Forum - View topicAnswerman - What are "Gyaru," and Why are They Popular in Anime Again?
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Cho_Desu
 Posts: 248 |
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In the past I had associated "gyaru" with a rather specific fashion sense (along the lines of what was described for the two girls the author saw in Shibuya). But lately it seems the term is used for just any girl with an outgoing personality. (Don't even need the blonde hair or dark tan?)
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Greed1914
 Posts: 4708 |
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True. There are some recent examples where I didn't register them as gyaru because they didn't have all of the typical appearance. Maybe gyaru have been around long enough to where there is more variety in how they express it? If the fashion sprang from being non-conformist, there is a risk that sticking too close to a standard becomes its own form of conformity. |
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AiddonValentine
 Posts: 2388 |
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You've also been seeing gyaru in videogames to the point where the HD-2D remake of Dragon Quest III has a slime in gyaru fashion. It doesn't feel that surprising they're making a comeback with significant questioning of "traditional Japanese values" and a sub-culture built around pushing against the grain.
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Shay Guy
 Posts: 2409 |
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The thing I find funniest about Super GALS!, not having watched it, is that its lead was voiced by Megumi Toyoguchi, who would later go on to voice one of the most internationally famous gyaru characters in Japanese pop culture -- Junko Enoshima from Danganronpa. Though that, too, was well before the mid-2010s pop-culture boom you mentioned.
One thing I've wondered before is how "busty" became incorporated into the pop-culture stereotype. Maybe it was via "scandalous" fashion giving a reputation for promiscuity, and in manga and such for young male readers, that got blended with body types carrying the same stereotype? (I seem to recall seeing that Please Tell Me! Galko-chan was one of the earliest manga of the modern gyaru wave, going by tags on a fan site.)
I'm guessing this was supposed to say:
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mdo7
 Posts: 6737 Location: Katy, Texas, USA |
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I'm kind of surprised ANN nor anyone on this thread didn't bring up Namie Amuro, she's the one that popularized the Gyaru and the "Ganguro" look (which has also been associated with Gyaru too, ganguro is a subculture within Gyaru as far as I know).
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Lord Geo
Posts: 2728 Location: North Brunswick, New Jersey |
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It's also worth noting that there is a male equivalent to a gyaru, naturally called a gyaruo, though that's obviously not quite as common a sight to see, especially in anime. I know that the Hareluya II BØY anime from 1997 has a three-parter that features a gyaruo (alongside a gyaru, both of which are shown to be very violent & brash), but beyond that I can't instantly think of another anime featuring a gyaruo, at least in a notable fashion, though I'm sure it's happened every now & then.
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kgw
 Posts: 1220 Location: Spain, EU |
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I wonder how can Answerman forget the most recent obvious title: Hokkaido Gals are super adorable, and now running in Jump Plus/Manga plus No gyaru in this class
But I disagree on Dandadan's Momo being a gyaru. She is not, she keep her hair and fashion style quite simple. Her school friends, though? Totaly. In any case, I think it's another trope from the last decade of the previous century that is being brought back by people who lived trough that years, like motorist gangs, and yankee ruffians |
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Takkun4343
 Posts: 1603 Location: Englewood, Ohio |
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Huh, I never really considered Baraki to be a gyaruo. He has the tan skin and blonde hair, for sure, but seeing that combination plus the 'fro, the only thing I could think was, "I wonder if he's what inspired Sawai to draw Bo-bobo the way he did..." While not an anime series, I can think of one other product that has animated gyaruo, and oh boy is it somethin'. |
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Greboruri
Posts: 393 Location: QBN, NSW, Australia |
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When I went back to Japan in 2023, I noticed a number of young women on the Yamamote line in what could only be described as gyaru type fashion, especially the trademark loose, baggy socks which feels so late 1990s/early 2000s. I felt I had accidently time warped back 20 years or so. Some where wearing high school uniforms and one had white/sliver dyed hair which really surprised me as I thought high schools would crack down on that so hard. It certainly wasn't like the stereotypical gyaru of 25 years ago, but it felt like it was the young women's take on that subculture.
Also saw quite a number of women in Shibuya in the same style. I don't know a lot about the subculture, but I'm wondering if it had somewhat of a resurgence around that time, hence why the popularity of characters like Marin Kitagawa. |
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Lord Geo
Posts: 2728 Location: North Brunswick, New Jersey |
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It's not so much Baraki... but Shinji. You know, the guy who said & did next to nothing for that entire story arc until the very end, where he's summarily defeated by Hareluya instantly. Shinji's design is 100% gyaruo & matches with Naomi's gyaru. |
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Great Rumbler
 Posts: 336 Location: Oklahoma |
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Everything I know about gyarus I learned from Super GALS.
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a_Bear_in_Bearcave
Posts: 558 Location: Poland |
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As I understand, there is indeed now wider spread of gyaru aesthetics, with some girls opting for just being somewhat boldly fashionable, with painted nails, makeup and maybe light brown hair, combined with assertive, brash or outgoing personality, being enough to be gyaru or gyaru-adjacent. |
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MFrontier
Posts: 14601 |
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I'ev never met a gyaru character I didn't like.
I think she actually describes herself as one in the manga though, and I feel like her style, while a little more subdued than the norm, fits the archetype. |
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Beltane70
 Posts: 4010 |
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I was there that same year during the summer and didn't notice all that many young women in gyaru type fashion. Either I wasn't paying attention or because it was during the heat of August and women just weren't dressing in that fashion because of the temperature. |
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Takkun4343
Posts: 1603 Location: Englewood, Ohio |
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Oh yeah, that guy... That's definitely more sensible, now that I really think about it. |
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