History Main / Kawaiiko

As always, whenever there is a goal like this, there is always someone who overdoes it. The ''kawaiiko'' (literally "cute child"), or ''burikko'' ("fake child" or "pretend(ing) child"), is the case in point. She takes being ''kawaii'' to an almost unhealthy extreme by making it the sole focus of her life. In clothing and fashion, this manifests in frilly, flouncy outfits, often with ribbons and lace. In behavior it appears as a tendency to act childishly "young", particularly in speech -- she may speak entirely in baby talk, giggle mindlessly, habitually [[ThirdPersonPerson refer to herself in the third person]], and/or use nicknames as well as the ''-chan'' {{Honorific|s}} for virtually everyone she encounters. In short, the difference between ''kawaii'' and ''kawaiiko'' is the difference between "cute" and "cutesy". (The difference between ''kawaiiko'' and ''burikko'', however, is the difference between "cutesy" and "[[TastesLikeDiabetes obnoxious]].")

Compare {{Animesque}}, DeliberatelyCuteChild, ManChild (similar trope for men that could also apply to the worst of these cases), and TheFakeCutie. The horrific offspring of TastesLikeDiabetes and {{Moe}}. Contrast RatedMForManly and TestosteronePoisoning.

* Azusa Shiratori from ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' is a living showcase of how ''kawaiiko'' can turn into ''burikko''. She's a teenage girl who speaks like she's barely old enough for grade-school, constantly referring to herself in third-person and applying the "chan" honorific like it's going out of style. When she's focused on the cute, [[TastesLikeDiabetes it's so saccharine it hurts]], but it's won her an enormous fan-base combined with her good looks and snappy dressing. Her most obnoxious trait is stealing various random objects, giving them a "cutesy" name and claiming them as her own -- and being quite willing to beat up anyone who tries to stop her. Her second-most obnoxious trait is that she throws tantrums like a little girl when she doesn't get her way. Weirdly, at times she shows a much more mature and conniving personality, which is how she's become a skilled fighter in [[MartialArtsAndCrafts Martial Arts Figure Skating]], but she also snaps from "serious" to "cute ditz" even when it's to her own disadvantage, so it's clear that her antics are not (entirely) ObfuscatingStupidity.

%% * Saito Ayaka. Anything she does. Apparently, her voice is soft and high-pitched even for a female seiyuu. Her voice is like [[TastesLikeDiabetes nails on a chalkboard]] to Westerners.

* Nayoung of ''Series/KimsConvenience'', who's 18 in her debut appearance, thrives on cute trends that are popular in her home Korea (which also appear to be influenced by Japanese kawaiiko culture). She dresses very cutely and gaudy, even wearing cat ears as casual wear in one appearance (her Korean-Canadian cousin Janet asks if she's cosplaying, and Nayoung thinks she's joking). She has the tendency to insert cute emojis when texting and has an obsession with hand/arm hearts and selfies, often making other people in the photo do it too. She also acts and talks very sweetly, has a fondness for calling Janet ''eonni'' (an affectionate term for one's older sister or older sister figure), and is GenkiGirl and fragile girl by nature. Her kawaiiko ways induces a TastesLikeDiabetes reaction from Janet at first but she eventually gets used to it.

%% * The dubbing of ''Series/IronChef'' had a lot of the young actresses on the tasting panel sound like this, earning them the FanNickname "bimbos du jour".

* Klara from the (Sword-exclusive) Isle of Armor DLC for ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield''. She has [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair fluffy pink hair]] and a [[SignatureHeadgear giant hair bow]], consistently giggles and cutely sways during battle (and when she Dynamaxes her Pokemon, she playfully wags her finger and ''winks''), and occasionally uses outdated expressions like "What a drag!" Seemingly subverted in that she's a [[PoisonIsEvil Poison-]]type trainer, but even then she says that the player's Pokemon would look [[UglyCute "sooooo much cuter with a nice coat of venom!"]]

* Invoked with Akira Kogami in ''Manga/LuckyStar'''s [[ShowWithinAShow Lucky Channel]] is a cutesy, sugary GenkiGirl to the public, and when she gets tired of it, she reverts back to her true personality of [[HatesTheJobLovesTheLimelight a jaded, bitter entertainment industry veteran]].

* C-ko Kotobuki from ''Anime/ProjectAko'' is widely regarded as cute, but also displays the maturity and intelligence of a grade school girl despite being in high school.

* Nayoung of ''Series/KimsConvenience'', who's 18 in her debut appearance, thrives on cute trends that are popular in her home Korea (which also appear to be influenced Japanese kawaiiko culture). She dresses very cutely and gaudy, even wearing cat ears as casual wear in one appearance (her Korean-Canadian cousin Janet asks if she's cosplaying, and Nayoung thinks she's joking). She has the tendency to insert cute emojis when texting and has an obsession with hand/arm hearts and selfies, often making other people in the photo do it too. She also acts and talks very sweetly, has a fondness for calling Janet ''eonni'' (an affectionate term for one's older sister or older sister figure), and is GenkiGirl and FragileGirl by nature. Her kawaiiko ways induces a TastesLikeDiabetes reaction from Janet at first but she eventually gets used to it.

* In ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'', [[AntiHero Kokichi Ouma]] appears [[OlderThanTheyLook younger than he really is]], and uses his looks to his advantage. He plays up his appearance by speaking in a cutesy manner, calling everyone "-chan", and going out of his way to act like a kid. He often displays a child-like excitement over things like the Exisals and the morphing Trial Grounds. While he openly insults and mocks others, especially Miu, he will immediately switch to acting like a threatened child if somebody else insults him. He cries crocodile tears and melodramatically accuses others of being bullies, only to return to normal moments later. Depending on the situation, Ouma seems to do this out of habit, to manipulate others, or to annoy people.

[[folder:Webcomics]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* In the ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'', Jade Sinclair (Generator) makes a point of being distressingly cute and straddling the line between kawaiiko and burikko, in part because she's stuck at the apparent age of 12. This has led to a lot of UncannyValley moments, especially as even if she's fundamentally good at heart, she's also CuteAndPsycho with a body count greater than many supervillains.
[[/folder]]

In Japanese, ''kawaii'' means "cute", but [[{{UsefulNotes/Kawaisa}} the concept has far more overtones than it does in English]] -- and far more power. For many Japanese schoolgirls (and some women), being ''kawaii'' is kind of like being sexy for Western women: it means that they are desirable, attractive and wanted. It becomes a primary goal in their social lives, and success, as measured in the reactions of their peers, [[MenActWomenAre is practically an affirmation of their worth as a woman]].

As always, whenever there is a goal like this, there is always someone who overdoes it. The ''kawaiiko'' (literally "cute child"), or ''burikko'' ("fake child" or "pretend(ing) child"), is the case in point. She takes being ''kawaii'' to an almost unhealthy extreme by making it the sole focus of her life. In clothing and fashion, this manifests in frilly, flouncy outfits, often with ribbons and lace. In behavior it appears as a tendency to act childishly "young", particularly in speech -- she may speak entirely in baby talk, giggle mindlessly, habitually [[ThirdPersonPerson refer to herself in the third person]], and/or use nicknames as well as the ''-chan'' [[{{Honorifics}} Honorific]] for virtually everyone she encounters. In short, the difference between ''kawaii'' and ''kawaiiko'' is the difference between "cute" and "cutesy". (The difference between ''kawaiiko'' and ''burikko'', however, is the difference between "cutesy" and "[[TastesLikeDiabetes obnoxious]].")

%% * ''Anime/MaiHime'': Munakata Shiho is very cute and cheery, but [[ClingyJealousGirl when she gets angry]], she gets ''angry''.

* Spoofed by Japanese porn star Kikouden Misa, who frequently appears on TV as a Kawaiiko parody -- a [[TheDitz ditzy]], cosplay-loving, squeaky-voiced GenkiGirl ''burikko'' called Hakyuun, whose speech is absolutely full of [[VerbalTic Verbal Tics]].

In Japanese, ''kawaii'' means "cute", but [[{{UsefulNotes/Kawaisa}} the concept has far more overtones than it does in English]] -- and far more power. For many Japanese schoolgirls (and some women), being ''kawaii'' is kind of like being sexy for Western women: it means that they are desirable, attractive and wanted. It becomes a primary goal in their social lives, and success, as measured in the reactions of their peers, [[MenActWomenAre is practically an affirmation of their worth as a w oman]].

In Japanese, ''kawaii'' means "cute", but [[{{UsefulNotes/Kawaisa}} the concept has far more overtones than it does in English]] -- and far more power. For many Japanese schoolgirls (and some women), being ''kawaii'' is kind of like being sexy for Western women: it means that they are desirable, attractive and wanted. It becomes a primary goal in their social lives, and success, as measured in the reactions of their peers, [[MenActWomenAre is practically an affirmation of their worth as a female]].

* In ''VisualNovel/NewDanganronpaV3'', [[AntiHero Kokichi Ouma]] appears [[OlderThanTheyLook younger than he really is]], and uses his looks to his advantage. He plays up his appearance by speaking in a cutesy manner, calling everyone "-chan", and going out of his way to act like a kid. He often displays a child-like excitement over things like the Exisals and the morphing Trial Grounds. While he openly insults and mocks others, especially Miu, he will immediately switch to acting like a threatened child if somebody else insults him. He cries crocodile tears and melodramatically accuses others of being bullies, only to return to normal moments later. Depending on the situation, Ouma seems to do this out of habit, to manipulate others, or to annoy people.
* ''VisualNovel/{{Grisaia No Kajitsu}}'': Makina not only [[OlderThanSheLooks looks a lot younger]] than she is, but she also has a very cutesy way of speaking. Yuuji suspects she deliberately plays up the moe part of her personality.

* Ropponmatsu II (the {{Catgirl}} robot, not the adult robot) in ''Manga/ExcelSaga''... which is only to be expected, since she was made by a hardcore {{lolicon}}.

%% * Tamama from ''Manga/SgtFrog'' ... just don't get him mad.

%% * Azusa Shiratori from ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf''.
%% ** Female Ranma sometimes [[WigDressAccent acts like this]] deliberately when [[PaperThinDisguise in disguise]] to fool Ryoga.
%% ** Tsubasa ''tries'' for this, but tends more towards YouWereTryingTooHard. But, of course [[spoiler:he's a he]] and has slightly warped ideas of what's cute.

%% * Ran from ''Anime/UruseiYatsura'' is a {{Yandere}} who acts like a Kawaiiko when she's trying to look good.

%% * An overbearing agent attempts to force tough-girl thrash rocker Priss Asagiri into going ''kawaiiko'' in an attempt to sell her as an idol singer in ''[[Anime/BubblegumCrisis Bubblegum Crash]]''. It doesn't work.

%% * Ropponmatsu II (the {{Catgirl}} robot, not the adult robot) in ''Manga/ExcelSaga''.

%% * Akira Kogami in ''Manga/LuckyStar'''s [[ShowWithinAShow Lucky Channel]] is a cutesy, sugary GenkiGirl to the public, and when she gets tired of it, she reverts back to her true personality of [[HatesTheJobLovesTheLimelight a jaded, bitter entertainment industry veteran]].
%% * A challenge for fans of ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'': Find one of Sakura's Tomoyo-designed costumes, even one, that doesn't push the Kawaiiko content to {{Glurge}}-worthy proportions. To be fair, though, Sakura doesn't seem any happier about wearing them.

%% * C-ko Kotobuki from ''Anime/ProjectAko.''

%% * Cadpig from ''Disney/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians: The Series''.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

In some cases, the decision to go ''kawaiiko'' is a not a desperate plea for social acceptance but a calculated step intended to further a career goal as an IdolSinger -- for which [[NotAllowedToGrowUp lacy, frilly cutesiness appears to be required]] by the Japanese music industry.

[[quoteright:252:[[Webcomic/AngelMoxie https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kawaiiko.png]]]]

[[quoteright:273:[[Webcomic/AngelMoxie https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kawaiiko1.gif]]]]

%% Caption removed per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1568081488038691900

[[caption-width-right:273:Wait until you hear her [[CuteButCacophonic talk...]]]]

[[folder:Viusal Novels]]

* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' had the AlphaBitch Paulina declaring she wants to be as cute as the Kawaiiko ''[[HelloKitty Sayonara Pussycat]]''. She gets her wish... and is dolled up in the cutest, [[SuperDeformed chibiest]] look ''ever'' when Desiree grants her wish in the episode "What You Want". The ghost possessing Paulina also makes her bigger and stronger the more people that pay attention to her as well as hypnotizing people to force them to love her (though it doesn't go very far).

* Azusa Shiratori from ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf''.
** Female Ranma sometimes [[WigDressAccent acts like this]] deliberately when [[PaperThinDisguise in disguise]] to fool Ryoga.
** Tsubasa ''tries'' for this, but tends more towards YouWereTryingTooHard. But, of course [[spoiler:he's a he]] and has slightly warped ideas of what's cute.
* Tamama from ''Manga/SgtFrog'' ... just don't get him mad.
* Hikaru "Rabi~en~Rose" Usada from ''Anime/DiGiCharat'' is a subversion -- like other ''Anime/DiGiCharat'' characters, she's [[{{Yandere}} sweet on the outside, but petty and overbearing on the inside]] (not to discount her moments of genuine niceness; those happen too).
* Ran from ''Anime/UruseiYatsura'' is a {{Yandere}} who acts like a Kawaiiko when she's trying to look good.

* An overbearing agent attempts to force tough-girl thrash rocker Priss Asagiri into going ''kawaiiko'' in an attempt to sell her as an idol singer in ''[[Anime/BubblegumCrisis Bubblegum Crash]]''. It doesn't work.
* Lillith from ''VisualNovel/YamiToBoushiToHonNoTabibito''.
* Ropponmatsu II (the {{Catgirl}} robot, not the adult robot) in ''Manga/ExcelSaga''.
* ''Anime/ParanoiaAgent'': Anything ''kawaii'' turns out to be life-threatening, and anything that is merely sweet turns out to be merely dangerous.
* Amane Misa from ''Manga/DeathNote'', who is also [[{{Yandere}} a psychotic killer]]. Who kills [[MadLove for love]]. Although, being an idol and all, she has an excuse.
* ''Anime/MaiHime'': Munakata Shiho is very cute and cheery, but [[ClingyJealousGirl when she gets angry]], she gets ''angry''.
* Akira Kogami in ''Manga/LuckyStar'''s [[ShowWithinAShow Lucky Channel]] is a cutesy, sugary GenkiGirl to the public, and when she gets tired of it, she reverts back to her true personality of [[HatesTheJobLovesTheLimelight a jaded, bitter entertainment industry veteran]].
* A challenge for fans of ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'': Find one of Sakura's Tomoyo-designed costumes, even one, that doesn't push the Kawaiiko content to {{Glurge}}-worthy proportions. To be fair, though, Sakura doesn't seem any happier about wearing them.
* Similar to Nermal, Chi from ''Manga/ChisSweetHome''. She's more of a kawaiiko, though, because she's naive about it.
* Both Suzu Sakuma and Miki Koishikawa in ''Manga/MarmaladeBoy''.
* Quattro of ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers'', a {{Meganekko}} who looks all cutesy, speaks all cutesy, and acts all cutesy. Naturally, she's turns out to be [[SmugSnake the evil]], [[{{Sadist}} nasty]] [[TheSociopath one]] of the [[QuirkyMinibossSquad Numbers]].
* C-ko Kotobuki from ''Anime/ProjectAko.''
* [[Manga/ChocottoSister Choco]] is downright adorable.
* Marilyn from ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'', except that she's more obsessed with cute Pokémon.

* Yugi Mutou in the English dub anime of ''Anime/YuGiOh'' has traits of this. He is fifteen year old, but acts like a seven-year old sometimes. In [[Anime/YuGiOhFirstAnimeSeries season 0]], his eyes are bigger and he's voiced by a girl...
** Also in season 0, Miho was this to ''burikko'' extents.
* Natsuru Senou from ''LightNovel/{{Kampfer}}'', when in female form.
* Eco from ''Manga/PlusSi'' is a [[GenderInvertedTrope male example]].
* LLENN from ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnlineAlternativeGunGaleOnline'', who started playing GGO specifically because she was given a short and cute avatar. She then goes out of her way to act cute in-game, customizing [[PinkMeansFeminine all of her clothes to that of pink]].

* Wakana Sonozaki from ''Series/KamenRiderDouble'' in her DJ job.
** Himeka from the Nightmare Dopant arc.
* Kelly Kapoor from ''Series/TheOfficeUS'' seems to have a large dose of this in her character makeup.
* Saito Ayaka. Anything she does. Apparently, her voice is soft and high-pitched even for a female seiyuu. Her voice is like [[TastesLikeDiabetes nails on a chalkboard]] to Westerners.
* The dubbing of ''Series/IronChef'' had a lot of the young actresses on the tasting panel sound like this, earning them the FanNickname "bimbos du jour".
* Traci Van Horn of ''Series/HannahMontana'', at least in the episode [[CluelessAesop "No Sugar Sugar"]], in which she hosts a sweet sixteen birthday party ("emphasis on ''sweet''") despite being two years past the deadline. She seems to be pushing herself as some childish brand of trying really-too-hard to be sexy, as she proceeds to simper about in a saccharine, disturbingly coquettish manner, waving an oversized rainbow lollipop in Oliver's face while flirting with him. He's more interested in the lollipop, but who could blame the guy?
* Bernadette on ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' wears floral skirts, has an adorable squeaky voice, and could provide a page image for FunSize; it's easy to forget she's a freaking genius microbiologist with an interest physics, CuteButCacophonic, and a CovertPervert. While a lot of the cuteness is genuine, she's a RaisedCatholic CulturalRebel and thus a bit of a SeeminglyWholesomeFiftiesGirl.

* Lina, the yellow archer from ''VideoGame/RivieraThePromisedLand'', is concentrated {{Kawaiiko}}.
* Alice from ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphoniaDawnOfTheNewWorld'', who is also a sadist and even has an overly cutesy looking ''riding crop''.
* ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyJusticeForAll'' has, in the third case "Turnabout Big Top" a 16 year old girl with big eyes and blonde hair.. Who is so cute she's gotten several marriage proposals (one by a '''36''' year old!), and has the titular Phoenix Wright and his plucky sidekick ''powerless'' to decline a request of finding her outfit (as shown in the ButThouMust page). ... Err, her other outfit.
* Nao in ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou''. She even asks you to call her Nao-Nao. ''For short''.
* Momo from VideoGame/RivalSchools. To the point of intentional parody.

* Candi Shugari in ''Webcomic/AngelMoxie'', pictured above.
* Joan in ''Webcomic/NamirDeiter''.
* Rumy in ''Webcomic/{{Fans}}'' originally dressed in a Japanese anime-style schoolgirl uniform and wore bangs over her eyes--until she realized that people could see her underwear whenever she went into battle, or grab her hair in a fight. She has since cut her hair short and started wearing karate gi in the field. [[http://www.pennyandaggie.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2365 T. Campbell wrote in response to fans who were upset at her new look]]:
-->On the day Rumy changed her hairstyle to something that wouldn't present such a tactical weakness, she was a little sad, feeling like something was lost. And she imagined her mother-- whom she hasn't spoken to for longer than ten minutes in years-- saying, "But dear, your hair looks so kawaii!" And then, the anger of a misspent childhood renewed in her heart, Rumy replied to her imagination, "Kawaii is for the lazy."
* Duchess Lettie in ''Webcomic/AMagicalRoommate''. The fans honestly can't decide whether she's kawaiiko or burikko. All we know is that she thinks she's living HappilyEverAfter, despite having a daughter [[RebelliousPrincess who hates her]] and another [[SpoiledBrat everybody hates.]]
* Take a [[http://www.errantstory.com/2006-02-20/477 look]] at the character "Kawaii" in ''Webcomic/ErrantStory'', then decide for yourself whether she's [[PlayingWithATrope a deconstruction, subversion, inversion, perversion, or simply so weird that you can't describe her]]. Yeah, that last one fits.

* Nermal from ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' and the animated series ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'' is a Western "burikko" example, in that he ([[ViewerGenderConfusion yes, Nermal is male]]) calls himself the "World's Cutest Kitten" and forever annoys Garfield with his antics, and is often shipped off to Abu Dhabi -- [[TheCatCameBack but somehow always finds his way back]].
** Nermal is also much OlderThanHeLooks and deliberately drinks ridiculous amounts of coffee to stunt his growth.
* [[WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}} Dot Warner]] might be a Western example of a kawaiiko, as she constantly brags about her cuteness to the point of having an ''entire song'' titled "I'm Cute", and being referred to in the theme song as the "cute" one.
* The Brain, of all characters, assumes a kawaiiko persona in the ''WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain'' episode "Whatever Happened to Baby Brain?" He accomplishes this by wearing contact lenses, fake dimples, and long curls. It's a PaperThinDisguise.

%%* Deedee from ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory''.
%%* Cadpig from ''Disney/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians: The Series''.
* The titular character of ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' can be considered a Western "burriko" example, as he has feminine-looking eyelashes, tends to annoy Squidward with his antics, [[FriendToAllLivingThings loves animals]], and acts generally cheerful all-around. This was taken UpToEleven in the Season 4-9 episodes.
* The [[TheDitz ditzy]], [[GenkiGirl genki]], and constantly [[{{Squee}} squeeing]] Katie and Sadie from ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama''.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'': The title character is obsessed with cuteness and puts a lot of emphasis on being "cute", and being seen as such.

* This trope appears in Taiwan as well as Japan.
** This is the primary schtick of Taiwan's Regine Lee, host of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGwhtUiWaVU Diamond Club]], despite the fact that her voice is very far from squeaky.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8UpfOe8s3A Guo Shuyao aka YaoYao,]] is closer to the intended age. Maybe too close.
** The soft-spoken and equally leggy model Lin Chiling (of ''Film/RedCliff'' fame) was often accused of this, but actually fits [[YamatoNadeshiko a completely different Japanese demographic.]]
* The perceived relationship between LoliconAndShotacon and {{Kawaiiko}} is undermined by ElegantGothicLolita style. While it does appear to Western sensibilities to incorporate some measure of LoliconAndShotacon, the style, along with most other Lolita styles (Sweet Lolita, Classic Lolita, Punk Lolita, Trash Lolita, etc.) intentionally de-emphasizes sexuality in opposition to the perceived over-emphasis on Lolicon trends in Japanese culture. Only one style, Erololi, consciously combines cuteness and sensuality; and that was a Western-originated style that was based on a misunderstanding of the original Lolita Fashion which was later adopted back into Japan. While a related and [[NightmareFuel very deranged]] style, Gurololi, may seem to also be an Erololi offshoot, it was intended to be more disturbing and classic kawaii than erotic.