Originally, I was writing a guide on modifying DDR soft mats, but I found that many people encountered this concept for the first time in the post I made yesterday.
When I first became a shut-in, this was basic knowledge, but explaining the differences between these two could fill a book. I don't intend to rush through the content of these two cultures, so I will try to explain clearly and concisely before I finish work.
Why Moe ≠ Kawaii
Moe#
There are many theories about the origin of moe, with the most accepted one being that in the late 1980s, Japanese people mistyped "燃え" (moe) as "萌え" (moe), so the initial usage of moe was to express strong affection or obsession.
It is a verb.
In Chinese, it translates to a usage similar to "A 萌到 B 了" (A is so moe that B...).
Of course, nowadays, moe is commonly used as a noun, exclamation, or adjective, which is why moe is easily mixed up with kawaii (可爱).
In modern usage, moe refers to feeling a certain cute characteristic from a character. This concept is quite abstract, but what is considered moe varies for each person; it is a very subjective thing.
Kawaii (可愛い)#
Kawaii in Chinese means "adorable or lovable."
Examples of usage include:
- "The puppy is very cute."
- "The police officer is a lovable person."
Of course, in modern usage, the meaning of kawaii in Chinese has gradually been influenced by Japanese kawaii culture. However, the expression of admiration seems to exist only in Chinese. I won't elaborate further.
Differences Between the Two#
From this, you can see the fundamental differences between moe and kawaii.
- The scope of moe is broader; it is not limited to just cute people. You can feel moe from someone who is not cute or even repulsive (for example, you can find moe in many infamous historical figures in the history community).
- The application of moe is narrower; the focus of moe is on people, so moe does not occur with inorganic objects, such as a chair, a phone, or a computer. However, if you attribute human qualities to these objects or see some human traits in them, you can also develop moe feelings towards an object. Kawaii, on the other hand, can be applied to a wide variety of things.
Moe Culture vs. Kawaii Culture#
On a cultural level, the intersection between the two is even less. Here’s a very good example:
Moe Songs (萌えソング) vs. Kawaii Music
Moe music is part of Akihabara culture, representing various theme songs from beautiful girl games, anime theme songs, idol music, etc. The producers you might think of include Mosaic Wave, avenew, and so on.
Kawaii, when used in music styles, initially involved a group of Japanese people incorporating various 2D samples into their electronic music, which later came to be considered kawaii sounds. This trend began to develop in the early 2010s, and you might think of artists like yumoni and emocosine in this music culture.
You will find that these songs have little in common culturally.
Many in China who claim to make moe music never touch beautiful girl game music or wave music, instead calling their kawaii music moe music. This reflects the high level of misuse of the term moe in China.
After reading this article, do you have a different perspective on moe and kawaii? Feel free to let the editor know in the comments, as the editor is about to finish work.