Emily Mariko has seen a meteoric rise on her TikTok platform in just a few weeks. Her cooking videos rake in millions of views and hundreds of thousands of likes, despite their simplistic nature and often lack of speaking or explanation. Simplicity aside, I find myself a fan of her TikToks and the content she produces. Here are some reasons why I think Mariko’s platform has taken off and will continue to do so.
1. She makes real, attainable foods
Each recipe Mariko makes seems as though it can be easily replicated and become an every-week dish. In particular, I am thinking of the salmon rice dish that she shares every Monday on her platform. Despite sharing this recipe once a week with the same video format, the comment section is filled with praises and comments of watching the video many times over.
2. The silence is soothing
I think that the lack of commentary in most of Mariko’s videos is the reason why viewers gravitate towards her content. I have seen comments stating that the sound of her cooking is a sort of ASMR for some viewers.
3. The amount of her life that she shares is measured
It is evident that Mariko is only sharing specific and realistic portions of her life. I think the desire to know more about her is what keeps people coming back to her videos.
4. Her organization is aspirational
I think we all hope to have our life together enough to clean our fridge out once a week and cook our meals. My aforementioned point of attainability combined with her weekly organization rituals keep viewers engaged and inspired.
5. The genuine motive behind her content shines through
At the end of each video, Mariko shows herself trying the food she has just created. Her reaction of genuine joy and passion for cooking shows through in this moment. It is one of the parts of her videos that I look forward to the most.
If you haven’t yet, check out @emilymariko on TikTok, collegiettes!