So, I mentioned in the last blog that I wanted to do more opinionated blogs! Now dont get me wrong, I love doing educational blogs, but it can be really difficult at times to do a lot of research... Not to say that I don't like doing research, but now that college has started up again, I wanna give myself a break from heavy research in my Gyaru blogs... I will still be doing research blogs, so don't worry! They'll just be more spaced out from now on~
Anyway! Let's get into the meat and potatoes of today's Gyaru blog... What (in my opinion) makes a Gyaru?
I was asked to make a blog about this, and I thought it would be a good chance to get into my personal philosophy when it comes to Gyaru and being gal!
And before we begin, I do want to stress that this is all my opinion, because the great thing about opinions is that we're all entitled to them! Therefore, don't feel pressured to agree with me or take my word as law. I'm not the main authority on Gyaru, not even a little bit! So, if you don't agree with me, feel free to let me know in the comments. I'd also like to point out that these are general rules/standards that I hold myself to, I'm not in the business of policing other gals... Unless genuine misinformation is being spread, of course.
Okay, let's get into the nitty-gritty!
So, the first thing that makes a gal to me is the personality and mindset. By now, we all know gal is MIND, but what does that actually mean? To me, having a gal mind is being yourself but "better," if that makes sense. Before I decided to be a gal full-time, I was incredibly self-conscious and anxious. I felt like I was just... Wasting my life away. So, when I decided to take the plunge, I wanted to change. Of course, the changes didn't happen overnight, and I'm human; I'm not immune to having my bad days where all of my problems get to me. But being gal still encouraged me to be more confident in myself. It inspired me to stop being so anxious and scared all the time. but im still me, ya know? I'm just a version of myself that I think is "better!" So, I think having a gal mind means pushing yourself to be the person you want to be, whilst embracing the things about yourself that make you special. The goal should be to become a strong person, and an even stronger gal!
But I want to be clear: While having the mindset is important, it isn't the defining feature. Sure, you can have a mindset that fits in with Gyaru, but you need to look the part as well. Simply having a Gyaru mindset is only half the job.
I talked about this a bit in my unpopular Gyaru opinions blog that I posted forever ago, but I wanna reiterate a couple of points I made. You absolutely have to wear makeup to be a gal. There's no way around it. You dont have to wear it every day, I don't even do that, but the goal should be to wear it as much as you possibly can. One of the basic rules of Gyaru is to be as eccentric as possible, and I feel a lot of new/baby gals dont realize that. A lot of people feel they need a reason to wear gal make, but that isn't true. You should wear it whenever you feel like it! Have an 8 AM class? Wear gal make! Just going to the gas station? Wear gal make! Lying around at home? Wear gal make! Wear it whenever you feel the itch!
To once again quote my beloved Harutamu:
And this is where having a Gyaru mindset comes in. Let's be realistic: You should be prepared for people to look at you like you're insane. You should even be prepared to get made fun of at times. But when you have a Gyaru mindset, none of that matters. Sure, it can feel really horrible, and no ones expecting us to be immune to shitty people. But being yourself and being gal is the way you fight back. If you let random assholes control you, can you even call yourself a gal? Just some food for thought.
Another thing that makes a gal is kindness. Of course, don't be a pushover or a people pleaser. When people piss you off, call them out! Don't just roll over and take people's shit, and don't give kindness to people who dont deserve it. But in general, a gal should be kind to people. Call out injustice whenever you see it. See someone online bullying a baby gal? Tell them to fuck off. Someone being an asshole to someone just minding their business? Call it out. Authority figures on a power trip? Tell them exactly what you think. A lot of people think gals are mean and intimidating, but we just speak our minds even when people don't like it. And frankly, people don't like genuine displays of kindness, but be kind anyway. Take care of people. Stand up for people. Kindness is how we foster community. Obviously, don't do this at a detriment to yourself, and don't put yourself in unsafe situations. You don't have to be a gal superhero. But even small acts of kindness can amount to something good.
Now for the final and less serious thing that makes a gal: Listen to techno music and Eurobeats. This isn't a requirement by any means, but it makes the gal experience so much cooler. Listen to insane shit that melts people's brains. Do Para Para until you can't move your arms. Listen to techno and Eurobeats, you're gonna thank me for it!
So, dear reader, I ask you this: What do you think makes a gal? Let me know in the comments!
Thanks so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed! I hope I didn't come across as too strict in this one... I tried to be extra clear that this is just my opinion, so I hope that paid off... The next blog will be about Gyaru characters in media, so if you have a specific character you want me to include, let me know! Please look forward to it! And if you have any other topic you'd like me to discuss, please leave a comment or IM me, and I'll do my best to make it happen! Aaand with that, I think I'll wrap this blog up here!
Remember, Antama loves you~!
Kiss kiss~ ☆⌒ヽ(*'､^*)chu
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