The 'Plastic Love' meme originates from the cover art of Mariya Takeuchi’s 1984 album 'Variety,' which exploded in global popularity during the late 2010s thanks to YouTube's recommendation algorithm. The image of Takeuchi smiling has become the definitive face of the City Pop revival and the 'Aesthetic' internet subculture. It is widely used to express feelings of urban loneliness, sophisticated 80s nostalgia, or the specific vibe of listening to Japanese funk late at night. The meme captures a sense of longing for a bygone era of neon lights and analog romance, often paired with self-deprecating jokes about discovering the genre through a YouTube sidebar.