The menantu cantik idaman is a performance of gendered expectations: beauty, obedience, and nurturing. The Rui avatar’s fluid gender presentation challenges the fixity of these performances.
This paper examines the interplay between traditional Indonesian family terminology (e.g., menantu – son‑in‑law/daughter‑in‑law), contemporary beauty standards (cantik – “pretty”), and the transnational influence of Japanese pop‑cultural icons (exemplified by Shigeru Miyamoto). By analysing social‑media trends, televised dramas, and fan‑fiction communities, the study reveals how the figure of the “ideal daughter‑in‑law” (menantu cantik idaman) is constructed, negotiated, and sometimes subverted. The research further explores the role of paternal expectations (ayah mertua – father‑in‑law) and the emergence of hybrid identity markers such as “Rui” – a gender‑fluid avatar popularized on the Indonesian platform Indo‑18. Findings suggest that the convergence of local familial expectations with Japanese aesthetic sensibilities creates a dynamic space where gender, beauty, and authority intersect, offering new insights for scholars of Southeast Asian media studies and cross‑cultural identity formation. The menantu cantik idaman is a performance of
“Kawaii” (cute) aesthetics, pioneered by Japanese media, emphasize softness, roundness, and innocence—attributes also valorized in Indonesian beauty discourses (cantik). Miyamoto’s characters (e.g., Mario, Kirby) epitomize this aesthetic. “Kawaii” (cute) aesthetics
| # | Question | |---|----------| | RQ1 | How do Indonesian netizens define the “ideal daughter‑in‑law” (menantu cantik idaman) in everyday conversation and media? | | RQ2 | In what ways does Miyamoto’s design language (simplicity, approachability, “cute” aesthetics) inform these definitions? | | RQ3 | What role does the ayah mertua play in reinforcing or challenging these ideals? | | RQ4 | How does the Rui avatar on Indo‑18 embody a negotiated identity between Indonesian familial expectations and Japanese aesthetic tropes? | pioneered by Japanese media