Kawaii (かわいい) is a Japanese term and aesthetic referring to the unique concept affirming childlike and pretty things that make your heart flutter. Kawaii visuals are in a range of colors, but are most commonly associated with pastels, with white as a neutral and pink as the most popular color. However, this is not necessary in all of this aesthetic's visuals, as different examples show that this is not the case; for example, neon with Decora and black with some Sanrio characters. Lighting is always bright, with few to no shadows. Photo-editing is highly utilized in kawaii, as people often add additional stickers and sparkles, enlarge their eyes, and smoothen the photo to look more maximalist and hyper-cute. Sweets are a common visual motif in kawaii. These can include cakes, macaroons, flan, cotton candy, iced cookies, ice creams, parfaits, boba and other beverages. These sweets are done in the Japanese style with specific references to the culture, such as having the food shaped like certain characters, elaborate whipped cream decorations, purin pudding, etc., as opposed to Western sweets. Anthropomorphic illustrated characters, are the most unique and recognizable feature of the aesthetic. The most popular characters originate from the Japanese company Sanrio, which created Hello Kitty.
