{{Short description|Japanese internet slang}} {{Italic title|reason=:Category:Japanese words and phrases}} [[File:Chigyu generic appearance.jpg|thumb|Original, generic appearance of ''Chigyu'', saying "Excuse me, could I have a special large serving of the three cheese beef bowl with a hot spring egg on top, please?"]] '''{{Nihongo|''Chiizu gyudon''|チーズ牛丼|Chīzu gyūdon|{{lit.|Cheese beef bowl}}|lead=yes}}''', or simply '''{{Nihongo|''Chigyu''|チー牛|Chī gyū|lead=yes}}''' is a Japanese internet slang term used to refer to so-called "''otaku''", and "uncool", "introverted" and "gloomy" people.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url = https://www.j-cast.com/2020/06/18388228.html |title = あの「チー牛」について、すき家に聞いてみた ネットでなぜか流行語化 |date = 2020-06-18 |website = J-CASTニュース |accessdate = 2020-09-14 |language=ja }}</ref><ref name="excite200718">{{Cite news|title=チー牛（ちーぎゅう）|newspaper=エキサイトニュース|date=2020-07-18|url=https://www.excite.co.jp/news/article/Numan_sYsn4/|accessdate=2020-10-28}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=「チー牛（チーズ牛丼顔）」と就労移行支援のいびつな関係 - 成年者向けコラム|url=https://shohgaisha.com/column/grown_up_detail?id=1814|website=障害者ドットコム|publisher=株式会社エースタイル|accessdate=2020-11-24|language=ja}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=「周庭の隣にいるチー牛」と煽られた民主活動家・黄之鋒さん、公式チーズ牛丼が発売される|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.jp/entry/story_jp_5f4eeed1c5b6fea87461dbb8|website=ハフポスト|date=2020-09-02|accessdate=2020-09-07|language=ja}}</ref> It is always regarded as a taunt and term of abuse.<ref name="apo" />
==Character== A ''chigyu'' is described as "a somewhat disgusting ''otaku''" or "a gloomy character with little sense of presence".<ref>{{cite web|url = https://gendai.ismedia.jp/articles/-/75001|script-title = ja: セガ取締役「チーズ牛丼食ってそう」発言に見る、ゲーム業界に根強く残る「自虐性」|date = 2020-08-20|website = 現代ビジネス|publisher = Kodansha|accessdate = 2020-09-14|archive-date = 2021-04-12|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210412122701/https://gendai.ismedia.jp/articles/-/75001}}</ref> The slang mainly refers to gloomy males, but is sometimes also used to refer to females with similar personalities.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.excite.co.jp/news/article/Numan_sYsn4/|script-title = ja: チー牛（ちーぎゅう）|website = エキサイトニュース|publisher = エキサイト|accessdate = 2020-11-25|archive-date = 2021-04-12|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210412122659/https://www.excite.co.jp/news/article/Numan_sYsn4/}}</ref><ref name="spicomi">{{cite web |url = https://spicomi.net/media/articles/2156 |script-title = ja: チー牛の意味とは？チー牛顔の特徴！元ネタは？陰キャ・イケメン？ |date = 2020-08-08 |website = スピコミ |publisher = 株式会社UOCC |accessdate = 2020-11-25 |archive-date = 2021-04-12 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210412122700/https://spicomi.net/media/articles/2156 }}</ref>
The characteristics of a ''chigyu'' include wearing glasses, having a "childish hairstyle", "not a domineering face", childlike appearance, spiritually childish, "although active online, appears gloomy in reality".<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.mag2.com/p/news/462374 |script-title = ja: 日本から「チー牛」認定された香港民主化リーダー、器のデカさを見せつける |date = 2020-08-14 |website = まぐまぐニュース |publisher = まぐまぐ |accessdate = 2020-09-14 |archive-date = 2021-03-08 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210308093212/https://www.mag2.com/p/news/462374 }}</ref> Besides, the ''chigyu'' has also been used to refer to the appearance similar to individuals with developmental disabilities or enlarged adenoids.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="spicomi" /><ref name="asa">{{Cite web|script-title=ja:一般社会では使用厳禁!? ネットスラング「チー牛」流布の意外な弊害とは？|url=https://asagei.biz/excerpt/17513|website=Asagei Biz-アサ芸ビズ|accessdate=2020-11-24|language=ja|archive-date=2021-04-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412122701/https://asagei.biz/excerpt/17513}}</ref>
''The Paper'' analyzed how the "childishness" of ''chigyu'' "violates the ideal definition of adult male's 'masculinity' in society", and how the image of ''chigyu'' shows a gloomy person in a lower social class who lacks socialization. It described ''chigyu'' as a discriminatory term towards gender, body, and class.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_13197490|title=牛丼的诞生与发展：日本"国民快餐"背后的社会文化变迁|date=2021-06-29|work=The Paper|language=zh-cn}}</ref> The meme has attracted criticism, viewed as an example of lookism.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://ryukyushimpo.jp/style/article/entry-1170263.html |script-title = ja: ネットスラングとルッキズム モバプリの知っ得！［116］ |date = 2020-08-09 |website = 琉球新報Style |publisher = Ryūkyū Shimpō |accessdate = 2020-09-14 |archive-date = 2021-04-12 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210412124204/https://ryukyushimpo.jp/style/article/entry-1170263.html }}</ref>
==History== thumb|Cheese beef bowl with soft-boiled egg In 2008, the ''doujinshi'' artist "ibiryo" drew a self portrait as a high school student and uploaded it to his blog, which later became the generic appearance of ''chigyu''.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://gendai.ismedia.jp/articles/-/75001|script-title=ja:セガ取締役「チーズ牛丼食ってそう」発言に見る、ゲーム業界に根強く残る「自虐性」|date=2020-08-20|publisher=現代ビジネス|accessdate=2020-09-14|archive-date=2021-04-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412122701/https://gendai.ismedia.jp/articles/-/75001}}</ref> Some have traced the origin of the term "chigyu" to a 2018 thread on 5channel, which used this illustration to represent participants of employment transition support programs, describing them as creepy for "all having the same face" and for looking like middle schoolers despite being adults, while also making a connection to developmental disabilities.<ref name="asa">{{Cite web|script-title=ja:一般社会では使用厳禁!? ネットスラング「チー牛」流布の意外な弊害とは？|url=https://asagei.biz/excerpt/17513|website=Asagei Biz-アサ芸ビズ|accessdate=2020-11-24|language=ja|archive-date=2021-04-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412122701/https://asagei.biz/excerpt/17513}}</ref> The thread has received a lot of responses, with most responders claiming that "there are indeed people around who look like this and say that", and other discussion boards have also shown related discussions. In April 2019, a summary website reprinted a related discussion thread, making the term ''chigyu'' more widely spread.<ref name=":2" /> In June 2019, three different styles of ''chigyu'' illustrations (samurai, juvenile delinquent, and ''ikemen'') were shared online. On C97, a male cosplayed as a ''chigyu''.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|script-title=ja:あの「チー牛」について、すき家に聞いてみた ネットでなぜか流行語化（J-CASTニュース） - Yahoo!ニュース|url=https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/e3ba66da2cc40fb697058da15c2d8e39c3a0f93e?page=2|website=archive.vn|date=2020-06-18|accessdate=2020-11-28|archive-date=2020-06-18|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200618145417/https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/e3ba66da2cc40fb697058da15c2d8e39c3a0f93e?page=2}}</ref>
In April 2020, there were an average of 500–1000 tweets per day mentioning the term "''Chiizu Gyudon''", while there were an average of 100 tweets mentioning "''Chigyu''" per day. By June, the average number of tweets mentioning "''Chigyu''" per day had reached 10000.<ref name=":3" />
==Reception== ===''Gyūdon'' chain stores=== In June 2020, Japanese news website J-CAST News interviewed Zensho Holdings, which runs Sukiya, about this slang. The company's publicity department responded "Of course we know what ''chigyu'' is. That's our top popular product No.1, 'Gyudon with 3 Cheeses'. We hope our customers will continue to enjoy our products in the future. We will launch a new product, 'Cheese Beef Rib Gyudon', and welcome everyone to try it out in person."<ref name=":2" /> Disability information collection website shohgaisha.com pointed J-CAST News' report did not mention the relationship between 'chigyu' and individuals with developmental disabilities, instead introducing it as just a meme that mocks dull men to avoid stirring up controversy. The website also thought Sukiya actually knew the meaning of "''chigyu''", but due to fear of online debates, it shifted the focus to new products.<ref name=":0" />
===Buzzword award=== The term ''Chiizu Gyudon'' was nominated for the Internet Buzzword Award 2020,<ref>{{Cite web|script-title=ja:『ガジェット通信 ネット流行語・アニメ流行語大賞2020上半期』ノミネートワードを大募集！ ｜ ガジェット通信 GetNews|url=https://getnews.jp/archives/2568292|website=ガジェット通信 GetNews|date=2020-06-04|accessdate=2020-11-24|language=ja|archive-date=2021-04-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412122701/https://getnews.jp/archives/2568292}}</ref> and won third place at the Instagram Buzzword Award 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|script-title=ja:【2020年インスタ流行語大賞】をPetrelが発表！「やりらふぃー」「ぎゃきゅん」など流行先取りメディアが捉える2020年のトレンドとは|url=https://www.fnn.jp/articles/-/109481|website=FNNプライムオンライン|accessdate=2020-11-24|archive-date=2021-04-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412131209/https://www.fnn.jp/articles/-/109481}}</ref>
===Application=== Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong was known by Japanese netizens as the "''chigyu'' around Agnes Chow" due to his resemblance to the generic appearance of ''chigyu''. Wong responded positively to this, and fellow activist Chow said that Wong was "very happy about it and didn't take it to heart at all". Wong later collaborated with a restaurant selling cheese beef bowls which were named after him.<ref>{{cite news|title=日本網民驚訝周庭身旁出現「芝士牛丼」 黃之鋒爆笑自嘲回應了|url=https://www.hk01.com/熱爆話題/510911/日本網民驚訝周庭身旁出現-芝士牛丼-黃之鋒爆笑自嘲回應了|date=2020-08-14|work=HK01|accessdate=2021-04-13|archive-date=2021-04-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413054351/https://www.hk01.com/%E7%86%B1%E7%88%86%E8%A9%B1%E9%A1%8C/510911/%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E7%B6%B2%E6%B0%91%E9%A9%9A%E8%A8%9D%E5%91%A8%E5%BA%AD%E8%BA%AB%E6%97%81%E5%87%BA%E7%8F%BE-%E8%8A%9D%E5%A3%AB%E7%89%9B%E4%B8%BC-%E9%BB%83%E4%B9%8B%E9%8B%92%E7%88%86%E7%AC%91%E8%87%AA%E5%98%B2%E5%9B%9E%E6%87%89%E4%BA%86|language=zh-hk}}</ref><ref name=":1" />
On 28 July 2020, during the live broadcast of the ''Puyo Puyo'' Championships, Toshihiro Nagoshi commented on the entrants, saying that they "look like they like to eat ''chiizu gyudon,''" sparking controversy. Sega deleted the live playback on YouTube and re-uploaded it after removing the "unpleasant parts". Host Ayana Tsubaki apologized on Twitter.<ref name="apo">{{Cite news|script-title=ja:セガ取締役「チーズ牛丼食ってそう」 ぷよぷよゲーマーの外見揶揄かと物議→謝罪|newspaper=J-CASTニュース|date=2020-07-30|url=https://www.j-cast.com/2020/07/30391160.html?p=all|accessdate=2020-07-30|archive-date=2021-04-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412122703/https://www.j-cast.com/2020/07/30391160.html?p=all|language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://npn.co.jp/article/detail/200006386|title=セガCCO、ぷよぷよプレイヤーに「チーズ牛丼食ってそう」発言で物議 動画の発言削除で謝罪も波紋|date=2020-07-30|work=リアルライブ|language=ja}}</ref>
==See also== * Wojak ** NPC (meme)
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Otaku Category:2channel Category:Pejorative terms for people Category:Slurs related to low intelligence Category:Stereotypes Category:Japanese slang Category:Japanese internet slang Category:Internet meme characters Category:Internet memes introduced from Japan