Japanese decomail culture! Anyone heard of it? Use it?

magus0084 · (#1 (**permalink**))

I wasn't really sure where to post this, so I put it here. I guess it's "general", but I suppose it's really more related to Japanese cell phones.

Anyway, Decomail (or “decoration mail”, or ”decome”) is a form of email sent between mobile phones in Japan that uses animated text, images, and colors. It's really popular in Japan, but I was wondering if anyone knows about it, uses it, or knows if other countries use it. If you don't use it, would you?

Here's a Japanese commercial for decomail so you can have a better idea of what it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7rlJ...layer_embedded

There's also a decomail iPhone application called Smiley Mail that is apparently super popular in Japan:
SmileyMail – Send a Smile!

manganimefan227 · (#2 (**permalink**))

Kyule! (Cool)

sarasi · (#3 (**permalink**))

Yes, I use it occasionally for fun. Most phones have lots of ordinary icons, including animated ones, but if you use decomail you can use a lot more animated icons. If you pay a certain amount per month you have access to thousands of little pictures rather than just hundreds with the free version.

It's quite time consuming to put all the little deco icons into an email, so I mostly use them only for someone's birthday email for example. I use some of the ordinary icons that come with my phone in just about every email, but not as many as most Japanese girls do!

magus0084 · (#4 (**permalink**))

I never really used animating icons or any icons other than =P, =), =(, and =\ until I came to Japan. After I came to Japan, I started putting the little icons into almost every email I write. I think it's just such a strong part of the culture that it feels weird or unfriendly not to do it.

Do phones in the states have animating icons or any icons for that matter? I've been out of the states for awhile now so I'm not really aware of anything going on there these days. =P

manganimefan227 · (#5 (**permalink**))

Well, did you catch the news that our president is an African American?

magus0084 · (#6 (**permalink**))

Hahaha. Thanks to the power of Youtube, I was able to view the speeches and be kept in the loop. If it weren't for Youtube though...man...I'd be still thinking that the Bush family was in control and that we were at war with Sadam Hussain. =P

nobora · (#7 (**permalink**))

Thats sooo cute-!!

dirtyroboto · (#8 (**permalink**))

Is an African American a person that holds dual identity.

magus0084 · (#9 (**permalink**))

Judging from the responses, it sounds like people are interested in decomail? Do you think it's something you'd use?

And I think an African American would classify as someone who is of African ethnicity but was born in America. Like an Asian American, etc. =P

Ryzorian · (#10 (**permalink**))

Techically it would be American of african/european decent. Like I'm American of german/irish/scottish/english/swiss/maybe some itialian but not sure decent...Yankee Mutt for short.