Explaining subcultures: Gyaru.
Gyaru is a subculture originating from Japan in the late 90s. The word “gyaru” (ギャル in katakana) comes from the English word “gal”. It has a very interesting history but that’s not something I’ll be covering in this post. If the subculture interests you it’s definitely worth looking into!
In this post I’ll talk about music, ideology, aesthetic/style, media, and controversy.
Music: unlike many subcultures, you don’t necessarily have to listen to a specific type of music to be gyaru. However there is certain music popular with gyaru such as eurobeat as well as musicians who are gyaru. Black Diamond and softboiledegg for example. Eurobeat and similar electronic music gained popularity because it was used for parapara, a dance style popular among gyaru.
Have fun listening and maybe learning some dances!
Ideology: Gyaru rejected the quiet and polite culture of Japan. The main central ideology is to put fun first. Alongside this gyaru were very loud and typically considered ill behaved or rude. They wore flashy, showy clothing and would squat in the streets. They are also much more casual and open about things like sexuality. Egg, a well known Gyaru magazine, coined the tagline “get wild and be sexy!”
Aesthetic/style: gyaru was originally influenced by western fashion. Much of this influence can still be seen in modern gyaru style. There are loads of different substyles but most have these traits in common. Tan skin (although the tan has died down over time), bleached or dyed hair, makeup with lashes, a nose highlight, and a droop on the outer corner of the eye, manicured nails, and usually flashy or showy clothing.
The guys at the end are called gyaruo. That’s a boy gyaru.
Controversy: although most gyaru don’t go this far, many have been accused of imitating black people. Some gyaru wear box braids and many in the past have tanned VERY dark. Some did this on purpose while others were just trying to push their look to the extreme. Although it’s rarely done with ill intent it’s not something that should be recreated and it’s best not to tan much further than your skin can naturally go.
Thanks for reading! I’m sorry I took so long to post this.
(P.S. non Japanese gyaru also exist! They’re called gaijin gyaru)