In The Power of Cute Simon May posits that “cute” is a modern-day iteration of the Renaissance archetype of the monstrous.
Kawaii
Posted inFilm
Cute Cartoon Animals Cope with Office Drudgery in Aggretsuko
The new Netflix series, based on characters developed by Hello Kitty creator Sanrio, subverts the fantastical expectations of most anime narratives.
Posted inOpinion
Sculpted from the Foam: A Kitty in Your Coffee Cup
Crafting delicate leaves or willowy hearts is something of a coffee art standard, but a barista in Japan is sculpting designs that creep out in three dimensions from the coffee foam. Kazuki Yamamoto uses just a pin, a spoon, and infinite patience (and ideally, not allowing for the coffee to get cold) to turn the frothed milk into smiling cats that bound from one cup to the next to bat at goldfish, long-necked giraffes, rabbits hunting carrots, and anime characters.
Posted inArt
A Harajuku Cinderella Story
This week’s Video Column pick had me at the abstract flatulence. Kyary (aka きゃり or Carrie) started as a Japanese fashion blogger, became a Harajuku fashion mag model, launched a line of fake eyelashes and now (since last month) she’s a Jpop phenom. What’s not to love?
Posted inBooks
Artist’s Hearts for Sale
In addition to a thriving street art practice that includes putting hearts and cute doodle faces on everything from farm silos to city walls, artist Chris Uphues also makes little printed goods. This week, we’re checking out two of Uphues’ zines as well as a selection of day-glo colored hearts printed on stiff cardboard stock. Kind of like a warped version of a kindergarten bulletin board, these little mementos are sweet but not without their creepy side. A zine made up on Uphues’ doodles on paint chip cards, ranging from pink to yellow to green, blue and purple, has more than a few scenes of freaky psychedelia, a softer version of Kenny Scharf’s zaniness.