Kikia

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Kikia was a flash animation created by an unknown user, but was first posted on a Taiwanese service called Kimo by Netspooky in early 2002. Kikia is remembered as one of the earliest screamers to have existed on the internet. It was also regarded as the first of its type to become widely spread especially on different websites. As such, Kikia was an integral step towards kickstarting the screamer trend that would scare the internet senseless.

Background
The early 2000s was a significant year for the internet. With an increased number of users and websites coming into the scene, so too did the horror scene. Websites such as "Scary For Kids" and other related media started to pop up and create whole communities of fans within the horror genre. However, while scary images and urban legends became the standard for them, the idea of a video or animation whose sole purpose is to scare unsuspected viewers as they were lulled into a state of serenity had not been done yet.

Enter Kikia, a flash animation that did exactly what was previously stated. Though, it started small as it first appeared on Kimo, a blogging service in Taiwan. Aside from Kimo, it also began as a prank sent through chain mail similar to how The Maze did it. Over the next few weeks after its official posting, it garnered much attention from both Taiwanese and even Chinese denizens of the web. By 2004, Kikia would eventually be shown to the western world where it also gained popularity.

While the reactions towards Kikia were mixed, its novelty was praised. Noticeably, westerners reported that they were more scared of it because it is in a language that they can not even read, to begin with. Yet, others ended up being more confused than scared especially when they were wondering what was the purpose of it. Either way, Kikia still managed to remain popular on the internet due to it being the first of many screamers to come.

Overview
The animation begins with a still of a crudely drawn boy sitting on a patch of grass looking at the sky. Two lines of Chinese text appear letter by letter that read, "是否已經很久..... 沒仔細看看天空.....", translating to "How long haven't you..... Taken a look at the sky and daydreamed....." The view then changes and shows the boy walking down what appears to be a city street lined with simple buildings with two more lines of text displayed saying "走在街上.......... 你看到.......", translating to "Walking down the street.......... You see......." Then, a flashing picture of a ghastly being with white eyes and an open mouth pops up accompanied by a loud scream (see Trivia in the first section). After the screamer, the yellow text " Kikia " appears, thus ending the flash animation.

Trivia

 * The image used for the jumpscare is a screenshot of an enemy ghost from the survival horror video game Fatal Frame.
 * Throughout the first half, an instrumental version of "First Love" by Hikaru Utada plays softly.
 * It is unknown what "Kikia" means. However, the closest information is that it is a name of Japanese origins meaning "beautiful princess."
 * Some alternative versions replace the screamer with internet memes at the end, For example; The screamer was replaced with Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up, and the catchphrase "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!" from Monty Python's Flying Circus (season 2) episode The Spanish Inquisition, instead of Fatal Frame.

Links
NOTE : The following animation contains a screamer!
 * Original link: home.kimo.com.tw/netspooky/kikia
 * YouTube version: youtube.com/watch?v=smwLC6fuo8c
 * Rick roll version: youtube.com/watch?v=Firz_16rHlc
 * Albino Blacksheep: albinoblacksheep.com/flash/kikia

Other mirrors

 * albinoblacksheep.com/mp4/kikia(www.albinoblacksheep.com).mp4
 * RAW .swf: albinoblacksheep.com/swf/prank/kikia(www.albinoblacksheep.com).swf
 * MJBDiver version: web.archive.org/web/20050210063356fw_/fdoi.co.uk/scaryswf/kikia.html
 * eddy.com.cn/rc/kik.html
 * fetchfido.co.uk/games/kikia/kikia.htm