Kawaii is a word used, in the context of Japanese popular culture, to
describe something as cute. Hello Kitty and Rilakkuma are two Japanese
characters that fit the bill as kawaii. Seeing toy reviews of these characters
on YouTube brought back memories of when I was into this craze. I felt like I
was revisiting my childhood back when I was 12 years old and visiting relatives
in Hong Kong. I remember looking for all things kawaii in the stores. Back then
I was not aware of the word kawaii. I just remember looking for all things
Hello Kitty and for other Japanese character themed toys.
Of the two characters, I believe
that Hello Kitty is more well-known
in North America. Hello Kitty’s full name is Kitty White. She is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio. She is depicted
as a white Japanese
bobtail cat with a
red bow. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hello_Kitty)
This is Hello Kitty’s storyline:
“Initially known only as "the white kitten with no name", the official character profiles for Hello Kitty now lists her full name as Kitty White, born in the suburbs of London, England on November 1. Her height is described as five apples and her weight as three apples. She is portrayed as a bright and kind-hearted girl, very close to her twin sister Mimmy. She is good at baking cookies and loves Mama's homemade apple pie. She likes to collect cute things and her favorite subjects in school are English, music, and art.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hello_Kitty)
Rilakkuma (a combination
of the Japanese pronunciation of relax and the Japanese word for bear) is a
character designed by Aki Kondo, produced by San-X in 2003. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rilakkuma)
“The factual story for Rilakkuma's being is that he mysteriously appears in the female office lady Kaoru's apartment one day. He is a soft toy bear who has apparently decided to take up residence there. On his back is a zipper which when opened reveals a light blue polka dot patterned material. The reason for the zipper on his back is unknown.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rilakkuma)
Rilakkuma has friends Korilakkuma "a mysterious white bear cub" and Kiiroitori (“yellow bird” in Japanese), a yellow chick who lives at Kaoru’s house. Kiiroitori named her Korilakkuma because she looks like little Rilakkuma ("ko" means a little child in Japanese.). She also mysteriously appeared at Kaoru’s house. She is full of vigor and is very mischievous.
Unlike anime, a form of Japanese cartooning that includes very
detailed adult features, Hello Kitty and Rilakkuma are very “cutesy”, simply
drawn characters. These two characters have faces and bodies that are very
round in nature. There are many circles and ovals and very few sharp angles in
their composition. This gives them a soft appearance that appeals to not only
children but also adults.
There is a lot of merchandise based on
these characters that are available. In Asian countries, they are found in most
stores. Outside of Asia, they can be purchased online. Along with the expected
plush toys and vinyl figures, there are a wide variety of accessories that are
either shaped in these characters or made to accompany these characters. One
thing that is popular is placing these characters in cute and funny situations
such as dressing them as other animals. A peek into the world of Hello Kitty:
Rilakkuma retail therapy:
Although I don’t see myself reigniting
passion for these characters, I do see why others love them. In October, I did some
blind box openings of Hallowe’en edition Hello Kitty vinyl figures. Click on
the following link to read my previous post on this: http://ireneyeema.blogspot.ca/2014/10/yee-ma-opens-her-first-blind-boxes.html . These kawaii characters are so simply drawn yet adorable.
I believe it is the simplicity and softness which make them so appealing to so
many people.
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