Crash Course: Banba

 ...Woop woop? Gyaru blog time? ...I'm sorry!! I know I've been gone for so long!!

I won't get into all the details here; I'll save that for a much more appropriate blog post, so all I'll say for now is that I'm very excited to have a moment to write for all of you~ I've been sitting on this blog topic for a while, and it's one that is very near and dear to my heart! We're going to be talking all about the Banba substyle~!

If you recall, this is one of the substyles I included in my initial substyles blog, and it's one of the primary reasons I decided to revise that blog as I did a while ago. Since it was one of my first blogs, the information became less and less accurate as time passed and I did more research. I very quickly realized I had a fundamental misunderstanding of what the Banba style even was, and I'm willing to bet quite a few of you reading do as well! Not to worry, however~! I've found a few really amazing resources that I'll be sharing today, and I think everyone will find them very interesting~

Before we begin in earnest, there are a few things I'd like to mention: The images included in this blog all came from this amazing Twitter thread on Banba by @banyukotor! This thread was what first inspired me to write about this subject, because I seriously had never come across these magazine scans before, so this was honestly like finding the holy grail of both Banba and Angeleek resources to me. A million thanks to banyukotor, and I really encourage all of you to give the thread a read~

I'd also like to mention that a lot of this information differs from the article on The Gyaru Wiki, and I think this is a good moment to mention it briefly. As I've said before, The Gyaru Wiki is fine for finding very surface-level information, and there are a few very great articles; the resource sections of the articles can also be very good for finding specific websites, blogs, etc. that aren't easily found elsewhere. Unfortunately, the Banba article is one example in which I feel the shortcomings of The Gyaru Wiki really shine. So, as I've also said before, The Gyaru Wiki is one resource that I would take with a grain of salt, and I encourage everyone to do their own further research if something mentioned there catches your eye. Just to add, I'm very grateful for the wiki contributors who put out quality articles and really do their due diligence! You guys are invaluable to the Gyaru community!

Alright, one last thing, and I'll shut up and get to the point! The translations featured were mainly done by Google Translate, but I edited them slightly to fix any clunky wording, incorrect terminology, etc. I tried so hard to translate them myself, but I fear my Japanese skills are not quite up to scratch yet... I just wanted to mention that quickly! Let's get into it!

Picture it, Shibuya, sometime in 2005... Anyone who gets that reference, please marry me. Gyaru is still crazy mainstream, and as we know, the early to mid 2000s were the prime time to be a gal. Much like any fashion subculture, trends come and go, and some really stick for a long time. Such was the case for Gyaru, and the It Trend lately is Delicer. Also known as Derika or Delicaa, the name was derived from (Psyche)delic-er, and as the name suggests, it took a ton of inspiration from psychedelic music and hippie aesthetics. I talked about the substyle at greater length in my Gyaruo crash course, but as you can see from the scan below, Gyaruo and Gyaru alike enjoyed the style. These days, many people point to Saike/Bohemian (mentioned here) as the Gyaru counterpart to Delicer (that is, the more feminine version); as the scan shows, though, I think it's fair to say that the feminine and masculine Delicer aesthetics had some overlap.

The aesthetic was very earthy, leaning towards more neutral colors and "tribal" prints. The style most definitely had edge and an air of extremeness to it, but to a certain group of gals, Delicer needed to go. Enter: Angeleek! 

For a thorough explanation of Angeleek, you can check out this blog, but to keep it simple and brief... During this era, Angeleek was the top gyarusa in Shibuya. They had been around since 2001, so four years in, and on their 5th generation of members at this point, they made a name for themselves as some of the most influential gals on the scene. Growing tired of the Delicer takeover, some Angeleek members decided to create a new style that was the direct opposite: Banba!

In the July 2005 issue of Ranzuki magazine, members of Angeleek were featured and interviewed about their wild new style. The members featured were Peori (far left), Mikachin (left), Mika Suzuki (center), Rin (right), and Kyoko Nakayama (far right). In the issue, the origins of the style were discussed, and the gals who pioneered it were interviewed.

Translation:

Some amazing girls have appeared in Shibuya!! Their flashy, primary-color fashion is so striking you can spot them from 100 meters away, they look like dark-skinned Barbie dolls!! People call them "Barbie Manba" or "Banba!"

We did an in-depth interview with these girls who are causing a sensation in Shibuya with their super-impact!!

Interview with BANBA

Editorial Staff (hereinafter Editor): What was the reason for starting the Banba fashion in "Angeleek" (circle name)?

Kyoko (hereinafter Kyo): Because I wanted to wear something that didn't match my face!!!

Mika (hereinafter Mi): Psytrance was starting to get big, and the scene was all about that dark, Shibuya-style vibe—so we were like, "Let's go in and brighten things up!" ...You know?

Rin: Shibuya has calmed down since Manba disappeared, so we wanted to liven things up again.

Editor: There are more girls outside of Ange who are doing Banba fashion now, right?

Kyo: Yeah. It's fine if they copy us, but it's annoying when they act like they were the first to do it!

Mi: We were the originals, after all.

Editor: Has anything changed since you started doing Banba fashion?

Peori: I feel brighter.

Kyo: It's not so much that something's changed, but I get mistaken for a mannequin a lot (laughs)!

Editor: I totally get that! If you don't move, you look exactly like a mannequin!

By the time the issue of Ranzuki came out, if you can't already tell, Banba had already spread outside of Angeleek and gained rapid popularity amongst other gals. However, as is also alluded to in the interview, the Angeleek members began to take issue with the fact that they were not being credited as the pioneers of Banba. The media also began to call anyone, regardless of whether or not they were actually wearing Banba, Banba-zoku, or "Banba tribe." Although the style was created to pay homage to the Manba gals of 2004, who had all but disappeared, Angeleek wanted to make it known that Banba was different and unique from Manba, and that they were the ones who originated it. Sadly, the media continued to throw the term Banba-zoku around to the point that the very term "Banba" had lost all meaning; by August of 2005, only a month after the style debuted in Ranzuki, Angeleek had moved on.

In the August issue of Ranzuki, Mika Suzuki and Kyoko Nakayama appeared once again; by now, they had traded in Banba for Epiccer (which is an entirely separate blog post in its own right). Below is a snippet of the interview they gave on Epiccer, which explains why they moved away from their Banba style.

Translation:

Editor: Why did you suddenly quit Banba? The brightly colored gal look is really popular lately!

Kyoko (hereinafter Kyo): The colorful socks were getting stuffy and hot, and I kind of got tired of it halfway through. So I thought it was about time to try something different!

Mika (hereinafter Mi): To be honest, it didn't suit me. It didn't cover my figure at all (laughs).

Editor: Definitely. You were a Banba Barbie doll-like gal, right? It was a bit of a stretch (wry smile).

Mi: We just couldn't pull off the cute look (blushes)!

Mika and Kyoko were both members of Angeleek's 5th generation, and they would graduate from the gyarusa that same year in November. As they got closer to their graduation, they moved away from flashier styles; this could be another reason they stepped back from Banba. 

As is common in the Gyaru community, trends come and go, and Banba was no exception. It became one of many incredibly short-lived styles, quickly forgotten in favor of keeping up with the lightning-fast trend cycle. As I said, this is incredibly common; many styles were created simply for a one-and-done photoshoot, never intending to reach mainstream popularity. If not for Angeleek's influence, Banba very well could have been yet another style that shows up for a single page in a magazine, but thankfully, both issues of Ranzuki that mention Banba have been archived by GalRevo and can be read here. Many gals today wear the style as well and take inspiration from it, and although it might not be as influential as it was in the summer of 2005, it still continues to have a lasting impact.

At last, we've made it to the end! To everyone who has read thus far, thank you so much for being patient with me~ I know I was quiet for quite a while, but I think I finally have a handle on everything to the point that I can try to write regularly again!! Writing Gyaru blogs truly makes me so happy, and it all feels worth it when I get to write about topics I really love like this~ I hope you all enjoyed, and that you got to learn a bit more about what I consider to be one of the greatest Gyaru substyles of all time!! Like always, feel free to comment whatever you like~ I love receiving questions, comments, suggestions... Everything really!! Reading your comments makes my day~ I hope to be back with another Gyaru soon~!

Remember, Antama loves you~!

Kiss kiss~☆⌒ヽ(*'､^*)chu