# Yami-Kawaii (Sick-Cute) > A darker variant of kawaii that keeps pastel pinks, lavenders and rounded characters but fills them with medical and self-harm motifs: pills, syringes, razor blades, bandages and tears. Drawn as cute stickers and goods, it is both ironic and sad, and observers disagree whether it opens talk about mental health or glamorises illness. - Period: 2013–present - Where: East Asia, Global / networked - Origin: Japanese social media: the illustrator Ezaki Bisuko (born 1995) posted Menhera-chan on Twitter in 2013, and a 2014 Harajuku solo exhibition was followed by goods; the look later circulated internationally, for example through Instagram hashtags - Branch: Postmodern - Also known as: Yami kawaii (病みかわいい), Menhera aesthetic, Sick cute - Page: https://stylogeny.com/styles/yami-kawaii/ ## Use it with care The imagery refers to mental illness and self-harm, and it is contested whether it raises awareness or glamorises them. 'Menhera' is Japanese internet slang for people with mental health problems, used from about 2001 among users of a 2channel mental health board, and often used dismissively; creators in the scene describe drawing on their own mental health experiences. Treat the motifs with care, avoid using them to mock real conditions, and follow safe-messaging practice in any commercial use. ## How it works - Draw a rounded, pastel character and give it a sign of distress such as tears or bandages. - Scatter medical objects (pills, capsules, syringes, razor blades, plasters) as cute stickers among hearts and sparkles. - Keep fills flat and outlines thin so the sweetness stays polished and the content does the unsettling. - Set confessional phrases in soft rounded or hand-written lettering. - Hold the tone between irony and sincere sadness; never resolve it into reassurance. ## Its design choices Defining choices make the style, characteristic ones are usual, occasional ones turn up now and then. ### Layout & composition - [Isolated object](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/isolated-object/) (characteristic) - [All-over field](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/all-over-field/) (occasional) ### Space & hierarchy - [Single focal point](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/single-focal-point/) (characteristic) - [Repetition & rhythm](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/repetition-and-rhythm/) (characteristic) - [Horror vacui](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/horror-vacui/) (occasional) ### Typography - [Rounded sans](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/rounded-sans/) (defining) - [Hand-lettering](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/hand-lettering/) (characteristic) - [Lowercase only](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/lowercase-only/) (occasional) ### Colour - [Pastel](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/pastel/) (defining) - [Flat fields](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/flat-fields/) (defining) - [Light ground](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/light-ground/) (characteristic) - [Analogous harmony](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/analogous-harmony/) (characteristic) - [Gradients](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/gradients/) (occasional) ### Form & shape - [Rounded & pill](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/rounded-and-pill/) (defining) - [Stylised figuration](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/stylised-figuration/) (defining) - [Pictogram](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/pictogram/) (characteristic) - [Squiggles & confetti](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/squiggles-and-confetti/) (occasional) ### Surface & texture - [Flat](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/flat/) (defining) ### Ornament - [Abundant decoration](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/abundant-decoration/) (characteristic) - [Cosmic & celestial](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/cosmic-and-celestial/) (occasional) ### Imagery - [Flat vector illustration](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/flat-vector-illustration/) (defining) - [Comic & cartoon](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/comic-and-cartoon/) (characteristic) - [Icons & pictograms](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/icons-and-pictograms/) (characteristic) ### Medium & production - [Web & CSS](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/web-and-css/) (characteristic) - [Offset printing](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/offset-printing/) (occasional) - [Textile & craft](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/textile-and-craft/) (occasional) ### Tone & intent - [Ironic & self-aware](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/ironic-and-self-aware/) (defining) - [Communal & popular](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/communal-and-popular/) (characteristic) - [Romantic & sensual](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/romantic-and-sensual/) (occasional) - [Playful & witty](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/playful-and-witty/) (occasional) - [Rebellious & subversive](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/rebellious-and-subversive/) (occasional) Avoids: Warm & approachable, Authoritative & institutional, Rational & objective, Angular & zigzag, Grotesque & neo-grotesque Palette: #ffd1e0, #d9c8f2, #bfeedd, #ffffff, #e0457b, #3b3350 Typefaces: Rounded gothic sans (maru-gothic), Japanese hand-written pop lettering, Rounded Latin sans-serifs Known for: Ezaki Bisuko, Menhera-chan (from 2013); Yami-kawa senshi Menhera-chan Official Fan Book (KADOKAWA, 2018; per ja.wikipedia); Menhera-chan goods sold through Village Vanguard stores after the 2014 Harajuku exhibition (per ja.wikipedia); Menhera fashion: pastel looks with syringe and bandage accessories (Vice, 2022) ## Where it comes from, and what it’s close to - Grew out of: [Kawaii Design](https://stylogeny.com/styles/kawaii.md) (1970–present) - Alike in its design choices: [Superflat](https://stylogeny.com/styles/superflat.md) (1993–present), 62% alike - Alike in its design choices: [Flash Vector Cartoon (Newgrounds-Era Web Animation)](https://stylogeny.com/styles/flash-cartoon.md) (1997–2020), 61% alike - Alike in its design choices: [Indian Pop-Kitsch Design (Desi Kitsch)](https://stylogeny.com/styles/indian-kitsch.md) (1997–present), 60% alike - Alike in its design choices: [Vocaloid Fan Illustration (Hatsune Miku Culture)](https://stylogeny.com/styles/vocaloid-illustration.md) (2007–present), 56% alike - Alike in its design choices: [NFT Profile-Picture Collections (CryptoPunks to Bored Apes)](https://stylogeny.com/styles/nft-pfp-collections.md) (2017–present), 56% alike - Alike in its design choices: [Yuru-chara (Japanese Local Mascot Design)](https://stylogeny.com/styles/yuru-chara.md) (2000–present), 56% alike ## Sources - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menhera - https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/江崎びす子 - https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/メンヘラ - https://www.vice.com/en/article/what-is-menhera-fashion/ --- From Stylogeny (https://stylogeny.com/), an atlas of graphic-design styles by Van Riel Online Services. How it is made: https://stylogeny.com/about/. Cite as: Stylogeny, “Yami-Kawaii (Sick-Cute)”, https://stylogeny.com/styles/yami-kawaii/