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Chibi, also known as super deformation, or S.D. 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.
Hello Kitty, also known by her real name Kitty White, is a fictional character created by Yuko Shimizu, currently designed by Yuko Yamaguchi, and owned by the Japanese company Sanrio. Sanrio depicts Hello Kitty as an anthropomorphized white cat with a red bow and no visible mouth. According to her backstory, she lives in a London suburb with her family, and is close to her twin sister Mimmy, who is depicted with a yellow bow.
Shotacon, abbreviated from Shōtarō complex, is, in Japanese contexts, the attraction to young boy characters, or media centered around this attraction. The term refers to a genre of manga and anime wherein prepubescent or pubescent male characters are depicted in a suggestive or erotic manner, whether in the obvious role of object of attraction, or the less apparent role of "subject".
Astro Boy, known in Japan by its original name Mighty Atom, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Osamu Tezuka. It was serialized in Kobunsha's Shōnen from 1952 to 1968. The 112 chapters were collected into 23 tankōbon volumes by Akita Shoten. Dark Horse Comics published an English translation in 2002. The story follows Astro Boy, an android young boy with human emotions who is created by Umataro Tenma after the recent death of his son Tobio. Eventually, Astro is sold to a robot circus run by Hamegg, but is saved from his servitude by Professor Ochanomizu. Astro becomes a surrogate son to Ochanomizu who creates a robotic family for Astro and helps him to live a normal life like an average human boy, while accompanying him on adventures.
Kawaii(Japanese: かわいい or 可愛い, IPA:[kawaiꜜi]; 'lovely', 'loveable', 'cute', or 'adorable') is the culture of cuteness in Japan. It can refer to items, humans, and non-humans that are charming, vulnerable, shy, and childlike. Examples include cute handwriting; certain genres of manga and anime; and characters such as Hello Kitty, as well as Pikachu from Pokémon.
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.
Osamu Tezuka's Star System is the name given to the recurring characters in manga created by manga artist Osamu Tezuka. Throughout his career, Tezuka frequently re-used the same character designs or names in different roles across his series; for example, the character Shunsaku Ban appears as a detective in Metropolis and as Astro Boy's teacher in Astro Boy. The name alludes to the Hollywood practice of the star system, and can be seen as analogous to film directors who work with the same actors across multiple movies; Tezuka joked about how much his characters were paid, and occasionally based them on famous western actors.
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.
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.
Japanification is the process of becoming or wishing to become a member of Japanese society. It most commonly refers to expats living for an extended period of time in Japan, though it may also be used to describe persons living outside Japan who have a certain affinity to some aspect of Japanese culture. Cultural assimilation could include adoption of Japanese mannerisms, style of clothing, taste in entertainment, and sometimes aspects of Japanese language.
Japanese manga has developed its own 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. While this article addresses styles from both types of output, the emphasis here is on the manga origins for these styles.
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:
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.
RWBY Chibi is an American animated comedy web series produced by Rooster Teeth Animation for Rooster Teeth. It is a spin-off of RWBY, where each episode consists of several scenes where aspects of RWBY's characters are usually exaggerated for comic effect. The series was first announced as part of Rooster Teeth's 13th Anniversary celebration on April 1, 2016 and premiered May 7. In January 2017, Rooster Teeth confirmed that the second season's premiere would be later in that year on May 13 on Rooster Teeth and May 20 on YouTube. A third season premiered on January 27, 2018, on Rooster Teeth and February 3, 2018 on YouTube. Following the conclusion of the third season, the series would go on an indefinite hiatus.
Studio Puyukai is a Japanese animation studio that specializes in chibi-style anime.
Otomechikku or otome-chikku is a subgenre of shōjo manga that emerged in the 1970s. Stories in the subgenre focus on the lives and exploits of protagonists who are ordinary Japanese teenage girls, a narrative style that emerged in response to the ascendance of exotic, glamorous, and internationally focused shōjo manga throughout the decade. Otomechikku is most commonly associated with manga published in the magazine Ribon, and is noted by critics for its influence on the aesthetic of kawaii.
