Mickey Mouse at Disneyland is popular. Its popularity is due to its “kawaii” (cuteness). It is known that the early Mickey Mouse had a small head and long limbs. As time passed, this character’s head became larger and rounder. Not only Mickey Mouse, but also popular characters and stuffed animals such as Kumamon have very large heads and short limbs compared to their bodies. It has been found that things with very large heads and short limbs are perceived as cute. It seems that infants, puppies, kittens, and even Mickey Mouse can be said to be “cute” because they have large heads and short limbs.
In recent years, it has become possible to scientifically reproduce the empirical rules of “kawaii”. For example, a long puppy’s face is created using digital images. This long puppy’s face is then worked on to make it rounder in succession. Then, as it becomes rounder, the puppy becomes cuter. If the face is large and the eyes are large, it is seen as even cuter. Purikura is a business application of this. In order to create a “cute” image, it is common to make the eyelids double and wear colored contact lenses to make the pupils larger. Recent Purikura and smartphone photos have an editing function that makes the eyes larger. Making the eyes bigger and making the nose smaller makes the image “cute”. Of course, if you have the technology to continuously change the face, it is possible to manipulate the eyes and nose. In order to intentionally create a “cute” image, you can make the eyelids double and wear colored contact lenses to make the pupils larger.
If you want to share “cute” with everyone, objectivity is also required. If you have a desire to check your own and third-party evaluations, you will probably keep a record. By keeping a record, you can understand yourself objectively. With today’s mirrors, you can see the front and left and right sides of your appearance. If you record this every day with your smartphone camera, it will become an objective record. If possible, you have just recorded your back. If you could place cameras in front, back, left and right and record it with your smartphone, the record would be more multifaceted. Virtual reality (VR), which has evolved throughout the Heisei and Reiwa eras, would be a perfect tool for this. Daily camera footage and the person’s daily feelings will be accumulated as an objective record through VR.
