There is no debate that the influence of anime is tremendous both in Eastern and Western countries. While popular anime shows like Demon Slayer and Attack on Titan could back the facts with their record-breaking streaming hours and fan following, there is another specific example.
Microsoft has been using an anime character as a Mascot for years now. Before Microsoft Edge, there was Internet Explorer, which was everyone’s favorite browser until Chrome and Mozilla Firefox took over. Due to the decreasing number of users of Microsoft’s prior web browser, Internet Explorer, it has created an anime girl named Inori Aizawa as the official mascot in hopes of convincing anime fans to continue using their browsers.
So, who is this anime girl that Microsoft has been using as a mascot for almost a decade?
Who Is Microsoft’s Anime Girl, and What Does She Do?
In 2013, when Safari, Firefox, and Chrome launched image mascots, Collateral Damage Studios casually asked Microsoft if they would create one for their web browsers. Although they didn’t know they would get a reply, a representative from Microsoft Asia approached them, and thus, Inori Aizawa, the iconic Microsoft anime girl, was created.
Although Collateral Damage Studios designed the mascot, it was handled by Microsoft Singapore and simultaneously launched inside Asia as they did not intend to use her as a market campaign outside of Asia just yet.
Collateral Damage Studios explained the intent when asked about the character’s specifics and why they sought an anime-like design. In their words,
“The concept that we wanted to go for with our IE-tan was ‘redemption. A clumsy girl who tries to do too much. She is klutzy, nerdy … someone that everyone would love to bully.”
By redemption, they mean they wanted to improve users’ experience compared to the earlier poorer versions of Internet Explorer. In fact, there is a Facebook Page dedicated to her, in which she introduced herself back when the mascot initially went viral. Here’s what she said,
“Hey, everyone! My name is Inori, and you can think of me as a personification of Internet Explorer. When I was younger, I used to be a clumsy, slow, and awkward girl. However, just like the story of ugly ducklings, people told me that I have really matured and changed over the years. I feel confident in my abilities now, and I’m eager to show you what I can do. Why don’t you get to know me a little better?”
What Are the Previous Anime Girl Mascots of Microsoft?
While Inori has become relatively famous due to her cute appearance, a few anime girl mascots were designed for Microsoft prior to her introduction. Here’s a brief rundown:
- Nanami Madobe: Microsoft Japan’s official Windows 7 Mascot
- Claudia Madobe: A Mascot used to help developers with Microsoft’s cloud platform.
- Hikaru Aizawa: Microsoft Taiwan promoted Silverlight using this fictional character in several instances.
- Madobe Yu and Madobe AI: Launched after the release of Windows 8 and related merchandise.
No matter how many fictional characters Microsoft introduced to attract anime fans, none were as successful as Inori Aizawa.
However, she’s no longer used to promoting web browsers since it was specifically designed for Internet Explorer, which is no longer relevant due to its slow speed.
Nonetheless, you can stumble upon a few posts on X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram, often reminiscing about this adorable character and how she used to be the best anime mascot.
Now that you have a pretty good idea of Microsoft’s anime girl, make sure to follow Averagebeing for more exciting news and updates.
