Kidults are not just adults that like consuming things intended for children. They are grown-ups young in mind and spirit. The kidult population is continuously on the rise. So too are “kidult” contents that take adults back to childhood. Just like a certain rabbit character that’s having an exhibition to celebrate its 70th birthday.
Lee Eun-jin has the story.
Freshly made coffee, is topped with whipped cream and with some chocolate sauce, the barista has turned it into an “Olaf latte.”
The barista and owner of this cafe will create latte art of characters we are familiar with from movies or cartoons.
“I like Sanrio’s My Melody. Well, I just really like pink.
And there’s also cuteness therapy. I think it’s a win-win situation.”
“Cuteness therapy” is where cuteness charges one’s energy in the realm of healing. It is believed to help people connect with the softness, gentleness, and kindness of the safe moments of our childhood.
Fun character lattes to order, and, also, rare used collections available for purchase,
this unique cafe is busy even on snowy days.
And for the owner of the cafe, who is now a third-year barista, the unique character latte art has become a new hobby.
“Dressing the characters is very important, and thinking of how to display them to look prettier is fun but also healing.
I wasn’t interested in these accessories at first, but now I’ve become absorbed in them.”
After a Hello Kitty exhibition that attracted 200-thousand people over four months,
there is now a Miffy exhibition at the Insa Central Museum.
Celebrating 70 years as a much-loved character, the interactive exhibition not only has displays of Miffy artwork and books but also playful experiences for both young children and adults.
“I think that all adults have a child somewhere deep in their hearts. When planning this exhibition, I thought about how to take the now-adults in their 20s and 30s back to their childhood.”
Most of the exhibition ticket sales have, in fact, been purchased by people in their 20s and 30s, with 8 out of 10 bought by women.
They come to meet the rabbit character from their childhood picture books, and for a moment, forget about being an adult.
The kidult market was only worth around 500 billion won, or just over 340 million U.S. dollars in 2014, but had tripled by 2020.
What used to be a more secret fanatic tendency has now become a “kidult culture trend”.
With what seems to be a growing preference for small, cute, pure less perfect or less complete things, “cuteness therapy” also seems to be spreading as more people online share and recall memories with cute characters from their childhood.
Lee Eunjin, Arirang News.
That was a cuteness overload.
I actually consider myself a kidult, because I still haven’t said goodbye to most of my stuffed toys from childhood and I still get excited when I pass by a toy store. But watching this report makes me more comfortable in saying this, because I’m definitely not the only one.
Right, and figures show that the kidult trend has risen during the pandemic, when kids and adults alike spent most of their time at home.
That makes sense. I think it’s good for the toy and kids items market to have a wide range of customers to target, especially with the low birthrate in Korea in the past years.
That’s a valid point. Soa, I think I know what I’ll get you for your birthday.
It better be something cute.
Source : Arirang TV, https://www.arirang.com/news/view?id=279658
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