About
The Sad Cat Dance meme is a popular internet trend that features characters, often from various franchises, performing a distinctive dance while wearing cat ears, usually with a melancholic or reluctant expression. This meme is rooted in fan animations of the Chainsaw Man manga and anime series. Initially inspired by related dance memes, the Sad Cat Dance evolved into a recognizable and widely adaptable meme format in the early 2020s, sparking countless redraws and variations across the internet. It’s a prime example of an exploitable meme, inviting artists to insert their own characters and styles into the established template.
Origin
The genesis of the Sad Cat Dance can be traced back to January 16, 2021, when video game creator Benedique uploaded a YouTube video titled “Chainsaw Man Dance Game.” This video showcased the Chainsaw Man character Kobeni Higashiyama dancing in a Dance Dance Revolution-style game while visibly upset. This early iteration, highlighting a beloved character in a humorous and relatable scenario, quickly garnered over 3 million views within a year, resonating strongly with manga fans.
Building on the virality of dance memes and inspired by the “Ankha Zone” meme, creator Ha Anime further developed the concept on November 18, 2021. Ha Anime’s YouTube video, “Not Kobeni dance, but let’s still make her dance,” presented Kobeni dancing with added cat ears. This video, while still featuring the sad dancing theme, shifted the visual elements closer to what would become the Sad Cat Dance. This “Not Kobeni” dance video quickly accumulated 6 million views in just 10 months, signaling the growing appeal of this specific character and dance combination.
Spread
The Sad Cat Dance meme truly solidified its form and began its widespread proliferation on August 22, 2022. Artist Dokun27 posted a version on Twitter featuring a female character reluctantly dancing with cat ears to the song “Gypsy In My Mind.” Dokun27’s contribution is considered pivotal as it combined the sad dancing, cat ears, and the now-associated music, creating the template for the meme as it’s widely recognized today. This tweet quickly gained over 122,000 likes in just two weeks, triggering a surge in redraws and fan-made versions.
와르자 슬픈고양이 댄스 (아인이 만들어줌) pic.twitter.com/2QyAas3N6I
— 왈도쿤 (@Dokun27) August 22, 2022
Image of Dokun27’s Sad Cat Dance tweet, showcasing the animation style that popularized the meme.
The meme’s versatility and relatability fueled its rapid spread. On September 7, 2022, Twitter artist Darkra showcased this adaptability by posting a World of Warcraft themed version. Their rendition featured a Night Elf Druid, naturally equipped with feline features, performing the dance, emphasizing the meme’s ability to be incorporated into diverse fandoms and contexts. This tweet garnered over 1,500 likes in a single day, further illustrating the meme’s expanding reach across different online communities.
This druid doesn’t need fake cat ears!OC: LulusaSong : never dull – gypsy in my mindAnimation:
bronceleteEdition: crisisbeat4Based on : @Dokun27Art by me.#sadcatdance #druid pic.twitter.com/DHX03nsRGy— Darkra-SFW (@Darkrasfw) September 7, 2022
Image of Darkra’s World of Warcraft Sad Cat Dance tweet, demonstrating the meme’s adaptation to different fandoms.
Various Examples
The Sad Cat Dance meme quickly moved beyond its Chainsaw Man origins, with artists and creators applying it to a wide array of characters and scenarios. These examples demonstrate the meme’s broad appeal and adaptability across different online spaces.
Katie😿sad cat dance pic.twitter.com/7AbxNCHzyJ
— q (
kyubumlee) <a href="https://twitter.com/kyubumlee/status/1562328383769481216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2022</a>
Image of a Sad Cat Dance tweet featuring a different character, highlighting the meme’s versatility.
🙏ProjektMelody Does The Sad Cat Dance! #projektmelody #sadcatdance pic.twitter.com/9bn0BlfYTS
— BigBangstudio (@BigBangStudio69) September 2, 2022
Image of a ProjektMelody Sad Cat Dance tweet, showcasing the meme’s use by VTubers and online personalities.
Search Interest
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(Unfortunately, the original article does not provide a search interest graph. If available, a Google Trends graph showing search interest over time for “sad cat dance” would be embedded here to visualize the meme’s popularity trend.)
External References
[1] YouTube – Kobeni Dance
[2] YouTube – Not Kobeni Dance
[3] Twitter – Dokun27
[4] Twitter – Darkra
