You know her, you love her…it’s the Lofi Girl. She’s the anime character that’s definitely graced your screen while you’ve worked on that essay, tidied your house, or even just yearned for something to break the silence so you don’t have to be left alone with your own thoughts.
She’s a trendsetter. (Don’t lie – Lofi Girl has definitely inspired you to decorate your desk with a potted plant, and is probably the reason you shop at Uniqlo.) In fact, we kind of wish all animated movies had her design.
Forever destined to sit at her Pinterest-worthy desk set-up, Lofi Girl is usually accompanied by her cat sat on the windowsill, a cosy cityscape view, and plenty of work to do. She acts as the backdrop to the endless playlist of lo-fi music that has been housed on YouTube for years now.
But recently, some change has been afoot. On April Fool’s Day, a video was posted to the channel, showing Lofi Girl sleeping at her desk, with her cat looking appropriately shocked. (The girl deserves a break – she’s been studying non-stop for years, okay?)
Another video was released shortly after, showing Lofi Girl and her cat staring out the window, captivated by a distant blue light flashing in one of the neighbouring apartments.
These videos seemed to be building up to something, and now we know what: a second stream! The new stream is focused on synthwave music, giving an option to those who may be looking to switch up their go-to background playlist.
This video also introduces a new character, which is quickly being dubbed by viewers as ‘Synth Boy’. A few things are notably different, namely, instead of a sleepy cat, Synth Boy has a snoozing puppy. There’s also plenty of neon lighting, leaning towards a more tech-based aesthetic than Lofi Girl.
For more deliciously aesthetic animation, check out our list of the best anime movies of all time, best romance animes, and all the new anime coming this month. Don’t forget to take note of all the new movies coming out this year, too.