Menhera is an "underground" (not considered to be a part of harajuku street fashion) fashion that came to be when concept designs by Nemutai Company, a japanese alternative fashion brand, were released in late 2013. Throughout 2013, many pastel fashions such as Fairy Kei were popularized, but designers at Nemutai Company took the bold and daring decision to make cute fashions cross a border, tainting them with dark and grotesque motifs.

Menhera, like many other Yumekawaii fashions, often consists of oversized shirts, patterned tights, and skirts, but is mixed with medical motifs, such as bandages and syringes. These darker motifs are what brang about the umbrella term "Yamikawaii", which can be translated to "dark-cute". These motifs, though considered Yamikawaii, can be used with color schemes that fall into the category of Yumekawaii, deeming them as such. The usage of byojaku, heavy undereye blush, is also commonly used in Menhera to bring on a more sickly and fragile appearance.

In Japan, mental health and wellbeing isn't something that can be easily talked about as it can be in the United States. Thus, Menhera can serve as a way for people to feel like they aren't alone if they are not in good health, find support in one another, and help in removing the negative stigmas attached to "being sick".

Menhera-chan is an online webcomic that has become an iconic representation of Menhera, since it's growth throughout 2015-2017. The story follows three heroines (which represent various yumekawaii fashions); warrior Menhera-chan, warrior Sabukaru, and warrior Yumekawa. They fight off beings of evil that are, in all actuality, delightful people who have been "infected" by evil, turning them into bullies and monsters. The warriors aim to eradicate these beings, all while struggling to maintain good mental health (to empower and uplift those who are suffering from similar complications). The webcomic started on the Japanese art-sharing website Pixiv in 2014, and has since been updated regularly. It's cute, yet grotesque visuals gained quite a bit of attention online, sparking the comic's popularity. With the exposure it gained, well-known brands such as Listen Flavor (famous for their yumekawaii and decora designs) have created clothing lines featuring the characters. In addition, cafes featuring limited-time themes around the characters also surfaced in Japan in 2016.

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