Yami Kawaii, which translates into “sickly cute”, provokes two of the most taboo topics in Japan: Depression and Mental Illness. It’s a portmanteau word meaning “sick” and “cute”. It impresses with its combination pastel colors and black design. It has particular motifs that reflect serious issues, and that is why it is interesting for many people.
Why "Yami Kawaii" came into existence
Many people in Japan still consider mental health a taboo subject. It is considered a weakness to seek medical help for mental illness, because people think that it shows weakness. Yami Kawaii is was brought into existence for people who suffer from mental health issues. It aims to help people by bringing these issues out into the open. It is also considered a form of self-expression by its wearers.
The Style essentials of Yami Kawaii Fashion
Yami Kawaii shares some similarities to both Yume and Creepy Cute trends from the mid-2010s, but it’s different enough to stand out. It has its own aspects that set it apart from other styles:
Colors used in Yami Kawaii
Yami Kawaii has a color scheme that is similar to yume kawaii, with pastel colors, especially pastel pink dominating the style. You can use darker colors, like black or dark red, occasionally, but they’re much less noticeable.
Clothes & Patterns
Yami Kawaii fashion has few rules. The motifs of these clothes combine opposing things like cute fonts with depressing texts. For example, a pastel pink t-shirt with bubble letters would say “I want to kill you” or “I want to take drugs.” Images such as guns, prescription pills, and other disturbing themes would be common and have to be included in some form to make it not just cute, but Yami Kawai.
Yami Accessories
Yami Kawaii items often carry off the theme of being creepy, with things such as Bandages, Skulls, Pink Blood, and Gas masks being popular. Sometimes these accessories point more directly towards more dangerous parts of struggling with mental illness. For example, wearing a rope around your neck, or a syringe filled with dripping blood, or gauze wrapped tightly around your wrist.
Yami MakeUp
There is a wide variety of makeup styles that can be worn within the Yami Kawaii brand, but under eye blush seems to be the one most commonly used. Puffy eye bags further enhance the sickly look of red or pink eye makeup.
Artists in the Yami Kawaii Niche
One of the most notable artists within this aesthetic is Kazuhiro Hori, who was not necessarily a pioneer in spreading Yami Kawaii, though he is an artist of the aesthetic nevertheless. He uses nearly all key themes and almost always involves traditional Japanese schoolgirls in unsettling situations that involve innocuous icons, such as teddies, engaging in ominous or even dangerous activities. He also provides an excellent example of the realistic style of art, as opposed to its very anime-styled counterpart.
Iconic Yami Kawaii Character: Menhera-chan
Menhera-chan is a character created by a Japanese artist named Bisuko Ezaki. Mental wellness is the main theme behind Menhera.
Menhera-chan expresses vent art by following a group of cute girls who use magic box cutters to fight evil. You’ll see Menhera in her cute sailor suit; she has adorable features, accessories and twin tails. She has a rabbit friend named Usatan, whose ears resemble medicine capsules. You’ll also find them with two of their relatively like minded, friends, Sabukaru and Yumekawa, and they are called “wrist cut warriors.”
Great examples for Yami Kawaii Accessories
Yami Kawaii Lolita Nurse Dress with Bunny, Bear and Cat Skulls
Black Yami Dress
Red Yami Dress
White Yami Dress
Cinnamoroll Keychain | Evil Cinnamoroll
Cinnamoroll Cute Black
Cinnamoroll Cute Pink
Cinnamoroll Evil Black
Cinnamoroll Evil White
Pink Yami Kawaii Plush Bear
Black Sitting
Black Standing
Pink Sitting
Pink Standing
White Bear
„Yami Kawaii“ Anime Girl Senpai Z Flip Case
1 Z Flip Yami
10 Z Flip Yami
11 Z Flip Yami
12 Z Flip Yami
13 Z Flip Yami
14 Z Flip Yami
15 Z Flip Yami
2 Z Flip Yami
3 Z Flip Yami
4 Z Flip Yami
5 Z Flip Yami
6 Z Flip Yami
7 Z Flip Yami
8 Z Flip Yami
9 Z Flip Yami
