Kikia

About

Kikia is a mysterious video that has been passed around the web, starting from forums in China and Taiwan, and eventually the rest of the world in the early to Mid 2000’s. This particular video was only a small part of (at the time) a rapidly growing phenomenon known today as “screamers”. A screamer is a kind of shock site where instead of a disgusting picture or video appearing, you are greeted by a horrifying face along with a bloodcurdling scream, hence the name "screamer". Kikia is often considered the Internet’s first known screamer and video shock- site.

Origin

In 2003 a user by the name of “Netspooky” posted a flash animation on the Taiwanese website, Kimo, under the name “kikia”. In the video it shows a poorly drawn little boy sitting in a field, it then goes to show the boy, this time walking in a market place. And as these clips are shown, writing in Taiwanese (Or Chinese) appears. After that the screen turns white, and a horrifying face from the videogame Fatal Frame II is shown, along with a distorted scream. The video abruptly ends with the word “Kikia” flashing on to the screen.

Spread

After 2003 the video was spreading like wildfire all across forums and websites in Taiwan and mainland China, it was mainly spread via chain email. The potential shock value of Kikia was mixed from viewer to viewer, since the art of “screamers” was still at its infancy. Some people were genuinely scared, others thought it wasn’t scary at all, still others simply did not even get it. And when it hit the western countries in around 2004, Kikia had already been seen thousands of times allover Asia therefore making it an internet phenomenon. The shock value increased, since most westerners do not even understand what it says or its purpose. Strangely enough when translated, it all makes sense to the eminent danger about to come.

“I don’t have a face…….”
“No eyes……”
“Nothing…….”
“Want to see what my face looks like?”
“Now you will……”

(*Note this was self-translated by me, since I speak and (somewhat) write Chinese(Mandarin).)

Search Interest

From 2004- present, search queries for “Kikia” had begun to peak in late 2004 then afterwards the numbers began to slowly and steadily decrease.

External References

Listverse- Top 10 Internet Memes and Phenomena-/ 7-25-07

Urban Dictionary- kikia/ 11-7-09

Chris Menning- Screamers – The History of the Scary Maze Prank and its Cousins/ 10-13-10