WOOP WOOP!! First blog after my mini break!! Are you excited? Because I know I am~!
So, during the last round of voting, topic option 3 blew the others out of the water! Option 3 must be the lucky number; this is the second time it's gotten such overwhelming votes! Hehe, anyway...
Usually, I try to have an evidence-based approach for my blogs. I am an academic at heart, after all! But for this one, I think this is going to be more of an opinion piece. When it comes to who can and can't wear certain styles, theres bound to be people who disagree with me, and that's totally fine! Where's the fun in everyone having the same opinion? But when it comes to the styles I want to touch on in particular, I think we find ourselves in a grey area.
Of course, we have Kogals who are simply just teenagers, and that doesn't make them any less Gyaru. Plus, realistically, you can't stop anyone from wearing anything. If a minor wants to wear a MA*RS set meant for an Agejo gal, what are we to do to stop them? Plus, Gyaru was effectively created by teenagers! I understand why it can feel unfair or gatekeep-y to exclude minor/teenage gals from certain styles.
But I think we need to look at this objectively.
Gyaru does not exist in a vacuum. Much like any counter-culture movement, Gyaru is influenced by the society in which it is created. In my blog, The Importance of Being Realistic: The Dark Side of Gyaru, I touched on some of the cultural influences surrounding Gyaru. Most notably: The ways patriarchy influences the subculture by way of night/sex work, the sexualization of minors, and the general objectification of gals. So, when I talk about these influences in relation to the styles, the ones I tend to latch onto are Agejo and Chibi Gyaru.
Let's start with Agejo. I go deeper into the style in my substyles blog, so I'll keep this brief, but for the uninformed: Agejo Gyaru is a style created by the magazine Koakuma Ageha, or just Ageha as I'll be calling it from now on. When it comes to Ageha magazine, it was created by and for hostesses, and considered to be the definitive hostess handbook-- a bible of sorts. Without going into the entire history of Japanese night work and host/hostess clubs, I'll direct you to this incredibly informative video. But in short, whilst being a hostess does not require a sexual aspect and is not outright sex work, there is undoubtedly an element of sex appeal, and some hostesses will engage in sex work. So, when it comes to Agejo gals, the style is mature. The style is adult. There are elements of having an alluring vibe to attract men, elements of lingerie, and, as I mentioned, sex appeal. The style is also the most fashion-centric of almost any style, so its impossible to be Agejo without having "the look." Ageha magazine also dealt with a lot of mature, complex topics in model articles and interviews (feel free to check out my dark side blog for context on this, as well). All this to say, it is my opinion that minor gals simply have no place in Agejo. Teenagers deal with a lot of heavy things; I won't deny that and say they need to be shielded from anything bad at all costs. However, teenagers have no need to engage in a style that is nearly synonymous with sex work. So, is there an age limit to certain styles? My opinion is yes.
I purposefully kept the Chibi Gyaru discussion at the end because to many, this isn't even a real substyle, and I'm inclined to agree. I kept it out of my substyles blog for a reason. Throughout my tenure in the Gyaru community, I've seen the definition of Chibi Gyaru change a bit. At first, it was believed to be Mama Gyaru dressing up their children to match them, and the children would be called Chibi Gyaru. all in good fun, and nothing too serious. Then, I started hearing it be used to describe Gyaru under the age of 12. I have my own thoughts on whether or not most children under 12 can logistically be Gyaru, but hey. Middle school begins at 11 (I think?), so it doesn't surprise me that middle schoolers play around with Gyaru. Then, I started to see these random, almost content farm-like channels of young girls in full faces of makeup and "Gyaru" outfits. In general, just creepy stuff that caters to unsavory individuals who fetishize Gyaru. Sexualizing minors, as well as being a problem in Japanese society and the entire world, is a massive problem within the Gyaru community. egg magazine, in particular, constantly puts minor gal models in their magazines in lingerie and other generally inappropriate clothing. When it comes to Chibi Gyaru, it's impossible to deny that it has turned into a way to continue to sexualize young girls and Gyaru. So, is there such a thing as "too young for Gyaru?" In my opinion, absolutely.
Aaand that's all from me for now!! todays blog is a bit shorter than normal, but I think its nice to have a blog that isn't so information-heavy sometimes, don't you think? As always, let me know your opinions, any comments or concerns, and more in the comments! I'm always interested in hearing what everyone thinks! Just like last time, I'll begin a new round of topic voting shortly! If there's anything you'd like me to cover, leave it in the comments or IM me! Thanks so much for reading and for your continued support during my little break. I hope to have even more free time after this to keep writing, so please look forward to it!!
Remember, Antama loves you~!
Kiss kiss~ ☆⌒ヽ(*'､^*)chu
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