# Kawaikute Gomen

> Kawaikute Gomen is a 2022 Japanese pop song by HoneyWorks that became a viral TikTok dance challenge built around its signature "Chu!" and "Gomen" chorus hooks, generating over 34 billion cumulative views by April 2023.

"Kawaikute Gomen" (可愛くてごめん, "Sorry for Being So Cute") is a Japanese pop song by the musical collective HoneyWorks that became one of the biggest TikTok memes in Japan and East Asia during late 2022 and 2023. The song's chorus, built around the repeated hooks "Chu!" and "Gomen," spawned a massive dance and makeup challenge that spread from Japanese TikTok users to K-pop idols, Japanese celebrities, and international creators. With approximately four million TikTok videos and 34.6 billion cumulative views by April 2023, it ranked as the number one song on Billboard Japan's year-end TikTok Songs Chart for 2023[4].

## Origin
HoneyWorks, a Japanese creator unit made up of composers Gom and shito and illustrator Yamako, first released the song on August 13, 2022[4]. It appeared as the seventh track on their doujin album "Kokuhaku Jikkō Iinkai: FLYING SONGS: Koi shiteru," sold at Comiket 100 with Capi (かぴ) providing vocals[3]. The album hit streaming services on August 28, and HoneyWorks uploaded a music video to YouTube the same day[3].

A second version featuring voice actress Saori Hayami, who plays Chū-tan in the 2022 anime Heroines Run the Show, was released as a digital single on November 21 through Music Ray'n[4]. Music videos for both versions went up on November 18, animated by Kanata with illustrations by HoneyWorks support member TMK[4]. The idol group Takane no Nadeshiko, which receives HoneyWorks' sound production, also published an official cover that same day[8].

shito stated the song was about "valuing ourselves more" and "being straightforward about things we love," and that they deliberately aimed to incorporate musical elements popular on TikTok, particularly songs with repetitive, easy-to-understand lyrics[4].

- **Platform:** TikTok Japan (viral spread), Comiket 100 (song release)
- **Creator:** HoneyWorks (musical group, song creators), shito (songwriter), Capi / かぴ (vocalist, original version), @iraru_amaou / あちゃん (original choreography)
- **Date:** 2022

## Overview
"Kawaikute Gomen" is a character song from HoneyWorks' Kokuhaku Jikkō Iinkai (Confession Executive Committee) multimedia project[4]. The song belongs to the character Chizuru Nakamura, a shy student who adopts the outgoing persona "Chū-tan" while working at a maid café[6]. Written by HoneyWorks member shito, the track runs 3 minutes and 39 seconds at 160 BPM, blending pop with synthesizer, glockenspiel, piano, guitar, and drums[4].

The song's hook lies in the deliberate tension between the words "kawaii" (cute) and "gomen" (sorry). The heroine isn't actually apologizing for being cute. She's bragging about it. The chorus cycles through "Chu! Kawaikute gomen" (Sorry for being cute) and "Azatokute gomen" (Sorry for being crafty), with each "sorry" dripping in playful self-confidence rather than genuine remorse[2]. As writer Mio Komachi noted for TuneCore Japan's magazine, the lyrics imply a protagonist who likes herself and feels zero guilt about it[4].

What made the song a meme wasn't the full track but a carefully selected clip. TikTok users consistently cut their videos before the line "Mukatsucchau yo ne? Zamaa w" ("It's irritating you, yes? Serves you right!"), which carries a darker, more aggressive tone[2]. By trimming the song to its cutest section, users kept the vibe light and fun, an act of curation that was itself a form of "azatosa" (calculated charm)[2].

## How It Spread
The meme took off on September 7, 2022, when TikTok user @iraru_amaou (あちゃん) posted original choreography to the song[3]. The dance was simple and camera-friendly: users performed cute gestures matching the "Chu!" (a blown kiss) and "Gomen" (a prayer-hands apology) beats.

By mid-October, the song appeared on Billboard Japan's TikTok Weekly Top 20 chart, debuting at number eight on the chart dated October 12[4]. Late October brought a surge of female TikTok users combining the dance with makeup transformation videos, a format that proved wildly effective at showcasing both the song's energy and the creators' beauty routines[2]. Japanese model and influencer Tsubasa Masuwaka posted a makeup video set to the song that hit one million TikTok views, writing "Full kawaikute gomen makeup"[9]. TV Tokyo announcer Kasumi Mori also went viral with her makeup-and-dance version[11].

The song hit number one on the TikTok Weekly Top 20 chart dated November 2 and held that position for six consecutive weeks through December[4]. It ranked 5th on Billboard Japan's TikTok chart for all of 2022, and placed 2nd in a Gen-Z survey by Non De Plume for "Top 10 Popular Songs in the Latter Half of 2022"[10]. TikTok Japan's own year-end announcement ranked it 5th most-played, 2nd most-liked, and 10th most-shared on the platform for the year[3].

In December 2022, K-pop idols jumped in. Seventeen's Jeonghan, NCT Dream's Shotaro, and IVE's Rei all posted their own dance videos[12]. IVE members Rei and Yujin filmed a collage dance version together[14]. Groups like TREASURE, CRAVITY, TEMPEST, YOUNITE, and fromis_9 followed, making it a cross-industry trend spanning Japanese and Korean entertainment[12]. Model Press covered the K-pop wave extensively, noting groups were posting challenge videos on their official TikTok accounts[14].

Into early 2023, Japanese celebrities continued piling on. Actress Yuriko Yoshitaka, NiziU members, GENERATIONS' Alan Shirahama, THE RAMPAGE's Hokuto Yoshino, and Travis Japan's Ryuya Shimekaké all posted versions[13]. The song returned to the top of the TikTok Weekly Top 20 chart on January 25, 2023[2].

By this point, the song was also spreading through the AI Manga filter trend on TikTok, where users applied an AI effect that turned still photos into anime-style illustrations, set to "Kawaikute Gomen" as background music[3]. This gave the song a second viral vector beyond the dance challenge.

## How to Use
The standard "Kawaikute Gomen" format involves filming yourself doing the choreographed dance, usually with one or more of these variations:
1. **Dance challenge:** Perform the hand gestures synced to the chorus. Blow a kiss on "Chu!", put hands together on "Gomen," and strike cute poses throughout. The moves are deliberately simple and camera-friendly.
2. **Makeup transformation:** Film a "before and after" video starting with a bare face, then cut to (or time-lapse through) a full makeup look, all while performing the dance.
3. **AI Manga filter:** Apply TikTok's AI illustration filter to photos of yourself or friends, using the song as background music.

## Cultural Impact
"Kawaikute Gomen" broke out of TikTok and into mainstream Japanese culture in a way few anime character songs have managed. News outlets including Model Press and ABEMA Times covered the trend extensively[9][13]. The song was used in approximately four million TikTok videos with a cumulative view count of 34.6 billion by April 2023[4].

The K-pop crossover was particularly significant. When members of Seventeen, NCT Dream, IVE, TREASURE, CRAVITY, and other groups posted their versions, it created a rare bridge between Japanese and Korean pop ecosystems[12][14]. Kstyle, a major K-pop news outlet, ran dedicated coverage of the "Kawaikute Gomen Challenge" spreading through idol groups[14].

The trend also connected to broader cultural conversations in Japan about "azatosa" (calculated charm) and self-love[2]. Russian-language covers appeared as well, with dancers noting that the song's theme of "I don't care about your opinion" and self-acceptance spoke to them despite the language barrier[1].

The song's year-end TikTok ranking as number one for 2023 on Billboard Japan put it in a class of viral music phenomena specific to the short-video era[4]. The subsequent JASRAC Silver Award and RIAJ gold certification confirmed its commercial weight beyond social media metrics[4].

## Fun Facts
- The song was intentionally designed for TikTok virality. Songwriter shito admitted they aimed to incorporate musical elements popular on the platform, particularly repetitive, easy-to-understand lyrics[4].
- TikTok users instinctively edited out the line "Serves you right!" from their clips, keeping only the cute section. TuneCore Japan's analysis called this selective curation itself an act of "azatosa"[2].
- The two YouTube music videos (Capi and Hayami versions) combined earned over 55 million views in their first three months alone, and the Hayami version went on to surpass 169 million[4][3].
- "Azato-kawaii," the cultural concept at the heart of the song, had already ranked third in a 2020 Japanese teen trend survey for vocabulary, showing the audience was primed for this message[2].
- The song ranked first on Billboard Japan's year-end TikTok Songs Chart for 2023 despite first going viral in late 2022, showing its staying power across two calendar years[4].

## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is Kawaikute Gomen?
"Kawaikute Gomen" (可愛くてごめん) is a Japanese pop song by HoneyWorks meaning "Sorry for Being So Cute." It went viral on TikTok in late 2022 through a dance and makeup challenge[4].

### Where did Kawaikute Gomen come from?
The song was first released on August 13, 2022, as part of HoneyWorks' doujin album at Comiket 100, featuring vocalist Capi[3]. The TikTok trend started when user @iraru_amaou posted original choreography on September 7, 2022[3].

### What does Kawaikute Gomen mean?
It translates to "Sorry for Being So Cute," but the apology is ironic. The heroine is playfully boasting about her cuteness while pretending to apologize, embodying "azatosa" (calculated charm)[2][4].

### How do you use Kawaikute Gomen?
Record a TikTok video dancing to the chorus, blow a kiss on "Chu!", and strike cute poses on "Gomen." Many users combine it with a makeup transformation, going from bare-faced to glammed up[2].

### Is Kawaikute Gomen still popular?
The song ranked first on Billboard Japan's year-end TikTok Songs Chart for 2023 and won a JASRAC Silver Award in 2024[4]. It was certified gold for streaming by RIAJ in September 2025, and a manga adaptation with three volumes was published by November 2025[4].

### Who wrote Kawaikute Gomen?
HoneyWorks member shito wrote the song, intentionally designing it with TikTok-friendly elements like repetitive lyrics and catchy hooks[4].

### What is the Kawaikute Gomen dance?
The choreography was created by TikTok user @iraru_amaou (あちゃん) and involves simple, camera-friendly gestures synced to the chorus, including a blown kiss on "Chu!" and prayer hands on "Gomen"[3].

### Which K-pop idols did the Kawaikute Gomen challenge?
Seventeen's Jeonghan, NCT Dream's Shotaro, IVE's Rei and Yujin, TREASURE members, CRAVITY's Seongmin, and groups like fromis_9, TEMPEST, and ONEUS all posted challenge videos[12][14].

### What anime is Kawaikute Gomen from?
It's a character song for Chizuru Nakamura (Chū-tan) from HoneyWorks' Kokuhaku Jikkō Iinkai project, which includes the 2022 anime Heroines Run the Show[6]. It later served as the ending theme for the 2024 anime Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian[5].

### Why do TikTok users cut the song before the last line?
The full chorus ends with "Mukatsucchau yo ne? Zamaa w" ("Serves you right!"), which has an aggressive tone. Users trim it to keep videos purely cute, which TuneCore Japan's analysis identified as itself being a form of "azatosa"[2].

### How many TikTok videos used Kawaikute Gomen?
By April 2023, the song was used on approximately four million TikTok videos with a cumulative view count of 34.6 billion[4].

### Is there a manga adaptation of Kawaikute Gomen?
Yes. A manga by Ruia Shimakage began serialization in Line Manga in March 2024, with three tankōbon volumes published by Futabasha as of November 2025[4].

## References
1. [(HoneyWorks на русском) Kawaikute Gomen / 可愛くてごめん (танец и вокал - full cover) - смотреть видео онлайн от «Ночь ритмов» в хорошем качестве, бесплатно опубликованное 24 декабря 2023 года в 23:04:26 00:03:37.](<https://rutube.ru/video/6b3d79ed6e3c9257aa0529121ab0708c/>)
2. [可愛くてごめん ♥ Sorry for Being So Cute](<https://lenslyrics.net/kawaikutegomen.html>)
3. [なぜ HoneyWorks「可愛くてごめん」はこれほどまでにバズっているのか、楽曲の独自性から浮かび上がってくる “あざとさ”｜THE MAGAZINE](<https://magazine.tunecore.co.jp/inspirations/274965/>)
4. [Kawaikute Gomen - Know Your Meme](<https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/kawaikute-gomen>)
5. [Kawaikute Gomen](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawaikute_Gomen>)
6. [Kawaikute Gomen - Urban Dictionary](<https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Kawaikute%20Gomen>)
7. [Image song](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_song>)
8. [HoneyWorks](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HoneyWorks>)
9. [Saori Hayami](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saori_Hayami>)
10. [Heroines Run the Show](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroines_Run_the_Show>)
11. [Tsubasa Masuwaka](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsubasa_Masuwaka>)
12. [Seventeen (South Korean band)](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeen_%28South_Korean_band%29>)
13. [Ive (group)](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ive_%28group%29>)
14. [Kokuhaku Jikkō Iinkai: Ren'ai Series - Wikipedia](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokuhaku_Jikk%C5%8D_Iinkai:_Ren%27ai_Series>)
15. [ローカルカンピオーネ - Wikipedia](<https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%AD%E3%83%BC%E3%82%AB%E3%83%AB%E3%82%AB%E3%83%B3%E3%83%94%E3%82%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%8D>)
16. [Seventeen (South Korean band) - Wikipedia](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeen_(South_Korean_band)>)
17. [Ive (group) - Wikipedia](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ive_(group)>)
18. [高嶺のなでしこ - Wikipedia](<https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%AB%98%E5%B6%BA%E3%81%AE%E3%81%AA%E3%81%A7%E3%81%97%E3%81%93>)
19. [森香澄 - Wikipedia](<https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%A3%AE%E9%A6%99%E6%BE%84>)
20. [益若つばさ、可愛すぎるメイクアップ動画を披露し「見ててHappyな気分」「女神様」とファン悶絶 | エンタメ総合 | ABEMA TIMES | アベマタイムズ](<https://times.abema.tv/articles/-/10054239>)
21. [2022年年間チャート発表！総合ソング・チャート1位は、Aimer「残響散歌」 | 阪急阪神ホールディングス株式会社のプレスリリース](<https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000001949.000005179.html>)
22. [『Z世代が選ぶ2022年下半期トレンドランキング』をZ総研が発表！ | 株式会社N.D.Promotionのプレスリリース](<https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000074.000020799.html>)
23. [テレ東・森香澄アナ、メイク全公開TikTokが話題沸騰「すっぴんから優勝」「参考になる」 - モデルプレス](<https://mdpr.jp/news/detail/3456220>)
24. [SEVENTEENジョンハン・NCTショウタロウ・IVEレイ＆ユジン…K-POP界で「可愛くてごめん」ダンス流行中 - モデルプレス](<https://mdpr.jp/k-enta/detail/3513518>)
25. [吉高由里子・広瀬すず・NiziU・LDHも…「可愛くてごめん」ブームが止まらない - モデルプレス](<https://mdpr.jp/news/detail/3573005>)
26. [SEVENTEEN ジョンハンからIVE レイまで、日本で話題の「可愛くてごめん」チャレンジがK-POPアイドルの間で流行中！ - Kstyle](<https://news.kstyle.com/article.ksn?articleNo=2208258>)

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