# Anime Butterfly Is This > Anime Butterfly Is This is a 2018 object-labeling meme originating from a 1991 anime showing an android character confidently misidentifying a butterfly as a pigeon. "Is This a Pigeon?" is a screenshot from the 1991 anime *The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird* showing an android character confidently pointing at a butterfly and asking if it's a pigeon. First posted to Tumblr in 2011 as a simple reaction image, it exploded in 2018 as an object-labeling meme where users replace the butterfly and subtitle text to joke about people hilariously misidentifying things. ## Origin The scene comes from Season 1, Episode 3 of *The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird* (太陽の勇者ファイバード), a mecha anime created by Takara and Sunrise that first aired in Japan in February 1991[12]. The show was part of the Brave series, a 1990s Japanese franchise meant to compete with Transformers[8]. The protagonist Fighbird inhabits an android body created by Professor Hiroshi Amano and takes on the human identity of Yutaro Katori[5]. In the scene, Katori is trying to act human in front of Inspector Satsuda. Not really understanding Earth, he sees a butterfly flying by and asks "Is this a pigeon?" He also mistakes tulips for violets in the same scene[9]. The subtitles are not a mistranslation. Anime journalist and former fansubber Kara Dennison, who worked on the English fansub of the show, confirmed the line is a direct translation of the original Japanese: "That is 100% what the character is saying. He is an alien who is trying to get a hang of what Earth is"[10]. On December 6, 2011, Tumblr user "Indizi dell'avvenuta catastrofe" uploaded the screencap, making it the first known appearance of the image as a meme[3]. The post picked up over 111,000 notes over the next three years[3]. - **Platform:** Anime/Reddit - **Creator:** Anime communities - **Date:** 2018 ## Overview The meme uses a single still frame from the anime showing Yutaro Katori, a human-shaped android, standing in a field and gesturing toward a yellow butterfly with an outstretched hand. The English subtitle reads "Is this a pigeon?" The comedy comes from his total confidence in being completely wrong[5]. In its modern form, the image works as a three-part template. The character represents a person or group, the butterfly is labeled as one thing, and the subtitle is changed to a wrong identification. For example, Christopher Columbus pointing at North America asking "Is this India?"[9]. The format is dead simple to edit and works for everything from mental health jokes to political commentary[6]. ## How It Spread After the initial 2011 Tumblr post, the image circulated mostly within anime communities. On December 11, 2011, it showed up on the AnimeUltima forums[3]. In November 2012, Smosh included it in their article "22 Hysterical Anime Screencaps," ranking it second on the list[3]. BuzzFeed featured it in June 2013 in a compilation called "27 Subtitles That Have Gone Awesomely Wrong," wrongly calling it a subtitle translation error[18]. For several years the meme stayed relatively niche, used mainly as a reaction image on Tumblr and anime forums to call out moments of obvious confusion[9]. TV Tropes documented it as a Tumblr meme, noting it was a "photo reply to any picture showing a butterfly"[3]. The real explosion came in 2018. In late April 2018, a Twitter user posted the image with the butterfly labeled "any makeup look without red lipstick" and the subtitle changed to "Is this a bare face?"[10]. This kicked off the modern object-labeling format. Within weeks, the meme was everywhere on Twitter, with new iterations going viral daily[7]. Netflix's official account used the format, labeling the butterfly "sexy 28-year-old actor" and asking "Is this a teen?" to mock the casting trope of older actors playing high schoolers. That post pushed the meme's popularity even higher[6]. Mashable called it the new Distracted Boyfriend meme of 2018[1]. The Daily Dot named it the best meme template of 2018, and Thrillist called it one of the dankest memes of the 2010s[1]. ## How to Use The "Is This a Pigeon?" format works with three labeled elements: 1. **The character (Katori):** Label him as the person or group doing the misidentifying. Example: "Me," "My parents," "Congress." 2. **The butterfly:** Label it as the thing being looked at. Example: "Any mild inconvenience," "A single compliment." 3. **The subtitle:** Replace "Is this a pigeon?" with the wrong identification. Example: "Is this a personality?" or "Is this a reason to panic?" ## Cultural Impact Major media outlets covered the meme extensively during its 2018 peak. The Guardian, Vox, Daily Mail, Thrillist, and Daily Dot all published explainer articles[6][9][10][11]. Vox placed the meme in the context of a broader trend of Tumblr-born memes migrating to Twitter years after their origin, alongside the "If you can't handle me at X" format[9]. Netflix's official use of the meme to mock its own casting choices was one of the highest-profile brand adoptions, helping the format reach audiences beyond typical meme communities[6]. The meme was part of a larger shift toward object-labeling formats that dominated 2018, following in the footsteps of Distracted Boyfriend and American Chopper[9]. Wikipedia gave the meme its own article, and it is also documented on the *Fighbird* Wikipedia page as part of the show's cultural legacy[1][12]. ## Fun Facts - The subtitle is not a mistranslation. Fansubber Kara Dennison confirmed it's a word-for-word translation of the original Japanese line[8]. - Dennison and most of her fansubbing team were later hired by legitimate anime companies, with Dennison ending up at Crunchyroll[8]. - The meme lay mostly dormant for seven years (2011-2018) before its massive second wave of popularity[10]. - In the same scene, Katori also mistakes tulips for violets, but that moment never went as viral[3]. - *The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird* was never officially licensed in English. Most Western exposure came through fansubs[8]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Anime Butterfly Is This? Anime Butterfly Is This an anime meme format showing confusion about identity, typically using anime girl and butterfly imagery paired with confusion text. ### What does Anime Butterfly Is This mean? The Is This anime meme format shows confusion about classification or identity, using an anime character pointing at something and asking "is this [something]?" ### Where did Anime Butterfly Is This come from? Anime Butterfly Is This originated on Anime/Reddit around 2018. The format emerged from anime scenes exploring identity confusion and became a universal template for confusion. ### How do you use Anime Butterfly Is This? Create image pairs where one side shows something and text questions whether it's something unexpected. ### Is Anime Butterfly Is This still popular in 2026? Yes, Anime Butterfly Is This is still very popular in 2026. It is considered evergreen and gets regular use across social media platforms. ### Who created Anime Butterfly Is This? Anime communities created Anime Butterfly Is This. The format emerged from anime scenes exploring identity confusion and became a universal template for confusion. ### When did Anime Butterfly Is This start? Anime Butterfly Is This first appeared around 2018 on Anime/Reddit. The format emerged from anime scenes exploring identity confusion and became a universal template for confusion. ### What platform did Anime Butterfly Is This originate on? Anime Butterfly Is This originated on Anime/Reddit around 2018. The Is This anime meme format shows confusion about classification or identity, using an anime character pointing at something and asking "is this [something]?" ### What are the best examples of Anime Butterfly Is This? The best examples of Anime Butterfly Is This showcase its core format at its most effective. Notable variations include Countless category confusion variations, Different anime character versions, Text-only variations. ### What memes are similar to Anime Butterfly Is This? Memes similar to Anime Butterfly Is This include Monke, Dicaprio Laughing, Scroll Of Truth, Change My Mind. These share a similar format, humor style, or cultural context. ### Is Anime Butterfly Is This dead? Not at all. Anime Butterfly Is This is considered evergreen, meaning it keeps coming back and gets used regularly regardless of trends. ### Has Anime Butterfly Is This been used by celebrities or brands? Various brands and public figures have referenced Anime Butterfly Is This in their social media and marketing. Memes with broad recognition like this one often get picked up for commercial use. ### Can I buy Anime Butterfly Is This merchandise? Yes, Anime Butterfly Is This merchandise is available on platforms like Redbubble, Amazon, and Etsy. You can find t shirts, stickers, mugs, phone cases, and other items featuring the meme. ### Where can I find the Anime Butterfly Is This template? Templates and references for Anime Butterfly Is This are available on sites like Imgflip and Know Your Meme. Search for the meme name to find usable versions. ### How do I make my own Anime Butterfly Is This? Create image pairs where one side shows something and text questions whether it's something unexpected. ### Did Anime Butterfly Is This inspire any other memes? Yes, Anime Butterfly Is This inspired several variations and spinoffs, including Countless category confusion variations, Different anime character versions, Text-only variations. ### Is Anime Butterfly Is This copyrighted? Most memes exist in a legal gray area. The original image or video may have copyright protection, but meme formats are generally treated as fair use. That said, this is not legal advice. ## References 1. [Is this a pigeon?]() 2. [Is This a Pigeon? - Urban Dictionary]() 3. [Is This a Pigeon? - Know Your Meme]() 4. [There's a New Version of the Butterfly Meme that Features a Woman]() 5. [The Real Origin of the 'Is This a Pigeon Meme' Explained]() 6. [Is this a pigeon? The story behind the internet's new favorite meme | Social media | The Guardian]() 7. [Where did the 'Is this a pigeon' meme come from?]() 8. [Is This an Article About the ‘Is This a Pigeon?’ Meme? | Hornet, the Queer Social Network]() 9. [“Is this a meme?”: the confused anime guy and his butterfly, explained | Vox]() 10. [Is this a pigeon? meme: What is it and where did it come from? | Daily Mail Online]() 11. [Is This a Pigeon Meme Is the New Distracted Boyfriend - Thrillist]() 12. [The Brave of Sun Fighbird - Wikipedia]() 13. [Memes / Tumblr - TV Tropes]() 14. [Hitclub 🎖️ Trang Hit Club Chính Thức 03/2026 | Tải Hitclub]() 15. [There's a New Version of the Butterfly Meme that Features a Woman]() 16. [Butterfly Net Meme - Captions Beautiful]() 17. [Create a is this butterfly Meme | Meme Generator]() 18. [27 Subtitles That Have Gone Awesomely Wrong]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/is-this-a-pigeon Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library