The 'Nico Nico Nii' meme originates from the 2013 anime series 'Love Live! School Idol Project.' In this specific scene, the character Nico Yazawa, voiced by actress Sora Tokui, demonstrates her 'idol persona' to the other members of the group μ's. She performs her signature catchphrase: 'Nico Nico Nii! I'll Nico Nico Nii your heart!' while making specific hand gestures to represent a smile. This clip exploded in popularity as a representation of 'moe' culture, often used ironically to highlight 'cringe' or over-the-top cuteness. It is frequently used in mashups, bait-and-switch videos, or to depict someone putting on a fake, hyper-cheerful front in an awkward situation. It perfectly captures the essence of trying too hard to be likable or the intensity of hardcore anime fandom. Example captions include: 'Me trying to act cute so the cop doesn't give me a ticket,' 'When the 30-year-old Discord mod enters the chat,' and 'Me after saying 'lol' while staring blankly at my phone.'