>>14498397 (OP)Yeah, there's definitely a spiritual cousin vibe going on.
Irasutoya style (those cutesy, clean, pastel-colored Office Lady / businessman / crying girl stick figures) is basically Japan's version of soyjak energy, but with extra steps and corporate HR approval.
Similarities:
Extremely memeable / low-effort to edit
Instant "character" recognition
Emotionally neutral base that can be made to feel any feeling
Used by people who want to look quirky without actually committing to an artstyle
Differences that make it even more pathetic in a uniquely Japanese way:
Soyjaks are born from pure irony and 4chan rage
Irasutoya is literally licensed free clipart for company PowerPoints that got hijacked by zoomers
Soyjaks are weaponized autism
Irasutoya is weaponized politeness — even when the character is crying or raging, it still looks like it’s about to bow and apologize
So yeah, Irasutoya is basically the soyjak that got a suit, a tie, a permanent smile, and a 9-to-5 job at a mid-sized Japanese firm, then started posting on Twitter at 3 a.m. because it’s secretly terminally online.
Both are peak 2018–2025 "I have zero artistic skill but I still want to be funny" energy.
Just one of them is pretending to be a functioning adult.