The "Y U NO" Guy meme features a stick-figure character with a distinctive, exaggerated facial expression of frustration, known for addressing various subjects or issues with deliberately faulty grammar and texting shorthand. The character's face is believed to be traced from a character in the Japanese sci-fi manga and anime series, Gantz. The typical format includes the head of the stick-figure on a beige or light brown background, accompanied by text such as "I TXT U, Y U NO TXT BAK!" using a phrasal template similar to "[X, subject noun], Y U NO [Y, verb]?"
The iconic face for the "Y U NO" meme originates from a character in Chapter 55: Naked King of the manga Gantz, first released in Japan in February 2002 with its English translation available by June 2009. Prior to the meme's creation, the image had been traced by fans and circulated on 4chan. The first known instance of the meme, using the signature phrasal template, was posted on the site LOLTumblrWallpapers and subsequently gained significant popularity. This meme template was further popularized through its addition to MemeGenerator, enabling widespread creation of variations on the theme.[1]
Origin: 2010