What Does Nico Nico Nii Mean? Why Did It Go Viral? - Suki Desu

You may have come across a viral meme video where an annoying little girl keeps repeating the words “nico nico ni.” You probably wondered what the hell that is?

In this article, we will try to understand the entire origin, meaning, and history of the famous “Nico Nico Nii.” This complete article will talk about absolutely everything related to the viral, anime, memes, and more.

What is Nico nico ni?

The phrase “Nico Nico Ni” is a slogan used in the anime “Love Live! School Idol Project” by the character Yazawa Niko [矢澤 にこ]. In Japanese, the phrase is written “Niko Niko Ni” [にこにこに] and often appears on forums like 4chan, reddit, and other popular sites in Japan and among otaku in the West.

The character Nico Yazawa from “Love Live” has an aggressive personality and is quite self-confident. Sometimes she needs to take on a brighter and moe personality to act like an Idol, so she often uses the phrase “Niko Niko Ni” to play cute.

This phrase first appeared in the fifth episode of Love Live, where the character Niko tries to demonstrate her impression of an Idol to the rest of the cast. The scene quickly became notable among fans due to her expression, form, and moe behavior. It wasn’t just the phrase that went viral; the sign the character makes with her hand, the heart, and the expressions are part of the viral phenomenon.

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Niko niko ni becoming a viral

After its first appearance, the term began to gain popularity on websites, generating thousands of gifs, videos, and FanArt, and being used by various people. Even the Korean singer Kim Heechul uses this expression in his shows. The popularity increased even more when a remix video was made that has already reached over 10 million views: (did the guy delete the YouTube account? What?)

Some started to say that the term “nico nico ni” is from Satan due to its great popularity and the fact that the character Niko has an unfriendly personality. This only generated more memes, gifs, and fan arts.

What is the meaning of Nico Nico Nii?

Some may imagine that this phrase has absolutely no meaning. Indeed, the character’s name is Niko, which would explain why she uses this expression. However, in Japanese, there is the expression niko niko [にこにこ], which is the onomatopoeia for smiling, so basically, she is saying that you are smiling in your heart.

The word “nii” can be just the particle ni [に] depending on the phrase she is using, or she might just be doing like other anime characters who invent ending their sentences with “nyan” to sound like cats.

To better understand the expression, let’s look at the entire phrase that Niko Yazawa says:

Anata no Heart ni Nico Nico-nii

• You are smiling in your heart.
  • Anata – あなた – You
  • Heart – Heart
  • Niko Niko – Smile

Egao todokeru Yazawa Nico Nico

• And I will put a smile in your heart!
  • Todokeru – 届ける – deliver, send
  • Yazawa – She referred to herself in the third person.
  • Egao – 笑顔 – Smile

Nico-nii te oboeteru Love Nico nii

• Remember Nico! Nico loves you!
• Oboeteru – 覚えてる – Remember, do not forget;

There is a video site similar to YouTube called: Nico Nico Douga. This shows that the onomatopoeia niko niko is present in Japanese culture, which facilitated the viralization of Niko Yazawa’s speech.

The Name Nico Yazawa

Some people write Nico Yazawa, but it is not entirely wrong to do so. There is no letter “C” in the Japanese language, so nico is written as niko [にこ] in the native language of Japan. The first name (niko) is written in Hiragana, so it has no deep meaning; it probably refers to the onomatopoeia for smile.

In the Japanese language, the surname or family name is written first. Yazawa [矢澤] is written with [矢], which literally means arrow or dart, making a total reference to her Idol ability that hits the hearts of fans.

Nico Yazawa is 1.54 meters tall, blood type A, her measurements are B74-W57-H79, and she was born on July 22; in the anime, she is 17 years old. She is voiced by Tokui Sora.

We recommend reading: Japanese Names – How are they chosen?

The Legendary Nico Nico Knee

The fighter Marcellus Black, known as Otaku on Twitter, shouts and makes the gestures of Nico Nico Knee to finish off his opponents. You can see in the video below a scene of the influence caused by Nico Yazawa.

Did you have any idea about the meaning of nico nico ni? I hope this short article has been enough to satisfy your curiosity; we look forward to hearing your opinion in the comments and also your shares. Thank you and see you next time!

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