guǐchù: 鬼畜 - Kichiku, Remix Video, Savage/Demonic (Internet Slang)

• Keywords: guichu, 鬼畜, Kichiku, Chinese internet slang, Chinese meme, remix video, parody video, Bilibili, B站, autotune remix, YTP, dank memes, online video culture
• Summary: Discover the meaning of 鬼畜 (guǐchù), a popular and influential genre of Chinese internet slang and online video. Originating from the Japanese term “kichiku,” 鬼畜 refers to a style of surreal, high-energy parody videos characterized by rapid-fire editing, repetitive soundbites, and autotuned music. Found primarily on platforms like Bilibili, these videos are a cornerstone of modern Chinese meme culture, offering a unique and often hilarious form of digital expression.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): guǐchù
• Part of Speech: Noun, Adjective
• HSK Level: N/A
• Concise Definition: A genre of online parody video featuring highly repetitive, rhythmic, and often autotuned editing of source material for comedic effect.
• In a Nutshell: “Guichu” is China's answer to “YouTube Poop” (YTP) or highly edited meme remixes, but with its own distinct flavor. Imagine taking a short clip from a movie, a commercial, or a speech and chopping it up into tiny pieces. Then, you rearrange those pieces, repeating syllables and phrases to a beat, often autotuning them to create a bizarre and catchy song. The result is something absurd, hypnotic, and hilarious. It's a key subculture on the video-sharing site Bilibili (B站).

• 鬼 (guǐ): This character means “ghost,” “demon,” or “spirit.” It evokes a sense of the supernatural, the eerie, or something inhuman.
• 畜 (chù): This character refers to “livestock” or “beast.” It implies something brutish, primal, or animalistic.
• Combined Meaning: Literally translating to “ghost beast” or “demonic beast,” the term was originally borrowed from Japanese (“kichiku”), where it means “brutal,” “inhuman,” or “savage.” In the context of online videos, this original harsh meaning is lost. Instead, it captures the “savage” editing style—the relentless, almost inhuman repetition and distortion of the source material that feels chaotic and wild.

鬼畜 (guǐchù) is more than just a video style; it's a major pillar of contemporary Chinese internet culture. Its journey from a Japanese loanword to a uniquely Chinese phenomenon is significant. Originally meaning “brutal” in Japanese, the term was adopted by users of the Japanese video site Niconico to describe a specific style of MAD (Music Anime Douga) video that used aggressive repetition for humor. This culture was directly imported to China by early users of ACG (Anime, Comic, and Games) websites, most notably Bilibili (B站). On Bilibili, the 鬼畜 genre exploded, developing its own local characteristics. Creators, known as “UP主” (UP zhǔ), began using source material deeply embedded in Chinese culture: scenes from classic TV shows like *Journey to the West*, old commercials, speeches by tech CEOs like Lei Jun, and lines from famous actors. Comparison to Western Culture: While similar to YouTube Poop (YTP) or meme remixes, 鬼畜 has a key difference: musicality. While YTP often focuses on surreal, nonsensical, and jarring humor, Chinese 鬼畜 places a strong emphasis on rhythm and melody. The goal is often to create a “brainwashing” (洗脑, xǐnǎo) song that is incredibly catchy. The repetition is not random; it's meticulously timed to a beat, turning spoken words into a percussive or melodic instrument. This makes many 鬼畜 videos feel more like satirical music videos than simple meme edits.

鬼畜 is almost exclusively used in informal, online contexts. It's a term you'll see and hear constantly on Bilibili, Weibo, and in group chats, but rarely in formal conversation.

• As a Noun (The Genre): It refers to the genre or a specific video.
  • > “我晚上就喜欢看会儿鬼畜放松一下。”
  • > (Wǒ wǎnshang jiù xǐhuān kàn huìr guǐchù fàngsōng yīxià.)
  • > “I like to watch some guichu videos in the evening to relax.”
• As an Adjective (The Style): It can describe something as having the qualities of a 鬼畜 video—being highly repetitive, surreal, or hilariously out of context.
  • > “这个广告的剪辑太鬼畜了，一直在重复那句话。”
  • > (Zhège guǎnggào de jiǎnjí tài guǐchù le, yīzhí zài chóngfù nà jù huà.)
  • > “The editing on this commercial is so guichu (savage/remix-like); it keeps repeating that one sentence.”

The connotation is overwhelmingly positive and humorous among netizens. To call a video 鬼畜 is a compliment, acknowledging its creativity and comedic effect.

• Example 1:
  • B站上有很多经典的鬼畜视频。
  • Pinyin: B zhàn shàng yǒu hěn duō jīngdiǎn de guǐchù shìpín.
  • English: There are a lot of classic guichu videos on Bilibili.
  • Analysis: Here, 鬼畜 is used as an adjective modifying “videos” (视频), specifying the genre. “B站” is the common name for Bilibili.
• Example 2:
  • 那个演员因为一句台词，被做成了各种鬼畜。
  • Pinyin: Nàge yǎnyuán yīnwèi yījù táicí, bèi zuò chéng le gèzhǒng guǐchù.
  • English: Because of one line, that actor was made into all kinds of guichu videos.
  • Analysis: This shows how people or source material become subjects of the genre. The passive voice “被…做成” (bèi… zuò chéng - was made into) is common when describing this.
• Example 3:
  • 这首歌的节奏太鬼畜了，我听了一天，满脑子都是这个旋律。
  • Pinyin: Zhè shǒu gē de jiézòu tài guǐchù le, wǒ tīng le yītiān, mǎn nǎozi dōu shì zhège xuánlǜ.
  • English: The rhythm of this song is so guichu (repetitive and catchy), I've listened to it all day and now the melody is stuck in my head.
  • Analysis: 鬼畜 is used as an adjective to describe a feeling—catchy, repetitive, and “brainwashing” (洗脑). It has moved beyond just video to describe music as well.
• Example 4:
  • 你看那个最新的雷军鬼畜了吗？笑死我了！
  • Pinyin: Nǐ kàn nàge zuìxīn de Léi Jūn guǐchù le ma? Xiào sǐ wǒ le!
  • English: Have you seen the latest guichu of Lei Jun? It made me laugh to death!
  • Analysis: This is a very typical, casual conversation between friends. Lei Jun, the CEO of Xiaomi, is a famous subject of 鬼畜 videos due to his heavily accented English.
• Example 5:
  • UP主把两个完全不相关的视频剪在了一起，效果非常鬼畜。
  • Pinyin: UP zhǔ bǎ liǎng ge wánquán bù xiāngguān de shìpín jiǎn zài le yīqǐ, xiàoguǒ fēicháng guǐchù.
  • English: The creator edited two completely unrelated videos together, and the effect was very guichu (surreal and funny).
  • Analysis: This highlights the creative, remix aspect of the culture. “UP主” (UP zhǔ) is the term for a content creator/uploader on Bilibili.
• Example 6:
  • 这个视频的技术力太高了，简直是鬼畜区的镇区之宝。
  • Pinyin: Zhège shìpín de jìshùlì tài gāo le, jiǎnzhí shì guǐchù qū de zhèn qū zhī bǎo.
  • English: The technical skill in this video is so high, it's practically the masterpiece of the Guichu section.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates that 鬼畜 is not just mindless fun; it is often a display of impressive video and audio editing skill. “鬼畜区” refers to the specific section on Bilibili dedicated to this genre.
• Example 7:
  • 别再重复这句话了，你说话怎么这么鬼畜啊？
  • Pinyin: Bié zài chóngfù zhè jù huà le, nǐ shuōhuà zěnme zhème guǐchù a?
  • English: Stop repeating that sentence, why are you talking in such a guichu (repetitive) way?
  • Analysis: A great example of the word being used metaphorically in conversation to describe someone's repetitive speech, borrowing the core concept of the video style.
• Example 8:
  • 他因为一个奇怪的采访而出名，现在全网都是他的鬼畜作品。
  • Pinyin: Tā yīnwèi yīge qíguài de cǎifǎng ér chūmíng, xiànzài quán wǎng dōu shì tā de guǐchù zuòpǐn.
  • English: He became famous because of a weird interview, and now the entire internet is full of his guichu works.
  • Analysis: This sentence describes the viral life cycle of a meme that becomes 鬼畜 material.
• Example 9:
  • 我刚开始看鬼畜的时候，觉得很吵，但现在完全上瘾了。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ gāng kāishǐ kàn guǐchù de shíhou, juéde hěn chǎo, dàn xiànzài wánquán shàngyǐn le.
  • English: When I first started watching guichu, I thought it was very noisy, but now I'm completely addicted.
  • Analysis: This captures the common experience of new viewers. The chaotic nature can be off-putting at first but becomes highly entertaining once you understand the humor.
• Example 10:
  • 做一个高质量的鬼畜视频需要花费大量的时间和精力。
  • Pinyin: Zuò yīge gāo zhìliàng de guǐchù shìpín xūyào huāfèi dàliàng de shíjiān hé jīnglì.
  • English: Making a high-quality guichu video requires a huge amount of time and effort.
  • Analysis: This sentence counters the misconception that these videos are low-effort, emphasizing the skill involved in good parody.

• Don't Use the Literal Meaning: The most common mistake for learners is to interpret 鬼畜 literally as “ghost beast” and think it's something evil, scary, or offensive. In its modern internet context, the original harsh meaning is completely gone. It is a term for a genre of humor.
• Informal Use Only: Never use 鬼畜 in a formal essay, business meeting, or conversation with an elder who is not familiar with internet culture. It is strictly slang.
• It's Not Just Any Parody: Don't use 鬼畜 to describe any funny video or parody. It specifically refers to the style involving heavy repetition, rhythmic editing, and often autotune/pitch-shifting. A simple skit or dubbed video is better described as 恶搞 (ègǎo).
• “False Friend” with “Savage”: While you can sometimes translate the feeling as “savage,” be careful. In English, “savage” can mean brutally honest or coolly vicious (e.g., a “savage comeback”). 鬼畜 doesn't carry this connotation of wit or malice; its “savagery” is purely in the wild, relentless, and chaotic editing style.

• B站 (B zhàn) - Short for Bilibili.com, the primary video-sharing platform in China where the 鬼畜 genre thrives.
• 弹幕 (dànmù) - “Bullet comments.” The iconic scrolling on-screen comments on Bilibili videos, which form a crucial part of the communal viewing experience of 鬼畜.
• 洗脑 (xǐnǎo) - Literally “brainwashing.” Used informally to describe something extremely catchy (a song, a phrase, a video) that gets stuck in your head, a common goal of 鬼畜 videos.
• 恶搞 (ègǎo) - To spoof, parody, or prank. This is a broader category of humor, and 鬼畜 is a very specific sub-genre of it.
• 空耳 (kōng'ěr) - “Empty ear.” The Chinese term for misheard lyrics or mondegreens, a very common source of comedic material for 鬼畜 creators.
• UP主 (UP zhǔ) - “UP owner,” from “uploader.” The term for a content creator on Bilibili who uploads videos, including 鬼畜.
• 素材 (sùcái) - Source material. The original video clips, sounds, and images that are remixed to create a 鬼畜 video.
• 人力Vocaloid (rénlì Vocaloid) - “Human-powered Vocaloid.” A technique within 鬼畜 where creators meticulously cut and pitch-shift a person's spoken words to make them “sing” a song, a prime example of the genre's musical focus.