In April 2022, the animated series “Chiikawa” began airing in Japan and quickly gained popularity in China, attracting a large number of fans among young people on the mainland.
In March of this year, the first pop-up store event of “Chiikawa” was held in Shanghai. Even before the opening, hundreds of fans lined up, and on the first day, sales reached 2.68 million yuan in just 10 hours. In a pop-up store in Beijing, a female college student excitedly expressed her desire to sleep with the stuffed toy.
The high sales figures and fans’ love in such a short period of time reflect the offline popularity of “Chiikawa”.
With its “small and cute” cartoon characters and a series of short stories less than two minutes long per episode, this Japanese drama conveys elements of courage, friendship, and mutual assistance. Many young Chinese people who have just graduated or found their first job have found a reflection of their lives in this series.
Currently, the hashtag #chiikawa# on Weibo has reached 660 million reads and 429,000 discussions. “Chiikawa” has become a cultural phenomenon, sparking discussions in both domestic and foreign media.
An article in Nikkei Asia pointed out that these adorable characters live in a natural environment, fighting monsters twice their size to protect the environment. They also need to acquire knowledge of weed control, pass exams for higher-level certificates, and earn money. Perhaps it is this mindset that resonates with young Chinese people and “Chiikawa”.
“The brave come out before the tears” has also become a popular meme from the series.
In Chinese media reports, “Chiikawa” has been referred to as a product of the secondary dimension culture and “electronic ibuprofen”. “Secondary dimension” refers to a two-dimensional space relative to the three-dimensional real world, and ibuprofen is a special cold medicine.
Previously, characters like Rilakkuma, Sanrio characters, Butter Bear, Line Dog, and Loopy have been dubbed as the new “electronic ibuprofen” among young people.
In the Douban discussion area, users wrote, “Electronic ibuprofen makes you feel better” and “A new type of drug that heals the body and mind in a digital form”.
According to Chinese media reports, fans have referred to secondary dimension culture as “seed” and “medicine”. “Seed” also known as “goods” refers to peripheral products in the secondary dimension field, and “eating seeds” means purchasing peripheral products. “Medicine” refers to “electronic ibuprofen”, indicating electronic media products that can relieve psychological pain, not limited to just “Chiikawa”.
The concepts of “seed” and “medicine” reflect that the secondary dimension culture is no longer just a pastime or embellishment but has become a common life necessity. Consuming “seeds” and “medicine” is an effective way to combat various external and internal pressures in the real world.
When fans posted photos of the upcoming flash sale of “Chiikawa” at the Shanghai pop-up store on social media, on the evening of the 28th at 10 PM, fans were already queuing up at the venue, some even bringing blankets.
Some commentators believe that the generous spending and enthusiasm of young people on the secondary dimension culture should be viewed not as a strange spectacle but from the perspectives of social and economic transformation.
European commentator Loen stated that in recent years, the Chinese Communist Party often mentions “a hundred years of change”, “surging waves”, “dare to fight and fight”, and young people in China are facing enormous changes similar to the Cultural Revolution.
He said that under the guise of regime security, the CCP has increased its harsh control and crackdown on the private economy, culture, and society, blocking channels that connect to civil society. In the cultural field, state media vigorously promote anti-Japanese and anti-American sentiments, spy-catching movements, palace struggles, and the CCP’s fighting philosophy.
As the Chinese economy slows down, the youth unemployment rate has skyrocketed. In June 2023, the unemployment rate among the Chinese population aged 16 to 24 exceeded 21%. In May this year, the youth unemployment rate was 14.2%, about three times the overall urban unemployment rate. Loen said that all these factors have caused young people to lose confidence, and terms like “lying flat” and “doing nothing” have become popular among them.
Some commentators believe that unlike the previous generation that solely focused on the product’s practical functionality when making purchasing decisions, many young people now value “interest consumption” and “emotional resonance”. The emotional experience, attitude towards life, and values associated with the product are equally important.
Loen believes that the kindness, resilience, and triumph of justice over evil embodied in the animated character of “Chiikawa” reflect the innate goodness of Chinese young people, which is fundamentally different from the CCP’s promoted notions of “surging waves” and “dare to fight and fight”.
“With its two-dimensional virtual cartoon image, ‘Chiikawa’ subtly expresses the young people’s deep inner non-acceptance of the CCP’s dictatorship,” he said.
Political commentator Li Linyi believes that one of the reasons why some young people in China idolize “Chiikawa” is the cute cartoon image it presents. However, behind this trend lies a sense of helplessness.
Li Linyi stated that as the mainland economy in China worsens, many young people, including college students, struggle to find jobs and lead dull lives. The need for entertainment is met with the constant crackdown on certain forms of entertainment like “script killing” by the CCP, promoting its own set of ideologies. The emergence of “Chiikawa” in such a scenario naturally draws the attention of many young people, offering a glimpse of comfort in their frustrating lives. Ultimately, the root cause lies in the lack of prospects under the governance of the CCP.