Written by Charlie Erdman
You’ve probably scrolled through youtube and seen the thumbnail of an animated girl studying in her room. That would be Lofi Girl. A 24/7 streaming Lofi hip-hop youtube channel that helps students and people around the world focus and chill. The famed animated Lofi girl studying/relaxing at her desk has captured my attention and I often rely on the channel when I work. I’m not alone, since November 8th, 2021, the Lofi Girl youtube channel has accrued over 1 billion views. Yes, billion, with a b. The calming and comforting music combined with the Japanese animated design of a relaxed environment offers a new and improved form of multitasking.
How did Lofi Girl start? Until early 2018 the channel had been using the character Shizuku Tsukishima from the Studio Ghibli film Whisper of the Heart (1995) but due to copyright violations, the channel was taken down. Then in March of 2018, inspired by the Whisper of the Heart character, the channel sought an artist who could replicate a similar style with the lo-fi aesthetic. Enter Juan Pablo Machado, an artist from Colombia who had moved to Lyon, France in 2013 to attend design school. Machado sent in his sketches to the Lofi Girl channel and thanks to his great work was approved and established as the new design for Lofi girl. Machado’s Ghibli-esque design works beautifully and the background which was inspired by his time in Lyon, reflects the La Croix-Rousse, a hill above the river in a distinguished neighborhood in Lyon dividing their 1st and 4th arrondissements. In addition, the lighting in the design changes based on the time; sunrise, daytime, sunset, and nighttime. The collaboration between the Lofi girl channel and Machado works wonders and is a significant reason for the continued success of the channel.
If you’d like to check out the Lofi Girl channel, you are welcome to do so here, Lofi Girl Youtube Channel