Animecore is an aesthetic revolving around the visual culture of Japanese anime and manga, glorifying the various Japanese animation and comic art styles that have existed through the decades as well as their popular series and characters. Animecore is thus the counterpart of Cartooncore, which focuses on Western animation.
Animecore also heavily overlaps with Cutecore. Both feature similar visuals of edited image collages and pictures of rooms, and both can include darker themes. The primary difference is Cutecore's focus on Kawaii plushies and clothing, while Animecore focuses on anime figurines.
Due to Animecore's rise in reaction to "cringe culture" that is increasingly prevalent on the internet, it overlaps with aesthetics such as Webcore or Scene.
Animecore is not anime on its own, but rather the images consumed outside the context of the stories anime is conveying. The aesthetic culture here is the Western fans of the Japanese genre, rather than the artistic environment within anime, which can encompass multiple aesthetics.
Visuals[]
Commonly featured in this aesthetic are edits and GIFs of scenes from popular anime franchises or anime-style music videos, photography of merch collections and rooms, various memes that exist within the anime fandom (like Caramelldansen or Touhou), gaudy Blingee-esque edits, but also stolen and edited fanart that is often posted without neither credit nor permission, which is also common in other aesthetics. Ball-jointed dolls and anime figures are also popular. Sometimes, distortion methods are used to lower image quality to replicate the look of many old web artifacts.
The primary visual of Animecore is Moe characters, who evoke feelings of affection within viewers. They are always young girls with large eyes, colorful and distinctive hairstyles, and kawaii outfits such as school and maid uniforms, and are often Neko Girls.
Images of bedrooms cluttered with anime merchandise, such as posters, figurines, and banners show the simultaneously obsessive and cozy feelings that Animecore conveys.
Fashion[]
Animecore fashion is normally centered around either a particular anime or around the anime aesthetic in general.
Here are some examples of Anime fashion, non-cosplay:
- Anime graphic tops and bottoms
- Sailor uniforms
- Maid dresses
- Pleated skirts
- Layered tulle skirts
- Loose leg warmers
- Printed thigh highs
- Stripe socks
- Platform shoes
- Plush animal ears
- Colorful hairpins
- Scrunchies with kawaii motifs
- Kandi featuring anime themes
- Itabags
- Circle lens
- Big eye makeup
- Anime-style blush
- Otherwise wearable anime merch (necklaces, badges, keychains, etc)
Subgenres[]
2K Animecore[]
2K Animecore is an subgenre of the Animecore aesthetic focusing on mid to late 1990s to early to mid 2000s anime series, illustration, themes, and related otherwise depicted in that timeframe.
It gains its name from a mix of its parent inspiration, being Animecore, while 2K is shorthand for the documented era known as The Turn of the Millennium. That encompasses to approximately the early 1990s to 2005, give or take. This period of time was especially noted for its speculation and anticipation for a new era that mankind would face, from the rise of computers and the internet into mainstream everyday life, the prospects of mankind and its worth upon reflection of its practices to maintain its prosperity and growth, the human condition, and the eventuality of a globally connected world. Japanese Anime as a style gained worldwide prominence into the 1990s due in part to a mix of the decade's interest in alternative and creatively freer media in response against highly regulated mainstream media, anime's close relation with entertainment and multimedia technology, especially after the 1980s Japan Bubble Economy which cemented Japan's then electronics monopoly over the world, and its propensity for inciting otherworldly wonder due to its own visuals and expression. This makes its cultural relevance to the era, ever so significant.
2K Animecore represents itself by its high flying visuals and themes it communicates inspiration and insight with, to its bright and colorful to its dark and nightmarish. The overall theme to 2K Animecore can be summed up as "The Drive of Mankind"- Be it for a better future, to explore the stars, smash down ancient conspiracies, defying the system, or to even salvage the dark future or merely live life free from troubles and annoyances, it all comes back down to the heart and soul of the people and how far they are willing to go for it.
Moe Swag[]
Moe Swag, also called Gangstas with Waifus, is a meme aesthetic that combines elements of Gangstæxtemism with Animecore. The aesthetic consists of edits, graffitis and art of real life people with anime characters, and it also has manifestations in Rap and Hip-Hop songs inspired by Anime.
Itasha[]
Itasha is a subculture of car culture, where people will decorate their cars that are themed after different anime, manga and video game characters. Itasha can also extend to motorcycles (which is referred to as itansha), bicycles (which is referred to as itachari), aircraft, computer cases, bags (which is referred to as itabag) and consumable automotive products. The Itasha aesthetic has even extended to the world of motorsports (see below in the gallery).
Magical Girls[]
The Magical Girls aesthetic revolves around the heroines of magical girl manga, anime, comics, and games. The primary focuses of the aesthetic are the outfits, weapons, and transformation imagery.
Shoujo[]
Shoujo is a genre of Japanese manga targeted at young girls and women. Although the art style of shoujo can vary from artist, there are generally distinct characteristics in lots of shoujo manga, such as large and detailed eyes, as well as slender figures on characters.
Trashy Animecore[]
Trashy Animecore is a subgenre of Animecore centered around poorly drawn anime art, often on purpose, for a comical tone. Trashy Animecore can be noted on old anime memes from Nico Nico Douga (such as Gal-O Sengen) and old Fanimes (anime fanseries) from YouTube and Nico Nico Douga (such as Nyan~ Neko Sugar Girls or Koishi Komeiji's Heart Throbbing Adventure). Other characteristics of Trashy Animecore include bad voice acting and poor audio quality. It could be considered a parody of Animecore, and is occasionally used to represent the more cringe elements of Animecore. It shares many similiarities with So Retro, an aesthetic that tries to replicate retro but fails at doing so.
Yandere[]
Yandere, derived from the Japanese words "yanderu" (to be mentally ill) and "deredere" (lovey-dovey), describes a character archetype with an unhealthy love-related obsession that often results in violent outbreaks triggered by unrequited love or disappointment. Another similar type of character would be Yangire, who turns violent regardless of love.
Media[]
Animecore isn't limited to certain series, however some animes, mangas, videogames and other media are very commonly seen in the edits, including:
Manga & Anime[]
- Lucky☆Star (Manga 2005, Anime 2007)
- Sailor Moon (1991-1997)
- Puella Magi Madoka Magica (2012)
- Higurashi When They Cry (2007)
- WataMote (2011)
- Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995)
- Serial Experiments Lain (1998)
- Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-chan (2003-2007)
- Azumanga Daioh (1999-2002)
- Moetan (2007)
- Tokyo Mew Mew (2002-2003)
- Angel Beats! (2010)
- Chobits (2002)
- Di gi Charat Nyo! (2003-2004)
- Yotsuba&! (2003-present)
- Dragon Ball series
- Dr. Slump
- Dragon Quest
- Dub & Peter 1
- Lady Red
- Cowa!
- Wonder Island
- Sand Land
- Cross Epoch
- Jiya
- Sachie-chan Good!!
- Jaco the Galactic Patrolman
Video Games[]
- Lunime Games (2012-present)
- Touhou Project Series (1997-Present)
- Hyperdimension Neptunia Series (2010-Present)
- Disgaea Series (2003-Present)
- Project DIVA Series (2009-Present)
- You and Me and Her: A Love Story (2013)
- The Idolmaster Series (2005-Present)
Other Media[]
- Vocaloid (2004-Present)
- Ukagaka
- Nijiura Maids (2004)
- Super Sonico (fictional character)
- Gijinka Characters
- Some Homestuck fan art from 2010 to 2016
- Certain Japanese light novel or novel covers of foreign work
- Some Chinese fantasy novel covers and manhua adaptations
- Lost Kitten - Metric
- Used in a category of Animecore featuring music videos depicting the viewer being with an anime girl. It's somewhat similar to Gangstas with Waifus, but with a sad tone.
Resources[]
External links to help get a better understanding of this aesthetic.
Communities[]
Vendors[]
- Animelife
- Bakuretsu
- Catori Clothing
- HVY BLK
- Imouri
- In Control Clothing
- Invasion Club
- Omocat
- Solid Line
- Steady Hands
Playlists[]
- Animecore Spotify playlist by Frenchgab
- animecore 🥺✨ Spotify playlist by M
- mix; animecore Spotify playlist dickgry
- Anime Openings and Endings (Japanese) Spotify playlist by hata251
- Animecore Spotify Playlist by Nate Bunny Lyman
- 💫Anime TikTok 💫 Spotify playlist by Junko
- ~K-on playlist~ Spotify playlist by ~𝑙𝑢𝑣~𝑙𝑦~
- {[Death Devil Playlist]} Spotify playlist by ~𝑙𝑢𝑣~𝑙𝑦~
- anime vibes for my weeb-bros
- ダーリン by kiwiizitos