Kawaii vs Kidcore
カワイイ / キッドコア
Round forms and toy like motifs in bright color, both built on childishness as the core of the picture.
How to tell them apart. Kawaii uses pale color and large eyed faces and leaves the space around them empty. Kidcore lays down primary rainbows and grins with no gap left.
Kawaii
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Japan's aesthetic of round contours, big eyes, pastel and looseness that summons the urge to protect. From girls' handwriting and fancy goods it softened the surface of an entire society, from public signage to corporate mascots.
Kidcore
Recalls toys, stickers and school supplies in unconditionally bright color.
| Kawaii | Kidcore | |
|---|---|---|
| Era | 1970s– | 1990s nostalgia |
| Family | Pop | Pop |
| Kind | Aesthetic | Style |
| Cues | Faces of circles and empty space / Big eyes, elided mouths / Pastel softness / Looseness and defenselessness | Primary colors / Smileys / Rainbows / Toy shapes |
| Best used for | Guidance and warnings for children or beginners that must not frighten · Designing a municipal or corporate mascot meant to last for decades | Evoking childhood freedom and safety · Making a community look sunny |
| Type | Rounded gothic, wide letterforms, even stroke weight | Big rounded letters, hand lettering |
| Composition | One large face centered, space kept clear all around it | Layer sticker-like elements |
| Material | Desaturated pastel and white, matte rather than glossy | Red, yellow, blue, plastic, thick outlines |
| Caution | Assuming that bigger eyes and paler color make something cute loses the tension in the contour and leaves only a slack face. | Don't confuse child-directed with childish. Mind age-appropriateness and safety. |