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Chibi, also known as super deformation (SD), is a style of caricature originating in Japan, and common in anime and manga where characters are drawn in an exaggerated way, typically small and chubby with stubby limbs, oversized heads, and minimal detail. The style has found its way into the anime and manga fandom through its usage in manga works and merchandising.
The English term "chibi" derives from the Japanese chibi kyara (ちびキャラ, 'tiny character'),[ citation needed ] where chibi ( ちび ) is a colloquial word for very short people and children, itself deriving from chibiru ( 禿びる , v. 'to wear down'), [1] and kyara ( キャラ ) is loaned from the English "character". [2]
"Super deformed" and "S.D." come from Japanese deforume ( デフォルメ , 'stylistic distortion'), itself from French déformer . [3]
Compared to the average anime character, usually about seven to eight heads tall, [4] the head of a super-deformed character is normally anywhere between one third and one half the character's height. [5] In addition to their modified proportions, super-deformed characters typically lack the detail of their normal counterparts. As a result, when a character of average proportions is depicted as a super-deformed character, certain aspects of their design will be simplified and others will be more exaggerated. Details such as folds on a jacket are ignored, and general shapes are favored. If a character has a signature characteristic (odd hair, a particular accessory, etc.) this will typically be prominent in the super deformed version of the character. [6]
The Chibi style easily falls under the Japanese category of Kawaii, with the specific proportions being exaggerated in the ways that they are. With it being as cute as it is, the Chibi style allows for easy advertisement in the culture, and even in other countries. [7]
One example of chibi's usage in Japanese, which brought the term to the attention of Western fans, is Chibiusa; this diminutive pet name for the daughter of Sailor Moon comes from Chibi Usagi ('Little Rabbit'). [8] The chibi art style is part of Japanese culture, [9] [10] [11] and is seen everywhere from advertising and subway signs to anime and manga. The style was popularized by franchises like Dragon Ball and SD Gundam in the 1980s. It is used as comic relief in anime and manga, giving additional emphasis to a character's emotional reaction.
The super deformed style has also appeared in anime-influenced American series such as Homestuck , Teen Titans and Avatar: The Last Airbender , which feature super deformed shorts. [12] It also appeared in French-Canadian shows such as Totally Spies! and Martin Mystery .
The main character of the manga, and later several anime adaptations, Astro Boy, is an early example of the evolving chibi style. Created in 1952, the chibi style was not yet what was known as today, and yet some of the characteristics were beginning to emerge. Astro Boy has the usage of exaggerated features, like very large eyes, round heads, and small rounded limbs, and as these features lend themselves well to it, this style is often used to represent children and child-like characters like Astro Boy.
Perhaps the most renowned use of the style is in the Hello Kitty character. An anthropomorphic cat with a head bigger than her body created in 1974 for a coin purse, Hello Kitty is one of Japan's biggest icons being featured in series, music, games, and books.
In May 2016, Rooster Teeth released the first episode of RWBY Chibi , a 3D animated series of shorts involving the characters popularized by their show RWBY .
In 2022, Disney Channel introduced the Chibiverse series that uses Disney animated characters.
Anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, anime refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and Japanese, anime describes all animated works, regardless of style or origin. Many works of animation with a similar style to Japanese animation are also produced outside Japan. Video games sometimes also feature themes and art styles that are sometimes labelled as anime.
Kawaii(Japanese: かわいい or 可愛い, [kawaiꜜi]; "cute" or "adorable") is a Japanese cultural phenomenon which emphasizes cuteness, childlike innocence, charm, and simplicity. Kawaii culture began to flourish in the 1970s, driven by youth culture and the rise of cute characters in manga and anime and merchandise, exemplified by the creation of Hello Kitty by Sanrio in 1974. The kawaii aesthetic is characterized by soft or pastel colors, rounded shapes, and features which evoke vulnerability, such as big eyes and small mouths, and has become a prominent aspect of Japanese popular culture, influencing entertainment, fashion, advertising, and product design.
Omake means extra in Japanese. Its primary meaning is general and widespread. It is used as an anime and manga term to mean "extra or bonus". In the United States and United Kingdom the term is most often used in a narrow sense by anime fans to describe special features on DVD releases: deleted scenes, interviews with the actors, "the making of" documentary clips, outtakes, amusing bloopers, and so forth. However, this use of the term actually predates the DVD medium by several years. For at least the past fifty years in Japan, omake of small character figurines and toys have been giveaways that come with soft drinks and candy and sometimes the omake is more desired than the product being sold.
In Japanese popular culture, a bishōjo, also romanized as bishojo or bishoujo, is a cute girl character. Bishōjo characters appear ubiquitously in media including manga, anime, and computerized games, and also appear in advertising and as mascots, such as for maid cafés. An attraction towards bishōjo characters is a key concept in otaku subculture.
SD Gundam is a media franchise that spawned from the Gundam franchise. SD Gundam takes the mecha from Gundam and expresses them in super deformed and anthropomorphic style.
Peach-Pit is a female manga artist duo in Japan, made up of Banri Sendo and Shibuko Ebara. Their group name derives from the diner hangout Peach-Pit from the TV show Beverly Hills, 90210. Although both have similar styles, with some artwork it is possible to identify which artist drew it. Both are known for their bishōjo styled works.
Chibi Maruko-chan is a manga series written and illustrated by Momoko Sakura. The series depicts the simple, everyday life of Momoko Sakura, a young girl everyone calls Maruko, and her family in suburban Japan in the year 1974. Maruko is a troublemaker, and every episode recounts Maruko's trouble and how she and her friends succeed in solving the situation. The series is set in the former of Irie District (入江町), Shimizu, now part of Shizuoka City, birthplace of its author.
Momoko Sakura was the pen name of a Japanese manga artist from Shimizu, Shizuoka Prefecture. She was best known as the creator of the long-running manga Chibi Maruko-chan.
Japanese manga has developed a visual language or iconography for expressing emotion and other internal character states. This drawing style has also migrated into anime, as many manga stories are adapted into television shows and films.
Japanese popular culture includes Japanese cinema, cuisine, television programs, anime, manga, video games, music, and doujinshi, all of which retain older artistic and literary traditions; many of their themes and styles of presentation can be traced to traditional art forms. Contemporary forms of popular culture, much like the traditional forms, are not only forms of entertainment but also factors that distinguish contemporary Japan from the rest of the modern world. There is a large industry of music, films, and the products of a huge comic book industry, among other forms of entertainment. Game centers, bowling alleys, and karaoke parlors are well-known hangout places for teens while older people may play shogi or go in specialized parlors. Since the end of the US occupation of Japan in 1952, Japanese popular culture has been influenced by American media. However, rather than being dominated by American products, Japan localised these influences by appropriating and absorbing foreign influences into local media industries. Today, Japanese popular culture stands as one of the most prominent and influential popular cultures around the world.
Shugo Chara!, also known as My Guardian Characters, is a Japanese shōjo manga series created by the manga author duo, Peach-Pit. The story centers on elementary school girl Amu Hinamori, whose popular exterior, referred to as "cool and spicy" by her classmates, contrasts with her introverted personality. When Amu wishes for the courage to be reborn as her would-be self, she is surprised to find three colorful eggs the next morning, which hatch into three Guardian Characters: Ran, Miki, and Su.
Chibi most often refers to:
Hidekazu Himaruya , also romanized as Hidekaz Himaruya, is a Japanese manga artist best known for his manga series Hetalia: Axis Powers.
CB Chara Nagai Go World is an original video animation based in the works of Go Nagai. It was originally released from February 21, 1991 to June 27, 1991 in three episodes. Following the same concept, a oneshot manga by Nagai was released in 1992.
Chibisan Date is a manga series by Hidekaz Himaruya. The series chronicles the story of Seiji Chiga, a young man from Japan studying to become an artist on the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts, and his interactions with his new friends, during the 1960s.
Chibi Devi! is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiromu Shinozuka. It was serialized in Shogakukan's shōjo manga magazine Ciao from May 2008 to November 2014, with its chapters collected in eleven tankōbon volumes. It is about a middle school girl who discovers a devil baby on her bed one day. The manga was adapted into a seventy-five episode anime television series by SynergySP which aired in Japan from October 2011 to February 2014.
RWBY is an American anime-influenced 3D computer-animated web series created by Monty Oum for Rooster Teeth. It is set in the fictional world of Remnant, where young people train to become warriors to protect their world from monsters called Grimm. The name RWBY is derived from the four main protagonists' forenames: Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long, and their respective thematic colors.
Yuru-chara is a Japanese term for a category of mascot characters; usually created to promote a place or region, event, organisation or business. They are characterized by their kawaii (cute) and unsophisticated designs, often incorporating motifs that represent local culture, history or produce. They may be created by local government or other organizations to stimulate tourism and economic development, or created by a company to build on their corporate identity. They may appear as costumed characters at promotional events and festivals. Yuru-chara has become a popular and lucrative business, with character-driven sales reaching nearly $16 billion in Japan in 2012.
Studio Puyukai is a Japanese animation studio that specializes in chibi-style anime.
Chibi Godzilla Raids Again is a Japanese short anime television series in Toho's Godzilla franchise. Produced by Pie in the Sky and Toho, the first season aired on TV Tokyo and on YouTube as a web series from April to June 2023. The second season premiered on April 3, 2024. The show takes place on Monster Island, which is inhabited by small chibi-style kaiju from the franchise.
