in Cultural Logic_ by Takei Sugiyama Libre, c. 2004 University of Hawaii Press, ISBN 0824828402, p. 86.

^ Cute Power! Asia Is In Love With Japan's Pop Culture. From Pokemon To Puffy, Japanese Stuff Is Oh, So 'Q!' Stock Up On Those Hello Kitty Dumplings.

^ Salon.com: "Gwen Stefani neuters Japanese street fashion to create spring's must-have accessory: Giggling geisha!". URL accessed April 19, 2006.

[edit] Additional reading

Asia Times: The cat who turned kawaii into cash (book review)

Chanpon: Hello Kitty has no mouth

International Herald Tribune: Tokyo's fantasy cafés

New York Times: The Cute Factor

Sociologist Sharon Kinsella's analysis of the origins of kawaii

Taipei Times: How 'kawaii'!

Time Asia: Young Japan: She's a material girl

What is the effect of the Fantabulous Kawaii Gizmos, Wireless Privacy Daemons & Orientalism

Shiokawa, Kanako. "Cute But Deadly: Women and Violence in Japanese Comics". Themes and Issues in Asian Cartooning: Cute, Cheap, Mad and Sexy. Ed. John A. Lent. Bowling Green, Kentucky: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1999. 93–125. ISBN 0-87972-779-9.

"You are doing burikko!: Censoring/scrutinizing artificers of cute femininity in Japanese," Laura Miller in Gender, and Ideology: Cultural Models and Real People, edited by Janet Shibamoto Smith and Shigeko Okamoto, Oxford University Press, 2004. In Japanese.

TheAge.Com: "Japan smitten by love of cute"

kawaii-items-and-toys

My Melody

Hello Kitty

Hello Kitty

Contents

[edit] In media

[edit] Television series

[edit] Video games

[edit] Products

[edit] Establishments

[edit] Reception

[edit] Cultural references

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Sanrio

Sanrio

Contents

Locations

Sanrio characters

Filmography

Publishing

Further reading

External links

Miffy

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Miffy Story Books

[edit] Miffy & Friends

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Pikachu

Contents

Concept and creation

Characteristics

Appearances

In the video games

In the anime

In other Pokémon media

Cultural impact

Background

In popular culture

Pikachurin

Notes

Cuteness in Japanese culture

Cuteness in Japanese culture

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Prevalence

[edit] Perception in Japan

[edit] Linguistics

[edit] Influence on other cultures

[edit] See also

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

[edit] Additional reading