2010s Bright Kawaii is the wiki-given name for Kawaii trends common on Tumblr and Instagram blogs in the mid-2010s. As a counterpart to 2010s Soft Kawaii , this page describes the aesthetic that utilizes bright colors, video game and anime motifs, anime-inspired fashion, and pixel art.

These are a Western perspective on the concurrent Japanese Yume Kawaii aesthetic, which does not generally include references to anime and gamer culture, which Western Weeaboos incorporated, as well as the creation of Harajuku-inspired clothing with Western brands and DIY styling.

Tumblr accounts are often used as large moodboards, where users reblog or post images that would fit their grander aesthetic. One of the communities during the 2010s (and still to this day) is the Kawaii community, which centers around an aspect of Japanese culture surrounding cute objects.

During the 2010s, there was a rise in knowledge of Harajuku's style tribes due to fashion blogs on the Internet sharing images online. Fairy Kei and Yume Kawaii is one of the main inspirations in this aesthetic, with similarities in color palettes and 80s inspiration.

However, this aesthetic is a Western, Tumblr-focused interpretation of the style. During the mid-2010s, various trends and memes became spread-out across the site, such as Pale Grunge , an emphasis on beverages, simple line drawings, and fashion-specific trends (see below.) Another large influence is Pastel Grunge/Pastel Goth, but this aesthetic in particular utilizes more Japanese pop culture as opposed to solely being a fashion style.

Part of the popularity of this style is that during the 2010s, Western audiences were already familiar with anime such as Sailor Moon. Much of the aesthetic relies on anime visuals, and it is not uncommon to see merchandise or GIFs on blogs. So, this aesthetic has nostalgic appeal to people who grew up with this.

Rather than dying out, the Western interpretation of Kawaii and many images still circulate. While the Pale Grunge and meme-y motifs are no longer viral, this style is credited with influencing E-Girl and the trend evolved into Kawaii Gamer . That being said, it is still common to find the digital art aspects in the video game and anime fandoms.

This style really peaked in popularity in 2018 and was commonly found on Pinterest from the late 2010s to the early 2020s. It typically featured Japanese characters, stars, pastel colors, and cute eyes. It was also closely linked to video games, which at first glance appear cute, and to the stereotypes of female streamers, incorporating many cute trends from YouTube, Tumblr, and Pinterest at the time.

Many of the people involved in this movement were typically otaku, did ASMR, or streamed games, as previously mentioned, and were usually sweet and very attached to plushies of Pusheen, Sailor Moon, or unicorns. This arose because, starting in the last decade, people began to appreciate these soft, silly, pastel-colored characters more. It evolved until its end in the 2020s because the characters associated with the TikTok aesthetic began to label this aesthetic "cringe."

The color palette of the aesthetic relies entirely on pastel colors and utilizes naturalistic photography with bright, natural light .

This aesthetic includes the use of motifs, wherein certain photographic subjects become reproduced on clothing, illustrations, etc. The main ones are peaches, strawberries, and milk, with of course strawberry and peach milks being motifs also.

Beverages in general are also common in this aesthetic. Ramune and fancy bottled water are often in photos, as a common photo format during this time was to be holding a beverage in a cute location, and these two beverages are status symbols; Ramune is imported and novel, and bottled water is a frivolous item that was commonly seen in Soft Grunge.

Another motif most common in the aesthetic is retro video games (thus showing the lineage with Kawaii Gamer.) Rather than the newer aesthetic's association with PC gaming and PC customization, this aesthetic uses handheld and instantly recognizable shapes, such as Xbox controllers, Tamagotchi, Nintendo 3DS, arcade boxes, and Game Boys.

Continuing on this pop culture imagery is the use of anime screenshots on Tumblr blogs of this type. Specifically, magical girl anime such as Sailor Moon and Card Captor Sakura were the subjects, given their pastel and kawaii aesthetics.

All of these above objects are often drawn in digital illustrations by artists. The style can be chibi and use thick lines, or they can be thin and look like a flatter version of real objects. One type of image artists created were collections of kawaii objects and snacks floating in a background, sometimes united by a theme, like "what's in my bag" or "strawberry grocery finds." Often, these artists may also create whimsical worlds , such as jungle ecosystems within a beverage container, themed food that gives power-ups like in video games, or towns with anthropomorphic animals. However, artists can also be sardonic and edgy to contrast the kawaii motifs, often writing sarcastic and rude statements in pastel bubble letters.

The fashion in this aesthetic is based on trends within Harajuku during the time period, as well as 2010s fashion globally. As discussed, the style is inspired by J-fashion, but the pieces themselves are not primarily from Japanese boutiques, instead originating from tee shirt printing companies, American Apparel (known for their tennis skirts), independent creators on Etsy, small fashion brands in the West, and fast fashion drop-shipping sites.

There are multiple specialty fabrics that were popular in this era that can be applied to multiple garments. Holographic, clear vinyl, and sporty mesh were used in skirts, jackets, and tops to add visual interest, as well as fitting into the rainbow color palette of this aesthetic.  An additional benefit of vinyl is the use of stickers, which one can stick onto the garment.

The most common top in this style are tee shirts in pastels. Because this was a popular trend in the 2010s, ringer tees were especially popular. These shirts may have a kawaii graphic, Japanese kanji, or sarcastic/confrontational text . The tees in this fashion can be a loose fit or tight, and they tend to be tucked in for a more feminine look.

Pleated tennis skirts in pastel colors are the most common skirt, and they may have two stripes on the bottom in contrasting colors.

However, more sporty and casual looks instead go for pastel denim or joggers , sometimes in color-blocking with one half being one color, and the other half being different.

Because of the rise in streetwear in the 2010s, casual bomber jackets were incredibly popular worldwide. These jackets also have the added benefit of being in pastel colors and with embroidered kawaii motifs. A viral item in the aesthetic was the clear iridescent mesh jacket with rainbow knit, which is featured in the gallery.

To create a kawaii and girlish look, this style often involves beret hats , especially with embroidered motifs.

To add an edge, women in this aesthetic (the primary participants were cis female) also wore pastel leather chokers , sometimes with silver hardware, which later gave rise to the E-Girl aesthetic.2010s Soft Kawaii is an offshoot of the Kawaii aesthetic based on trends in the 2010s, especially on the website Tumblr. It is largely based on Japanese mascot culture, with the fashion elements being based on Himekaji and Girly Kei fashion trends of the time, as well as Korean fashion. There is also much overlap with 2014 Girly Tumblr.

Because this era coincides with the rise of Instagram, it was common for these photos to have a slightly sepia-toned filter and warmer lighting. The colors most featured in this aesthetic are pink, gray, browns, creams, and mint green . Patterns are also commonly applied to multiple visuals, from phone cases to fashion. English florals and Swiss dots are the most common, lending a more vintage look to the aesthetic.

During this time, the mascots Pusheen the Cat, Rilakkuma, and Domo-kun were especially popular and appeared as plushies, phone cases, and digital stickers.

It was also common for people to create kawaii mascots through attaching facial feature digital stickers to images of food.

The food itself is often sweets in the color palette, such as cupcakes, marshmallows, cinnamon rolls, etc. As a note, the 2010s and the rise of Instagram, foodie culture, and the more widespread use of smartphones can be linked to this photo subject being popular. Because of this, decoden (clay and plastic charms in the shape of food) was a common motif on phone cases, long nails, and headphones.

This aesthetic was also popular amongst Sweet Lolitas, or people who were interested in the fashion but did not participate in it. Because of this, it was not uncommon for street snaps of that era of Lolita and promotional images from Angelic Pretty, a brand often releasing dresses with dessert printed fabric.

The fashion in this aesthetic is a blend of Japanese Girly Kei / Himekaji fashion, Korean preppy trends, and Western Twee . Blogs would both reblog images of these different nations' fashion on one blog and pick and choose different elements and garments depending on price and local availability within their outfit.

The most defining feature of the fashion is the use of collared tops, especially Peter Pan collars with ruffle or lace trim . This garment in particular has always been featured in Kawaii fashion, taking inspiration from Lolita and various retro fashions. Because of its popularity during the 2010s, this top could be found in various places, from simpler designs from fast fashion and more textured and detailed ones from certain brands in Japan.

Often, outfits would layer these blouses under a plainer sweater or sweatshirt , a trend common in the 2010s as a result of Twee.

Another commonly used top in this aesthetic is from Western and Korean brands, featured thicker lace being the main fabric, both with and without collars.

As this is an extremely feminine aesthetic, skirts are the most common option, specifically A-line mini skirts , rather than longer and tighter fitting ones that would fit into a more mature aesthetic. These skirts often have lace trim, pleats, or ruffles to enhance the kawaii detail.

A more fanciful (and expensive) option is printed skirts from Japanese brands such as Liz Lisa, overlapping with Himekaji .  Because these prints are really distinctive, and bloggers often hype up specific releases, these skirts are often a status symbol .

However, a more casual interpretation and less overtly Kawaii option is denim short-shorts , with another 2010s trend being non-blue denim .

During the 2010s, shoes tend to be wedge heels, booties, and platform heels . The kawaii motifs came in the form of brogue-like details, pleather bows, and pastel colors that add details to the shoes differing from more mainstream fashion.

Accessories in this aesthetic often help enhance its association with Kawaii culture and distinguishes it from a more typical preppy or Twee outfit. Novelty jewelry with Kawaii motifs , such as bows appearing on rings and necklaces, lace chokers, and plastic/clay food and animal charms are common and could be easily crafted or found through small businesses online. Similarly, novelty purses are also more noticeably kawaii. These can be shaped like sweets, be embroidered with cute phrases, or have scalloped trim.

Another common component of an outfit is legwear , which balances out the mini skirt and has associations with Japanese fashion, often being noticeably Japanese in the West because of it being common in anime. Solid-colored tights, knee socks, socks trimmed with ruffles and lace, and Swiss dot prints, and herringbone textures are some common variants.

Hair bows , especially large ones, are a common trend which overlapped with 2014 Girly and the trend of the messy top bun hairstyle.

Another connection to the 2010s at large is the use of oversized glasses for fashion purposes, associated with Hipsters . Vintage hats , such as straw hats and fedoras, also came into popularity.

To match the warm-toned color palette of this aesthetic, and because this was a trend in the 2010s in Japan and Korea, women often dyed their hair warm brown or honey, as opposed to black. Like almost all other feminine Japanese aesthetics, hair also always included bangs , as this is historically associated with delicate beauty in Japan .Acubi (아쿠비) is a minimalist fashion style that originated in South Korea in the early 2020s. It serves as a modernized and understated evolution of the Y2K fashion revival, prioritizing neutral tones, sleek silhouettes, and " Subversive Basics " (simple garments featuring asymmetrical cut-outs, layering, or deconstructed details) over the maximalist colors and prints associated with 2000s fashion.

The term functions as a proprietary eponym , derived from the Seoul-based streetwear brand Acubi Club. While the brand popularized the specific visual combination of bolero cardigans, cargo pants, and baby tees, the term "Acubi" evolved on social media platforms like TikTok into a generalized descriptor for this specific genre of K-Fashion, regardless of the actual brand being worn.

The classification of "Acubi" as a distinct aesthetic is largely a phenomenon of the Western internet, particularly within English-speaking TikTok communities. In South Korea, the specific term "Acubi" is widely recognized as a brand name, but its usage as a broad genre label is less consistent. Domestic fashion discussions on platforms like DC Inside indicate that Korean users often categorize this style simply under broader umbrellas like " Y2K ," " Hip " (힙), or " High Teen " fashion, with some users expressing confusion regarding the specific "Acubi" terminology used by international fans.

Western fashion commentators and retailers have adopted the term to describe the intersection of three existing styles: Minimalism , Y2K , and Subversive Basics . The style gained traction globally through the off-duty looks of K-Pop idols, specifically members of groups like NewJeans and Blackpink, whose stylists popularized the mixture of high-end streetwear (like Diesel) with the accessible, trend-focused items sold by brands like Acubi Club.

The Acubi silhouette typically follows a "slim top, baggy bottom" structure. Practitioners frequently pair tight-fitting cropped tops (often featuring mesh overlays, asymmetrical necklines, or ties) with voluminous bottoms such as parachute pants, wide-leg cargo trousers, or maxi skirts. Unlike the related Cyber Grunge aesthetic, which relies on distressed textures, heavy hardware, and a "dystopian" or dirty appearance, Acubi maintains a polished, clean presentation suitable for everyday urban wear.

The color palette is strictly restrained compared to other Y2K sub-genres. The aesthetic favors desaturated earth tones, charcoal greys, sage greens, and monochrome black or white. This color minimalism distinguishes it from the neon-heavy McBling Revival or the pastel-focused Coquette aesthetic. Accessories are generally sleek and retro-futuristic, including over-ear headphones (such as the Apple AirPods Max), silver chrome jewelry, rimless sunglasses, and platform loafers or chunky sneakers like the Adidas Samba.

Choose neutral and muted colors. Although, it is fine to pick a defining color (such as monochrome piece with a pastel green top).Agejo (age嬢), a term short for "Ageha Lady," is a substyle of Japanese Gyaru fashion that emerged in the mid-2000s. The aesthetic is heavily inspired by Japanese hostess culture and is defined by its focus on glamour, sexuality, and hyper-femininity. Agejo clothing and makeup are designed to be provocative and revealing while still maintaining a polished and sophisticated appearance.

This style's origin is tied to the magazine Koakuma Ageha, which was popular among young women, particularly those working in the Japanese hostess and adult entertainment industries. Agejo is generally adopted by older members of the gyaru community due to its mature and refined nature. While it shares some visual elements with Hime Gyaru , which appeared around a year later, Agejo places a stronger emphasis on overt sex appeal rather than the princess-like elegance of Hime Gyaru.

Agejo first emerged in the mid-2000s, with its origins directly linked to the Japanese magazine Koakuma Ageha . The magazine started as a special edition of Nuts Magazine in October 2005 but became a standalone publication in October 2006 due to high demand. Koakuma Ageha was specifically targeted at young women, including those who worked in the hostess and adult entertainment industries, and it popularized the Agejo aesthetic.

The style reached its peak in popularity around 2008, with the magazine selling over 300,000 copies. This led to Agejo becoming a prominent substyle of Gyaru , worn both by hostesses and a wider audience interested in its glamorous and mature look.

The style's popularity began to wane after Koakuma Ageha magazine went bankrupt and ceased publication in 2014. As of the late 2010s and early 2020s, however, a small revival of the Agejo style has been observed, alongside a broader resurgence of gyaru fashion. The magazine has resumed publishing in a limited capacity since 2021, and a dedicated community of enthusiasts, particularly overseas, continues to practice the style.

The characteristics of this substyle are big, intricate hairstyles, hair dyed to be light brown or dark blonde (darker hair is also common), long nails often with heavy deco, gyaru makeup with a very thick eyeliner on top and bottom and with thick lashes, dolly-style circle lens, colors such as black, pink and purple, lingere aspects (like as showing a fancy bra, having garter stockings, and corset lacing), tight clothing, (often very short dresses or skirts) and brand-name bags and jewelries.Akibapop , also known as Denpa song ( 電波ソング ; lit. "radio wave song"), is a Japanese music genre known for its bizarre yet catchy and cute sound. Emerging in the 1990s in Akihabara and solidifying in the early 2000s, it's often described as an underground subgenre of J-Pop and Electronic Dance Music, particularly J-core . The name references its connection to Akihabara, the capital of otaku culture.

Denpa songs are characterized by their fast tempo, quirky lyrics, repetitive chants, and onomatopoeia. They often feature high-pitched vocals, nonsensical lyrics, and a chaotic, "off-kilter" production style. The lyrics frequently touch on otaku themes and explore topics like delusion, telepathy, and insanity, echoing the values of the literary genre of the same name.

The genre's most prominent subgenre is Moe-Denpa (もえー電波), or "Moe Song" (萌えソング), which incorporates cutesy, " moe " aesthetics and exaggeratedly cute high-pitched vocals. This style was solidified in the early 2000s by artists like Under17 and MOSAIC.WAV, who referred to their music as Akiba-Pop. Denpa music is deeply intertwined the doujin and otaku subcultures. Releases are often distributed at conventions like Comiket and M3, and many songs parody or rearrange music from anime or video games like Touhou Project . The genre has also gained wider recognition overseas through its inclusion in popular Japanese rhythm games like Beatmania , the BEMANI series, and Sound Voltex .

The slang term " denpa " (電波), meaning "radio wave," initially emerged in the early 1990s in Japan. It was used to describe individuals who were perceived as eccentric or out of touch with reality, often associated with the otaku subculture. This term gained a darker connotation after the 1981 Fukagawa Street Murders, where the perpetrator, Kawamata Gunji, attributed his actions to years of " electronic harassment " from radio waves.

In the context of music, "denpa" initially described songs with bizarre themes and nonsensical lyrics, often considered creepy or unsettling. Early examples of songs that would later be categorized as denpa include " Kimi wa Hoy Hoy Musume " (You are a Hoy Hoy Girl) from the 1989 Super Famicom game Idol Hakenden , composed by Tommo Misato with lyrics by Minoru Kawasaki. This song is credited as the origin of the genre due to its incoherent and incomprehensible lyrics. Other early examples include Roomie Shisho's 1991 song " Chikyu Noiki " (Crisis on Earth) and background music from the 1993 PC game Cho Aniki by Koji Hayama, which featured zany, nonsensical elements, sound effects, and character voice lines. However, as the genre evolved, it embraced a more upbeat and catchy sound, while retaining its quirky and unconventional elements. By the end of the 1990s, with examples like Minami Pito's 1998 " Made Rock and Roll " and the 1999 anime opening " Drill Deun " from D4 Princess, the genre began to solidify itself within otaku culture. Denpa music is characterized by wacky, zany, and sometimes chaotic lyrics; special effects and voice lines as musical elements; interludes featuring plain vocals or dialogue; and an overall upbeat nature with chanting elements. Early examples of denpa music also include songs by the heavy metal band Kinniku Shōjo Tai (also known as KING-SHOW), which referenced the Fukagawa Street Murders and the broader denpa movement. Their song " Doko e Demo Ikeru Kitte " even influenced the character design of Rei Ayanami from Neon Genesis Evangelion . The band's vocalist, Kenji Ohtsuki, later contributed to the soundtracks of anime series like Sayonara , Zetsubou Sensei , and Welcome to the N.H.K .

Denpa music's popularity grew within the Japanese doujin scene, with artists and circles releasing albums and songs at events like Comiket. The 2000s saw the full development and take-off of the genre, cementing its place within otaku culture. The genre also gained wider recognition through its inclusion in popular rhythm games like Beatmania , BEMANI , and Sound Voltex . The Touhou Project fandom further contributed to its popularization, with doujin circles like IOSYS and C.H.S creating denpa arrangements and inspired tracks. Notable groups like Under 17, formed in 2002 by Masaya Ko and Haruko Momoy, were instrumental in pioneering moe and denpa songs. Haruko Momoy's " Ichigo Go " (2001) gained significant online popularity. In 2003, Kotoko's " Sakuranbo Kiss " further surged interest in the genre. The 2003 release of " Miko Miko Nurse " became a significant meme within the genre, leading to the creation of the Denpa Music Awards, held annually from 2003 to 2009. Mosaic Wave, formed in 2003, classified their music as "Akibapop" and are considered by many to truly encompass the denpa sound.

While denpa music initially faced some stigma due to its association with the denpa-kei subculture and unconventional themes, it has gradually gained acceptance and carved out its own space within the broader Japanese music scene. Moreover, various denpa songs have recently reached the mainstream in the overseas internet, transcending linguistical and cultural barriers. Examples include " Shukusei!! Loli Kami Requiem " by Shigure Ui, composed by D.watt and written by Maron, both members of IOSYS, or " INTERNET YAMERO " and " INTERNET OVERDOSE " by Aiobahn ft. Kotoko, featured in the video game Needy Streamer Overload .

The genre's most common aesthetic is a distinct visual style associated with the moe-denpa (もえー電波) subgenre and related dōjin circles. Album and song cover art frequently features moe anime characters, pastel color palettes, and surreal imagery. This style can be observed in the works of artists such as Nanahira, Toromi, and MOSAIC.WAV. This aesthetic is vastly different from the visuals found in enpa visual novels and eroge, though both share a common origin surrounding anxieties about technology and social alienation.

Visual elements prominent in moe-denpa include moe anime art styles, exaggerated displays of cuteness, and depictions of cluttered scenes with animals, food, and accessories. Sparkles, hearts, candy, and themes of fantasy, hallucinations, derealization, and perceived insanity are also common. A pastel color palette is consistently used.

Denpa music videos, which may also feature this aesthetic or an entirely different one, typically exhibit a fast-paced, chaotic visual style. They often incorporate references to otaku culture, contributing to a sense of visual overload. Rapid cuts, flashing imagery, and the juxtaposition of disparate visual elements are used to reflect the music's erratic nature. Visuals may include direct references to anime, manga, and video games, as well as abstract or surreal imagery that enhances the music's themes of delusion and altered states.

Denpa music is characterized by lyrics and tunes perceived as unconventional. Listeners often describe a feeling of being "hypnotized" or "controlled" by the music's strangeness, a sensation termed "poisonous electromagnetic waves." Lyrical themes frequently revolve around nonsensical concepts, otaku -related subjects, delusions, telepathy, and perceived insanity. These themes are often expressed through chaotic and repetitive lyrics, featuring onomatopeia, sometimes bordering on creepiness. Repetitive chants, off-key singing, and catchy melodies are common musical elements that contribute to the music's high-energy and chaotic nature. High-pitched vocals, wotagei cheers, and other extreme vocalizations also amplify this sense of musical chaos.

Denpa's musical style often incorporates elements of bitpop, synthpop, electropop, electronic dance music, particularly J-core, and occasionally rock. While denpa is sometimes associated with cute and happy themes due to its use of moe aesthetics, it can also deal with darker themes. Denpa began within video game music and the desktop music scene, influenced by J-pop and early synthpop. The genre gained prominence in the early 2000s with acts like Under17 and MOSAIC.WAV.

The term "denpa," meaning "electromagnetic waves," reflects the music's ability to feel like it "controls" or "poisons" the listener's mind. The term's origin is linked to a derogatory use for delusional individuals, including otaku, following the 1981 Fukagawa Street Murders. While the initial connotation of creepiness has lessened, some denpa songs still utilize these themes. The genre is deeply rooted in doujin and otaku culture, with releases often distributed at conventions like Comiket and M3. Many songs parody or rearrange anime and video game music, particularly from the Touhou Project series. Denpa songs are also featured in Japanese rhythm games and have influenced some anime and J-pop acts.

There are a few common misconceptions surrounding denpa songs:Amekaji (アメカジ), a portmanteau of "American casual," is a substyle of Japanese Gyaru fashion that was popular during the late 1990s and early 2000s. The aesthetic is an energetic and exaggerated interpretation of American West Coast streetwear, drawing heavily from surf , skate , and hip-hop culture.

The look is defined by its use of bright, bold colors, extensive layering, and a focus on prominent brand logos. A typical Amekaji outfit might consist of an oversized hoodie, a puffer vest, flared pants or a mini skirt, and Ugg-style boots. The style was popularized by brands like COCOLULU and ALBA ROSA and was heavily featured in Gyaru magazines like egg. Like other Gyaru substyles, the clothing is complemented by tanned skin, dramatic makeup, and styled, often bleached, hair.

Amekaji gyaru was popular during late 1990s and early 2000s. This substyle is inspired by the “American Casual”. The term “Amekaji”, was first used in Japan in the 60s, for men’s fashion. From American vintage, preppy, and workwear styles. Amekaji (アメカジ) is a shortening of the words "American" and "casual."

During the mid-2000s, the style started to emerge. Gaining it’s popularity and being popularized by the late-2000s

Amekaji is generally considered to be more of the short lived sub styles of Gyaru. but this style has been revived by gaijin gyarus.Angura Kei (アングラ系, literally "underground style") is a Japanese subculture derived from the experimental Angura Theater counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s. The term Angura is a contraction of the English word " underground " ( andaaguraundo ), referring to its origins as a radical, avant-garde movement that actively rejected Western realism and the political conservatism of post-war Japan.

Angura Kei codified the visual language of grotesque exaggeration and nostalgic distortion that was central to the original movement. It is defined by the deliberate fusion of elements from Japan's pre-Meiji history and the Showa era (1926–1989), creating an ominous, distorted sense of Japanese national and individual identity, and later heavily influenced specific subgenres of Visual Kei music.

The Angura Kei aesthetic is rooted in the Angura Theater counterculture, which emerged in the late 1950s and peaked in the 1960s. This movement was born as an ideological and aesthetic rebellion, directly responding to the contradictions of post-war Japanese national identity. It was instigated by young artists who actively rejected the dominance of established, Western-style realist theater, known as shingeki .

The aesthetic was heavily influenced by influential troupes of the era, notably Tenjo Sajiki, led by Terayama Shuji, and Situation Theatre/Red Tent, led by Kara Juro. These groups' artistic principles established the visual and thematic canon of Angura Kei.

Their primary tenet was one of aesthetic rebellion, defined by the active rejection of realism in favor of unconventional, experimental spaces for performance. They utilized mobile tents and even city streets to stage their works, dissolving the traditional boundary between fiction and reality and pushing the art form outside established control mechanisms. The thematic focus of these plays was deeply experimental and often confrontational, centered on grotesque and exaggerated depictions of normal life, anti-authoritarianism, and the adaptation of Ero-Guro (erotic-grotesque) narratives.

The aesthetic employed a fusion of eras, intentionally merging the visual aesthetics of the Taisho period (1912–1926) and early Showa period with pre-Meiji traditional Japanese elements. This mix created a "fractured historical experience" designed to provoke introspection about Japanese continuity and national identity.

While the first wave of Angura Theater largely dissipated around the 1980s, its unique visual and thematic codes left a lasting trace through extensive cross-media experimentation, including photography, film, and graphic design. This highly theatrical aesthetic blueprint was later consciously adopted by the Visual Kei music scene in the 1990s and 2000s. Bands in this subgenre sought to continue the theatrical, experimental, and politically motivated performance style pioneered by the original Angura movement.

Angura Kei's aesthetic is characterized by its dramatic atmosphere, which suggests a world of historical unease and psychological distortion. The imagery uses an unsettling sense of distorted nostalgia and a symbolic commentary on Japanese identity and authority. The aesthetic is heavily reliant on motifs that are visually aggressive, surreal, or kitsch , framed by a muted color palette accented by stark black, white, and red.

The imagery deliberately incorporates motifs from Japanese history and culture to create an ominous mood. This includes theatrical symbols like Shinto shrines, Noh masks, and occult symbolism, as well as common objects like old wall clocks, all manipulated to distort the perception of time. Furthermore, the aesthetic often co-opts wartime and Imperial symbols (such as flags of the Japanese Empire or military uniform elements) but uses them not for celebration, but often to subject them to ridicule, desecration, or irony, thereby serving as a critique of authority. The visual language also embraces an unsettling, grotesque kitsch, often employing elements like Bunka Dolls (stylized Showa-era dolls) to introduce a jarring innocence into a dark setting.

Angura Kei fashion is defined by its theatricality and its intentional blend of traditional Japanese attire with symbols of modern and wartime Japanese society, all unified by a distinct gothic undertone.

The style heavily features garments from the Showa era, most notably modified versions of Japanese school uniforms such as the seifuku (sailor uniform) and gakuran (male military-style jacket). These are often paired with or replaced by traditional Japanese clothing, including kimono and haori jackets, which are integrated into the modern outfit, frequently layered or altered in a dark, gothic style.

The style's most iconic and essential feature is the use of shironuri (white face paint). This dark and heavy makeup creates a ghostly, dramatic effect that elevates the wearer's appearance beyond everyday fashion into theatrical expression. Accessories and supplementary motifs are themed around occult imagery and social critique, ensuring that the overall appearance maintains the aesthetic's signature aggressive and politically charged mood.

In the 1990s and 2000s, several alternative bands in the Visual Kei scene intentionally gravitated toward the Angura aesthetic and sound, often incorporating the theatrical and political elements into their performances. Groups like Guruguru Eigakan (Spinning Cinema), Inugami Circus Dan (Circus Troupe of the Dog God), and Strawberry Song Orchestra are noted for wearing shironuri makeup, retro clothing, and incorporating the soundscapes of Angura theatre composer J.A. Seazer into their music. These groups often host genre-bending concerts and collaborative theater-concerts.Animecore is an internet aesthetic that romanticizes and expresses nostalgia for the otaku and weeb fan cultures of the 1990s to early 2000s. It is not about anime as a medium, but rather the culture surrounding it during that specific era. The aesthetic is defined by a focus on the consumption and display of anime-related media and merchandise, particularly featuring cute, or moe , female characters from early-to-mid 2000s series. It originated in the 2010s on online communities like 4chan and later spread to platforms like TikTok, where a new generation of users idealized an anime fan culture they had not directly experienced.

Animecore draws its primary inspiration from the early anime fandom, especially in the West. The online anime fandom of the late 1990s and early 2000s was defined by a culture of amateur, fan-run websites, often hosted on free services like Tripod and GeoCities. These sites served as dedicated hubs for specific interests before the rise of centralized social media. Examples from the era include local community pages like the Riverview High Anime Club website, series-specific fansites such as Elenor City (for The Dirty Pair) and Tenchi Muyo Universe, and international fan projects like the Russian GuiltyGear.ru Project. Long-running portals like FantasyAnime.com also provided encyclopedic resources for anime-styled video games, with each series often having its own uniquely designed section. These websites are key examples of the Old Web design ethos, featuring simple HTML layouts and fan-made graphics.

Animecore emerged in the 2010s from online communities, particularly 4chan, where users began to feel a sense of nostalgia for the anime fandom of the previous decade. This period was seen as a "golden age" before anime became fully mainstream in the West, when being a fan was a more niche, nerdy, and community-driven identity. The aesthetic was a way to idealize this earlier, less commercialized version of fan culture.

In the early 2020s, Animecore saw a resurgence on TikTok, where a younger user base, often too young to have experienced the 2000s firsthand, adopted the aesthetic. For this new generation, Animecore represents a form of anemoia—a nostalgia for a past they never knew. This revival often intersects with other contemporary internet aesthetics like Scenecore and Webcore , due to their shared interest in early 2000s internet culture and a rejection of modern " cringe culture ."

The visual language of Animecore is centered on the curated display of fandom, especially for the Cute Girls Doing Cute Things (CGDCT) genre. Its primary subject is the "otaku bedroom," a space filled to a maximalist degree with anime merchandise. This includes shelves crowded with anime figures, walls covered in posters, and desks cluttered with manga, art books, and other paraphernalia. The aesthetic often incorporates technology from the era, such as CRT monitors and older computer models, linking it to Webcore . Images within the aesthetic are often intentionally low-quality, mimicking the digital artifacts of the early internet. Edits frequently feature glitter graphics or Blingee-style effects, gaudy text, and pixelated GIFs.

A key component of the aesthetic is its focus on a specific character archetype: the 2000s moe girl . This distinct style, prominent in early-to-mid 2000s series like Lucky Star and Hidamari Sketch , is visually characterized by soft, rounded character proportions (often approaching a chibi-like scale), extremely large, reflective eyes set wide on the face, simple, soft-gradient digital coloring, and a tendency toward thickened outlines (a trait associated with many animation studios of the era, notably Kyoto Animation). The aesthetic is achieved by repurposing and romanticizing images that exhibit these precise visual hallmarks.

Animecore's associated music is primarily the soundtracks of the media it romanticizes, particularly the opening and ending themes of 2000s anime series. Additionally, the aesthetic is heavily associated with Nightcore, a style of music edit where the tempo and pitch of a song (often Eurodance) are significantly increased. Videos of Nightcore edits on YouTube almost exclusively use a single, static image of a 2000s-era anime character, which has made the genre a core part of the Animecore auditory and visual experience.

The Animecore aesthetic has drawn criticism from established figure collector communities. The primary concern is that the aesthetic's popularity on platforms like TikTok has led to an influx of inexperienced collectors who may be more susceptible to purchasing bootleg or counterfeit figures. Additionally, the trend of showcasing large collections is believed to promote rapid consumerism, which has led to significant price inflation for certain figures that have become popular within the aesthetic. For example, some figures that once sold for under $30 have seen their market price rise to over $150 due to demand driven by the trend.

The Animecore aesthetic is critized for being a form of whitewashing, by covering up the majority of Weeaboo culture that formed around the time and has now become unfavorable.

The media central to Animecore are primarily anime, manga, and video games from the early to mid-2000s that are known for their strong moe elements and dedicated fanbases.Bankara (バンカラ) was essentially the opposite of of Taisho Roman . They were opposed to so called haikara (“high collars") that were seen as becoming weak through westernizing. The word Bankara is formed by combining barbarian with haikara, describing the beliefs and personality of the people who were part of it. Bankara were defined by not being concerned with outward appearance: wearing ragged clothing, cloaks, and long hair. Masculinity, nationalism, and strength were core parts of the movement, and they were very similar to the militaristic views that led to World War 2.

While the movement ended by the 1950s, the fashion and ideology of the Bankara lived on and eventually evolved into the Yanki . The counter-culture ideas of masculinity also continued into movements such as the Japanese New Left. Additionally, various Japanese high school cheerleading teams have adopted the style as a uniform. Although the style has almost gone extinct, Bankara culture lives on through being passed down through these cheering teams.Bodikon (ボディコン), or also referred to as Otachidai Gyaru (お立ち台ギャル) is a style and subculture that was centered around the distinctive style of dress by the same name, the bodycon, (of which its name is a shortening of the pronunciation of the English words "body conscious"), but was not entirely based around the dress, and would come to include the general female fashion of the Japanese Bubble Economy period.

Bodikon is the direct predecessor of Gyaru , and virtually all Gal styles. The first “Gals” were Bodikon women, and the emergence of the first styles of Gyaru around 1993-1994 came largely from the “ radicalisation ” (described later on this page) of Bodikon style. Bodikon is therefore classified as “Gal”, and can be considered a part of the larger Ametora umbrella (which includes styles like Amekaji), though it does not typically emulate 1980s and early 1990s American fashion trends.

This style was most popular in the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s (usually around the period from late 1985 to 1994 at the peak of its popularity). The style was influenced by the Japanese economy at this time, as well as the widespread popularity of dance-based nightlife in Japan in the 1980s and 1990s (especially venues playing Italo Disco, City Pop, Eurobeat, Hyper Techno/TechPara, and House music). There are also parallels with the mid-1980s Japanese trend of the satirisation and exaggeration of American fashion and lifestyles.

NOTE: The history described here is long and highly detailed.

The body-conscious fashion presented by Tunisian couturier Azzedine Alaïa at the 1981 Milan Collection was the first of many experimental dress designs throughout the earlier part of the 1980s to attract attention internationally. By the mid-1980s (especially from the autumn of 1985 onwards following the signing of the Plaza Accord), Japan was reaching its economic peak in what became known as the “ Bubble Economy ”  ( Baburu Keiki/Baburu Wa, バブル景気/バブルは ).

The Bubble Economy was a very large economic bubble in Japan focused on asset prices, land prices and the Nikkei 225 stock exchange. It made Japan the 2nd largest economy in the world (after the United States) and the world’s largest creditor nation by 1988. It was caused by the Japanese yen rapidly (and artificially) strengthening against the US Dollar after the signing of the Plaza Accord in September of 1985. In response, the Central Bank of Japan slashed interest rates to 2.5% and held them there, making them the lowest interest rates in the world and also making credit available as never seen before in the history of Japan. In fact, the interest rates were so low that loans became practically free. Investors, suddenly with huge amounts of money to blow, plowed borrowed money into real estate and stock markets, shooting prices on a rapid upward streak, as well as borrowing against their newly appreciated holdings and buying even more.

With both land prices and also salaries soaring in order to balance the real estate surge, by 1988 Japan’s total land value surpassed all of the land in the United States four times over. To highlight the extreme land prices, the total cash value of a single ward in downtown Tokyo (Chiyoda-ku) in 1988 could have purchased all of Canada- and the gardens of the Imperial Palace alone surpassed all of the land value in North America combined. Some of the most extreme land prices were found in Tokyo’s Ginza luxury shopping district- where land was sold for $250,000 (¥30,000,000 at the time) a square meter. The yen had become the world's powerhouse currency, and Japanese businesses also now found they held tremendous buying power overseas. It was widely feared in the West at the time that Japan would overtake the United States as the world’s largest economy. Japanese corporations, encouraged by the strong yen, began to develop a strong domestic economy in Japan - while also maintaining high exports of technology and cars to the United States.  These Japanese corporations were now outperforming American ones. Now, nine of the world’s top ten banks were Japanese - with Tokyo banks the world’s biggest and most powerful. By early 1989, by market cap, Japan accounted for 45% of the global stock market, far more than the US’ share of 33%, and eight Japanese corporations, five of them banks, were in the top 10 largest companies in the world, ranked by market cap.

Encouraged by the booming economy, the Japanese public were encouraged by the government to spend - and they spent both massively and decadently. $500 cups of morning coffee drank by housewives and sushi were reported to have been sprinkled with gold dust in Nara and Osaka, in the belief it brought good health. After the release of the 1987 romantic comedy film “Take Me Out to the Snowland” ( 私をスキーに連れてって ), there was a “skiing boom”, and ski resorts were constructed in huge numbers and filled to the brink with customers, resulting in very long queues. Imported cars such as BMWs, Mercedes Benz cars, Ferraris, Porsches and Rolls-Royces, especially left-hand-drive models (as this implied you had the money to import a LHD car to a RHD society like Japan), surged in popularity. It even got to the point where many Japanese women wouldn’t date a man who didn’t drive an imported car, claiming their arms were “allergic to the seats of a Japanese car”. Businessmen entertained each other with easily $184,000 worth of partying in a single night and bought gold bars as investments. People flew from Tokyo all the way to Sapporo just to enjoy a bowl of noodles and famously waved ¥10,000 banknotes and three fingers in the air on a Saturday night to get taxis, as taxis were so scarce due to the numbers going out on the town. Japan became the largest consumer market of luxury goods and there was even imitation of foreign European cuisines such as Italian food at restaurants around the country, resulting in the birth of “Itameshi” ( イタめし ) cuisine. The Japanese also went on a huge buying spree abroad - encouraged by the opening of the new Narita Airport, the Bubble causing appreciation of the yen, and plans to double overseas travel from 5 to 10 million Japanese between 1987 to 1992 by the government. The Japanese purchased large investments such as “virtually every skyscraper in Los Angeles”, a quarter of California’s whole banking market, major American companies (such as the purchase of Columbia Pictures by Sony in September 1989) as well as large properties in places such as Hawaii, Australia, British Hong Kong, the US and all over Europe (particularly in the south of France). There was even large-scale purchase of European art, such as the famous $39,921,750 purchase of van Gogh’s Still Life: Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers at the Christie’s London auction-house by Japanese insurance magnate Yasuo Goto on March 30th, 1987. At the time this was a record-setting amount for a work of art.  Another particularly famous investment was the purchase of the Rockefeller Center in New York by Mitsubishi Group in November 1989- raising fears of the Japanese buying up symbols of American capitalism. At the same time, Japanese tourists, often travelling in organised group-tours, were travelling abroad in increasingly large numbers - the number of Japanese people traveling abroad per year in 1986 (the 2nd year of the Bubble) was about 5.5 million, but four years later, in 1990 (the 5th year of the Bubble), it had swelled to over 10 million people. Particularly in Europe, Japanese tourists became second only to American tourists - and women in particular displayed a huge economic influence. Japanese women began to buy huge numbers of expensive luxury goods in Europe - one woman was reported to have bought an entire jewellery shop while travelling in Italy, while stores such as Gucci, Versace, Burberry, and even Harrods saw long queues of well-dressed Japanese women. Japanese tourists were especially shopping in huge numbers for Louis Vuitton and Gucci handbags, Savile Row and Armani suits (which new hirees often bought with their first paycheck) and the finest wines. All of these things made Japan an extremely rich and prosperous nation in the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s, with both GDP and GDP per capita soaring to among the highest in the world, and becoming the world’s first and only “luxury mass market”.

During the Bubble, Japanese companies, suddenly with a large amount of money to spend, were known to give generous budgets to the uniforms of female employees, representing at that point the fact a then-unprecedented number of women had entered the workforce. In 1985, just as the Bubble began, Japan introduced the “Equal Employment Opportunity Law” (EEOL), which brought significant public and social visibility to working women and to their aspirations for professional careers.  In the wake of the law, women assumed a much greater responsibility at work, and the balance of power between the sexes began to dramatically shift. With a new-found confidence in both the booming economy and workplace gender equality, the traditionally submissive Japanese workplace woman rapidly gave way to a highly assertive, opinionated, confident, bold, “executive” kind of woman - a new breed of female executive who could party almost as hard as her male colleagues had begun to do. Suddenly, Japanese women now had an extremely strong self-assertion, and were more likely to ignore the opinions of men and do what they wished. This “strong woman” figure became a trope in numerous manga at the time. In some estimates, 1/3 of women in the workforce worked as an “ Office Lady ” or “ OL ” ( オーエル ) for short. The OL was usually a young woman, usually around 20-25, who kept care of her appearance, performed secretarial and clerical work (this included cleaning the desks, answering telephones, making tea and greeting clients), and was obedient to her male colleagues. They were by intention meant to represent a beautiful image in order to represent the office, and so were often called an “ Office Flower ” at the time. Combining with the image-obsessed general feeling of the Bubble period, as well as the boom of the Japanese city of Kobe as a hub of fashionable, wealthy young women (in a style called the New-Tora [1] ) a strong desire for luxury, sexy, daring and flashy fashion grew amongst Japanese women. Ironically, despite an increasing social progress of feminism, Japan had entered an era in which women were trying to regain their sensual femininity.  Additionally, by the 1980s, young women in their 20s had the largest amount of disposable income of any segment of the Japanese population, and as seen by the “City Pop ” aesthetic of the early 1980s, had a desire to spend extravagantly. This was only boosted by the “Bubble Economy”, as the Bubble’s strong sense of optimism, enhanced by the idea of Nihonjiron ( 日本人論) - widespread beliefs at the time that Japan’s case of economic growth was “thoroughly different to other countries” and that Japan was “different to other countries”- meaning that people believed that land prices especially would continue to rise forever after World War II. This even lead to the word recession being called the “R-word” during the Bubble, as the idea of recession in Japan became simply unthinkable. These kind of ideas provided young women with a strong confidence in their ability to find work upon graduation and in their future prospects in general, and led a lifestyle of pleasure and play.

The Bodikon style as we know it today, while a nationwide phenomenon, first emerged in the city of Osaka in late 1985 and early 1986,  arriving in Tokyo and other Japanese cities in October and November of 1985. The general style was an immediate craze amongst young women, especially the OL, and by mid-1986 had become mainstream fashion in Japan - being worn on the street, by OL at work, at formal events, and even (secretly) at school. High school and college students were known to imitate the Bodikon style and the associated “ Wanren” hairstyle (discussed later on this page).

A key selling point of the Bodikon style was its sexy appeal, enhanced by its brash sexual style of flattering lines to the body (hence why Bodikon stood for “ Body Conscious ”) and usage of neon, colourful designs- involving usage of neon colours of red, purple, pink or yellow, often primary colours. This followed a general neon trend in 1980s fashion. Additionally, “ DC ” (an abbreviation for “Designer” and “Character”) brands began to take off from the early 1980s, and their youth-led, Shibuya-based stores began to sell Bodikon clothes from late 1985 onwards, marketed towards the young and affluent workforce that post-war Japan had produced. These affordably priced clothes began to permeate throughout the country and became a cultural staple of how the Japanese perceive the cultural impact of the Bubble Economy.  There were also influences of 1950s revival, apparent in the glamorous hairstyles popular amongst Japanese women and usage of furs in coats, bags, and accessories. This was most likely caused by the re-airing of popular 1950s movies such as “Kimi No Na Wa” (Your Name, 1953) by the Japanese public broadcaster, NHK, in 1985 and 1986.

It is impossible to talk about Bodikon’s history without mentioning the influence of the Japanese nightlife scene of the same period. The Bubble Economy, as previously mentioned, resulted in a “spending boom” by the Japanese- and this was especially reflected in nightlife. At the time, going to the discothéque was popular in Japan, and during the Bubble a plethora of new discothéques opened. These discothéques were high-end, having a “luxurious” feel, and often requiring a dress code for both men and women. The staff would all wear tuxedos and the male customers wore suits. Female customers tended to turn up in Bodikon outfits, but anyone who disrupted the classy atmosphere of these discos was not allowed in. At the time, nightlife was a status symbol and to go to such popular and expensive discothéques was highly fashionable. In Tokyo alone, there were several “nightlife areas” that exploded in popularity - these included Roppongi (arguably the most famous district), Azabu, Aoyama, Shinjuku, Shibaura and Tamachi (the last two started to become increasingly popular in the late 1980s after they had been redeveloped and had large open areas of land left). Even though teenagers were initially excluded from the nightlife in the Roppongi and Azabu areas of Tokyo, whom aimed their nightlife at “classy” working adults, teenagers and students hungry for nightlife would illegally gather in many discos across Tokyo, with teenage girls often caught wearing Bodikon fashion there. These incidences sparked a craze for Bodikon in the teenage girl demographic, but also raised concerns from traditionalists who claimed Japan was losing its sense of morality to the crazes of money and decadence. Famous discothéques of the period included the Maharaja ( マハラジ ) chain of discothéques, the Juliana’s Tokyo ( ジュリアナ東京 ) discothéque (in the early 1990s, and arguably the most famous and influential discothéque of the time. This disco is mentioned later on this page), and the King & Queen chain of discothéques. Others, among manym included the Turia discothéque in Roppongi, Akasaka’s Ronde Club in 1994 (infamous for its extreme style), and Shibaura’s GOLD discothéque (which operated from 1989 to 1995).

At the time, discos like the Maharaja chain and later Juliana’s (in the early 1990s) were central meeting areas for those women participating the now-mainstream style. They became places for young women, often teenagers between ages 15-19, and college age girls (early-to-mid 20s), to let down their hair and have fun. Frustrated by Japan's male-dominated society, Bodikon women were often seeking self-expression, flaunting their sexuality after spending day after day working as OL intended to be obedient and subservient to male colleagues. The Bodikon was regarded as “ a new breed of woman”- independent and uninhibited, proud of her body, and assured in her sexuality. This resulted in two forms of the Bodikon fashion - a “daytime variant” of 1980s-style, neon designer power suits as well as more conservative bodycon dresses intended for the workplace and for wearing on the street, and a “nightlife variant” of the fashion that was a lot more revealing and sometimes had “barely-there” clothing (described later on this page) . “Wide shows” ( ワイドショー ), a then-emerging form of Late Night TV show that was a mixture of a news show, variety show, and a talk show, with an emphasis on 24-hour  live coverage, young female presenters and sensationalist gossip, first emerged at the beginning of the Bubble in the mid-1980s, and these “wide shows” (such as the highly famous “Tonight” ( トゥナイト ) variety show that ran from 1980 to 1994) often ran late-night TV specials that followed the Bodikon “gals” to discos such as the Maharaja, Juliana’s, and also places like Shibaura’s “GOLD” discothéque, interviewing them and videoing them sexily dancing and gyrating on raised catwalk platforms known as the the otachidai ( お立ち台 )- a kind of platform in the discos satirically named after the palace platform where the Japanese Imperial Family would appear, reflecting how the Bubble customer was expected to be treated like royalty, often driving male crowds crazy with their overtly-sexual dance moves. The otachidai first emerged from the “ Gize ” discothéque on the 3rd floor of the Roppongi Square Building, a building that housed prominent discos on virtually all of its floors, before emerging in the Maharaja’s Azajuban branch and then becoming a nationwide phenomenon, emerging at Juliana’s Tokyo at its opening in 1991. These Juliana’s TV specials, as well as the Juliana’s own “Juliana’s Live” show from December 1992 onwards that would air weekly to millions of Japanese (even being sponsored by Coca-Cola), sporting presenters such as the then-extremely popular American rapper MC Hammer, often had TV cameramen crouched below the otachidais in order to peep and film at the barely-covered underwear of the Bodikon women dancing - but most Bodikon women seemed to like the public exposure, viewing it as a liberation of their femininity. Additionally, there was another notable late-night TV show that was influential on the style - “Gilgamesh Night” ( ギルガメッシュないと / ギルガメッシュ・ナイト ). It was a softcore, late-night TV show that featured the most influential Bodikon women of the day - especially featuring the prominent Ai Iijima (who is discussed later on this page). Although aimed at a male consumer base, Gilgamesh Night actually mainly attracted a female audience intent on looking like their Bodikon idols. VHS Tapes of Bodikon women and their dance moves were also popular sources of inspiration, and during the peak of the boom in 1993 sold incredibly well. The late-night TV “specials” and the “Juliana’s Live” late-night TV show, alongside the Techno CD albums which Juliana’s Tokyo released (as the first disco to mix session CDs in six volumes) became gigantic cultural staples all across Japan - released in volumes from 1992 to 1994, they sold like crazy, having sales of 1 million copies and being a large part of the disco’s profit since the disco itself wasn’t very profitable as a business model despite the huge visitor numbers of up to 5,000 a night during its peak. They also came with a free ticket to Juliana’s, resulting in many people attempting to flood into Juliana’s using their album tickets.

The cultural impact of discos like Juliana’s Tokyo during the Bubble period was phenomenal. Juliana’s in particular was a major social phenomenon - with people rushing from all over Japan, even from as far away as Kyushu and Hokkaido, to dance there.  The Opening night (15th May, 1991) was reported as “pandemonium”, with lines going on for entire streets and so much frenzy inside that they had to stop the music. Dozens of high school girls would watch the Juliana’s Tokyo dancers, almost all wearing Bodikon fashion, on the previously mentioned late-night “Wide shows” on TV and attempting to emulate their dancing and style. Female elementary, junior high and high school students were notoriously known to use their sofas as “mini otachidais” while the TV displayed the Juliana’s Live TV Specials, and they would shake their “ Juli fans ” while dressed in Bodikon, all over the country, especially on Halloween. These young girls attempting to be Bodikon women would end up forming the basis for Kogal later on.  Huge lines would form on the way from the adjacent Tamachi station to the Juliana's disco - the queues seemed to go on forever at the peak of the boom. One woman who had travelled all the way from Okayama to dance in Juliana’s told The Japan Times in May 1991:  “I’ve been lining up for more than 50 minutes [to enter the discothéque]”, while another woman who had travelled from Hiroshima stated “I came to Tokyo [just] to dance here.” It was even said by people that “Juliana's Tokyo is probably the only disco that the Imperial Family are visiting in the early hours of weekdays”. As a major cultural sensation, these discos promoted the Bodikon fashions that were widely worn amongst Japanese young women of the time on a large scale, however the women who wore the more extreme “nightlife variant” of the Bodikon fashion were never more than a small minority - and more of a subculture that became a symbol of Shibuya and Roppongi. For those who engaged in Bodikon however, it was much more than just the latest fashion. The body was adorned in order to be made into a “spectacle”, with an emphasis on "collective sensation". Being a Bodikon was a subcultural affiliation that determined many girls’ identities and self-hoods, and the idea of a subculture of fashion centred around women that would go onto to become the central focus of Gyaru, developed in Bodikon circles. These “ Disco Queens ” as they became referred to would after work meet their fellow Bodikon friends, go shopping for (often designer/luxury) clothes in Shibuya, particularly at Shibuya’s luxury “109” shopping mall, and change into their Bodikon clothing, famously in the train station bathrooms of Tamachi station - you could see scenes like this broadcast on Japanese national television at the time.

The “Juliana's Tokyo” discothéque was located in a former warehouse in Shibaura, a bayside area in southern Tokyo that was undergoing redevelopment at the time and was desirable in the early 1990s due to its large plots of empty space, a rare commodity in overcrowded Tokyo.  Opened in May 1991 during the height of the Bubble Economy, at a cost of ¥1.5 billion, it was a joint venture by Wembly PLC, the largest leisure service group in the United Kingdom (hence Juliana’s nickname as a “British discothéque”) and Nishho Iwai Corp., a top Japanese trading company. Initially it was to be the flagship disco for a disco chain throughout Japan. The styling of the discothéque reflected its high-class, flagship status. Patrons first were checked at the door for age and dress (this dress code, previously mentioned in this article, being a very common feature of Bubble-era high-class discos), then they were let through the large fractured glass doors where they were greeted by six Japanese women dressed in miniskirts, bowing in unison. From there, the patron entered the large 1200 square meter dance floor. A chandelier made in California hung from the ceiling, which reflected the multicolored laser beams. A stage stood at the front of the room, and raised plexiglass platforms were placed periodically throughout the room where foreign professional dancers would take 15 minute turns dancing to the 26,000 watt sound system playing a variety of Techno, Rave, Eurobeat, and House music styles.  Juliana's originally started out playing Italo House and Italo Disco and quickly followed popular trends to Hardcore techno, which became the disco’s signature music style. The collection of new Rave and House genres, as well as imported European dance music, became known amongst Japanese clubbers as “Juliana’s Techno” ( ジュリテク ), alternatively known as “ Hyper Techno ”. Note that there was a difference between “Eurobeat” and “Juliana’s Techno”/Hyper Techno, although both were danced to by Bodikon women; Eurobeat was characterised by its melodic, poppy sound while Juliana's techno was characterised by a gloomy oppressive rave sound that was perfectly suited for hardcore dancing. Up to 3000 people at a time could be on the dance-floor and the VIPs could also retreat to lounges. There is a different “sound” of music attributed to each year of the boom - for example, in 1992, Hardcore Techno was popular, but in 1993 a more melodic, oppressive form of techno as well as house music were popular. By 1994, Eurobeat music was more prevalent.

The Maharaja chain of discothéques was also hugely influential on the style, especially in the style’s earlier 1980s years. In the 1980s and 1990s, there were some 60 Maharaja discos in Japan, with flagship “Maharaja Gion”  known as "the best disco in the East". It was here that the fan-waving trend popular in the aesthetic started, when maikos (young Geishas) would go to the local Gion branch of Maharaja carrying feathered fans. Bodikon fashion was encouraged to flourish at the Maharaja as it earned Bodikon women free admission on “Ladies’ Nights”. Increasingly from 1987 onwards, women would dance in synchronised dance routines called “Para-Para” or more often at this point a hyper-Techno form of it, later known as “ TechPara ”. Para-Para/TechPara first emerged from the 1985 song “Take On Me" by A-ha in the early days of the Bubble. People at Maharaja started to dance by fluttering their hands along with the lyrics of the song, and some people would match their dancing with eachother. This kind of dancing took off and spread to every disco in the Tokyo area. The staff at each disco started creating their own routines to songs, and customers went to discos so they could see the routines and learn them. TechPara was similar to Para-Para, being  choreographed, synchronised dancing using the hands and arms. Maharaja as such was known for the “First Para-Para boom” (mid-to-late 1980s), while Juliana’s became associated with the “Second Para-Para boom” (Early 1990s). The First Para-Para boom flourished until a notorious incident in the recently-opened Turia discothéque in Roppongi on January 5th, 1988, when a falling light killed 3 people in the disco. After this, the first Para-Para dancing wave ended, and the more extreme second Para-Para boom began. Wearing their Bodikon fashion, women (especially in Juliana’s) would often dance a mixture of freestyle dancing (influenced by the rave scene in the West) and this new Para dancing, on the otachidai (previously mentioned above). The otachidai had a height of about 130 cm, and was installed on both sides of the dance hall. The sexy dancing on the Otachidai - the focal point of the disco - often drove male crowds crazy, which Bodikon women found pleasure in - savouring their sexuality and leaving men powerless against the powerful, desirable woman. The Japanese media covered this extravagant partying extensively - on average 20 TV Crews a day, alongside the late-night TV shows, newspaper reports, interviews and even overseas media coverage - angering Traditionalists in the ruling political party, the LDP. Juliana’s in particular was believed to “ruffle official feathers” in Japan -  because some people believed that the women's appearance and behavior was immoral. The media would continue to give Juliana’s heavy air coverage regardless of what influential Traditionalists in the government felt, creating visiting Juliana’s into a major status symbol, and spurned on by the defeat of the LDP government in the 1993 election for the first time since 1955, created the impression of a “break” with the traditionally Japanese post-war norms.

Despite the burst of the Bubble Economy in early 1992, the Bodikon subculture continued to prevail. At the time, Japan was in a sense of complete denial about the economic burst and continued to party on as if nothing had happened - in fact it took until early 1993 for the Japanese government to admit the Bubble had burst. In 1992, Juliana’s continued to soar to rapid fame and the fashion began to grow more and more extreme. The year 1993 is generally considered to have been the “peak year” for the style - by then the Bodikon women were so numerous, the media coverage was so intense, and the excess was so extreme that nearly every aspect of Japanese popular culture was affected by Bodikon women - from the late-night TV specials airing every night that drews tens of millions of viewers to infinite references in manga to the weekly tabloids detailing black and white pictures of the latest pasty-wearing women on the otachidais to the fashions even older women were donning by this point.  By this point, some of the crazier Juliana's fashion looked like a strip show. Girls were one step away from being completely naked, wearing pasties and string panties. Other parts of the country such as Nagoya and Kyoto were strongly inspired by the Juliana's boom and the discos with locations there such as King & Queen and Maharaja were even more extreme apparently, attempting to outdo the excess at Juliana’s - for just ¥100 (significantly cheaper than the Juliana’s fee), you could dance practically naked! This encouraged the development of a phenomenon called radicalisation - where the Bodikon fashion began to become very extreme.

At the time, there were many prominent celebrities that embraced Bodikon fashion, that entered the public eye. These “Bodikon celebrities” were often “sexy” tarento ( タレント ) - which are notable television personalities in Japan, especially appearing as panellists on variety shows. “Sexy” tarento would be highly popular in the early 1990s. Others included models, “gravure idols”, and AV stars (what is notable is that Bodikon women often had links to the AV industry in Japan). More on the Bodikon celebrities is seen further down on this page.

By mid-1993, the radicalisation of Bodikon style was getting beyond extreme - even in Juliana’s itself, which was markedly more modest compared to some of the other discos, and complaints were beginning to come in. Complaints from the neighbors included reports of rowdiness, girls changing into their Bodikon outfits in the alleys surrounding the disco, and in June 1993 a Tokyo magazine published photos (staged with professional models, the disco's management insisted) of nearly nude women dancing on the otachidai. An atmosphere of chaos was prevailing through the discos by this point - women saw dancing on the otachidai as a competition to compete for men and outdo each other, contributing to the rise of radical outfits to attract the most attention.  People used to fight for a place on the otachidai - elbowing each other and get in each other's way on purpose, and girls would pull each other's hair and burn each other with their cigarettes. Other women whacked other women off the otachidai with their Juli fans - this is humorously depicted in Yoko Kamio’s Boys Over Flowers manga (Hana Yori Dango, 花より男子 ), which was released at the time of all this going on. Additionally, the “radical” Bodikon fashion was now including public exposure of panties, on a special of the late-night TV show “Gilgamesh Night”, a tarento stripped down in public in central Tokyo to her underwear, and famously sometime in late 1993, a woman took off all of her clothes in a frenzy on the otachidai in Juliana’s in an impromptu strip-tease, nearly causing a riot on the dance floor. The (iconic) black and white photos of the incident  ended up in one of Japan’s weekly magazines and resulted in Juliana’s management being summoned by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department for a meeting in November 1993.  A police official who attended the meeting said: “We gave instructions that the otachidai is not a preferable place for customers to dance,". According to Yoshinori Kasano, Juliana's chief business manager, the disco's management had also been thinking of imposing limits on the displays of flesh. In December 1993, Juliana's removed the otachidai and replaced it with a "crystal stage" on which professional dancers were to perform, and a dress code was instituted prohibiting excessively revealing clothes.

Resulting from these incidents and now the crackdown on “radical” Bodikon by Juliana’s, from late 1993 people got the wrong idea that you could see girls stripping there, and so more and more perverted people as well as an invasion of girls from the countryside keen to see what all the fuss was about, who were often less sophisticated dancers. Because of this, attendance quickly dropped from 5,000 at a night at the peak of the boom to just 250 a night by early 1994. Bodikon was increasingly assumed to be a fashion of strippers - this probably wasn’t helped by the fact that numerous women in the AV industry were prominent Bodikon women.  Bodikon gals responded to the Juliana’s crackdown by frequenting even more extreme discos - these included “Ronde Club” in Akasaka, which became very popular at the end of 1993 and early 1994. Here, the most radical of Bodikon gals were to be found - an S&M theme was pronounced in the disco’s style, with whips used as dance accessories by the gals and women wore “ O-Back ” underwear, which exposed their buttocks. Other Juliana’s customers, disappointed by the loss of the disco as a status symbol, began frequenting other discos such as Maharaja and King&Queen, resulting in a new revival of Eurobeat music.

Battered by the lack of business, Juliana’s attempted to give out large numbers of discount tickets and tried to get more customers to come but they were unable to get influential customers such as celebrities and wealthy Tokyoites like before. Bad influence on the club accelerated and they were only able to attract customers who didn't want to spend much money, and so the quality of customers went down and down. As the Juliana’s crackdown continued, they were also criticised for branding women who weren’t that radical in dress-code as “radical” and therefore banning them. A notable example of this was Kumiko Araki , arguably one of the most famous of the Bodikon celebrities. She stated that she never danced in her underwear, however was branded “radical” and was banned from entering the disco; this meant that she was not allowed entry to Juliana’s closing night in August 1994. In early 1994, Juliana’s announced it was to close at the end of August 1994 - in order to prevent the legendary name of Juliana’s Tokyo being “tainted” by recent occurrences.

By mid-1994, Bodikon however was still flourishing; it was still the mainstream style of most Japanese young women and its aesthetic was now being made lucrative into other industries; Takara Tomy for example even released a doll in 1994 based around the Juliana’s concept, for young girls who wanted to emulate the glamour of the women depicted on TV. By 1994, Bodikon had also begun to receive new foreign media coverage; this included a French documentary on the lives of Bodikon women, and a November 1994 Vogue article dedicated to the “bad girls” of today’s Japan. The style began to rapidly radicalise as 1994 went on, with pieces of daring and outrageous clothing being worn - such as chokers, PVC clothing and a heavy inspiration from anime characters such as Sailor Moon.

A variety of reasons can be also attributed to Bodikon’s decline, all largely tied to the bursting of the Japanese Bubble Economy.  These included the sudden loss of a large leisure income making luxury brands unaffordable, the decline of the optimism surrounding the Japanese economy, the closure of many clubs in the Roppongi area, as well as the decline of the company in the centralisation of Japanese life (as partying such as this was hugely based around company hours and often paid for by the company). The influence of Bodikon style can be seen in the mid-to-late 1990s styles of Gyaru, where the party-influenced culture and sexiness appeal is reflected. Additionally, many of the pioneers of Gyaru originally started out dancing in the Juliana’s discothéque, where lots of influence came from.

After Juliana’s Tokyo, the last major hold-out of the style and of “Bubble culture” in general, closed on August 31st, 1994, Bodikon quickly vanished. With no central meeting area for Bodikon women left by September 1994, there was little justification to continue gathering in Bodikon circles. Shortly after, on September 2nd, 1994,  it was reported Japanese drug agents arrested the American-born president of Juliana’s Tokyo, Gary Wayne Callicott, and his girlfriend Michi Tsuchihashi for possession of $500 worth of illegal drugs, by coincidence on the same day the disco closed. With the name of Juliana’s already placed in bad press throughout 1994, suddenly there was now another bad association with Juliana’s and by extension Bodikon culture. In late 1994, Bodikon diverged into differing “Gal” styles - forming the birth of today’s Gyaru . The younger Bodikon women, mostly teenage girls trying to emulate the sexiness and sophistication of Bodikon culture were now by this point taking on a more “schoolgirl” aesthetic, encouraged to rebel by the growing moral panic in post-bubble Japan over enjō-kōsai (compensated dating) and schoolgirl sexuality - a symbol of the materialistic decay Japan’s national character seemed to have experienced. As such, while it had been socially acceptable to be a schoolgirl wearing Bodikon, dancing on an otachidai in the early 1990s, now that Juliana’s had closed the Japanese moral consciousness was beginning to recognise the Bubble was over - and with it came a “sobering” of morality. These younger Bodikon women and their growing interest in portraying themselves as “rebellious schoolgirls”, defying the moral panic and merging the adult-like nature of Bodikon women with the portrayed innocence of schoolgirls would end up forming the first post-Bodikon Gal style, Kogal . Other Bodikon women, especially those women who were the “ Radical ” Bodikon gyaru, were more interested in the values of extreme tanning that had developed in the culture around 1993-1994. With the Okinawan-born singer Namie Amuro receiving a lot of attention by late 1994 for her distinctive tan, it seemed that tanning was still trendy and popular. As such, radical Bodikon women continued to “ radicalise ” in their look after 1994, eventually getting to the point where by the mid-to-late 1990s it was so incredibly extreme it had formed its own Gal style, called Ganguro. Other Bodikon women, especially the older women who had emerged during the mid-to-late 1980s, were reaching their Japanese “marriage age” or generally becoming middle aged by the end of 1994. As such, encouraged by the “employment ice age” that had emerged by this point post-Bubble, many simply left their OL jobs and became housewives. The style however continued to survive in a (gradually getting smaller and smaller) number - evidence for this visibly exists in the late 1994 and early 1995 volumes of “Heaven’s Door”, where Bodikon women and Tokyo’s disco culture are evidently portrayed. In December 1994, a “successor club” to Juliana’s, Velfarre, opened, led by the same DJ as Juliana’s, DJ John Robinson. At first, Bodikon women seemed to dominate the club, however by March 1995 - when the last Heaven’s Door volume was published - it was evident the culture was on its way out,  if not had already made its exit; this was seen by Velfarre playing much more Trance music, a symbol of the growing mid-1990s Gal movement, instead of the more Bodikon-associated Techno (avex trax in the mid-1990s invested its money in Trance music and House music instead of Techno). By early 1995, when the Japanese public was left shocked by the lack of government action and widespread destruction during the Great Hanshin Earthquake in Kobe (the city’s infrastructure had been promised during the Bubble to be “Earthquake resistant”), as well as the terrorism of doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo terrorising the nation in the Tokyo Subway attacks, it was clear the mental image of the Bubble had been shattered, and with it, the culture of decadence and excess. By the mid-1990s, Bodikon were described as an “isolated tribe”, surviving in very small circles, and in 1995 the term “Juliana” was mentioned to be “dead”, with the term “Bodikon” gaining a more sexually-related meaning. However, in a 2002 article, there is mention of “Bodikon style” - whether this was a later Gyaru style that simply adopted the term or a small continuation of Bodikon disco culture however is left a mystery.

Make-up included a light foundation, either a scarlet/dark red lipstick or a pink lipstick, and purple and blue eyeshadows in a single colour without any gradation. Designer lipsticks, such as a Gucci lipstick or especially a Dior pink lipstick, were very popular for this look. Eyeliner was black and clear, and there was heavy usage of mascara. Blush was diagonal and was orange, brown, or yellow. Bodikon women also had relatively thick (and slightly bushy) eyebrows -  it was mainstream to draw them much thicker than your own eyebrows. What was often done was drawing thick and dark straight eyebrows from the inside of the eyebrow to the end of the eyebrow using eye shadow, which couldn’t be as easily done with an eye pencil. Grey and dark brown eyebrow pencils were preferred for eyebrows around this time regardless of hair colour. After the Bubble burst, by the mid-1990s most women had very thin eyebrows - this process sped up when Tony Tanaka, a makeup artist, taught Japanese women the concept of trimming. In the Bubble period, women also had a strong    self-assertion, so it was said that it was better to have flashy make-up - it was not possible to easily look fashionable with a more “natural” make-up.

Some Make-Up tutorials to help you out!!

-> https://youtu.be/jcA8b4L6T1g ( This one has English subtitles, and is probably the most useful one. However it doesn’t cover everything that a Bodikon woman would have for her make-up ).

-> https://youtu.be/18Cx6C1yD8c ( This one has no commentary, but is a real, authentic make-up video from 1990 and therefore may be useful for getting the look just right!)

Hairstyles, regardless of type, were generally always long, often reaching the woman’s knees or chest. At least 60% of women in their twenties kept their hair longer than their hip area by the early 1990s.The hairstyle that most Bodikon women wore by far throughout the Bubble was the “One-Length” or “Wanren” hairstyle ( Wanren, ワンレンボブ ). This was where the hair was cut all in one length to create a mature, professional look, and was (extremely) straight and long. This hairstyle was popularised by idols such as Chisato Moritaka, and directly contrasted the “Seiko-chan” look of the early 1980s (popularised by Seiko Matsuda). The “Wanren” hairstyle was often paired with bodycon dresses or a power suit to form the “ Wanren Bodikon ” ( ワンレン・ボディコン ) set - this “set” was a crucial look in the Bodikon style and is often one of the most famous mental images of the Bubble Economy to many      Japanese people. The Wanren Bodikon set attracted a lot of attention from onlookers during the time. Wanren hairstyles were often paired with a type of bangs known as “ Tosakamaegami” ( とさか前髪 ) bangs - literally “rooster hair” in Japanese - that could either be straight or curled, and sat at the top of the head. These bangs were upright “like chicken combs”, with the bangs slightly hung down and sprayed to keep them in place. As with any fashion that originated in the 1980s, hairspray was a Bodikon girl’s must-have and many women wrapped their bangs in curlers, slept, and then the next morning, used a hairspray to keep the bangs in place before going out. Wanren hairstyles didn’t always have Tosakamaegami bangs, but it was very common. However in the early 1990s during Bodikon’s final years the Wanren hairstyle did soften and Tosakamaegami bangs started to be worn with the Wanren hair less and less. This kind of look can be seen on Makino Tsukushi in the early 1990s volumes of Yoko Kamio’s Boys Over Flowers manga (Hana Yori Dango, 花より男子 ). Another type of popular Bodikon hairstyle was the “ Sauvage/Sovereign hairstyle ”  ( ワンレンソバージュ ). With Sauvage meaning “wild” in French, this was a natural wave perm hairstyle with fine waves throughout the hair and lots of volume. This hairstyle was extremely popular in the mid-to-late 1980s and can basically be described as a Wanren hairstyle that was curlier. As Bodikon fashion’s heyday years were before the “Chapatsu boom” ( 茶髪/ちゃぱ ) of the mid-1990s (when dyed brown hair, nicknamed “Tea Hair” due to its colour, went mainstream), most Bodikon women had black hair. However during the radicalisation of Bodikon around 1993-1994 (when Bodikon fashion started to become its most extreme and begin to resemble Gyaru), dyed shades of brown and even blonde hair became notable amongst Bodikon women, including famous AV idol Ai Ijima.

With regards to clothing, the iconic Bodycon dress was extremely popular. It was generally considered the signature clothing piece of the style. It was almost always a neon or a generally colourful colour (the most popular colours were red or yellow) and was a mini dress that emphasized the lines of the body, capturing the femininity of the body. The Bodycon dresses of the Bubble period were characterised by being flashy and conspicuous, and the neon colours of the bodycon stood out even in central Tokyo at night. The more highly exposed bodycon dresses attracted a lot of attention from men. Encouraged by the “fitness craze” that was ongoing in 1980s Japan, young women dieted in order to wear bodycon and kept a sharp body. Bodikon women also had a high level of confidence in themselves by wearing bodycon. Bodycon dresses at the time were characterised by their clear appearance of cleavage, waist, and hip lines. The chest was often “wide open”, as women were encouraged during the Bubble to expose their cleavage, and the length of the skirt along the hip line was up to the thighs. It was initially only worn in discothéques and disco halls, before then being popularised as fashion wearable on the street by around December of 1985. Many Bodycon dresses at the time were sleeveless, and so there were a variety of bras worn by Bodikon women. Some women wore strapless bras, and some even wrapped bras with “bleached” colours to make the shape of the bust look good. Colours and patterns of bodycon dresses varied, but the most popular was a vivid bright red that matched the colour of the lips with the colour of the bodycon. In addition, there were many flashy colours such as yellow, pink, and purple, and by the early 1990s it was common to see women wearing “wild pattern bodycon”, such as leopard prints and zebra patterns. Sequin bodycon dresses were very popular, with blue sequins being especially popular. Women wore Bodycon dresses for a number of reasons; these included attracting rich men, not caring about men’s opinions at all and going all out crazy, or feeling confident and self-assertive in clothes that flattered their bodies.

With regards to shoes, they were almost always high heels, usually being black and décolleté in leather with medium heel for a classy look.

Furs, feather boas and a lot of gold jewellery would be worn alongside Bodycon dresses, often with luxury bags (such as Louis Vuitton or Versace bags) and gold chains. Chunky gold jewellery was very common and would be worn all over the chest area of the  Bodikon woman.

There were numerous styles of Bodycon dresses, including the “Sexy Bodycon” style of string-bikinis and transparent dresses popular in clubs but inappropriate to wear on the street, but the most popular style, particular for daytime usage, was the One-Line style ( ワンレン・ボディコン ),  which was a little bit more conservative than today’s Western bodycon, but was intended to be a “mature” and “sophisticated” style with a closely-fitting dress, or a suit-set, that was usually in one bright colour and uniform enough to pass for office-wear. The One-Line style (or Wanren Bodikon in Japanese) was the type preferred for the daytime activities of Bodikon gals, and is also known as the Daytime Variant. The One-Line style included the meticulous usage of the “power suit”, often colourful and with shoulder pads. This was considered a status symbol of business success for women, a highly desirable attribute amidst the success of the Bubble Economy. Sometimes a picture pattern, such as a pattern of Tokyo’s neon lights, would be worn on a power suit, but it was not super common. Power suits were worn nearly everywhere in daily life, from job interviews to nightlife to housework.

“Sexy Bodycon” (also known as the Night-time Variant ) became the prevailing Bodikon style by 1993 - with extreme style choices. Women wore neon-coloured string bikinis, transparent dresses as well as neon miniskirts, microbikinis and spandex, as well as extremely tight bodycon dresses with very short hemlines and often cut with revealing sections. By 1993-1994, neon-coloured PVC clothing, such as hot pink PVC miniskirts, were also highly popular in the disco scene. Pasties and string panties were often worn, sometimes even on the street. Women also wore large, customised belts and had long, often white gloves for a glamorous effect. Some of the more “radical” women - especially at Akasaka’s Ronde Club - even brought whips as dance accessories. Tanning was a major part of the radical look - along with dyed blonde and brown hair. The “Sexy Bodycon” look was popularised by influential celebrities in the Japanese media at the time - these include Ai Iijima, an AV idol who featured prominently on the late-night TV show “Gilgamesh Night” and  was a mainstream celebrity in Japan - men wanted her and women tried desperately to copy her sexy antics. Additionally, there was also Natsuki Okamoto, a race girl, who helped to popularise this sexy version of the bodycon look, even adding her own touch to the style with the “high-leg” look, which was a bathing suit cut to reveal all the thigh and hip. By mid-1994, Bodikon women were also utilising chokers in their look, and inspirations for nightlife clothing borrowed from popular anime characters such as Sailor Moon in style.

Miniskirts were also popular, being usually paired with long stockings and gold chains, and were popular in both summer and winter.

Both “ collection ” (luxury) brands and the DC brands in the relatively easy-to-purchase price range became very popular from the mid-1980s onwards due to the demand in the student disco party and office scene. In particular, Pinky & Dianne was worn by so many people that it was called the "pin-die phenomenon." Famous DC brands included Alpha Cubic, Junko Shimada, MOGA, Zelda and Ingeborg ( their 1980s and 1990s clothes can still be found for sale on online resellers like “Mercari” ). Junko Shimada's colourful styles, particularly using colours like red and green, were “in-demand” for many young women of the time. Reflecting the new-found wealth of the Japanese, luxury goods and their brands were a key part of the aesthetic. At one point, any foreign brand was popular. Often, Japanese women would go to European countries and America, and sometimes Hong Kong if they were “poorer” (by Bubble Economy standards) to shop for luxury goods to wear. These included things from handbags, to necklaces, to even makeup, to the dresses themselves. In this period, showing off your luxury goods was a popular form of self-expression for many young women, and ownership of things like a Louis Vuitton bag or a Hermès scarf became a “rite of passage” into the booming middle class at the time.

TIP ; For many outfits, you can simply use a simple bodycon dress or a power suit and it will work out fine! It doesn’t have to be ridiculously expensive!

Popular Brands:

Some videos of Juliana’s Tokyo, the Avex Rave events, and “wide shows” that featured Bodikon women. These should give you a good impression of what Bodikon looked like on Japanese television at the time, as well as kind of impression of what the early 1990s Japanese nightlife scene looked like in general. More videos can be found using Japanese search terms (more linked below).

1.) https://youtu.be/kypqOXR1kHI

2.) https://youtu.be/-QhkTpmlfvM

3.) https://youtu.be/VSSTnGg4BW8

4.) https://youtu.be/bzY7J0Xle08

5.) https://youtu.be/dcb1wdAPVkc

6.) https://youtu.be/BaqTFl4Bxgs

7.) https://youtu.be/oXV0S48eVAk

8.) https://youtu.be/I3C3eNy7LK8

9.) https://youtu.be/VWQEU2LeW2w

10.) https://youtu.be/-lmKA1iqzUg

This is a YouTube playlist featuring many of the “hit” songs of the Bubble period, including many danced to in discothéques like Juliana’s, Maharaja, as well as some popular Japanese pop songs of the time. Many of the songs featured here had some of the earliest ParaPara (or TechPara) routines made.
-> https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQTUXyF6S2ICLT2vh7cXo2lQ-hHo6sD_b

Collection of the Juliana’s Tokyo albums, Maharaja Night albums, and other popular early 1990s Eurobeat albums such as the “Super Eurobeat” series was a “must-do” activity for any Bodikon woman of the period. Some links to a few of the albums are here below:

-> (Most) Juliana’s albums, excluding the Christmas album: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEDLa9es_DYhtNqL5SVHu8orzrojfMf1Y

-> Maharaja Night albums are a little harder to find but are commonly found on YouTube.

-> Some of the “Super Eurobeat” series are available on YouTube, though are much more common as physical editions on online stores like Mercari.Bosozoku ( 暴走族 ) is the name of a Japanese subculture consisting out of biker gangs that center around over-the-top customized motorcycles. It first emerged during the 1950s as part of the Yanki subculture but has since moved on as an own custom bike culture.

Bosozoku is believed to have originated from a Yanki biker gang known as "Thunder Tribe" (カミナリ族) that frequently made it into the news for their reckless driving and involvement in traffic accidents. In order to archive higher speeds, the members of the gang would remove the mufflers of their motorcycles, causing them to make loud noises akin to thunder while driving.

During the 1960s, the amount of similar biker gangs continued to grow. In 1972, there was a flashmob of about 3000 yanki bikers in Toyoma City that demolished other people's vehicles, and as a result the media started to refer to biker gangs as "bosozoku". The Japanese word "boso" originally meant "to lose control", but in the context of bosozoku its meaning is more along the lines of "road rage".

Members of bosozoku gangs often wear large coats known as "tokkofuku" (特攻服) that feature embroidery related to their gang membership and are only worn during outings and graduations. As their name implies, they are inspired by the wear of kamikaze pilots. As tokkofuku feature extensive embroidery that costs a fortune to get made, they are often hand-me-downs from retired to new members as part of the hirachy. There is a stereotype that the kanji on these coats are often nonsense phrases such as "night dew death agony".

Bosozoku gangs not only consist out of men, but also women. Just as how male members have long moved on from the stereotypical Yanki looks so have the female members from Sukeban . They often match their outing outfits to the custom paint job of their bikes and visa versa down to the acrylic nails.

TBABubble Bujo is all about decorating things for your favorite people. It is most commonly used for K-Pop singers by K-Pop stans. Bubble Bujo uses a lot of bright, vibrant colors; similar to Kidcore , but with some slightly different styles. Some popularly used items are stickers, ribbons, cartoon bears, cakes, sparkles, hearts, and smiley faces. Letter stickers are also used. The Korean brand called "THENCE" is very popular in Bubble Bujo. While binders/diaries are the most popular, some other popular things to decorate are CDs and photocards, which are included in K-Pop albums and collected by fans. There are smaller binders specifically for these photocards. Keychains are often attached to 6-ring binders, and vary from small, thin keychains with cutesy pictures to beaded straps to resin shaker keychains.

Elements of Bubble Bujo:

Although fashion is not a key element of this aesthetic, here are some popular things used to style Bubble Bujo outfits:Busukawaii (ぶさかわいい or ブサカワ) is a Japanese aesthetic that revolves around an ugly but a somehow charming or cute appearance. It is also often used in a joking manner as part of memes .

The main visual focus of Busukawaii is plain or strange-looking characters combined with themes that are typical for the Kawaii aesthetic. Many of them were created precisely with this adorable ugliness in mind as their own unique charm point.

Image edits of pre-existing characters are also very popular. There are many soft pastel filters, glitter, sparkles, and other cute imagery for the purpose of creating a kawaii atmosphere, leaving a kind of bizarre impression.

Bootleg anime merchandise are also occasionally featured as a photography subject within the aesthetic due to the frequent occurence of off-kilter faces on usually cute characters.Chinese New Year , called Spring Festival in Chinese, is the most important holiday celebrated by the Chinese culture. It involves many traditional celebrations, decorations, and foods that are based on bringing luck in the new year, as determined by the Chinese lunisolar calendar established since ancient times.

Aesthetically, the holiday is very consistent with its use of red and gold, which are colors said to scare away evil spirits and represent wealth. And like other holidays, because of the highly traditional activities, the celebrations are consistent throughout the Chinese diaspora with a certain air of festivity.

Many of the dishes are known for being auspicious because of their names being puns that sound like phrases that bring luck.

Like with every other visual associated with the holiday, people go to festivities wearing red and gold jewelry.

Chinese clothing is often worn at this time, such as with fancier qipao, Tangzhuang, etc. This especially includes children, who often are dressed up by their parents in traditional clothing made of brocade and trimmed with faux fur.

On Chinese new year, people typically attend festivals with all sorts of things, like lion dancing, lighting fireworks/fire crackers, and light lanterns. Young children also receive Red Envelope , or Hongbao (红包） from elders, aunts and uncles, and parents. Inside a Red Envelope is usually currency.

At home, family and friends gather around for dinner as they share food.

Children sometimes light sparklers and throw cherry bombs .Choco Girl (also known as Neapolitan Girl or Chocolatecore ) is an aesthetic centered around chocolate, biscuits, and the Neapolitan color combination of chocolate (brown), strawberry (pink), and vanilla (cream). It is not a standalone fashion subculture, but rather a specific thematic variation applied to established Japanese street fashion styles, most notably Sweet Lolita and Himekaji .

The aesthetic emerged from the Harajuku fashion scene of the 2000s and gained its name through online communities on platforms like Tumblr and Pinterest around 2023, spreading onto TikTok because of the revival of interest in 2010s Himekaji pieces. It is characterized by its strict color palette and its use of dessert-themed prints and accessories.

The aesthetic originated in Kawaii culture of the 2000s, also known as Heisei Retro , which incorporated whimsical "things shaped like other things," such as erasers shaped like food or headphones resembling earmuff fashion accessories. Sweets were a common motif, as desserts have been associated with femininity since the Victorian age .

Many trends within Japanese Kawaii came about in the 2010s developing onward from the 2000s, such as decoden, the rise of Himekaji away from the more elaborate Gyaru , and 2010s Sweet Lolita.

In Sweet Lolita specifically, brands like Angelic Pretty have released numerous iconic print series that fit this theme, such as "Melty Ribbon Chocolate" and "Royal Chocolate," which feature detailed patterns of chocolate bars and sweets on classic Lolita dress silhouettes. The brand also releases mini skirts as part of the same release, which do not fit the Lolita silhouette but fits more casual fashions.

However, it was with Shoujo Girl TikTok, a subset of the coquette aesthetic which focuses on Japanese fashion, that created the term. This community is a revival of 2010s fashion, independent of the original styling and context of Himekaji.

Because of the rise of microtrends and giving names to aesthetics in general, people on Pinterest and Tumblr gave the name Choco Girl for easier search term purposes.

The visual style of the Choco Girl aesthetic is characterized by its consistent color scheme and recurring motifs. The palette is strictly limited to shades of brown, pastel pink, and cream or white, directly referencing Neapolitan ice cream. The primary motifs are sweets, with patterns featuring chocolate bars, cookies, biscuits, and chocolate-covered strawberries being common. A "dripping chocolate" pattern is another signature visual element.

This theme extends beyond fashion to related kawaii goods. It is common to see Sanrio characters like Hello Kitty or My Melody depicted in Choco Girl-themed Lolita attire. The aesthetic also has a strong presence in decoden, the Japanese craft of decorating items with miniature charms, where objects like flip phones are adorned with tiny plastic chocolates, cookies, and other sweets.

Choco Girl fashion is the application of the chocolate and Neapolitan theme to existing Japanese street styles. It is most prominent within the Sweet Lolita substyle, where it is often referred to as "Choco Lolita."

The theme also appears in more casual styles like Himekaji and Otome Kei. In these variations, the look might consist of a simple blouse paired with a biscuit-print skirt or a cardigan in a brown, pink, and cream colorway.

Accessories are essential for completing the look and are often the most explicit expression of the theme. These include cookie-shaped berets and purses, chocolate bar necklaces, and biscuit-themed jewelry, with brands like Q-pot being famous for creating hyperrealistic dessert-themed accessories made from clay and plastic .Chunyu ( 纯欲 or 純欲 ) is a term used to describe an aesthetic that is "chun" - innocent and cute - but also "yu" - sexy and alluring.  "Chunyu" as a term can be used to describe both sexes, but is almost exclusively partaken by females as an aesthetic.

Chunyu is paradoxical in nature as it requires the woman to look both innocent and sexy. It combines girlish youthfulness with womanly sensuality. It is feminine and classy, but can also have a tomboyish girl-next-door vibe to it. Chunyu is often attached to the old Chinese saying, "Angel face and devil body", which refers to the purity of the face and seductiveness of the figure. Some have also described the Chunyu aesthetic as "sweet and salty". To achieve a flawless Chunyu look, a woman must style herself to look beautiful, but without it seeming as if she is trying to be beautiful. Her Chunyu aesthetic should appear effortless and elegant .

During the early 2020s, Chunyu first spread in popularity in the form of makeup among Chinese beauty gurus on the social media platform Xiaohongshu, which is also known as China's alternative to Instagram. With the increasing popularity, Chunyu started to expand into an aesthetic with an own distinct style in regards to hair and fashion. Following the overall trend of an increasing popularity of Chinese style in the recent years, Chunyu has also become a hot topic among young women on TikTok, reaching a global audience in 2022.

Various Chinese makeup styles also managed to archive widespread popularity within Japan fueled by the increasing mainstream use of Tiktok, including Chaiborg and Chunyu makeup.

Chunyu fashion has to strike a balance between being cute and sexy. The style follows major brands and is broad due to this fact. Typical clothing includes oversized sweaters, knitted dresses, faux fur coats, high waisted jeans, cropped T-shirts, hair accessories, cardigans, short skirts, and spaghetti strap singlets. It has also become trendy to wear Chunyu makeup with qipao, hanfu (traditional Han Chinese clothing), and hanyuansu (modernised hanfu).

Chunyu makeup prioritizes warm colors and clear skin. Blush, lip gloss, glitter, arched eyebrows, spiky fake lashes, and warm lipstick are used to create a doll-like face. A common characteristic of Chinese makeup is the use of red blush that continues around the eyes, and is sometimes applied to the tip of the nose to seem more youthful. This is an influence from Chinese opera makeup.

Chunyu conforms to a number of Chinese beauty standards. Defined collarbones, double eyelids, broad shoulders, aegyo sal (pocket of fat found directly under the eye, known as "wocan" in Chinese), thin nose, hourglass figure, small face, V-shaped chin, perfect teeth, long legs, good posture, and thin physique are desirable.

Exposing the arms, legs, shoulders, and midriff is acceptable to look "sexy" but too much cleavage is often avoided as it is thought to ruin the "pure" feeling. Highlighter can be applied on the collarbones to accentuate them. Fingernails may be adorned with elegant nail art.

The hairstyle and hair color should look natural. Hair is usually kept in its original black or dyed brown. The hair should be soft, voluminous, and lush but can also be a bit unkempt to maintain a feeling of realism.

Celebrities associated with and sporting Chunyu style include:

Chunye ( 纯野 ) is an aesthetic that derived from Chunyu in late 2022. It combines some "purity" aspects of the earlier Chunyu aesthetic but with the "wildness" of Western aesthetics. Chunye has a more mature look than Chunyu, and oftentimes more glamorous and ethereal as well. Some have described it as the "jiejie" (older sister) to Chunyu. Though Chunye itself could be considered a type of "Chunyu". Chunye makeup uses extensive contouring to create more facial depth. This style of makeup usually accentuates the eyes and lips. Chunye has more jewellery and bold colors associated with it than Chunyu.

The fashion of chunye is luxurious and sexy. Chunye makeup uses contouring and highlighting eye makeup to create a three-dimensional bone appearance. This style of makeup often accentuates the eyes and uses a large amount of glitter. This aesthetic became popular in the West through Tiktok where it has been dubbed "Douyin makeup", after the Chinese version of TikTok, Douyin.

Many Chinese makeup styles, including Chunyu ones, became popular internationally through Tiktok in the early 2020s where they have been erroneously dubbed "Douyin makeup" by Southeast Asian, and later international observers. Within China itself, "Douyin makeup" is simply known as "Chinese makeup" (中国妆). Some have criticized the term "Douyin makeup" as racist (more specifically anti-Chinese racism or Sinophobia) as it attempts to obscure its Chinese origins or misattribute it to other East Asian countries such as South Korea, inaccurate as most styles do not even originate from Douyin, and the erasure of Chinese voices by Western chauvinists hence the spread of misinformation regarding it. [ citation needed ]

According to Chinese news outlets on the other hand, ByteDance started to push viral makeup styles as "Douyin makeup" on purpose in order to maintain an association as free form of advertisment for its social media platforms, debunking the "racism" claims by overseas netizens.City Pop (シティーポップ) is a pop music genre from Japan. It originated in the mid-1970s, reaching peak popularity during the late 1970s to 1980s. It also spread to other areas of Asia, particularly establishing a foothold in Hong Kong, where many covers of popular City Pop songs were popularized in Cantopop, in addition to inspiring the Pop kreatif genre in Indonesia.

It is considered a predecessor to modern J-Pop (though it certainly has more of a sophisticated vibe to it compared to modern J-Pop). Various City Pop songs are sampled in many Future Funk songs. Famous City Pop artists include, Mariya Takeuchi, Taeko Onuki, Miki Matsubara, Anri, Naoko Gushima, Tatsuro Yamashita, Junko Yagami, etc.

Much of City Pop was influenced by '70s and '80s Japanese "New Music" (New Wave) and techno-kayō ("techno-pop") artists, such as Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO), Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Akiko Yano, Ippu-Do, and Sandii & the Sunsetz. City pop combined these Japanese influences with the influence of American funk, jazz and soul music.

There are many City Pop compilations on YouTube for people to listen to, with channels such as Ganymede Cafe making 40 minute long compilations of City Pop songs. Many of these songs are played in the background of an old anime GIF on loop. City Pop is considered an aesthetic genre of music due to its casual and upbeat nature.

Despite the best years of City Pop being behind the genre, the spirit of it lives on as sometimes it'll be interspersed with Vaporwave (and a lot of Vaporwave artists will sample City Pop in their songs to invoke the imagery of sophisticated Japan on the rise in the 80's and 90's).

A lot of City Pop images depict shots of opulent city life and high nightlife; hence the name. Many of these images are taken from tropical locations like California and Hawaii, featuring oceans, beaches, and palm trees.  These images are often stylistically edited to show more pops of magenta, cyan, red, yellow, blue, and Purple.

Architecture is a common element depicted within the aesthetic, particularly pools and Modernist houses. City streets, skylines, and beaches are also prominently featured in city pop. Typically, these streets will be empty and peaceful with nobody around except a vintage vehicle (giving a similar vibe to the After Hours aesthetic).

City Pop fashion tends to be very opulent, high end, and draws a lot on the Yuppie fashion of the time (and so a lot of J-Preppy and Resort style turns up in City Pop fashion).  Indeed, a lot of City Pop fashion has served as inspiration for a lot of modern Japan-inspired aesthetics such as Vaporwave and Lo-Fi. "Business Casual" is a popular phrase in City Pop fashion. Later City Pop music from the mid-to-late 1980s also draws a lot of inspiration in its female fashion from the then-emerging Bodikon subculture.

Sailor Moon and California Crisis anime are prime examples of City Pop outfits.

Typical City Pop fashion items include:

*can be worn in neon or loud colours/patterns

Wearing City Pop motifs (cities in neon colours, cassettes, soda or strawberry milk cans, occasionally flamingos, etc.) can also be considered a less casual and/or more modern subset of City Pop fashion.

Hairstyles are reflective of the era, but simultaneously have a wide range.

In women's hairstyles, common characteristics include voluminousness, curliness, and heavy application of products like hairspray and dry texturising spray. These include:

Men's hairstyles are similar to women's hairstyles, being long and voluminousClovercore is a retrospectively named subgenre of Heisei Retro centered around nature-inspired, hyper-cute Japanese stationery designs from the late 1990s and early 2000s. The aesthetic is characterized by its heavy reliance on the four-leaf clover motif as a symbol of luck and happiness, typically paired with bright color palettes and obscure animal mascots.

While it shares the hyper-feminine and nostalgic values of Puppycore and Whimsy Twee , Clovercore is distinguished by its specific emphasis on shades of green and "Engrish" phrases relating to joy and dreams. In the early 2020s, the style saw a revival on social media platforms like Pinterest and TikTok, though this revival has been accompanied by cultural controversy within Western communities.

The aesthetic now retrospectively called "Clovercore" originated in the competitive Japanese "fancy goods" market of the mid-Heisei era. Companies such as Kamio Japan, Q-Lia, and Mind Wave specialized in creating unbranded or "nameless" mascots to sell stickers, letter sets, and erasers to elementary and middle-school students. The four-leaf clover became a staple motif during this time because it allowed for a gender-neutral yet "kawaii" nature theme that fit the era's fascination with luck and fortune-telling.

Visually, the aesthetic acted as a bridge between the organic, earthy tones of Global Village Coffeehouse and the high-tech, glossy nature visuals of Frutiger Eco . Following the decline of physical stationery culture in the 2010s, the style became an object of "anemoia" (nostalgia for a time one never knew) for Gen Z users, who began collecting and digitalizing old sticker sheets.

In the 2020s, the revival of Clovercore on TikTok and Pinterest became entangled with a broader controversial TikTok art community trend. A significant portion of the interest in clover-themed imagery was driven by "Lottie," an artist known for aestheticizing early 4chan culture for a Gen Z audience.

Because the four-leaf clover is the primary logo of 4chan, some users within Western communities have begun using Clovercore visuals to ironically or unironically reference the "imageboard culture" of the mid-2000s. This has led to friction between Heisei Retro purists—who view the aesthetic as a harmless childhood memory of Japanese stationery—and those who associate the clover motif with the toxicity or "edginess" of 4chan. As a result, certain clover-themed graphics are now scrutinized for "hidden" meanings that were not present in the original Japanese context.Colorful Pop (カラフルポップ) is a Japanese graphic design and illustration style that gained prominence in the 2010s. It is defined by an intensely vibrant and energetic visual presentation, utilizing high-saturation, neon color palettes, maximalist compositions, and the fusion of anime-style characters with abstract graphic elements drawn from Pop Art and digital culture. The aesthetic is most prominently associated with the J-core (Japanese Hardcore) electronic music scene, modern rhythm games, and select works of animation.

On this wiki, this aesthetic was formerly documented under the name Pop Kei . However, "Pop Kei" is largely considered a Western misnomer that erroneously classified the style as a street fashion subculture. In its native Japanese context, professional illustrators and publishers (such as Hobby Japan) utilize the term "Colorful Pop" to refer to this specific visual art and character design methodology.

Colorful Pop emerged during the 2010s within Japanese online artist circles, eventually becoming a standard visual language for media requiring high-energy aesthetics. The style draws conceptual roots from the Superflat movement, adopting its method of merging commercial pop culture with anime-style illustration. Visually, it shares a lineage with Vectordelia , a digital design trend from the late 2000s. While it utilizes the vector shapes and abstract swirls characteristic of Vectordelia, Colorful Pop replaces that movement's cleaner appearance with a saturated color palette and a more chaotic focus on characters.

The aesthetic grew alongside the J-core music scene, where its dense compositions mirrored the fast tempos and heavy sampling of the genre. This connection was established through album art and the development of rhythm games like Muse Dash and WACCA , which utilized the style for their user interfaces and character designs. Professional illustrators such as Kurumitsu helped codify these techniques, producing workbooks that detail the use of "Colorful Pop" in character design and social game illustrations. Kurumitsu's work, which includes CD jackets and card illustrations, emphasizes bright high-contrast visuals intended to be instantly eye-catching.

Other prominent artists in the scene, including Mika Pikazo and berryverrine, have further expanded the style's reach through commercial collaborations and high-profile character designs. The visual principles of the movement later influenced Western animation. This is most evident in films like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse , where the aesthetic was intended to break with the generic Pixar style. By using Colorful Pop's principles of halftone dots and chromatic aberration, the filmmakers moved away from traditional 3D realism in favor of a look that mimics printed comic books and digital illustration.

The Colorful Pop aesthetic is characterized by sensory overload, achieved through a combination of specific techniques. It exists on a spectrum, from clean graphic design to expressive illustration, but is unified by a set of core principles.

The color palette is the most immediate identifier. It relies on extremely saturated, often fluorescent colors. The most common combination involves magenta, cyan, and yellow, frequently accented with lime green and set against high-contrast black or white backgrounds to enhance their luminosity.

Compositions are typically dense, layered, and maximalist, often featuring characters engulfed in an explosion of graphic elements. Recurring motifs include halftone dot patterns, onomatopoeia, paint splatters, sharp geometric shards, pixelation, glitch effects, and direct gaming iconography like controllers and headsets. Typography is often integrated directly into the artwork as a dynamic design element.

The artistic execution varies. In commercial applications and graphic design, the style often employs clean, sharp digital linework and bold, flat color fills. In standalone illustrations, it can take on a more expressive, painterly quality with looser lines and fragmented, crystalline textures to convey a wider range of emotions.

While Colorful Pop is a visual style rather than a music genre, it is inextricably linked to the J-core music genre, a form of high-speed Japanese hardcore techno. J-Core is characterized by its fast tempos, complex rhythms, and heavy sampling of material from anime, video games, and otaku culture. The Colorful Pop aesthetic functions as the primary visual identity for this music scene.

The music's extreme speed and sonic density are mirrored by the aesthetic's chaotic, maximalist compositions and sensory-intense color palettes. The genre's reliance on otaku cultural artifacts is visually translated through Colorful Pop's use of anime-style characters, gaming iconography, pixelation, and other digital motifs. The aesthetic can be seen in artwork for album covers, such as those by artists like Kobaryo and DJ Laugh, and in the user interface of rhythm games.Cult Party Kei (カルトパーティー系) is a Japanese vintage fashion with a focus on many sheer layers and religious imagery. The name is derived from the store Cult Party which popularized that style, but the name isn't actually used much in Japan.

Cult Party Kei is often confused with Mori Kei and Dolly Kei .

Cult Party Kei is primarily a second-hand/thrifted fashion. It’s best to use 2-3 colors in an outfit. Most outfits are white or cream for the most part, but adding touches of bright red or pastels (e.g. pastel pink, lilac) is common. For example, pastel nightgowns are a staple piece. However, a high proportion of pastels in an outfit can make it look Yume Kawaii , so be sure to focus on whites or pastels on the less vibrant side. Quilts used for jackets and skirts and yo-yo accessories are usually very colorful though.

The silhouette is usually slightly baggy/loose fitting, but with a loosely defined high waist (around your natural waist line or higher) but not with a tightly belted waist. Shirts are usually tucked under skirts/pants, but not always, and most of the time the neckline is high. Layering can be as few as a shirt, camisole, skirt or shorts and peignoir, or even just a shirt and a skirt, and up to however many layers you want.

Poofy skirts are the most popular; tiered, ruffled, lacey, mesh, chiffon-y etc.  Usually they are mid- length or short, but sometimes long ones are used. You can layer skirts to add more volume if needed. Vintage nylon petticoats are very popular, short ones can be tough to find, but longer ones can be worn high for an empire waist effect, and suspenders can be used to help keep the skirt up. Any skirt can be worn this way as well, manapyon does this often. Sometimes even pulling the skirt up to your armpits to make a dress style look can work. Gingham skirts and sort of kitchy country style skirts are fairly popular, especially in red. You can also do 90’s jeans or slightly baggy pajama-ish looking pants, they’re often rolled up at the hems. Jean shorts (cut off or with folded up hems) are used as well. Gingham pants are great too. Skirts can be worn over pants or shorts, especially short poofy petticoats.

Definitely the most well known aspect of CPK is the peignoir. However it is not necessary to wear a peignoir to have a cpk outfit. Pretty much any vintage robe or peignoir will work for CPK, transparent ones are the most popular. Cotton ones are nice too, and usually easier to find in thrift shops. They are most often worn as the outer layer. However, they can also be worn under a cardigan, under a sweater or shirt, you can use your suspenders to keep them around your waist, and you can also tie the ends around your waist. Bed jackets, nightgowns and camisoles can also add some nylon to your outfit to make it look more CPK. Nightgowns can be worn as dresses, transparent ones are worn over a top/bottom or an opaque nightgown.

Tights or thigh highs are almost always worn when wearing skirts or shorts. Printed tights are very popular, as well as semi opaque white tights. Lace tights are good as well. Black or white thigh highs are popular, either plain or with lace at the top. Printed thigh highs can work as well, ones like grimoire’s are good, or ones with cherries, bows or hearts. Lace trimmed ankle socks are very popular and a really good item to have. In warmer weather you can wear just ankle socks to keep cool.

Most often Rocking horse shoes and Tokyo boppers are used. Sneakers are also really popular. Platform converse and the Vivienne westwood wing platforms are sometimes worn as well. A lot of the The Virgin Mary girls wear thrifted shoes in a lot of different usually 90’s styles. Mary janes, ballerina style flats, and most Lolita shoes are options as well.

Dark Cult Party Kei is similar to Cult Party Kei, but with more of a focus on darker colors. It still follows a lot of the same rules laid out in Cult Party Kei, though with a different palette of colors.Dark and Sweet Girly Kei is defined by an ultra-feminine, girly style that utilizes intricate trims and kawaii garments, but contrasted with sexier short skirts with tall socks, sad and sometimes eerie makeup, and details originating from edgier subcultures. The style is most often called " Jirai Kei, " a phrase describing a subculture of mentally ill people in Japan who take on specific activities as coping mechanisms and are recognized by their "pien" makeup. However, that subculture wears numerous styles, and this page is separate from the Jirai Kei page to make room to describe all styles at length.

This style also can be worn without associating with the Jirai Kei subculture, and people who do not want to describe their style as that use the label "dark girly" or "sweet girly" instead, including by those in Japan. Alternatively, "fashion Jirai" or "wearing Jirai Kei" is also popular. The labels "dark girly" and "sweet girly" exist in one page, as these two styles overlap, with only the accessories and garment color being the determiner of "sweet" versus "dark," and these two styles more often than not coexist in one wardrobe.

As a note, the style is often called "Ryousangata" (meaning mass-produced) in the West when the outfits are in white and pink colorways and lack edgier hardware details and instead use gem charms (sweet girly). The term actually changed throughout Japanese fashion history, and generally refers to the trends Japanese women adopt and look similar to each other, whether in Uniqlo basics or in Gyaru. However, still using this term in the 2020s will be understandable, including to those in Japan, as this style is the current version of Ryousangata.

Since the 1990s, lace trim, flared skirts, ruffles and vintage-inspired blouses have been a trope of various styles developed by specific boutique brands found in Japan, such as Milk, Liz Lisa, and the various Lolita creators.

Much of Dark and Sweet Girly was influenced by Lolita fashion, which began in the 1990s, including the use of rectangle headdresses, wrist cuffs, and the emphasis on color matching. However, this style departs from Lolita through fewer antique details.

This version of Girly Kei was preceded by Japanese boutique-created microtrends  (dubbed " Larme Kei " by the West) in the mid-2010s, which is a toned-down and more mature version of Kawaii fashion. Some common tropes in that fashion were: a pink and black color scheme, combining sexy elements such as black leather and lingerie pieces with girly ones, intricate hairstyles, and heavy pink eyeshadow under the eyes (igari makeup,) showing the influences. The difference between this fashion and Larme Kei can be found here .

Another trend of the mid-2010s influencing this style was Himekaji , especially since the brand Liz Lisa was the leader and partly the originator of the style. The flared short skirt, elaborate use of trims, and ornate shoes are some continuing similarities.

As Larme Kei and Himekaji microtrends declined, Dark/Sweet Girly microtrends came to replace that style. The boutiques that produced those items later created these items.

This sort of kawaii style (which was not known as “Jirai Kei” at the time) gained the name and connotation of “Jirai,” meaning landmine in Japanese. In 2020, there was a viral discussion on how fans of this style tended to be mentally unstable, and they’d “explode” on their boyfriends. The rationale, both discussed by these non-Jirai and by the women themselves, is that this cute fashion is a coping mechanism for their mental illness.

For more details on Jirai culture and history, please check the Jirai Kei page .

Colors for this style include muted pink, white, black, and occasionally pastel blue, red, or purple.  Patterns include plaid check, which is extremely popular, as well as a few novelty prints released specifically by Liz Lisa, which may include cute animals. The fabrics in this style are always synthetic, creating a smooth and flat feel, an easier washing process, and cheaper prices.

Much like other J-fashions, Dark and Sweet Girly emphasize “brand,” or the boutique designers that start and innovate the fashion. Certain pieces created by certain brands become status symbols which are "must-haves,” with judging which pieces are iconic being a discussion point in the community. However, unlike other brand-focused communities such as Lolita and designer fashion, many in this community are open to “dupes,” which include both gray market resellers of genuine goods from Taobao and AliExpress as well as more unscrupulous poorly made ones. The rationale is that the brand name creates the high price, and the polyester and poor construction of the brand pieces does not justify a high price.

The look is often incredibly formulaic, relying on the pairing of a blouse and skirt or a dress/set-up with the same trims and details.   It is rare for an outfit to have more than two colors , and wearers of the fashion almost always use a base of black or white to pair with an additional color.

However, there is still room for different styles and styling choices within the fashion. Different brands and releases can lean more edgy, Gothic, princess-y, mature, simple, ornate, etc. As discussed in the introduction, this style can be dubbed either dark or sweet, with these two labels encompassing the same brands and motifs. The use of sexier/alternative accessories (fishnets, garters, cross charms, and chains) paired with majority black pieces makes the outfit darker and edgier, while pairing white and pink clothes with Lolita-esque motifs (rectangle headdresses, kawaii printed fabrics, and heart charms) creates a sweeter appearance.

The most common tops are blouses with ultra-feminine details. The list below describes the specific details in these blouses:

As Jirai Kei evolved from 2019, the clothes from 2023 onwards appear more princess-y and over-the-top than blouses in older styles through extensive lace-up ribbon details and tromp l'oleil construction, whereas older styles lack this extent of detail and resemble simpler pieces that are not exclusively Jirai Kei.

Some 2023 - present trends include:

Girls also almost always tie ribbons or add bow brooches with rhinestone and pearl-accented faux jewels at the neck.

Knit sweaters featuring these same tropes are also worn in winter, with the added addition of kawaii appliqués such as teddy bears or kittens. A trend that appeared approximately 2023 is the set-up , which is a two-piece set consisting of a tunic-length top with a matching pair of micro-shorts , with the aim of it looking like an extra-short dress, with the shorts being for modesty purposes. This top would have the same details as the blouses, but be different in that they use princess seams to make an hourglass silhouette, rather than the simpler bust darts of blouses.

Tops made from jersey knit fabric can be in this style too. They often have details such as faux chokers when it's a scoop neck, a heart cut-out, and contrasting color serging.

High waisted mini skirts are by far the most popular bottom. The silhouette can be flared, trapezoid or pleated. Hardware details such as heart-shaped belt buckles, eyelets, and zippers add edge to the outfit and contrast the lace and girly details of the blouse. As a note, while silver was most common from 2020-2022, gold is becoming more of the default in 2024. Different brands also use different hardware colors. As for girly details , there are also ruffles, ribbon lacing to resemble a corset, and ruffled suspenders. Similar to the blouses, different brands' releases have become more princess-like as the style progressed, including more charms and tiered ruffled skirts.

Shorts can also be featured in this aesthetic, as well as longer flowy skirts . However, they are both comparatively rare to the mini skirts.

During winter, this style features vintage-inspired coats that feature fur trim in addition to the other details commonly found in Dark and Sweet Girly Kei, such as ruffles, grommets, and Peter Pan collars.

Another common and trendy item is an oversized zip-up hooded jacket , often in a furry texture with bunny ears attached to the hood for a more kawaii detail. Certain releases also riff off of Subcul Jirai ’s usage of “lazier” athletic brands’ zip-up by taking that base and adding miniature bows, pearls, lace trim, etc.

Warmer weather outerwear includes cropped bolero-style cardigans with cable knit weave or in an even lighter lace fabric.

Because the legs are most often exposed in this style, lace or fishnet stockings are worn, and could be switched or even doubled up with ruffled or lace ankle socks . In more intricate outfits, or to add sex appeal, edginess, and detail to a relatively plain outfit, girls also do asymmetrical leg accessories , such as only one leg having a garter with heart pieces or a ruffle.

The shoes are most commonly platform loafers or multi-strapped mary janes , and most girls buy their shoes from BUBBLES Tokyo, DearMyLove, Liz Lisa and others. The shoes can be more decorated, with faux jewels, ribbon laces, rhinestone buckles and silver cross charms. However, for ease of walking in city streets, platform sneakers can be worn instead.

The most popular bags are totes and mini backpacks . Usually, they're pink or black, sometimes adorned with ribbons and bows with plushies or Sanrio figurine keychains attached. The most popular mini backpacks on social media are the studded MCM mini packpack and Melody Maison de Fleur totes. Other girls may instead use bags from popular luxury brands . It is also common for Jirai involved in fandom/Wota culture to wear Ita bags to demonstrate their love for a character.

There is not much jewelry involved in this style due to the garments themselves already having metal and gemstone details. However, a popular trend is the Vivienne Westwood orb necklace or one resembling a crown.

However, when wearing a short sleeve top, it is common to see either pleather bow bracelets (inspired by MiuMiu) or Lolita-inspired wrist cuffs . This adds more detail to an otherwise bare part of the body.

Hime-cut bangs, which are straight bangs across the forehead with side bangs around chin-length, are extremely popular amongst young women in Japan in general as it is an easy way to archive the illusion of a small face. It fits in with the ultra-feminine style. Because these women are Japanese and around high school age, the most common hair color is black , since dyed hair is not allowed in schools. However, some girls add highlights that can be bleached blonde or in different shades of pink.

In terms of styling, pigtails (also called twin tails), are the majority hairstyle. They can be either low or high, with high pigtails often being half-up half-down . Girls often curl the ends and decorate these twin tails with ribbons and bows , often with the same faux jewels on their brooches. Other hair accessories such as rectangle headdresses, headbands with faux jewels, and bobby pins with charms are popular too.

Sweet Girly emphasizes the more fanciful and ornate look through hair arrange , a Japanese term referring to intricate styles beyond the scope of just twin tails and simple braids. This trend started in the precursor of the fashion, Larme Kei . Hair stylists turn braids into roses, bear ears, and hearts; weave ribbons and pearls throughout the hair; and emphasize perfectly smooth straightening/curling.

The makeup for this style can either be the traditional Jirai Kei "pien" makeup , which is described on the original Jirai Kei page. Alternatively, the women who are not a part of the Jirai subculture and choose to do their makeup differently opt for any cute, feminine makeup style which suits their outfit . As shown in the Larme magazine image, the model on the left uses pink eyeshadow and brown eyeliner to match the color of her outfit and hair, while the model on the right has darker makeup to create an edgier appearance. It is incredibly common to see the "namida bukuro" (commonly known as aegyo sal, the Korean name) created with eyeshadow. Those two terms describe the 2020s trend amongst East Asians wherein they emphasize the puffy area under the eye to create a smiling appearance.Dead Inside ( дед инсайд ) is an internet subculture prevalent among teenagers from Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. The term refers to young people who describe themselves as "ghouls" (referencing Tokyo Ghoul ), play the computer game Dota 2 , watch anime, and position themselves as depressed, sad, and disappointed in life at their young age.

This subculture manifests primarily through online interactions, where members adopt avatars of Tokyo Ghoul characters, especially Kaneki Ken, and participate in discussions centered on themes of suicide, loneliness, and the "meaninglessness" of existence.  Within the Dota 2 community, "Dead Inside" is associated with toxic behavior, including verbal harassment and intentionally poor gameplay, often accompanied by expressions of indifference like "I don't care about the game" or "1000-7" (referencing the torture scene in Tokyo Ghoul where Kaneki is forced to count backwards from 1000 by 7 to maintain consciousness).

"Dead Inside" has also become subject to mockery and memes on the Russian-speaking internet. The word "дед" (dead) technically means "grandfather" in Russian. This has led to memes featuring elderly people portraying the "Dead Inside" persona.

Dead Inside was popularized by Ilya Korobkin (ALOHADANCE), a Ukrainian professional Dota 2 player and Twitch streamer. Though the phrase "dead inside" predates the meme and generally refers to feelings of apathy or emotional numbness, ALOHADANCE's use of the phrase and its subsequent adoption by his fanbase gave it a new, specific meaning within the Dota 2 community.

The expression was popularized among Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian Dota 2 players in 2014 when ALOHADANCE stated in an interview that he was "dead inside and didn't care about the game." This statement and his decision to tattoo the phrase on himself turned "dead inside" into his personal trademark. It was also adopted by a segment of the community who related to his nihilistic attitude and in-game behavior, which often involved expressing indifference towards the game and toxic behavior towards others.

In 2021, the phrase experienced a resurgence and began to be used more broadly to refer to pessimists who realized the complete meaninglessness of everything that was happening in reality, and decided to do nothing more. Such people began to discuss online what was happening, the decline of the world, everything else they saw.

By 2022, "dead inside" became more popular as a meme rather than a self-designation for "sad" people.

They use specific phrases, such as:

People in these groups, especially those designated as "zxc ghoul" people by others, listen to aggressive/dark Phonk, hyperpop and rap.Decora (デコラ, short for "decoration style") is a Japanese street fashion style that originated in the Harajuku district of Tokyo in the late 1990s. It is the purest expression of maximalist, anti-fashion dress within Harajuku Fashion . The style is characterized by the principle of excessive, dense layering of accessories that completely obscure the base clothing.

Decora arose from the initial style of J-Pop idol Tomoe Shinohara, who popularized wearing dozens of colorful accessories and plastic jewelry. The street version exaggerated this to a chaotic, child-like extreme.

The origin of Decora can be tracked down to the popularity of the Japanese idol Tomoe Shinohara among teens during the 1990s . Her fashion sense was visually very similar to nowadays Decora, but featured childish hats instead of many hair accessories. Her fans, which were referred to as "Shinora", would often try to emulate her style while also trying to maintain originally. In the end, some of them would end up featured in the "Fruits!" streetsnap magazine which then would also coin the term Decora as name for their style.

One of the nowadays Decora icons is the Haruka Kurebayashi, who first appeared in various streetsnaps before becoming a model for KERA! magazine. She was also in charge by the design of the arches in Takeshita Street, which resemble her Decora style.

This style can be combined with pretty much any clothing but the most popular base fashions are Fairy Kei . The outfits combine casual clothes with many layers in the form of multiple hair clips, bracelets, tulle skirts, stockings, leg warmers, belts, bags, plushies, gloves, necklaces and pins. Face stickers and band aids are very common to be worn with colorful makeup that matches the clothing. Wigs of unnatural colors may be worn. Clothing may have many prints, such as colorful prints, heart prints, and many other patterns. Decora also focuses on DIY, where wearers create their own unique and decorative accessories.

Artists incorporating Decora include:

This section lists media that is commonly used as part of the Decora aesthetic, mostly in accessories that outfits contain, rather than the typical visuals being featured within the media.

Decoden (デコデン) originally refers to the excess decoration of mobile phone cases, but has expanded beyond the original meaning over the years and can refer to anything over-the-top decorated with cabochons. It is very popular among Japanese women in their teens to late-30s.

Cyber Decora refers to Decora outfit based on Cyberpop fashion.

Oshi Decora refers to a Decora outfit that revolve solely around one's favorite series or character as its theme while also being based on its signature color. Even while this type of Decora has existed for a long time, the name was only coined in 2022 by Bisuko Ezaki .

Hadeko is a sister style to Decora with a focus on bright rainbow colors. The outfits are characterized by a more androgynous appearance as well as psychedelic elements, often featuring tie-dye.

Dark decora is a substyle characterized by darker color schemes (with bright colors sometimes seen) and horror elements (e.g Eyeballs, Skeletons, Bats). Some punk elements are also seen within coords.Denpa ( 電波 ) is a Japanese subgenre of psychological horror primarily found in visual novels. It is characterized by recurring themes of delusion, social isolation, and a disconnection from objective reality, often exploring the fragile nature of mental states and the impact of external or internal pressures. While the term's colloquial usage has broadened, its roots lie in anxieties about a " muen shakai " (relationless society) and events like the 1981 Fukagawa Serial Slasher Case, where the perpetrator's claims of being influenced by "electromagnetic waves" (the literal translation of denpa ) gained notoriety.

Denpa narratives frequently juxtapose mundane, everyday environments with extraordinary psychological states, heightening the sense of unease and isolation as characters experience mental breakdowns, distorted realities, and emotional detachment within familiar settings. Closely related to otaku culture, denpa often reflects the struggles of individuals feeling marginalized or out of sync with mainstream society.

While "denpa" is primarily defined by narrative themes rather than a singular visual style, a specific set of motifs has crystallized online (particularly on platforms like Pinterest and Tumblr) to represent the genre's atmosphere. These visuals (characterized by tangled telephone wires, dimly lit rooms cluttered with technology, and high-contrast shadows) draw heavily from seminal works like Serial Experiments Lain and Welcome to the N.H.K. . However, this "internet aesthetic" definition often overlooks the visual diversity of the genre, which ranges from the visceral gore of Saya no Uta to the deceptively pastel and bubbly presentation of titles like NEEDY STREAMER OVERLOAD or Maitetsu (often cited for its tonal dissonance). It is important to note that the primary connection between denpa works is thematic; a work does not need to fit the "dark blue cyber-room" aesthetic to qualify as denpa.

Early examples of denpa fiction include the 1996 PC-98 game " Shizuku ," which features themes of harmful radio waves ( dokudenpa ) and descending madness. The genre often delves into the origins of these struggles, exploring trauma, social alienation, and societal pressures, as seen in works like " Neon Genesis Evangelion " and " Subarashiki Hibi ."

The term "denpa," which translates to "electromagnetic waves" (also known as radio waves or RF waves) in Japanese, has a colloquial usage that originates from the concept that people's consciousness can be affected or distorted by electromagnetic radiation. This usage gained traction in the 1990s, stemming from the 1981 Fukagawa Street killings, a notable murder case where the perpetrator, Kawamata Gunji, claimed that electromagnetic waves had driven him to commit the acts.

During his subsequent trial, Kawamata claimed that radio waves had influenced his actions, compelling him to commit the murders. This defense, asserting that "poisonous radio waves" ( dokudenpa ) manipulated him, an alleged phenomenon known as electronic harassment , drew significant attention within Japanese society and contributed to the term "denpa" being used to describe individuals perceived as operating on a different "wavelength" than mainstream society, often preferring solitude and their own constructed fantasies over conforming to perceived social norms.

The term can carry a negative connotation, sometimes used to label societal outcasts or those viewed as having an unsubstantiated persecution complex. The incident and the ensuing trial also inspired various forms of media, including documentaries, television dramas, and novels, which explored themes of mental instability, mind control, external influence, and the anxieties surrounding the increasingly omnipresent nature of technology.

Denpa fiction also arose from anxieties about a " muen shakai " (無縁社会), a Japanese term describing a "relationless society" where individuals feel increasingly isolated and disconnected from traditional social structures and support systems. This societal anxiety is reflected in denpa's exploration of themes such as social alienation, the breakdown of communication, and the struggle to find meaning and connection in a seemingly indifferent world. Films like Kiyoshi Kurosawa's " Cure " (1997) capitalized on this existential horror, depicting a cold and unfeeling portrait of modernity. Furthermore, denpa fiction resonated with anxieties within otaku culture, particularly the pressure to conform to societal expectations and the appeal of escapism into fantasy worlds. This is exemplified by the contrasting figures of " Densha Otoko ," an otaku who abandons his lifestyle to fit in with mainstream society, and " Denpa Otoko ," who rejects this assimilation and embraces his otaku identity as a form of liberation.

Denpa works, especially in the visual novel medium, are characterized by:

The origins of the term's colloquial usage can be traced to the aforementioned Fukagawa Street killings. Its application to describe a specific aesthetic, especially in visual novels, developed later.

Early examples of denpa media, such as the visual novel Shizuku (1996) by Studio Leaf, which is credited with coining the term "visual novel," laid the groundwork for later influential titles. The late 1990s and early 2000s saw the emergence of what are considered the 'big three' denpa visual novels: Tsui no Sora (1999) by SCA-DI, and Sayonara Wo Oshiete and Jisatsu no Tame no 101 no Houhou (both 2001). These early works, while significant to the development of the genre, are also noted for their often low production values and graphic violent and sexual content. Subarashiki Hibi (2010), also by SCA-DI and a spiritual successor to Tsui no Sora , is considered a quintessential example of the genre.

Denpa's influence can be observed in various forms of media, including anime (e.g., Serial Experiments Lain , Paranoia Agent , Perfect Blue , Neon Genesis Evangelion ) and the surrealist works of Western directors like David Lynch (e.g., Lost Highway , Blue Velvet , Mulholland Drive ). In recent years, this influence has contributed to a resurgence of interest in the genre, evident in the renewed popularity of works like Saya no Uta , Neon Genesis Evangelion , and Serial Experiments Lain , facilitated by digital distribution and fan translations.

This resurgence is also fueled by the emergence of new denpa works that address the problems of the digital age, such as games like NEEDY STREAMER OVERDOSE , which explores the darker side of internet culture and the pressures of online identity, framing the streamer persona as a Situationist " Spectacle " where the commodified image consumes and displaces the protagonist's lived reality. This is also reflected in the independently developed Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk , which explores the psychological struggles of individuals navigating a technologically saturated world.

While Denpa is primarily a narrative genre, a distinct "Denpa Aesthetic" has emerged in online communities, largely defined by the visual language of its most popular mid-90s and early 2000s representatives. This "Pinterest Denpa" aesthetic acts as a visual shorthand for the genre's themes of dissociation and technological anxiety, though it does not encompass the full visual range of the genre.

The visual identity most commonly associated with Denpa online is derived from the "Cyber-Depression" imagery of works like Serial Experiments Lain , Texhnolyze , and Welcome to the N.H.K. . This specific aesthetic is characterized by:

While the genre is most frequently associated with the "dark-cyber" aesthetic desribed above online, Denpa works are not visually unified by a single art style. Instead, they are unified by visual subjectivity : the art style often shifts to mirror the protagonist’s distorted internal state rather than depicting objective reality. This leads to vast discrepancies between titles:

A specific fanmade sub-genre of Denpa imagery has emerged on social media platforms, characterized by the superimposition of 2D anime characters (often rendered as rough sketches, manga panels, or high-contrast line art) over gloomy, low-fidelity photography of real-world urban environments. This editing style serves as a direct visual metaphor for the genre's  themes of dissociation and hallucination, representing the protagonist's delusion literally invading their mundane reality.

Common tropes in this style include:

Imagery created by the online community (on platforms like Tumblr and Pinterest, primarily Western fan communities) that reinterprets Denpa themes into a distinct visual aesthetic. Common techniques include sketch overlays, glitch effects, and high-contrast photography.

Denpa narratives often address the anxieties of modern life, such as the impact of technology, the breakdown of social connections, and the blurring of reality and fantasy. The concept of " muen shakai " (無縁社会), or "relationless society," is central to many denpa works. This term describes a society where individuals feel increasingly isolated and disconnected from traditional social structures and support systems. Welcome to the N.H.K. vividly portrays this concept through its protagonist, Tatsuhiro Satō, a hikikomori who withdraws from society and becomes consumed by conspiracy theories.

Subarashiki Hibi ( Wonderful Everyday ) presents a multi-layered narrative where characters grapple with themes of identity, memory, and the nature of reality. The story's fragmented structure and philosophical underpinnings challenge the reader to question their own perceptions and beliefs, using the structure of the "Inner World" and "Outer World" to explore the relationship between subject and reality.

Denpa also examines the appeal of escapism and the boundaries between reality and fantasy. Characters often seek refuge in virtual worlds or fabricated realities as a means of coping with the challenges and anxieties of their lives. In Serial Experiments Lain , the protagonist becomes increasingly immersed in the "Wired," a virtual reality world, blurring the lines between her online and offline identities. Similarly, in CROSS†CHANNEL , the characters find themselves trapped in a time loop, an endless summer where they can act without consequence, reflecting a desire to escape reality.

The denpa genre also critiques consumerism and technological dependence, highlighting the potential for these forces to manipulate and control people. Neon Genesis Evangelion depicts a world where technology is both a source of power and a tool for destruction, while SSSS.Gridman explores the dangers of retreating into virtual worlds and the importance of human connection. More recent works like NEEDY STREAMER OVERLOAD further explore this theme, especially the pitfalls of online fame and the pressure to maintain a virtual persona. The protagonist, a streamer known as "OMGkawaiiAngel," becomes increasingly reliant on social media validation, leading to a decline in her mental health and a blurring of her online and offline identities.

Trauma and its impact on perception are also recurring themes in denpa narratives. Saya no Uta features a protagonist whose perception of reality is drastically altered after a traumatic accident, leading him down a dark and disturbing path. The exploration of trauma in denpa highlights the fragility of the human psyche and the ways in which our experiences shape our understanding of the world.

Denpa also touches on the nature of societal norms and expectations, encouraging viewers to reconsider their own values and beliefs. Aku no Hana ( The Flowers of Evil ) depicts a protagonist who rebels against societal expectations, embracing his darker impulses and challenging the notion of conformity.

It's important to note that the term "denpa," particularly within Western social media spaces like Tumblr, Pinterest, and TikTok, is often used in ways that deviate from its original meaning as a Japanese literary genre of psychological horror. Furthermore, even within the visual novel and anime communities, there is no single, universally agreed-upon definition of what precisely constitutes "denpa," adding to the ambiguity surrounding the term. This section aims to clarify some of the common misunderstandings:

While certain visual motifs (like technology or urban isolation) may recur in some denpa works, the genre's defining characteristics are primarily literary and thematic. The widespread misapplication of "denpa" as a superficial visual aesthetic online often leads to a significant misunderstanding of its complex narratives and the serious issues it explores.

Denpa also exists as a music genre, sharing the same name and originating from the same cultural anxieties surrounding technology and social disconnection. However, unlike the often dark and unsettling nature of denpa fiction, denpa music typically embraces a more upbeat and catchy sound, characterized by high-pitched vocals, nonsensical lyrics, and an over-the-top moe aesthetic.

While they are aesthetically distinct, both denpa music and denpa fiction reflect a fascination with themes of delusion, escapism, and the blurring of reality and fantasy. Notable artists in this genre include UNDER17, Toromi, Nanahira, IOSYS, and MOSAIC.WAV.Dokukawaii (毒かわいい) is a Japanese aesthetic that centers around themes related to toxicity and bright colors. Its name is derived from "eye poison" (目の毒), which refers to something "so colorful it hurts your eyes yet you can't stop looking at it".

It is often conflated with the Yami Kawaii and Gurokawa aesthetic by those not familiar with it.

The term Dokukawaii was originally coined by artist Miruki to describe her morbid neon art style. Even before it was officially given a name, this aesthetic would already be spotted in the various works of Japanese artists.Dolly Kei is a Japanese fashion style that was influenced by European clothing and antique dolls; later versions of the style integrate elements from fashion seen in fairy tales, Romani culture, and outfits worn by peasants in the Middle Ages. While Grimoire, a shop, was influential in the creation of Dolly Kei, the fashion itself is not very brand focused.

It is important to note that the term "Dolly Kei" is only used in reference to this particular fashion outside of Japan while locals use it to describe a doll-like aesthetic in general.

An outfit must have a vintage look to be considered Dolly Kei. It is also characterized by a dark appearance, layering, lace, embroidery, animal fur (usually faux), as well as large accessories based around creepy fairytales. Some argue that large accessories are the most important part of this style, specifically lace chokers or even skulls. The fabrics in the outfits are usually heavy and in deep dark jewel-tones or black with a battered, worn, distressed appearance.

Dolly Kei outfits do not have to look cohesive in a traditional way. Clashing of patterns, colors, and accessories is encouraged.

Hairstyles tend to be natural and simple, with wavy hair and braids being common. Hair colors tend to be dark natural colors, including black, brown, and dark red.

While Dolly Kei is mainly based on visuals, there are some activities that are common amongst people that wear Dolly Kei, that are also based upon old-fashioned things and are expressed in Dolly Kei outfits, including:Erokawa (エロカワ) is a Japanese aesthetic blending kawaii (cute) with eroticism. The term, coined in 2005, combines " ero " (short for "erotic," which has negative connotations in Japanese culture) and " kawaii ." Unlike prior erotic trends in Japan, Erokawa was created by women, for women, as a means of reclaiming their sexuality on their own terms, distinct from male-oriented sexual desires. Nowadays, usage primarily associates the term with adult content influenced by kawaii culture.

The term was first used in public by the Japanese singer Kumi Kōda to describe her artistic style. Many Japanese women considered the word ero as something negative but found it acceptable to associate the word with Kawaii. Further variations were created such as erokakkoii (エロかっこいい, "erotic cool") and Erokakkokawaii. With the increasing popularity of the singer in the following years 2006 and 2007, the term spread more and more artists such as the korean singer Ayumi Lee or Leah Dizon described Kumi as their influence in relation to fashion.Fairy Kei ( フェアリー系 ) is a Japanese Harajuku fashion style based on children's pop culture from the 1980s . It is characterized by a pastel color palette as well as a fluffy or floaty appearance. When not refering to the fashion on its own, the term "fancy" ( ファンシー ) is commonly used within Japan to describe its nostalgic aesthetic.

Fairy Kei visuals include:

Fairy Kei is centered around muted pastels and 80's revivalist cartoons and motifs such as My Little Pony G1, Care Bears, Rainbow Brite, vintage 80's Barbie, etc. The look is very much a ‘ fantasy style’, emulating the worlds of 80's girls’ cartoons and early shoujo manga. It began with Tavuchi, founder of the vintage and repurposed vintage boutique SPANK!, as her personal style, and then the look took off from there.

Fabric is usually lightweight for dresses and skirts, such as the loose A-line dresses and the fluttery colored petticoats. Thick, fluffy sweaters, over-sized 80's sweatshirts; this is also the land from whence comes the mokomoko accessories craze, and stuffed animals are sewn onto sweaters and scarves, or as the usual purse. Dress length can be ankle length, knee-length or mini-skirt length; anything fluttery and flowy works.

The most important aspects of fairy kei are the vintage/fantasy world factor, and the color palette. Color is one of the most important features here, less so the structure or item. Pastels and neon-tinted pastels, or high-saturated pastels. Popular colors are pastel pink, baby blue, lavender, light yellow and in smaller doses, ‘white-with-black-dots’. Dark and overly bright colors are not allowed outside of accents. Several motifs and themes are often found in fairy kei as well: most notably the unicorn, followed by kittens, any vintage 80's toys or franchises, moons and stars, rainbows, and naturally sweets such as cotton candy and conversation hearts (the chalky American candy that say things like UR CUTE).Fjortis (a slang derivative of the Swedish word fjorton , meaning "fourteen-year-old") is a Swedish youth subculture and derogatory stereotype that evolved into a distinct aesthetic during the 2000s. While the term originally described immature behavior regardless of actual age (specifically a teenager trying to act like an adult), it eventually crystallized into a fashion subculture characterized by exaggerated grooming, specific brands, and a distinct makeup palette.

The aesthetic is culturally analogous to the British Chav , the American Guido , and certain iterations of the Japanese Gyaru , sharing a focus on artificial tanning, bleached hair, and a hedonistic party-oriented lifestyle. While the term was applied to both genders, the visual "Fjortis" aesthetic is most strongly associated with teenage girls, while the male equivalent eventually splintered into the distinct Partille-Johnny subculture.

The word "fjortis" entered the Swedish vernacular in the 1990s as a pejorative label for teenagers who were perceived as loud, immature, and obsessed with status. By the 2006 edition of the venska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL), the term was officially recognized, defined as a "teenage-like person."

During the mid-to-late 2000s, aided by the rise of Swedish social networking sites like LunarStorm, Playahead, and Bilddagboken (The Picture Diary), the label transformed from a behavioral descriptor into a codified style. Teenagers began to self-identify with the label or adopt its visual markers to signal social status within the school hierarchy. The aesthetic flourished alongside the "blog boom" of the late 2000s, where early influencers (such as Kissie and Paow) popularized extreme versions of the look before pivoting to more mainstream fashion in the 2010s.

The Fjortis aesthetic is defined by a deliberate artificiality and a high-contrast color palette applied to the body.

The most iconic feature of the female Fjortis look is the specific application of makeup. Adherents typically wore heavy dark foundation or bronzer that was much darker than their natural skin tone. A defining error (or stylistic choice) was the " Fjortisrand " (Fjortis stripe), a sharp, unblended line along the jaw where the foundation ended, contrasting with the pale neck.

This was paired with lips covered in a thick layer of distinctively pale, almost white substance. While light concealer was used, the most "authentic" method involved Idominsalva, a white antiseptic ointment sold in pharmacies, originally intended for treating dry skin or diaper rash. The combination of orange-toned skin and chalk-white lips created a signature "inverted" look compared to traditional makeup styles.

Eyes were often heavily lined with black kajal and mascara, sometimes applied to create "spider legs" (clumped lashes). Hair was almost exclusively dyed platinum blonde or "white-blonde," often backcombed (teased) at the roots to create extreme volume.

Clothing was generally tight-fitting and brand-conscious, leaning towards a localized version of McBling . Common items included:

The Fjortis subculture was closely linked to the early social web. The aesthetic of the subculture was codified through profile pictures on platforms like Playahead. Common photography tropes included the "Duckface" (exaggerated pouting lips) and the " mysvinkel " (cozy angle); a high-angle selfie shot from above to emphasize the eyes and cleavage while minimizing the face shape.

Behaviorally, the subculture was associated with a " Lidingö-i " dialect, a specific way of speaking associated with Stockholm's affluent suburbs, characterized by prolonged vowels (particularly "i") and a perceived "bitchy" or arrogant tone. Public behavior was often described as loud and attention-seeking, with a focus on group conformity.

As the subculture matured, a crossover demographic known as the "Alternative Fjortis" emerged. This variation blended the behavior and heavy makeup of the standard Fjortis with elements of Emo and Scene fashion. Adherents might dye their hair black or use extensions with "coon tails," wear darker clothing, and listen to post-hardcore music, yet retained the heavy foundation, "duckface" photography style, and social hierarchy dynamics of the mainstream Fjortis.

While "Fjortis" was often used as a unisex term, the male archetype developed such distinct visual markers that it gained its own classification, known as Partille-Johnny. Originating near Gothenburg, this variation focused on extreme hair wax usage, rubber bands on the calves, and construction-style reflex vests.

The subculture is closely tied to a genre of electronic dance music known domestically as Fjortisdunk ("Fjortis Thump"). This genre is a derivative of Hands Up (particularly Basshunter) and Eurodance.

The music is characterized by high beats per minute (BPM), simple, catchy synthesizer melodies, and pitch-shifted ("chipmunk") vocals. Lyrically, the songs typically focus on partying, alcohol consumption, and teenage romance, often featuring simple repetitive choruses. While many tracks were produced by amateur bedroom producers and circulated via MP3 sharing, artists like Basshunter achieved mainstream international success with a refined version of this sound.

The term "Fjortis" was rarely used as a neutral descriptor during its peak; it functioned primarily as a pejorative label used to enforce social hierarchies and police youth behavior. Sociologists and cultural commentators have noted that the stereotype was heavily gendered, serving as a vehicle for misogyny directed at teenage girls. While male equivalents existed, the harshest vitriol was reserved for young women who performed hyper-femininity. The aesthetic's emphasis on heavy makeup, bleached hair, and visible lingerie often led to its adherents being dismissed as unintelligent, promiscuous, or shallow, paralleling the stigma attached to the "Bimbo" archetype in the United States or the " Chav " in the United Kingdom.

The subculture was also a focal point for severe peer-to-peer bullying, both in schools and on the early Swedish internet. The designation of someone as a "fjortis" could lead to social ostracization. This dynamic was amplified by the digital platforms of the era, such as Bilddagboken and Playahead, where users would publicly rate or mock others' appearances. "Fjortis-hunting" became a form of harassment where bullies would seek out and ridicule peers who fit the visual aesthetic.

However, unlike the British "Chav" phenomenon, which was explicitly rooted in classism and demonized the working class, the Fjortis stereotype was more fluid regarding economic status. It targeted "bad taste" and perceived immaturity rather than poverty, as the label was applied equally to working-class teenagers and wealthy youth from affluent areas like Lidingö who displayed "bratty" or loud behavior.Ganguro (ガングロ) was one of the most iconic and rebellious substyles of Japanese Gyaru fashion, emerging in the Shibuya district of Tokyo in the mid-1990s. The look was a radical and deliberate rejection of traditional Japanese beauty standards, which historically prized pale skin and understated beauty.

Ganguro is defined by its most prominent feature: an extremely deep, dark artificial tan, which was created through tanning beds and dark foundation. This was dramatically contrasted with hair bleached to blonde or silver and a distinctive makeup style featuring thick black eyeliner and white concealer used as eyeshadow and lipstick, creating a stark, panda-like effect. The fashion consisted of brightly colored, revealing clothing like miniskirts, platform boots, and accessories such as hibiscus flowers and leis, reflecting an influence from Californian surf culture . Heavily promoted in magazines like egg, the Ganguro style was a statement of non-conformity and youth rebellion.

Although the exact origins of Ganguro are not well known, it is thought to have originated from Kogals in the mid 90s, who already tanned their skin, darkening their skin even more. This action caused controversy and outrage among the general public in Japan, where beauty standards leaned more towards pale skin. The Ganguro trend became popularized by a Gal named Buriteri, nicknamed after a type of soy sauce. She is seen as a pioneer of the Ganguro and Manba style, and later became an Egg magazine model in the 2000s. However,  due to backlash by the public for modelling for a tanning salon called "Blacky", Buriteri quit Ganguro and adopted a more toned down style.

Gonguro came shortly after Ganguro, and is seen as an even more "hardcore" version of Ganguro, sporting even darker tans. Ganguro/Gonguro literally translates to "blackface" , and was referred to as such due to the extreme tans. The substyles have no relation to blackface in the western world. However, due to the name as well as the action of extreme tanning, Ganguro has received criticism that has sparked discussions of racism and cultural insensitivity.

Throughout the 90s and 2000s, Ganguro had birthed more trends and Gyaru substyles such as Manba , Yamanba, Banba, Kigurumi, B-kei Gyaru, and Tsuyome.

By the years 2000/2001, Ganguro had largley gone extinct, as "Shiro Gyaru" (White skinned gals) had become more popular due to celebrities like Ayumi Hamasaki, and tanning became less extreme.

Under ConstructionGenderless Kei (ジェンダーレス系, Jendāresu Kei ) is a Japanese street fashion subculture that emerged in the Harajuku district of Tokyo in the mid-2010s. The aesthetic is defined by an androgynous style that intentionally blurs the visual distinctions between traditional masculine and feminine clothing, hair, and makeup.

While the term "genderless" (ジェンダーレス) is used in Japan to discuss the broader social concept of eliminating gender roles, in the context of fashion it refers to this specific visual style. It is a distinct subculture and is not necessarily a reflection of the wearer's gender identity or sexual orientation, but rather a form of self-expression that prioritizes personal taste over societal gender norms.

Genderless Kei gained prominence around 2015, popularized by a group of male models and media personalities known as " Genderless Danshi " (Genderless Boys). Figures like Toman, Genking, and Kondo Yohdi became the faces of the movement, showing their unique style in fashion magazines and on social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter. Their rise marked a shift in Japanese menswear, introducing a style that was slender, delicate, and openly embraced elements of beauty and fashion traditionally reserved for women.

The core philosophy of Genderless Kei is to create a look that transcends gender boundaries. It is distinct from cross-dressing, as the goal is not to appear as the opposite gender, but to create a new, androgynous or gender-neutral appearance.

The fashion of Genderless Kei is eclectic and individualized. It often involves a slender silhouette, achieved through items like skinny jeans or slim trousers paired with oversized tops, sweaters, or cardigans. Participants freely mix items from both men's and women's fashion departments. Accessories are key and are often delicate, including fine necklaces, earrings, and stylish bags.

Hair and makeup are important components of the Genderless Kei look, particularly for the " Genderless Danshi ." Hair is often dyed in various colors and worn in medium-length, androgynous styles like bowl cuts or shags. Makeup is used to create a soft, doll-like, and polished appearance. This typically includes foundation and concealer to create a flawless complexion, defined but not overly heavy eye makeup, colored contact lenses to change eye color, and subtle lip tints.

Genderless Kei is often confused with "unisex," but the two concepts are distinct in a Japanese fashion context. Unisex (ユニセックス) refers to clothing designed to be worn by people of any gender. Genderless Kei, on the other hand, is a styling practice where individuals intentionally wear clothing from across the gender spectrum—including items explicitly designed for men or women—to construct an androgynous identity.Girly ( ガーリー ), also known as Girly Kei in order to avoid confusion with the "Girly" adjective, is a Japanese aesthetic and fashion which emphasizes cute, frilly looks. As opposed to the definition in English, Girly does not refer to everything feminine; Girly Kei focuses on a particular fashion style which includes things like lace, ribbons, ruffles, and patterns such as flowers and hearts. There are many substyles and the popular image can vary depending on the current trends.

Girly Kei fashion began becoming popularized in the 80s and 90s with magazines like Olive and CUTiE. The first brand solely dedicated to it opened its doors in 1999 in the form of Liz Lisa. Around 2010, Girly Kei highly spread in popularity among Gyaru , influenced by singer Kana Nishino and former Popteen model Kumicky (Kumiko Funayama) who wore the style, and as a result, many stores in Shibuya109 started catering to the boom. While Gyaru slowly faded into irrelevance over the years, many of the brands who opened during the boom still produce Girly Kei fashion up to this day.

LARME is a magazine originally focused on Japanese Nymphet fashion that eventually branched out to incorporate Girly Kei substyles. Its sheer popularity in the west during the 2010s has made the aesthetic almost synonymous with Girly Kei fashion.

Additionally to Larme Kei, the term " Ryousangata " (lit. "mass-produced", meaning mainstream) was sometimes used interchangeably with Girly Kei during the late 2010s to the early 2020s . It's a common slang term that refers to those who follow popular trends and therefore look indistinguishable from each other as if they were mass-produced in a factory.  The reason for the association of the fashion with said slang are female wota (idol otaku) who wear in seemingly similar over-the-top Girly Kei outfits to live events. As popular trends are constantly changing, so is the general public image of "Ryousangata" as well as the styles and looks associated with it, and the association with Girly Kei has diluted over the years in favor of fast fashion.

In general, Girly Kei fashion incorporates feminine imagery that gains specificity depending on the substyle. Most aesthetic imagery features lace, ribbons, and bow decorations, Kawaii imagery (often including Sanrio characters like My Melody or Kuromi ), cosmetics and perfume, and other things deemed girlish. Most color palettes are in pastels (mainly pink) with white and black, though this is not a solid rule. On social media, Girly Kei scenery is often connected with cutesy cafes, with many of photos pairing the clothes with elaborately-decorated tray displays of tea, sweets and pastries.

Japanese Girly Kei fashion takes some cues from general Kawaii and Lolita fashion, with some preferring it as a somewhat more casual or minimal alternative to more extreme lolita outfits. The goal is to appear cutesy and feminine, but in a preppy manner. Many of the current trends within the style are derived from Ryousangata girly trends that originated on social media (such as TikTok), and Japanese Idol culture has pushed Girly Kei's evolution into a more hyper-feminine and innocent direction.

Blouses are the most common top in Girly Kei fashion. Usually these tops are high-neck, Peter Pan-collared embellished with ruffles, lace, and ribbon embellishments. Sometimes pom-pom capes are added. In the wintertime, sweaters can be adorned with decorative stitching, ribbons and typical girlish embellishments. Bottoms are most commonly skirts, usually high waisted with decorated hems. Sometimes petticoats are added underneath to increase volume. Rarely, frilly shorts and skorts are worn. Bottoms can be swapped with dresses or coat-dresses of any length. Girly Kei mostly incorporates multi-strap Mary-Janes or sometimes loafers, both platformed. These are paired with lace or frilled socks or stockings.

Girly Kei makeup follows more mainstream J-fashion trends emphasizing a "natural" youthful look with soft blush, low contour and lipstick with faded edges. However, it is not uncommon for the eyes to be largened and exaggerated to give a more doe-like, teary-eyed appearance. This follows the "pien" makeup trend on Japanese TikTok, and occasionally even the more sickly red-eyed "byojaku" trend. Hairstyles are also variable, and it's seen as trendy to to curl the ends. Naturally, Girly Kei fashion makes use of jewelry, but may restrain them to traditional necklaces, bracelets and earrings with hair accessories.

Larme Kei is the Western name for Girly trends from c. 2014 to 2019. During this time, Girly brands such as Katie and MILK combined pin-up /lingerie elements such as garter belts and corset lacing with girly lace and puffed sleeves. The style was named after Larme magazine, which is a girly magazine that featured multiple aesthetics, including black and pink "Larme Kei."

The fashion that is predominantly associated with the Jirai subculture is also known as "Dark Girly", hence why it is mentioned in this page. Jirai is a subculture that describes mentally ill young women who are "landmines" (Jirai in Japanese). The term was choosen over how those girls might "go off" easily if approached carelessly. The connection with the style appeared over the sheer amount of mentally unwell girls who gravitate towards Kawaii culture on social media. Dark Girly fashion incorporates black, silver hardware, and bondage -like straps (ex. harnesses), while Sweet Girly has more princessy details. Many people who like the fashion but do not want to be associated with a subculture centered around mental illness use the term Dark Girly rather than Jirai.

French Girly combines Girly Kei with more subdued, traditionally French chic aspects, such as the use of tweed Chanel-inspired jackets, Breton stripes, and berets. It departs from other aesthetics by looking less over-the-top and Kawaii with more practical garments. There is also a greater visual element, with accounts often posting photos of French and 19th century Western architecture, desserts, and home/bedroom images.

Himekaji is a term created by the Western community to describe the style of subdued Hime Gyaru which was common from around 2007-2012. In Japan, the term instead refers to any casual princess-y fashion including Girly Kei . However, Himegyaru brands (mostly Liz Lisa) later departed from that style and shifted into one that would be recognized as Girly Kei in Japan. This style incorporates many floral prints, lace trim, and other details that are described on the page. As a note, Liz Lisa has shifted from its old, more casual aesthetic to producing more over-the-top girlish clothing.Guochao (国潮), also known as " Chinese fashion trend " or " national trend ," refers to an emerging sentiment in China that promotes Chinese ideas and cultural heritage, leading to a renewed preference for homegrown brands and products. This trend reflects Chinese consumers' increasing interest in national culture and manifests across various sectors, including fashion, beauty, electronics, food and beverages, and even traditional arts.

The main followers of Guochao are millennials (born 1980-1995) and Generation Z (born 1995-2010). Unlike older generations who may have had more exposure to Western brands, these younger demographics have grown up during a period of rapid economic growth and increased national wealth in China. This background has fostered a strong sense of national identity and confidence in their traditional culture.

Guochao brands often incorporate traditional Chinese culture and style into their products and marketing. A notable example is the sportswear brand Li-Ning, which made a comeback by integrating traditional Chinese cultural elements into its designs, particularly during its 2018 New York Fashion Week appearance. The trend is not limited to new products; many long-established Chinese brands have revitalized themselves by introducing innovative marketing strategies, co-branding initiatives, and leveraging digital channels and online influencers to connect with younger consumers. Examples include the liquor maker Luzhou Laojiao launching perfume and White Rabbit candy collaborating on a lip balm.

The rise of Guochao is also closely linked to the popularity of Chinese social media platforms like Xiaohongshu, Douyin, and Weibo, where young people share content related to Chinese culture and domestic brands. This trend signifies a shift in consumer behavior where Chinese consumers increasingly prioritize design, quality, and cultural connotation over brand premium. Guochao represents a broader cultural movement of rediscovering and blending China's past with its present, influencing aspects of modern Chinese life.

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Fashion is related to the New Chinese Style .

Under ConstructionGurokawa ( グロカワ ), also known as "Creepy Cute" in the West, is a Japanese aesthetic that is characterized by a juxtaposition of Kawaii visuals with grotesque elements and morbid humor. It is similar to Pastel Goth (which it inspired) except without the traditional Gothic elements.

The aesthetic is often conflated with the Yami Kawaii , which centers around illustrations depicting dark mental health topics in a cute anime-style, but Gurokawa has more of a traditional horror theme to it with typical spooky motifs.

According to store manager of HELLCATPUNKS, Hiromi Tamura, the gurokawa goods (mainly eyeballs) were originally popular with fans of the " psychobilly " music genre. Psychobilly is a genre of music that evolved from rockabilly and was influenced by punk rock. In this genre, many of the music performers use horror makeup. In the past, most of the buyers were adults. "The veins in the whites of the eyes gave a scary impression, so it was not very popular with the general public." said Tamura.

However, around 2011, when singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu started incorporating eyeball-themed items into her costumes, they started to become popular among young women who had no connection to psychobilly. They have reportedly been selling out as soon as they hit the shelves. It caused a major boom with Gurokawa goods being sold all over the world, spreading the aesthetic in an easy-to-understand manner.

It isn't known when Gurokawa was given its name, but the aesthetic seems to have first spread in popularity during the early 2000s fueled by the works of the manga artist Junko Mizuno as well as the Happy Tree Friends cartoon series.

Gurokawa takes advantage of the expectation that cute themes also feature cute characters and vice versa by twisting it. Not only are there many depictions of monsters with overly cute appearances, but also adorable mascot characters engaging in violent and cruel behavior.

Gloomy Bear is a cute-looking but violent pink bear that eats humans. The character was created by illustrator Mori Chack. Gloomy is a little over 6 feet tall and weighs as much as 2,000 pomegranates. Owned by a human named Pitty, he’s well trained for the most part, but he can never remember that he’s not supposed to attack humans. Still, a pet owner must take ultimate responsibility for his pets. Recalling warm memories of Gloomy as a cute cub, Pitty tries to lead a life of peaceful co-existence with his violent pet bear.

Eyeballs as motifs and accessories are popular within the Gurokawa fashion and other similar fashions, such as Decora. They became widespread during 2010s, popularised by music and fashion icon Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, who often featured them in her outfits and music videos. Eyeballs can be seen on prints, hair accessories, and jewelery. The punk fashion brand "HELLCATPUNKS" sells many imported accessories using eyeballs. The best-sellers at the Laforet Harajuku store are the hair ties and hair clips, with more than 20 sold per day. Rings and chokers are also popular. They are purchased by women of all ages, from junior high school students to housewives.

Similar to Decora , Gurokawa has a strong focus on gaudy prints and accessories rather than a particular style of clothing. They commonly feature internal organs and other parts of the body, but cutesy monsters are a common theme as well. While the combination of black with bright colors is the most common, there generally is no limitation on using pastels or any other color combination. Fake blood is commonly used not only for the clothes, but also parts of the make-up.

Its accessories and the motifs often incorporate brains, eyeballs, bones, organs, etc. The grotesque element using body parts is a strong feature. Even today, there are many creators who make grotesque accessories and items which are still very popular in Harajuku. To the Japanese, the 2010s was the heyday of the Gurokawa boom, when Happy Tree Friends merchandise was all over the place.Gyaru ( ギャル , Gal) is a Japanese subculture that was born as a rebellion against the traditional Asian beauty standards of being pale and showing little skin. While gyaru is generally associated with a particular style, the importance lies in the bold makeup and overall vibe of the outfits rather than wearing a specific fashion. The point is to challenge societal norms by embracing a bold and unapologetic identity that stands out in the crowd.

The term "Gyaru" is derived from the Japanese spelling of the English word "gal". When it first came into use in Japan during the 1970s, it was mainly used to refer to young, lively women. Only during the 1990s, after Gyaru’s predecessor Bodikon spread in popularity, the term became associated with the subculture of the same name, which highly attracted the attention of the media due to the sheer amount of its followers in Shibuya with their heavy makeup and bleached hair. This specifically happened when Bodikon began to “radicalise” (the look became more extreme, with dyed “chapatsu” (brown), red, and blonde hair, and tanned skin, with barely-there clothing). Before it became a subculture, the style was mainly associated with the fans of the Japanese singer Namie Amuro, who was embracing her tan typical for Okinawans in a time where pale skin was the norm, and the fans imitating her style.

At the height of its popularity, it was not rare to see celebrities (not even just Japanese ones) sporting this style. The tanned skin, big hair, and rebellious outfits went highly against the traditional Japanese beauty standards. While Gyaru appeared very extreme in the past, it toned down as time went on. This can be attributed to a couple of factors; the ageing of many "original" Gyaru from the 1990s and early 2000s into middle-aged people, the continued recession in Japan resulting in a "fatigue" of extreme styles, and the increasingly tame beauty standards of young Japanese people today.

Since the 2020s, there has been a renewed interest in Gyaru fueled by the Heisei Retro boom causing a increased demand for nostalgic styles that were prevalent during the late 1990s and early 2000s. However, to an extent, the outfits have toned down a bit, especially in Japanese communities, with younger “reiwa” gyaru, meaning those who got into the subculture as of 2019, having stark differences to the older “heisei” gyaru. There has also been other changes in the community, like a preference for online shopping on fast fashion sites like Shein rather than shopping for brands in malls, interacting with other gyaru on social media rather than meeting up in public, International/online gal circles becoming more popular, and vlogging and posting on places like Instagram and Tiktok as opposed to blogging. While printed media dedicated to gyaru has mostly become a thing of the past over being able to catch up with the constantly changing trends, there are multiple online magazines "by the community for the community" where gals have taken informing about the latest news within the subculture into their own hands.

In the 2020s, a trend started for elementary school girls to wear Gyaru fashion with customized randoseru. The Kogyaru magazine starting in 2023 is based around this trend. The magazine and trend received backlash for sexualization of children and parents exploiting their children for money.

“Neo-Gyaru” is an attempt to revitalize the Gyaru style, ongoing since around the late 2010s, during its decline. Neo-Gyaru is notable for its more international adherents when compared to original Gyaru. But when the style reached popularity or even realization that it existed, the Gyaru community reacted in a completely different way then what some anticipated; they completely shunned the style. However, those who were wearing said fashion were not using the same fashion style as before or in its traditional form from apparel to their makeup.

While Gyaru is mainly defined by its overall styling instead of the clothes worn, there's multiple styles popular among the subculture.

Classic

American Casual ( Amekaji )

Hostess ( Agejo )

Princess  ( Hime )

Rock (Rokku)

Princess Casual ( Himekaji )

Makeup is a central facet of the Gyaru style, and is what separates the many varied fashions from other similar aesthetics. There are differences in makeup depending on the era, but both old and modern Gyaru styling has in common that the focus on eye-enlarging makeup. In the past, this was archived by drawing an exaggerated bottom lash line in combination with wearing multiple layers of fake lashes, but over the years it has become a lot more common to use circle lenses in combination with "eye bag" makeup for a similar effect.

Some key motifs for makeup are:

As Gyaru is opposing traditional Japanese beauty standards, there are many people who bleach their hair to an unnatural shade of blonde, but pink and silver dyes are also popular. There is a tendency for wavy-to-curly hairstyles, with long hair being the most popular as it is easier to accessorize.

Gyaru-moji ( ギャル文字 ) is a style of writing that was popularized by gyaru in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It involves replacing standard Japanese characters with similar-looking symbols, numbers, or letters to create a rebellious form of text messaging. The substitutions are often quite creative and require some effort to decipher. For example, the hiragana character け (ke) might be replaced with the combination †=, ‡, l+.

Gyaru-moji was initially used as a way for girls to communicate privately with each other making their messages difficult for others (especially parents and teachers) to understand, similar to hackers using leetspeak . The visually complex and unconventional nature of gyaru-moji was also seen as fashionable and cute, aligning with the overall gyaru aesthetic of standing out and breaking norms.

A Gyarusa (also known as a Gal Circle) is a group of gyarus, similar to that of a club, who meet to participate in activities together. Gyarusas can be as small as 3 members, to as big as hundreds of members. Depending on the gyarusa, meets can be as frequent as on a weekly basis to as infrequent a once every few months. While some gyarusas are just a casual group of close friends, many can be large organized groups that go through auditions, recruitment, graduations, and have generations of members.

A popular dance style associated with the Gyaru subculture is Para-Para (パラパラ). It consists of simple synchronized dance movements, mainly focusing on the arms. The choreographies tend to be fun, energetic and repetitive, typically performed to Eurobeat, Eurodisco and Italo Disco music. It was popularized among Gyarus during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

This list contains works that either center around Gyaru or are heavily inspired by its aesthetic.

Throughout the history of gyaru, it has always been seen as controversial both in Japan and internationally for several reasons.

In Japan, during the 90s, the style Kogyaru was associated with enjo kōsai ( 援助交際 ), also known as compensated dating. Some high school girls would perform sexual services or go on dates with older men in exchange for money or luxury goods. Although not all kogyaru do this, due to the subculture's bad reputation and the associated stereotypes alongside it, they were often criticized for it.

Ganguro and its subcategories are known for their heavy tan, sometimes to the point where outsiders to the subculture claim they are trying to look like a different race, specifically targeting Black people. However, with Ganguro being long past its heyday and almost extinct, having an overly unnatural tan is rarely seen nowadays. There also has been controversy about Gyaru wearing B-Kei fashion as the tanned skin in combination with hip-hop style fashion could be interpreted as cultural appropriation , even though the fashion style is now extremely rare.

Due to its similarities to depictions of bimbos , such as having tanned skin, blonde/colorful hair, promoting sex positivity, wearing flashy clothes/accessories, and materialistic ideals, many have associated gyaru with bimbos, even mixing the two. This has caused controversy in the gyaru community, as even though the subculture is technically sex-positive, it is not the same as bimbo culture. Many also do not want to associate with it due to its connotations, the fact that gyaru is not inherently sexual, and the fact that many gyarus are minors. However, there is still a community of gyaru who do not mind being associated with the term, and even identify as bimbos themselves.

Often times in media, especially media made by non-gals, gyarus are misrepresented and given the "mean/popular girl" trope. This may be due to the fact that the gyaru style is similar to what many would consider "the popular girl" in western movies. Gyarus are often shown to be bullies who are overly concerned with the way they look and are narcissistic. They are also shown to be promiscuous and are either obsessed with boys or are seen as attractive by them. Sometimes they have their own "clique" (similar to how actual gals have gal circles) where they gossip, are always on their phones, and are rude to what many would see as otaku . A popular example of this stereotype would be the Bullies from Yandere Simulator .

Although these stereotypes are technically not true, gals are known for being very blunt and honest, which could  also contribute to the reason for this stereotype existing in the first place. It is also noted that, just like any other community, rude gyaru exist, but they do not speak for all the community.Gyaruo (ギャル男) is a Japanese fashion subculture that represents the masculine counterpart to the Gyaru subculture. Emerging in the late 1990s, the style is defined by a dedication to trendy, often brand-focused fashion, meticulously styled high-volume hair, and, in many cases, artificially tanned skin.

Like its female counterpart, the Gyaruo subculture is associated with a party-centric lifestyle, a love for dance music like Para Para, and an attitude of youth rebellion against traditional Japanese societal norms. The style was most prominent in the 2000s and, while its popularity has since declined, it remains a significant part of Japanese street fashion history.

The Gyaruo look is a combination of specific grooming, fashion, and lifestyle elements that create a distinct, glamorous, and rebellious identity.

The most defining feature of the Gyaruo is the hairstyle. Hair is typically bleached or dyed brown or blonde and styled into a high-volume, teased, and meticulously sculpted look. This often involves intricate layering and is sometimes referred to as "sujimori" (スジ盛り), a style with distinct streaks or bundles of hair. A deep, artificial tan is also a common characteristic, mirroring the ganguro style of female Gyaru, though it is not a strict requirement for all Gyaruo substyles.

The Gyaruo lifestyle is closely tied to the nightlife and entertainment districts of major Japanese cities, particularly Shibuya in Tokyo. It revolves around clubbing, partying, and a dedication to materialism and fashion trends. The subculture is also strongly associated with trance and Eurobeat music, including the synchronized Para Para dance style. Due to their flashy appearance and rejection of conventional Japanese aesthetics of subtlety, Gyaruo are often viewed by older generations as symbols of youth rebellion.

Gyaruo fashion is bold, brand-conscious, and varies significantly across several substyles. The overall look often emphasizes a tight-fitting silhouette and incorporates extensive layering of accessories like belts, bracelets, and sunglasses. The fashion is not monolithic and is typically categorized into several distinct themes:

The Gyaruo subculture was heavily concentrated in specific urban areas and was shaped by a handful of influential fashion magazines.

The epicenter of Gyaruo culture was the Shibuya district of Tokyo. The 109-② building (later renamed 109-mens) was the primary shopping destination, housing flagship stores for key Gyaruo brands like Vanquish, Jack Rose, and Varosh. Other popular districts included Shinjuku in Tokyo and Amerikamura in Osaka.

Print media was crucial for disseminating trends within the subculture. The most influential publication was Men's Egg , often referred to as the "Gyaruo bible." It served not only as a fashion guide but also as a lifestyle manual, covering everything from the latest clothing to nightlife and hosting club events known as "Men's Egg Night." Other important magazines included Men's Knuckle , which catered to the Onii Kei style, and Men's Egg Bitter for older Gyaruo.Hallyu ( 한류 ), also known as the Korean Wave , is an aesthetic heavily centered around South Korean popular culture; especially Korean pop music (commonly referred to as "K-Pop") and Korean drama shows (commonly referred to as "K-Dramas").

It often centers around boy bands made up of Kkonminam (flower boys), who are are pretty, androgynous young men whose style is influenced by shoujo and bishounen and is catered towards the female-gaze. They typically have perfectly styled/dyed hair, light makeup, small jewelry (usually a singular earring), and wear variations upon suit stylings.

Visually, it also takes influence from J-Pop (particularly artists such as Gakct).

K-fashion is usually characterized by kawaii fashion, pastel themes, long skirts and dresses, many accessories and Korean beauty trends. Koreawave is more of a fashion and media aesthetic.

Idol fashion is inspired by the stage outfits that K-pop idols typically wear on stage during their performances. Since these styles are put together by stylists and each stage is styled specifically depending on the song and the concept, they take inspiration from nearly every fashion aesthetic.

Korean Dramas have exploded in popularity in recent years, with international brands such as Netflix making them available to the general public outside of South Korea. Romantic dramas and Dramedies are the most popular of these shows. Movies are also a part of this aesthetic, both those originating within South Korea and the ones made by the Korean diaspora as a whole. Films such as the Oscar Winning Parasite have gained International Praise and entering the greater sphere of pop culture.

K-pop is a genre of popular music originating in South Korea. While the modern form of K-pop can be traced back to the early 90s, the term itself has been popularized since the 2000s, replacing the term Gayo , which also refers to domestic pop music in South Korea. Although it generally indicates "popular music" within South Korea, the term is often used in a narrower sense to describe a modern form of South Korean pop that is influenced by styles and genres from around the world, such as City Pop , classical, country, electronic dance, folk, jazz, gospel, hip hop, R&B, reggae and rock on top of its traditional Korean music roots. K-pop often refers to the idol groups or idol soloists in Korea, though most K-music has now been categorized as K-pop.

The more modern form K-pop emerged with the formation of one of the earliest K-pop groups, Seo Taiji and Boys, in 1992. Their experimentation with different styles and genres of music and integration of foreign musical elements helped reshape and modernize South Korea's contemporary music scene.Harajuku Fashion is an umbrella term that refers to a wide variety of Japanese fashion styles and aesthetics originating in the Harajuku (原宿) neighborhood of Tokyo's commercial Shibuya (渋谷) district. The neighborhood has been famous for its history and reputation as the alternative fashion hub of Japan, and has a decades long history of creating many trendy and popular styles and subcultures domestically and internationally. While often used interchangeably in Western sources, Harajuku fashion is broader than Kawaii , Lolita , and Decora .

Beginning in the 1970s, youth culture began exploding in Japan. As J-Fashion and entertainment developed into the modern age, many fashion stores and accessory shops moved from Shinjuku to the Shibuya District of Tokyo, Japan, now well known for its department store Shibuya 109. Many start-ups eventually landed in the Harajuku Area, especially on Takeshita Street in the 1980s. As the decades progressed, the neighborhood became associated with the opening of many J-Fashion stores, magazines, and soon began incorporating international brands.

Harajuku became well known for its outlandish fashion around this time, when explosions in interest with western music and fashion styles inspired the development of popular alternative styles such as Decora and Lolita. Movements such as as the Takenokozoku wave helped congregate many people into the area, allowing everyday people to flock to the neighborhood and recognize it as a popular fashion site for tourists and residents.

Currently, Harajuku is less known for its fashion and more for its influence as an youth-culture entertainment, retail, and general commercial district. It is the home to many cultural landmarks such as Japan's Meiji Shrine, Yoyogi Park, and the Laforet Harajuku Department Store. Still, many popular street fashions such as Decora, Lolita, etc can still be occasionally seen.

In the west, Harajuku fashion has seen some traction with Jfashion enthusiasts. In the mainstream, high profile artists such as Nikki Minaj have promoted the style, dubbing herself the "Harajuku Barbie".

Harajuku Fashion is famous for being often very decorative, colorful, and attention-grabbing. Sanrio characters are popular. Lighter styles include Kawaii , Decora , and Lolita , as well as the subgenres of these and other popular styles. Darker styles are also included in Harajuku fashion: Gothic Lolita and dark western alt are part of its fashion too, as well as some styles influenced by Visual Kei (ex: Oshare kei ). The intention is to be as self-expressive as one desires, incorporating a culture of free expression.

Fashion-wise, Harajuku alternative styles have great variety. Styles include Decora , various Kawaii styles (ex: Yami Kawaii ), Lolita styles, Osare kei (a Visual Kei subgenre), Fairy kei , and many others. Western styles such as rock, Goth , general Alt , etc. are very popular influences in Harajuku Fashion as well.

Harajuku fashion should not be conflated with fashion originating from other parts of Japan, which includes Gyaru (from Shibuya), Girly styles (includes Larme kei , Jirai kei from Kabukicho, etc), vintage styles ( Cult Party Kei , Dolly Kei and Mori Kei from Koenji), Visual Kei , Mode, Cyber and Mizuiro , etc, though people wearing these styles can also be found in Harajuku.Heisei Retro (平成レトロ) is a Japanese aesthetic comprised of trinkets and clutter invoking nostalgia for the Heisei era , which corresponds with 1989 to 2019 in the Gregorian calendar. The term is prevalent across Japanese media, including news, radio, and online platforms. The Heisei era marked a period of social change in Japan, encompassing economic shifts, technological advancement, and the rise of pop culture.

Although the era ended recently, its earlier decades now evoke a sense of retro due to rapid technological evolution, such as the transition from early mobile phones to modern smartphones. Heisei Retro is broad, encompassing items like Tamagotchi , flip phones, low-resolution videos, Walkmans , Game Boys, Pokémon cards, and Gyaru -style fashion accessories, particularly those with cute designs. The influence of 90s Harajuku fashion is a significant component of Heisei Retro, with its legacy evident in later aesthetics.

This retro trend distinguishes itself from Shōwa Retro by its embrace of early digital culture, displaying optimism and futuristic design. Items such as digital cameras, J-pop, and Y2K fashion reflect this period. The resurgence of these items appeals to multiple generations; Millenials and older Gen Z, those who experienced the Heisei era directly feel nostalgia, while younger generations find the retro styles to be novel.

Due to the Heisei Retro boom, there is a phenomenon that once popular products are back in the spotlight.

Flip phones were some of the first mobile phones with integrated internet access and could be highly personalized with downloadable themes. It was highly popular to customize their cases with various gemstones and cabochons, giving birth to "decoden" as a hobby which is still popular to this day.

Tamagotchi is a palm-sized pet raising game released in 1996. In 1997, the year after its release, it entered the top ten of the "New Words and Buzzwords of the Year" category, and two and a half years after its release, it became a huge hit with cumulative sales exceeding 40 million units worldwide. However, in 1998, the boom ended and so did the production for years. In 2004, the target demographic was changed from high school girls to elementary school girls, and the new model featuring a communication function became another hit and continues to be sold even today. Many millennials buy them for their children, nostalgic for the days when they used to play with Tamagotchi themself.

QuickSnap is a disposable film camera that was a big hit in the early Heisei era. Sales peaked in 1997, after which production was slashed as camera-equipped phones became more popular. However, in recent years, the Heisei Retro boom has led to another boom in the Fujicolor QuickSnap. Many people are fascinated by the rough image quality, the retro image, and the analog feel that cannot be emulated.

A profile book is a binder-type notebook in which you collect the profiles of your friends. It is very similar to the friendship books that were popular overseas, with the difference being that individual pages can be removed for trading and collecting various designs. Currently, it is attracting attention again as one of the means of face-to-face communication. The Reiwa version of the profile book is characterized by the addition of unique items such as social media handles and favorite videos.Herki (Херки, singular herka ) is a Russian slang term for a youth subculture that emerged in the late 1990s, defining a cohort of young people (typically girls aged 12 to 17) who adopted a simplified, commercialized version of the goth aesthetic.

The term originated as a jocular name for the devoted fan base of the Finnish band HIM (His Infernal Majesty). Because HIM released discs in the US under the abbreviated label "HER," fans began referring to the female admirers of the group by this "feminine" name, creating a strong initial link between the band and the aesthetic.

The aesthetic is characterized by the perceived dissonance between the wearer's youth and the dark and aggressive imagery they adopt. While often sharing superficial fashion elements with the North American counterpart of Mallgoth , Herki is a distinct regional phenomenon with its own internal terminology, specific musical idols, and unique visual tropes tied to Russian internet culture.

The Herki uniform is a simplistic and easily accessible representation of goth fashion, frequently combining black netting and red accents. The attire often consists of a black mesh or netting, which is intentionally paired with items like violet or burgundy skirts that are then wrapped in black tulle. Jewelry is often composed of simple gothic ornaments and black wristbands. The most iconic piece of apparel directly associated with the core fandom is the "Шапка-виллевалка" (Ville Valo beanie), a black knitted hat styled after the headwear often worn by the HIM vocalist. Though less common today, wearers once utilized long black pseudo-Victorian dresses, often humorously noted for being cumbersome.

Makeup is a major component of the aesthetic, specifically the aggressive use of black eyeliner applied heavily, often resembling the exaggerated eye makeup of a panda. This is sometimes paired with white powder to achieve a pale complexion, mimicking the "corpse paint" of Black Metal , which Herki adherents often mistakenly label as "Goth." The Egyptian ankh (a symbol of life and fertility) is the most common piece of jewelry, revered as an especially gothic sign.

A unique and frequently satirized element of the aesthetic is the frequent practice of photographing oneself against Soviet-era apartment interiors, often featuring the infamous "бабушкиного ковра" (grandmother's carpet) and dilapidated surroundings. This satirical juxtaposition of expensive, stylized dark fashion against a mundane, "low-brow" interior is a main visual motif of the aesthetic in the Russian context.

The Herki scene created a complex ecosystem of internal slang terms and derivative sub-aesthetics, reflecting the subculture's intense focus on measuring "Gothic level" or authenticity (known as tru ).

The adherents' musical taste is often eclectic and considered superficial by traditional Goths, leading to the subculture's pejorative status. The musical diet of a stereotypical Herki is centered on groups that blend dark aesthetic imagery with commercially accessible melodic rock or metal.

The term "Herki" itself functions as a pejorative, often used by "true" members of the Russian Goth scene to denote those who are poseurs ; adherents who simply mimic the external attributes of gothic culture without understanding the underlying music or philosophy. The stereotype is that Herki youth seek to perform a sense of alienation ("Nobody understands me," "I am poor and miserable") and romanticize death, often lacking a strong intellectual or creative pursuit.Hime Gyaru (姫ギャル), which translates to "Princess Gal," is a substyle of Japanese Gyaru fashion that rose to prominence in the late 2000s. The aesthetic is defined by its luxurious and hyper-feminine take on royalty and glamour, drawing inspiration from European princess attire and a modern sense of elegance.

Hime Gyaru is characterized by an elaborate and coordinated appearance, featuring frilly dresses, layered skirts, and intricate lace details. One prominent element is the distinctive hairstyle, which is typically voluminous, achieved with large curls or a beehive style, and adorned with large bows or tiaras. Makeup is focused on creating a doll-like appearance with large, emphasized eyes and a soft, pink color palette. The style is visually similar to Lolita , but Hime Gyaru emphasizes a more adult, glamorous, and mature silhouette, rather than the childlike innocence of Lolita fashion.

Hime Gyaru was likely created and popularised around 2006-2012. It is seen as an offshoot to sweet/romantic gyaru, an umbrella term for more feminine styles in gyaru. In Japan, many consider it as apart of Agejo , another style in the gyaru subculture. However, in the western gyaru community, hime gyaru and agejo are seen as two distinct styles.Himekaji (姫カジ) is a term used to describe a more casual interpretation of Hime Gyaru , which is a hyperfeminine Gyaru substyle, with hime meaning princess and kaji meaning casual in Japanese. This term in Japan referred to the casual style of clothes worn by "princesses," or wealthier teen girls. This term was then taken on by the English-speaking J-fashion blogosphere c. 2012 to describe the hyperfeminine fashion of certain brands that overlapped with Gyaru . However, in Japan, the style is named Kanayan-style, as the model Kanayan popularized this style.

Although this is a Gyaru substyle, the fashion has evolved to become popular among non-gyaru as well, and is often grouped with Girly Kei .

Later, on TikTok in 2022, the term began to describe early 2000s girly fashion also from Japan, and was often associated with the western aesthetic Dollette . To see information regarding this style, please click this link.

Himekaji visuals usually consist of images of soft, girly fashion. Some common visuals are hearts, flowers, pom poms, tea parties, sweets, or anything girly in general.

Himekaji began as a more casual, everyday version of Hime Gyaru. While the exact date of origin is unknown, it became popular around 2008-2012. This version of Himekaji leaned more towards romantic and casual styles, but still kept the basic Gyaru elements, like styled hair and dramatic makeup.

As discussed in the introduction, this style was known as Kanayan style, as the idol and fashion icon was known to wear this style.

Bloggers such as Hello Lizzie Bee , Emiichan , etc. coined the term Himekaji and would review recent purchases, post guides, and blog about outings to cafes and sightseeing in Japan. There were also users on Tumblr who would post photos of recent releases, their own outfits, etc.

Later, the style was influenced by other trends in the mid-2010s, the same ones that are included in Larme Kei . Pom poms, cold-shoulder tops, suspenders, and 1950s prints being examples.

Brands that released clothes that can be considered Himekaji, as well as bloggers, later departed from the original Gyaru origins. As makeup and social circle was the only indicator of Gyaru culture, the Himekaji's departure from this made it more in line with Girly Kei fashion in general. The name "Liz Lisa Girl" is often used to describe those who wear the brand's style of kawaii.

As blogging and the fashion trends declined, so did the popularity of Himekaji as it was originally conceived of in the 2010s. Many brands had moved towards Jirai Kei motifs and a less romantic aesthetic, such as Liz Lisa, Ank Rouge, etc. For example, tweed, faux gems, and the color black are more common motifs than the older trends. This occurred in the 2020s.

Meanwhile, around 2020, the western aesthetic of " Coquette " became more popular on TikTok. (The page Dollette is the most accurate to the aesthetic.) Many people aware of Japanese fashion began to buy clothes on the secondhand market and resell it in the West, often at an upcharge. These clothes matched the Coquette/Dollette motifs through bows, lace, ribbon, etc. but are distinct from the mainstream interpretation of Coquette/Dollette, which uses clothes from the West with heavy accessorizing, as opposed to clothes from Japan wherein the elements are part of the garment.

Because of this, fans of the Japanese-sourced clothes wanted to find a new tag from Coquette. They also often include TikTok audios from Shoujo and Josei anime and edits that are not commonly seen in Dollette. Fans then attributed "Himekaji" to this style of Dollette, but TikTok users strongly pointed out that these two fashion styles are different. So, that style now uses the name " Shoujo Girl. "

However, because of Jfashion revivals in general, the fashion has gained new enthusiasts on TikTok, with the full range of Himekaji's different eras.

As discussed in the history portion, the styles associated with Himekaji changed throughout the 2010s. The sections below will include the multiple styles worn throughout, sorted chronologically.

The colors in Himekaji are often dusty or light pink, beige, brown, baby blue, ivory, and white. However, later styles also include darker red. Black also makes an appearance, but this is contrasted against pink and other pastels, as opposed to being a main color. Patterns are a large component of the fashion, as florals, plaids, and novelty prints are often on skirts as a statement piece.

All blouses in this style feature girly, vintage-inspired details including lace trim, Peter Pan collars, ruffles, and pintucks.

A common Himekaji piece is a sukepan (skirt with shorts underneath). These were in a mini length and included multiple girly details, such as bows at the waist, tiered ruffles, lace trim, a floral pattern, and/or embroidery. The mini length is often a sexy element and differentiates this style from other J-fashions such as Lolita.

Dresses often take inspiration from princesses . Similar to Hime Gyaru and Sweet Lolita , the dresses often include cuts and details that make the dresses resemble Rococo-era dresses, such as with flowy or puffed sleeves, bows, and voluminous skirts.

Other dresses are inspired by the 1970s , specifically with the prairie dresses of Gunne Sax. Often, these dresses would be paired with 1970s-themed accessories.

For the winter, the style often includes coats and ponchos with oversized sleeves, fur collars, cable knit, large buttons, and ruffle details.

Makeup for Hime and Himekaji Gyaru is a more casual, toned down version of Gyaru makeup. It can look similar to dolly makeup; intense pink blush, pink lip tint, pink lip gloss, dolly eyelashes up and down, rounder eye shape. Lots of highlights.

Long and with waves will always be a better option in this style. Some accessories like ribbons and hats are useful. for hairstyles, you can do pony tails, piggy tails, loose braids, or huge buns. For hair color natural is the best option.

https://gyaru-109.fandom.com/wiki/Himekaji

https://www.magazine-papillon.com/2021/02/gyaru-101-himekaji.htmlIta (痛), meaning "painful" or " cringeworthy " in Japanese, is an aesthetic that refers to the Otaku style of heavily decorating cars, bags, and other types of vehicles with ficticional characters from anime, manga, and video games. It originated in the 2000s, but its roots date back to the 80s.

Itasha cars (痛車) often use decoration consisting of stickers, drawings, and maximalistic Japanese texts. In Japan, Itasha cars (痛車) are usually found in the Japanese districts of Akihabara (Tokyo), Nipponbashi (Osaka), and Ōsu (Nagoya).

Ita-bags (痛バッグ) are a type of handbag, backpack, or bag popular among anime fans in Japan. They are often covered in badges, buttons, figurines, and other merchandise pertaining to anime and manga fandom.

In the 80s, imported luxury cars were widely demanded in Tokyo. The term "Itasha" in Japanese was first used as a slang for luxury cars imported from Italy (Ita, from Italian + Sha, meaning car), which were very appreciated in Japan back then. Later the meaning of the word "Itasha" evolved to mean "Cringeworthy car" or "Painful car", mixing the words "Itai" (Painful/cringe) and "Sha" (Car), referring to how expensive they were - "painful to the wallet".

The Itasha car subculture began to rise in the 1980s but it wasn't very revelant until the 2000s, when Anime became more internationalized. Back in the 1980s, Itasha cars were mainly decorated with stickers and plushies. In 2007, the first Itasha-themed convention, Autosalone, was held in Ariake, Tokyo, making the Itasha subculture more popular. In 2008, the Japanese company Aoshima Bunka Kyozai started producing Itasha cars, and since then more companies started producing their own too.

The visuals consist of vehicles, computer cases or bags decorated with anime characters, manga characters or videogame characters. The designs are mainly colorful and have Japanese text on them. Itasha refers to cars, Itachari refers to bicycles, Itansha refers to motorbikes, Itabasu refers to buses, Itatorakku refers to trucks, Itadensha refers to trains and Itabags refers to bags.

Some videogames feature Itashas, or allow you to create them:

Itasha doesn't have any specific musical genre attached to it, however Japanese EDM, Eurobeat and Trance music are often associated with it:Japandi is a minimalist interior design style that combines elements of Japanese and Scandinavian design trends. The name itself is a combination of "Japanese" and "Scandi." The style emerged during the second half of the 2010s but became popularized in late 2020.

Japandi is characterized by the Nordic concept of " hygge " (creating a cozy and homely feeling) and the Japanese aesthetic of " wabi-sabi ," which encourages people to see beauty in imperfection.

The appeal of the Japandi style is to use few details, but ones that will be both original and practical. It encourages craftsmanship and the use of natural materials such as wood, ceramics, linen and bamboo. Furniture is generally designed with simplicity in mind and strives for functionality. The color scheme consists of neutral tones, such as white, gray, green, blue or ochre.

The Japandi style emerged from the shared interior design values of Japan and Scandinavia, despite their obvious cultural and geographical distance. Both cultures appreciate simplicity, functionality, natural materials, and craftsmanship. This is unlike other areas, such as the United Kingdom, where craft does not have the same high-end connotation. The fusion of Japanese and Nordic aesthetics was noticed in recent times, with furniture, tableware, and interiors that use neutral tones and natural textures.

Designers like Nina Tolstrup believe that the connection between Japan and Nordic countries dates back to the 1950s, when modernist pieces from Scandinavia mirrored the work of Japanese designers like Isamu Noguchi and Isamu Kenmochi. Danish designer Lars Vejen emphasizes the importance of craft in both cultures and Japan's dedication to preserving traditional techniques.

Collaborations between Japanese and Scandinavian designers also influenced the development of this style. Vejen's Enso lamp, a collaboration with Japanese firm Kohseki, combines his design with Japanese woodworking. StudioA27, Vejen's partnership with Taijiro Ishiko, produced the Float chair, which combines elements of Danish and Japanese furniture traditions. Jonah Takagi and Hallgeir Homstvedt, another duo, focus on artisanal skills and aesthetics over technology in their furniture design.

Beyond aesthetics and craft, shared values also seem to be rooted in a similar response to the natural environment. Japan House curator Kato Saeko suggests that both cultures have found ways to live harmoniously with nature despite their complex geography.

The original purpose of minimalism (i.e. before commercialization) is to get rid of clutter and live a simple life. Thus, the popularization of Japandi may be linked to growing environmental awareness. Japandi designers emphasize natural materials and lasting items, which are preferred by people who want to pursue a simple and sustainable lifestyle. For example, Japanese brand E&Y, known for collaborations with Studio Mama and several Scandinavian designers, focuses on handcrafted and long-lasting objects.

Japandi furniture typically uses natural materials such as wood and bamboo. Pieces are usually minimally processed, with their natural appearance and texture being unnaltered. Most furniture is specifically designed to last, hence why the style is so popular among people who want to follow a sustainable lifestyle. Forms tend to be simple for greater functionality, avoiding unnecessary ornamentation. Common colours include white, beige, apricot, and various shades of brown.

Decorative objects typically incorporate natural elements such as wood, bamboo, and stone. Indoor plants are a popular choice. Textiles tend to be simple and natural, especially materials like linen and cotton in neutral colors. Ceramics and pottery with simple forms and imperfect finishes are used for both functional and decorative purposes. Paintings on walls tend to be minimal and abstract, or depict natural/folk themes.Japanese Horror Game Protagonist fashion is a TikTok microtrend wherein young women create outfits inspired by the female protagonists in popular Japanese horror games, most notably the Fatal Frame series. The fashion is largely built upon the concurrent social media youth fashion trend, Coquette , specifically the Dark Coquette subtype, in addition to Grunge / Soft Grunge influences. It largely depends on the use of dark-colored pieces from hyper-feminine brands from Japan and generous accessories.

There are multiple types of tops that fit into the aesthetic, and could lean in multiple directions. One of them uses tops that have Kawaii details found in Japanese fashions, especially from the brand Axes Femme. They can feature ruffles, Peter Pan collars, lace trim, and ribbons around the neck. One popular trend is the "Milkmaid Top", which is a faux two-pieces top that looks like a scoop neck combined with a contrasting lace camisole.

Other parts of the aesthetic borrow from trends of the early 2000s. Knit tops with contrasting collars are one example, as well as the general trend of secretary-esque feminine blouses that shares some overlap with Kawaii. Pieces from this era are often layered . For example, lace-trimmed camisoles, small vests, and lingerie bustiers are worn under Henley shirts or on top of plainer blouses.

Other styles could lean more towards tactical fashion , especially those who prefer the aesthetics of Resident Evil over the more girlish Fatal Frame outfits. In this style, knit turtlenecks and puffer vests are popular and copy the character Heather from Silent Hill (the character wearing the white vest in the info box image).

All of these tops are often worn untucked and pulled over the bottoms, elongating the waist, which is also a trend from the early 2000s.

Japanese Horror Game Protagonist fashion contains multiple references to schoolgirl fashion, as the protagonists are often of that age. Specifically, pleated miniskirts, solid or plaid , are very popular and easy to find in comparison to many of the pieces from Japan. The short length also contributes to the hyperfeminine, sometimes sexy, look that is common in Coquette fashion.

Frilly, tiered ruffle skirts , often trimmed with lace or an interesting fabric, are also a common choice and a girlier interpretation more in line with the Fatal Frame aesthetic.

As previously discussed, a more practical look is any type of dark denim skirt , which more sporty characters wear in horror games.

Sometimes, dark, light or faded colored shorts, capris, and pants can be utilized- especially flowy bell-bottomed or yoga pants.

This aesthetic has a strong emphasis on socks and tights. There are many styles worn, but most common are knee-high or above socks , which are also related to schoolgirl uniforms.The Japanese Ivy Style , also known as Ametora (a portmanteau of "American Traditional") or Japanese Preppy , is a Japanese fashion movement centered on the adoption and perfection of classic American Preppy style. It first gained prominence in the 1960s, pioneered by tastemaker Kensuke Ishizu through his brand VAN Jacket and publications like Men's Club magazine. The aesthetic was famously codified by the 1965 photobook Take Ivy , which documented the authentic campus style of American Ivy League students and became a definitive guide for a generation of Japanese youth.

Unlike its American counterpart, which grew organically from an upper-class subculture, Japanese Ivy is a highly studied and reverent interpretation of the fashion. It is characterized by an obsessive attention to detail, authenticity, and craftsmanship, often resulting in looks that are more "perfectly" preppy than those found in its country of origin.

The history of Japanese Ivy Style began in the conservative, post-war Japan of the 1950s and 60s, a time when men's fashion was dominated by sober, formal suits. The movement was protagonized by Kensuke Ishizu, who founded the brand VAN Jacket in 1951 to introduce the American collegiate look to Japan. Initially, the style was seen as rebellious; in 1964, a group of youths known as the Miyuki-zoku were famously rounded up by police in Ginza for wearing Ivy-style clothing. However, a major turning point came that same year when Ishizu was commissioned to design the uniforms for the Tokyo Olympics, an event that legitimized the aesthetic and shifted public perception from seeing it as a sign of delinquency to a mark of modern good taste. Though the original Ivy boom faded by the late 1970s with the bankruptcy of VAN Jacket, the style was preserved and perfected by Japanese enthusiasts, leading to a global resurgence in the 2000s when the rest of the world rediscovered Japan's dedication to the look.

Japanese Ivy Style, or Ametora, is defined by an almost academic devotion to the rules and details of classic American Preppy clothing. While the core garments are the same (button-down oxford cloth shirts, chinos, natural-shoulder blazers, loafers, and cardigans), the Japanese approach differs in its meticulous execution. Whereas American Preppy can have a casual, lived-in quality, the Japanese interpretation focuses on achieving a perfected, authentic ideal. Every detail is considered, from the precise roll of a shirt collar and the width of a tie to the correct way to crease a pair of trousers. This reverence for craftsmanship and authenticity means that Japanese-made Ivy clothing is often considered to be more "correct" to the original mid-century ideal than its modern American counterparts.

The dissemination and codification of Japanese Ivy Style were driven by influential media. The single most important document is the 1965 photobook Take Ivy , a collaboration between VAN Jacket and Men's Club magazine. Photographed by Teruyoshi Hayashida, it captured real Ivy League students on American campuses and became the definitive "bible" for the style in Japan.

Magazines were also important, with Men's Club serving as the primary guide throughout the 1960s and 70s, teaching readers the specific rules and nuances of the aesthetic. In later decades, magazines like Popeye helped revive and reinterpret the style for new generations. More recently, the history of the movement was detailed for a global audience in the 2015 book Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style by W. David Marx.Japonisme refers to the European and American artistic trend of the late 19th century characterized by the incorporation of Japanese art and design into Western art. This influence stemmed from the increased trade and cultural exchange between Japan and the West following the opening of Japan in the mid-19th century.

European artists and designers were drawn to the novel visual language of Japanese art, particularly ukiyo-e woodblock prints, which offered an alternative to Western Renaissance traditions. Japonisme influenced various artistic movements, including Impressionism , Post-Impressionism , and Art Nouveau , impacting composition, perspective, and subject matter. The movement involved both the direct adoption of Japanese iconography and the assimilation of Japanese aesthetic principles into Western artistic practices.

Japonisme (French for "Japanese" + " -ism ") denotes the artistic trend that emerged in Europe and America during the late 19th century, involving the integration of Japanese art and design into Western artistic practices. This phenomenon was a direct result of increased trade and cultural exchange with Japan, which was compelled to open to international commerce after Commodore Matthew Perry's arrival in 1852 and the 1854 Convention of Kanagawa.

The extensive import of Japanese artworks, particularly ukiyo-e woodblock prints, into Europe provided Western artists with a novel visual language. These prints, often initially used as packing material for luxury goods like porcelain, quickly became collectible due to their affordability and distinctive aesthetic. Artists were drawn to their vivid colors, unconventional perspectives, simplified palettes, minimalistic arrangements, and flattened pictorial space, seeking an alternative to the illusionistic traditions of the Western Renaissance.

Early engagement with Japonisme in France can be traced to artists such as Félix Henri Bracquemond. In 1856, Bracquemond discovered Hokusai Manga, an album of woodblock prints, which influenced his tableware designs for Eugène Rousseau, showcased in the popular Service Rousseau (c. 1867). This collection, exhibited in Paris and Philadelphia, showed how Japanese inspiration could be easily integrated into European art, perceived not as foreign but as an expression of evolving French artistic sensibility. Bracquemond's printmaking further encouraged artists like Édouard Manet, Camille Pissarro, and Edgar Degas to explore new artistic possibilities.

In Britain, the Anglo-Japanese Style gained traction following an 1851 exhibit of Japanese art in London. This enthusiasm was fueled by subsequent exhibitions throughout the UK and the acquisition of Japanese objects by institutions like the Museum of Ornamental Art (now the Victoria and Albert Museum) starting in 1852. The 1862 London International Exhibition featured Japanese art alongside British designers such as Christopher Dresser and Edward William Godwin, whose ebonized, rectilinear furniture designs epitomized the Anglo-Japanese style. This aesthetic developed concurrently with the Aesthetic Movement and influenced later movements like Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau .

The works of ukiyo-e masters like Kitagawa Utamaro, Utagawa Hiroshige, and Katsushika Hokusai were particularly influential. Artists such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec were drawn to prints depicting urban nightlife, while James McNeill Whistler and Mary Cassatt were influenced by Utamaro's portrayals of women. Edgar Degas adopted Japanese compositional strategies and dynamic figure poses. Vincent van Gogh was deeply influenced by Hiroshige's landscapes, collecting many prints and even coining the term " Japonaiserie " to describe the integration of Japanese art into his work.

Small shops and teashops, such as La Porte Chinoise opened in Paris by E. de Soye in 1863, became artistic hubs for Japanese imports, frequented by prominent artists like Édouard Manet and James McNeill Whistler.

Later, the German-French art dealer Siegfried Bing played an important role in promoting Japonisme. He launched Le Japon artistique (1888-1891), a widely influential magazine promoting Japanese art internationally, which impacted artists from Post-Impressionists like Vincent van Gogh to Vienna Secessionists like Gustav Klimt. In 1895, Bing founded the Maison de l'Art Nouveau gallery, further integrating Japonisme with emerging European stylistic trends, contributing to the development and naming of the Art Nouveau movement.

The influence of Japonisme extended into painting, architecture, and design. In painting, it provided foundations for modern art's emphasis on flattened surfaces and decorative elements, impacting Impressionism , Post-Impressionism, and Aestheticism. Architects like Frank Lloyd Wright studied Japanese philosophy of open interior-exterior spaces and simplified forms, evident in his Prairie School style. In design, it affected furniture, tableware, and fashion, with designers like Dresser incorporating Japanese motifs into household items.

Japonisme's widespread influence began to wane in the early 1900s with the rise of modernist abstraction, though its role in popularizing non-Western sources for artistic inspiration can be linked to later movements like Primitivism. Its legacy continues through its foundational impact on various modern art movements and its contribution to the expansion of major museum collections of Asian art.

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Under ConstructionJejemon is a subculture originating from the Philippines, characterized by altered spelling and grammar, typically observed in text messages and social media, often combined with funky fashion and hairstyles, inspired by scene kids and gangster culture. According to Urban Dictionary a Jejemon is a person "who has managed to subvert the English language to the point of incomprehensibility." The Philippine Daily Inquirer describes Jejemons as a "new breed of hipster who have developed not only their own language and written text but also their own subculture and fashion."

The word Jejemon supposedly originated from online users' penchant to type in "hehehe" as "jejeje", either because "jeje" is derived from Spanish usage of "j", whose speakers denote the interjection as laughter, or because the letters "h" and "j" are beside each other, and that it is appended by "-mon" that came from the Japanese anime Pokémon, with "-mon" meant as "monster," hence "jeje monsters."

Similar to 2010s swag and Crunkcore, a blend of both the fake Filipino gangster and scene elements, stylish caps, paisley patterns, jerseys, flannels, big glasses, and the sidebang emo hairstyle.

Some looking closer to Gangsters and some looking closer to Emos .

The sociolect of the Jejemons is called Jejenese, which is derived from Taglish might be mixed with Bisaya too depending on the region, Leetspeak, Camelcase, & over-usage of the letters H, X or Z. Superfluous as well as the presence of silent letters characterize its spelling convention. It has its own, albeit unofficial, orthography, known as Jejebet . Their Lingo is also similar to Swardspeak/Bekimon.

Jejenator [Jejenese Generator]

Songs were mostly love songs, different kinds of hip-hop ranging from pop rap ballads to horrorcore, and EDM like budots that are similar to scene songs though rare.Jersey Maid (ジャージメイド) is a Japanese fashion style that combines tracksuits (commonly called "jerseys" in Japan) with maid -like details, such as ruffles and lace. Outfits consisting of an oversized tracksuit worn in combination with a maid headdress and apron are the most common, but there's also many clothes specifically made with the style in mind that can often resemble Girly and Lolita fashion.Jirai Kei ( 地雷系 ), which translates to "landmine type," is a subculture from Japan. It is primarily associated with young people frequenting the nightlife of Kabukichō. Initially, the style closely resembled the darker variant of Japanese Girly fashion during its peak popularity, but it has since evolved to incorporate a wider range of styles.

The subculture carries a stereotype: young women who adopt this cute, hyperfeminine yet dark fashion are perceived to have personalities that contradict their appearance. Instead of being sweet and demure, they are often stereotyped as violent and obsessive (akin to a Yandere ), engaging in self-harm, and having habits of heavy drinking or smoking.

Japanese brands have rapidly adapted to this trend, with Western brands influenced by Kawaii culture also following suit.

The term "Jirai Kei" is derived from " Jirai Onna " (地雷女), literally "landmine woman," a derogatory term used to stereotype women, particularly those with mental illnesses such as Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), bipolar disorder, and other mood swing-inducing conditions, as a "ticking time bomb." This term is often employed to dismiss women, frequently ex-girlfriends, as "crazy" or "dangerous" based on arbitrary traits, such as an affinity for kawaii aesthetics. Within the subculture, women are referred to as " Jirai Joshi " (地雷女子), or "landmine girls," while men are called " Jirai Danshi " (地雷男子), or "landmine boys."

The subculture became associated with various darker fashion styles following a "psycho girlfriend" dress-up challenge that gained viral traction during the March 2020 COVID-19 restrictions in Japan. This challenge frequently referenced traits commonly associated with the Toyoko Kids, a group primarily composed of young runaway teenagers, some of whom were groomed online by older men with promises of a better life in the Kabukicho red-light district. These individuals are often exploited for sex work, drug trafficking, and other criminal activities.

As discussed in the History section, the culture of Jirai Kei is dark, with mental illness, partying as escapism, and addiction being common motifs within the subculture. However, the wearers of the fashion do not have to participate in the negative aspects of the culture, and this subculture allows those with mental illness to have a community and a hobby to find solace in.

The personality disorder BPD, poor attachment styles , lack of self-esteem, and various mood disorders are the cause of these "Jirai Onna" to act like "landmines" towards their romantic partners or participate parasocial relationships. In Japan (as well as globally), the various social issues surrounding loneliness also lead to this sort of thinking.

To cope with this mental illness, the stereotype of Jirai is that they binge Monster Energy drinks and Strong Zero (which is alcoholic) in long bender parties and clubbing nights out. Shopping as escapism/addiction is also common, and a part of memes in the fashion.

Some Jirai also cope with their loneliness and mental illness through being clients of host clubs. As people of any age can enter those establishments as long as no alcohol is served, male hosts have been actively going for young girls to spend large amounts of money on them in exchange for affection, often resulting in the girls resorting to "papa katsu" (sugar-daddying) in order to afford their host club addiction. Alternatively, some girls start off as hostesses and then later go to hosts because of the lack of romantic connection they find in their lives. The use of luxury bags signal to the host that the client has money (so they would be more attentive), and the kawaii and sexy fashion would make the Jirai girl look more appealing.

A more benign aspect of Jirai culture is Wota culture. Like host clubs, there is a danger is developing parasocial relationships, but it can also be neutral, with the activities being attending concerts and buying merch. This aspect of the culture is directly related to the fashion, as these clothes are cute enough for a special event, but practical enough to be able to dance and cheer in. In fact, Japanese brands label their clothes as "concert-wearing clothes " in search terms. Fandom culture in general is also a large part of Jirai, with Jirai participating in Otaku activities such as developing strong attachments to their favorite characters and buying merch for that.

While some Western followers of Jirai Kei often attempt to separate it from its darker origins by viewing it solely as a fashion trend, the subculture largely retains a negative public image within Japan. Its associations with the "psycho girlfriend" trope are interpreted as a misogynistic stereotype, yet Japanese girls who identify as "landmine" fully embrace it. It is also distinct from "reclaiming," where people continue doing something in spite of the stereotype. Rather, these Jirai acknowledge that they are mentally ill. This misunderstanding stems from several factors: the language barrier hindering accurate interpretation of Japanese articles and social media posts, cultural differences surrounding feminism and mental illness in the West and Japan, a lack of awareness regarding the perception of mental health issues in Japan, and brands capitalizing on the subculture's popularity by using "Jirai Kei" as a marketing term, regardless of whether their products are genuinely associated with it.

Outside of Japan, people are not aware of Toyoko Kids or Kabuchiko, so wearing the fashion out does not have that connotation in public. Some people wear the style because they find it cute, much like other Japanese alternative fashions. Some choose to only label their style Dark Girly to distance themselves from the negative connotation, while others do describe themselves as "wearing" Jirai Kei because it follows the history and/or for specificity reasons. Some may use the phrase "Fashion Jirai" to specify that they are Jirai only in a fashion context.

As discussed above, some Jirai in the West opt to reclaim the label and use it in a feminist context. The interpretation here is that the "crazy" girlfriend stereotype is sexist and an interpretation applied to women either with understandable reactions to poor behavior on part of the boyfriend or mental illness that does not harm people. However, in Japan, the behaviors of a landmine are actually fully abusive.

However, many non-Japanese Jirai also do have mental health as an aspect of the subculture and struggle with the same issues.

In English-speaking Jirai communities, there is separation and debate on being pro-recovery or neutral. Pro-recovery spaces encourage users to stop self-harming and seek medical treatment, while neutral spaces do not make judgments on these behaviors and do not encourage treatment nor endorse unhealthy behavior. Some Western Jirai enthusiasts also claim that one must be mentally ill to participate in Jirai, further leading to the use of the term "Fashion Jirai."

Girls in this subculture add heavy filters and edits to their photos. Pale pink and white filters can add a slight haze to all of their images, and they are often decorated in virtual stickers with Jirai Kei motifs. They also use face and body editing to the point of an unnatural appearance. Impossibly large eyes with anime proportions, making skin more pale, and making their bodies thinner and longer are extremely common in photos. This is with the goal of appearing eerie and puppy-eyed, diverging from the trend of "pien" makeup on Japanese tiktok. The color palettes of Jirai Kei is mainly white, black and pastel pink, though on occasion red, blue and grey is also used.

To contrast all of the sweet and girly visuals, violent imagery is often shown. Box-cutters, razors, and pockets knives are commonly featured in outfit posts. The stereotype is that a landmine girl would use it to threaten her boyfriend if he upsets her, or that she engages in self-harm. Additionally, these cute girls often pose with fake guns (firearms are illegal in Japan), cigarettes, or alcohol and energy drinks (from Strong Zero and Monster Energy) with straws, presumably to protect their lipstick while drinking. Many photos have color-scheme matching energy drink cans, and it is even popular to stack and glue the cans in the shape of machine guns. Similar to Yami Kawaii, there is often medical imagery of pills and syringes , usually paired with narcotics and synthetic drugs.

Sanrio is strongly associated with the Kawaii , girly, and consumer culture in Japan. As a result, girls into Jirai Kei are also associated with these characters, specifically Kuromi and My Melody . People in this subculture own and take photos of plushies of these characters and own an assortment of merchandise, such as backpacks, pencil pouches, etc. themed around these characters. Sanrio has taken notice and even released Jirai Kei-inspired plushies of Kuromi and My Melody. Another character that can be associated is Menhera-chan, the suicidal magical girl that popularized Yami Kawaii . Her artist has drawn her in stereotypical outfits, and her self-destructive habits could be relatable for those in the subculture.

There's also many artists engaging with the subculture who draw anime-style illustrations of landmine girls wearing the typical outfits while in stereotypical situations, such as taking selfies, holding a can while squatting on the streets, or having a mental breakdown. Jirai Kei followers often repost these drawings on social media .

There are multiple styles associated with Jirai Kei, and these substyles have their own yearly trends. As the trends within Jirai Kei keep on changing, many brands mimic one another and release mix-and-match variations for the various styles worn. The ultra-feminine Jirai style has also evolved since its inception.

The core defining trait being that the fashion is worn by landmine girls. Comparable to E-Girl ’s style, while landmine girls may wear many different fashion styles, there is a main look typically associated with the aesthetic that evolved out of a mix of several different alternative genres.

The initial look associated with the Jirai Kei subculture derived from Japanese Girly fashion , which people who are not from Japan use "Jirai Kei" as the default search term for this substyle. As discussed, some people who want to distance themselves from the mental illness connotation use the term "Dark Girly" or "Fashion Jirai" instead.

However, outfits consisting out of Goth Punk , Jersey Maid , and darker general alternative fashion are also worn by Jirai women, and these styles which do not resemble Dark Girly are also dubbed Jirai. People who wear these styles can either specialize in one substyle, or keep multiple outfits to suit their mood/activity and mix and match.

There are similarities between all fashions. Color-wise, the outfits have a more limited color palette in comparison to other fashions. Typically, these outfits only contain two colors. The neutral colors in this aesthetic are black and white, with the supporting colors being pastel pinks for the girlier styles and more strong colors for edgier ones. The fabric of the clothes tends to be on the more synthetic side and with looser construction, with the quality not being that high, on account of them often being made by fast fashion companies who constantly adopt to the latest trends.

Regardless of the style worn, the idea is to appear cute yet mature, but with an dark aura.

This style is defined by an ultra-feminine, girly style that utilizes intricate trims, somewhat resembling Lolita fashion , but lacking in its antique and modest styling. This girliness is contrasted by mini skirt, sad and sometimes eerie makeup, and details originating from edgier subcultures. As discussed, this is what non-Japanese people, or people not familiar with Jirai subculture, imagine when hearing "Jirai," as it is one of the most common styles.

This page is under construction

Jersey Maid (ジャージメイド) is a Japanese fashion style that combines tracksuits (commonly called "jerseys" in Japan) with maid -like details, such as ruffles and lace. Outfits consisting of an oversized tracksuit worn in combination with a maid headdress and apron are the most common, but there's also many clothes specifically made with the style in mind that can often resemble Girly and Lolita fashion.

Because the subculture began in 2019 and continues to the present, many women who started out in the fashion in its early years seek a more mature fashion to match their lifestyle. It is suited for the office and date nights, contrasting the more substyles above more suited for clubbing or concerts. This fashion is especially popular with women who go to host clubs, as this style conveys maturity and luxury, which would attract their chosen host to pay more attention.

It can be almost indistinguishable from non-alternative fashion, and the reason why it is deemed Jirai is that the subculture wears this type of outfit. However, traces of Dark Girly still remain, but now with less detail and in subtler styling. Keeping the same purse, shoes, keychains, and the simpler/elegant tops from the Dark Girly style subtly signals the continuation of Jirai fashion. For example, the left and center outfits use a Chiikawa keychain and Bubbles platform loafers, which are meme pieces in Dark Girly.

This style is called "Suna Kei," which is the first two kanji of the Japanese brand Snidl, which popularized this look. However, multiple brands produce this style and have had their items go viral. It shares an incredible amount of crossover with French Girly , but French Girly distinguishes itself from this style by not having the Jirai association and having certain stereotypically French pieces such as boucle tweed and Breton stripes; it also came into being before Jirai created this mature style. In fact, whether Suna Kei "exists" is a matter of debate since it relies on a single brand, but this is a common hashtag paired with the Jirai Onna hashtag.

The defining garment in this fashion is the mermaid skirt , also called a trumpet skirt. This style hugs the hips and flares out, creating a sensual and feminine silhouette. However, this style also features mini-length flared skirts which feature more minimal detailing. The Michell Macaron skirt, worn in the center image above, is especially viral and a "necessity" in this style.

Fur trim, faux pearls and jewels, and chantilly lace are the trims associated with this fashion. As discussed, the goal of the look is to be subtly girly, so only one trim is involved in a relatively "basic" piece, in contrast to the layered use of trims in 2023-onward Dark Girly.

The shoes in this style are platform , adding onto the continuation of Dark Girly. The subtler bejeweled Bubbles platform loafers are common, but so are non-alternative fashion heeled short boots .

A commonality between all these substyles is the makeup, with some even saying that the makeup is what defines Jirai Kei. While the clothes change, this aspect of the look stays the same.

Hime-cut bangs, which are straight bangs across the forehead with side bangs around chin-length, are extremely popular amongst young women in Japan in general as it is an easy way to archive the illusion of a small face. It fits in with the ultra-feminine style. Because these women are Japanese and around high school age, the most common hair color is black , since dyed hair is not allowed in schools. However, some girls add highlights that can be bleached blonde or in different shades of pink.

In terms of styling, pigtails (also called twin tails), are the majority hairstyle. They can be either low or high, with high pigtails often being half-up half-down . Girls often curl the ends and decorate these twin tails with ribbons and bows , often with the same faux jewels on their brooches. Other hair accessories such as rectangle headdresses, headbands with faux jewels, and bobby pins with charms are popular too.

For the eye makeup, the most popular is an exaggerated version of  the " namida bukuro " makeup style where the tear bags are emphasized to look puffy as if the wearer is about to cry, which is further highlighted with pink undereye blush. The additional effect of appearing sickly is also desired. The eyeliner is downturned to give a more "puppy-like" , feminine and sad appearance.  In more over-the-top styles , there is also something called the "Jirai line," where the wearer fakes even bigger eyes through drawing a curve connecting their eyeliner to the pupil to make a fake bottom eyelash line. These types of looks also draw on fake eyelashes to account for the fact that their real eyelash line is left nude to fake a larger eye. Eyebrows are straight and slightly downturned to continue the sad effect.

Face and lip makeup are equally pink, with blush and sparkly highlighter being high on the cheekbones. Lip makeup has a wide variation , with some looks being more matte, some glossy, some sculpted, some even.

Many additional cosmetic products are also used for exaggerated features. Fake lashes are generally popular in Japan, and in Jirai Kei, they are longer and spikier. Dark circle lenses are also popular, and serve to make the eyes look bigger and anime-like.

Long acrylic nails are also popular and often feature lace patterns, faux jewels, corset lacing, crosses, as well as stereotypical motifs like the pleading face emoji.

Due to the roots of the term, Jirai Kei is highly associated with dark and disturbing themes that are also very prevalent within the subculture. There are strong associations with mental illness, self harm, drug usage, sex work, underage prostitution, and other uncomfortable subjects. The negative aspects of the "landmine" stereotype are often emulated and romanticized as a quirky gimmick solely for aesthetic reasons. On Twitter in particular, it's not uncommon for followers of the subculture to constantly promote self-destructive behaviour, the accounts often being part of shtwt (self-harm twitter) and edtwt (eating disorder twitter). There's also a strong association with "bangya" culture with landmine girls also being stereotyped as groupies who are obsessive over their favorite bands and music artists to an unhealthy degree.

Another problem is the fetishization of the "landmine" stereotype, which is a glimpse into the wider topic of sexualizing women who exhibit mental illness. It is problematic for its ableist rhetoric claiming mentally-ill women to be "freaky", "hot but crazy" and more desirable sexually and emotionally, as well as its infantalistic undertone of these women being more emotionally attached and dependent on their lover's affection. This fetishization of mentally ill women and use of the femme-fatale archetype ignores the unpleasant nuances of suffering from BPD or bipolar disorder and targets women who are mentally vulnerable to emotionally abusive, power-imbalanced relationships.

Because the clothes worn are often very brand specific, some Jirai Kei netizens suggest that there is slight elitism in the community for purchasing items from the "correct" stores, regardless of if the price can be prohibitively expensive, particularly for western followers that endure high shipping fees from Japanese brand proxies. On social media, especially on TikTok, some argue that this brand-focused side of Jirai Kei encourages hyper consumerism and trend-cycling while the same is also said for those who buy cheap replica items from problematic fast fashion stores like Shein/Romwe.

As discussed in the culture section, some Western Jirai maintain that those who are not mentally ill cannot wear the style or utilize the hashtag. As the subculture can't be separated from its problematic parts precisely because they are what make Jirai Kei what it is, many have argued that its name shouldn't be used in a throwaway manner in reference to styles or trends in order to not expose strangers to potential triggering content.

However, instead of expressing concern and offering the alternative "dark and sweet girly" label, some girls cyberbully non-mentally ill Jirai and may even say one cannot wear Girly Kei at all. Of course, this also has a negative outcome for more impressionable people, especially teenagers, who would want to adopt mentally ill behaviors in order to fit into a subculture and be "more" Jirai and avoid gatekeeping comments. These gatekeeping comments, however, are a response to western Jirai who make videos looking down on the mentally ill stereotype, and who seek to divorce the fashion from its dark origin.

Another instance of western gatekeeping is the term "jiraimaxxing,” often used on TikTok, which means becoming the most Jirai one can be. While sometimes used as a troll term to mock the subculture's existing gatekeeping, it also describes a more extreme version of the same lookist mentality of the originator of the suffix, looksmaxxing . That community picks apart personal appearance and places people on rating scales.  "Jiraimaxxers" adopt similar tactics, bullying those who do not adhere to their strict standards (being thin, wearing extreme platforms, etc.). This behavior can even include compiling lists of "chopped" (ugly) Jirai accounts, which often shame AMAB and Black individuals.

Non-jiraimaxxing Jirai are also criticized for being lookist in general. Much of the community is concerned with appearing cute, including the use of filters, extreme makeup, being concerned with weight, and having certain facial features that appear "more Jirai." So, those who are already conventionally attractive gain the most praise, and those who do not fit the strict beauty standard of the community may develop body dysmorphia.

For further reading, please read its page on the Jfashion Wiki.Jojifuku (女児服), which translates to "girl's clothing," is a Japanese fashion style centered on adults wearing clothing and accessories that evoke a sense of nostalgic Japanese childhood from the 1980s to the 2000s. The style draws heavily from the "junior boom," a period when children's brands featured in Shoujo magazines like Nakayoshi and Ciao gained significant popularity. The aesthetic is often compared to Fairy Kei and Nanchatte Seifuku for its use of childish motifs and themes. The male equivalent of the style, based on clothing from boys' magazines, is called Danjifuku (男児服).

During the early 2000s, there was a boom in children's clothing brands collaborating with Shoujo magazines in Japan. Despite catering to an audience that quickly grows out of their clothes, the price range was often way beyond 10.000yen (~100USD) and not many parents could afford those clothes. Eventually those children would grow into adults still longing for the designs of the Shoujo magazines, and some of those brands would start catering to them with expanding their size range to also fit adult Japanese women.

Jojifuku fashion is characterized by its use of children's clothing brands and motifs from Japan's Y2K era, prioritizing a cute and nostalgic look. The aesthetic is distinct from other styles in its focus on specific junior brands and its more contained color palette.

The style features clothing from nostalgic brands, most notably those from Narumiya Inc ., such as mezzo piano junior, Angel Blue, and pom ponette.

Common pieces include tees with playful prints, which would appeal to children and their parents for ease of wearability and washing. The vinyl prints are different configurations of the brands' mascots, cute English phrases, sweets and fruit, toys, etc. Often, these are raglan or ringer tees, providing even more colors and visual interest.

Denim miniskirts or shorts are the most popular piece in this style. With the shortness for mobility, most pieces include inner shorts which can peek out, and so the designers include a ruffle underneath. To be cuter, most skirts also include tiered ruffles.

Sometimes, seifuku-inspired outfits that are brightly colored and patterned.

The style also incorporates items from Sweet Lolita brands like Angelic Pretty, who create upscale versions of plastic jewelry in novelty themed shapes such as bunnies and sweets, much like children's jewelry. Accessories often include randoseru backpacks, a type of Japanese schoolbag, and loose socks or legwarmers reminiscent of the Kogal style that was popular in the 2000s. Footwear can range from sneakers to Japanese school slippers.

The makeup in Jojifuku is typically soft and natural, emphasizing cuteness rather than glamour. The goal is to create a youthful, innocent appearance that complements the childish nature of the clothing.

Hairstyles are often simple and playful, such as pigtails or braids, and are sometimes adorned with large bows or hair clips that match the colors and themes of the outfit.

Jojifuku has become a controversial topic, especially as the style has spread to the West. A core point of contention is the strong association of the aesthetic with age play fetish content, even though the style itself is not inherently connected to such themes. This connection stems from the popularization of the style's Japanese hashtag by an adult video (AV) studio that also posts safe-for-work content for promotional purposes. Additionally, the smaller children's sizes result in a tighter and shorter fit with the clothes, which, if combined with certain poses, creates a possibly unintended sexual connotation. As a result, some people view the style as a misuse of children's clothing.

Another criticism revolves around the use of the aesthetic as a status symbol for thinness. Since the clothing is made for children, adults who can fit into it are often of a child's size. The community has seen instances of people with eating disorders using their ability to wear children's clothes to brag about their body size. This is due to the difficult accessibility of the style, as many of the original brands are defunct, and adult-sized versions of the clothes are rare. This makes the style more accessible to those with petite frames, but it has also led to its use in unhealthy contexts.Juminocore is an internet aesthetic that originated on platforms like Pinterest and TikTok around 2024. It is centered on the collection and curated display of Japanese kawaii (cute) goods, particularly small toys and trinkets from the Heisei era (1989–2019). The aesthetic is defined by its specific, often muted color palette and its presentation through a modern, Western social media lens, rather than from an authentic Japanese perspective.

The term was inadvertently coined by TikTok user and small business owner JuminoJewels. The name and the aesthetic itself are subjects of an ongoing debate, with many critics and collectors of Japanese goods arguing that Juminocore is a watered down version of the broader Japanese nostalgic phenomenon, Heisei Retro .

The visual groundwork for Juminocore was laid by the 2023 social media trend of "Birkin-fying" bags, where users decorated their purses with a maximalist assortment of keychains and trinkets. This sparked a market for cute, collectible charms, many of which were sourced from Japan's long-standing kawaii culture, particularly the small prizes found in gachapon (capsule toy) machines and "blind box" toys popular throughout the 2000s.

In early 2024, TikTok user JuminoJewels posted a video asking her followers to name the emerging aesthetic that focused on these specific types of trinkets, and the name "Juminocore" was born from her username. The aesthetic quickly gained a following, but also an immediate backlash from enthusiasts of authentic Japanese Heisei Retro culture, who argued that a new, Western-coined term was unnecessary and erased the Japanese origins of the style. Proponents of Juminocore, however, maintain that the term is useful for distinguishing this specific, Western-filtered interpretation from the broader and more culturally authentic Heisei Retro movement.

Juminocore is characterized by the curated clutter of kawaii trinkets, primarily expressed through photography of these collections artfully arranged on shelves, desks, or attached to bags and technology. While it uses objects from the Heisei era, Juminocore's visual presentation is distinct, often featuring a more subdued color palette with a focus on green, white, silver, and blue, presented in bright, natural lighting. Key motifs include a maximalist assortment of small items such as gacha toys and character goods from brands like Sanrio and Rilakkuma, alongside miniatures of foods and animals. Retro technology, particularly the Nintendo DS and Tamagotchi, are also prominent in the aesthetic, typically heavily decorated with stickers and dangling phone charms to fit the look.

A central point of discussion is the difference between Juminocore and Heisei Retro . While both utilize the same objects, they are considered distinct cultural phenomena.

The Juminocore aesthetic heavily features merchandise and imagery from a specific range of Japanese and international media franchises, particularly those popular during the Heisei era.Karasu Zoku (烏族) was a Japanese movement during the 1980s that consisted of wearing all-black designer outfits. While similar fashion trends are still around, the term is no longer used due to the base association with violent gangs around the height of its popularity, and "Mode fashion" (モードファッション) is used instead.

Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto presented their works at the Paris Collection in the spring and summer of 1982, giving the fashion world a “black impact”. It was evaluated by current Chanel and Fendi designers Karl Lagerfeld, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Donna Karan, and gradually passed on to the media, entertainers, artists, and the cutting-edge people of the era. In addition, DC brands such as "Comsade Mode" and "Scoop", which were popular at that time, also promoted black fashion.

Not only Harajuku and Shibuya, but also the adult town of Ginza was crowded with Karasu Zoku.

They enter the festival wearing black costumes instead of the traditional haneto costumes, leading to the nickname "crow gang" or simply, "crows." They're also known as "crow haneto ," but their appearance and actions are not fitting of the name haneto , and the regional media does not include the word in their descriptions. They are classified as a type of foot-borne bōsōzoku.

The karasu-zoku first appeared at the festival in 1986. Initially, they were not viewed as a serious problem, but they became more dangerous when bōsōzoku members began joining. The Japanese started raising awareness about this issue, but it only made Karasu Zoku more popular.

Aomori City quickly took steps to ensure the safety of their festival, as it was a well known tourist attraction. In 1996, the organizers forcefully grouped the karasu-zoku together into a single area in order to monitor their actions more effectively. However, this only led to an increased level of hysteria among the gang members and was not an effective method of containing their behavior. The number of Crow Gang increased to over 10,000 by 2000, and their actions escalated to violence against different gang members or even against tourists and the police force, which destroyed the festival cheer and decreased public safety.

In 2001, the organizers introduced a system where all of the floats would begin and end their procession at the same time. The same year, the prefecture enacted a law that allowed the police force to act against the vandals before the violence began. As a result, the festivities became more contained, but the number of crow gang members decreased drastically.

Karasu Zoku consists of covering the whole body in only black. It was also popular to wear it in a heavy layered style by combining long lengths and tattered details. The name comes from the appearance of a group of black crows. The style is androgynous, asymmetrical, and utterly unpredictable in shape

Not only black-based designer brands, but also DC brands, which are casual and easy to wear trends, were also popular.

Popular Brands:Kawaii Gamer , also known as Pastel E-Girl or Gamer Girl , is a Westernized interpretation of kawaii . It is popular among gamers, Twitch streamers, and anime fans, reaching peak popularity in the late-2010s and during the COVID-19 lockdowns. The Kawaii Gamer community frequently gathers on Twitch and is predominantly geared towards Gen Z. This style differs from other forms of Kawaii by incorporating specific merchandise, room decor, and fashion trends that align with the Western interpretation of Kawaii, similar to what is seen in Cutecore , rather than actual Japanese fashions.

The aesthetic frequently involves replicating particular objects and is showcased in TikToks dedicated to Kawaii Gamer setups. While the aesthetic often includes a large amount of merchandise, reflecting maximalism , it is more accessible and casual than traditional J-fashion due to the global rise of Kawaii culture and the increased e-commerce and commercialization of related media.

Some individuals in this aesthetic, typically women, adopt a "gamer girl" persona, highlighting their love for video games, cute physical appearance, and bubbly personality through content creation on TikTok, Twitch, and YouTube. Others incorporate the aesthetic into their sexual presentation, which is related to the Babygirl aesthetic. Still others focus solely on room decor and electronics, unboxing merchandise, and collecting inspiration, and do not appear on camera.

These persons, mainly women, express their femininity and affection for specific characters within a hobby traditionally dominated by men and male-oriented aesthetics. For example, most gaming merchandise features black and red color schemes with aggressively sleek detailing, which is often unappealing to those who prefer a more traditionally feminine style. The Kawaii Gamer aesthetic thus allows women interested in video gaming to create a community where they can express their femininity alongside their hobby.

Some Kawaii Gamers also challenge the perceived dichotomy between "real" games and "girly" games, countering the belief (particularly among some men) that action- and competition-driven games are inherently superior to less competitive ones.

One notable influence on this aesthetic is the E-Girl , who was also influenced by Kawaii culture but more involved with darker alt aesthetics. Some E-Girl, as well as Soft Girl, make-up and fashion trends, such as tennis skirts, heavy blush, and long dyed hair (often in wigs), influenced the outward appearance and gender performance of a Kawaii Gamer.

The earlier Erokawa aesthetic in Japan also had a huge influence on this aesthetic, particularly the more mature, Babygirl-related side.

The aesthetic can take on a Yume Kawaii palette of pastels and white, rainbow, or more purple and blue neon, although there are many color variations on the aesthetic, such as Mizuiro .

Of course, Kawaii Gamers tend to show their love for both their passions through combining the two. Technology for gaming in pink and white accents , such as PCs, Nintendo DS, and Switches are the most shown photo subject and is most representative of this interpretation of kawaii. Customized keyboards with decorative keys in multiple colors are one of the entry points into the aesthetic due to their accessibility and variety of models and key caps, such as glowing lights, paw prints, and different colors and fonts for the display.

Displays on computer home pages and social media are also important to the aesthetic. Admirers of the aesthetic customize backgrounds of PCs, mouse pads, social media icons and headers, and phone lock screens to fan art of their favourite anime characters, Kawaii art, abstract drawings in pastels, etc.

Certain products are iconic and highly sought-after in this community. One of them being the Autofull pink gaming chair with attached bunny ears and a tail, which was popularized by Twitch streamers and gaming YouTubers. Another are cat-ear headphones, which are an example of connecting the Erokawa trope of the anime cat-girl with technology. Most setups also include a cat-paw pillow.

Building off on the inclusion of cat-girls, anime girls and women who display cuteness are extremely popular, especially Nezuko Kamado from Demon Slayer , Sailor Moon, and Chika Fujiwara from Kaguya-sama: Love Is War. This also includes VOCALOID characters such as Hatsune Miku.

In addition to anime characters, mascots are constantly replicated in merchandise created by popular franchises such as Sanrio and Pokémon . Plushies, themed snacks, mouse pads, stationery, etc. of characters such as Pikachu, My Melody, and Hello Kitty clutter the desks of many kawaii enthusiasts, and having affection for a certain mascot is encouraged.

These figurines and plushies are often purchased from subscription boxes, with a comment video format in the community being people opening these products. Similarly, many videos feature Japanese snack openings, where the person on TikTok uploads a video where they arrange Pocky, KitKat, candies, mochi, etc. on a platter from either a subscription box or a haul to an Asian grocery store. Boba and Japanese soda is also popular. Many of these are themed after a certain flavor, such as strawberry or matcha.

For wall decor, a common thing that differentiates this aesthetic from other Kawaii ones is the use of LED or neon lights in pink or purple tubing. This is a general trend in Gen Z gaming and TikTok communities, but this aesthetic incorporates Kawaii shapes such as sakura blossoms or bunny silhouettes.

Sakura motifs are also common in general, as it is connected with Japan and is often featured in anime.

All of these visuals culminate in set-ups , which are the main mode of carrying across the aesthetic. A set-up is the desk space of a gamer and the place where they watch anime, do work, eat snacks, etc. This is why the set-up is the most prioritized place in the aesthetic, as a kawaii gamer would spend most of their time there. The desk would include the electronics, multiple figurines and plushies, walls with lighting and posters, and snacks in a cluttered, yet cozy arrangement that requires a large amount of things .

Typically someone who is in the Kawaii Gamer aesthetic will tend to wear pastel and Kawaii outfits. For example skirts, cute tops, bows, hairclips, and ribbons are common accessories for this aesthetic. Over sized Kawaii jumpers/hoodies with a skirt is also common. Loungefly Sanrio bags are a common bag used by the Kawaii Gamer community, most notably by Nintendo.Grl. More suggestive clothing like mini crop-tops, thigh highs, mini skirts, and chokers, are popular as well.

Kawaii Gamer fashion stores:

The aesthetic is communicated through multiple different TikTok formulas. Some of them include:

This section describes the media that Kawaii Gamers interact with, rather than there being this type of aesthetic within the media. The following below contains content mainly from Japan.

This section includes female content creators who have this aesthetic. VTubers, which are real people who use anime avatars instead of showing their face, are also included.

The music associated with the aesthetic tends to be in the VOCALOID, video game soundtrack, chiptune, Otacore and kawaii Lo-fi genres. These are often cheerful sounding, with electronic beats and sound clips of extremely feminine-voiced women exclaiming something in Japanese.

In addition, some people who admire this aesthetic may be connected with Hallyu and be K-Pop fans.

This section is under construction

Men can objectify gamer girls and focus on the persona of their kawaii aesthetic and appearance. Many memes express wanting to have these women as girlfriends to fawn over. Another criticism of Kawaii Gamer may involve the fetishization of East-Asian cultures, which reduces it to an extremely sexualized and commercialized image. This includes stuff like sexualized school uniforms. Many Kawaii Gamers also "Asianfish", where a person of another race or ethnicity wears make-up and in some cases, even undergo cosmetic surgery, to look "East-Asian". They typically exhibit infantilizing mannerisms (such as puffing out cheeks, having almond shaped eyes, etc.) and perpetuate stereotypes of East-Asian women being seen as "childlike and submissive". Sometimes, people will even make this aesthetic their whole personality.Kawaii Metal (かわいいメタル), also known as Kawaiicore or Idol Metal , is a musical genre that originated in Japan in the early 2010s. It is characterized by its principle of juxtaposition, blending the aggressive instrumentation, technical riffs, and heavy bass lines of various Heavy Metal subgenres (such as Power Metal, Death Metal , and Industrial Metal ) with the upbeat, melodic song structures and youthful aesthetics of J-Pop and Idol Music.

Kawaii Metal emerged in 2010 and was pioneered by the highly successful group Babymetal, whose popularity led to the coining of the term and the creation of a recognized subgenre.

The genre is credited to Key ‘Kobametal’ Kobayashi, who conceived the idea of fusing the intensity of heavy metal with the cuteness of Idol singers. Babymetal was initially formed in 2010 as a sub-unit of the idol group Sakura Gakuin. Their 2014 hit, " Gimme Chocolate!! ," went viral internationally, thrusting the concept of Kawaii Metal into global consciousness and establishing the template for the genre: clean, idol vocals over extreme metal instrumentation performed by a live backing band, the Kami Band. Their success challenged traditional notions of metal music and paved the way for other Japanese artists who defied genre conventions.Kawaii ( かわいい ) is a Japanese term and aesthetic referring to the broad cultural concept affirming items, behaviors, and visual styles that evoke childlike cuteness, sweetness, and charm; qualities that "make one's heart flutter." While often associated in the West with specific media such as "chibi" (the stylized, small-bodied caricature popular in manga/anime), the concept of kawaii in Japan is far broader and more complex. It has diversified significantly over the decades to encompass concepts far removed from simple cuteness. For example, the aesthetic has spawned hybrid styles such as Gurokawa ("creepy cute") and Erokawa ("erotic cute"), which combine cuteness with darker or adult themes. The kawaii aesthetic is a staple in J-fashion, and many of its derivative sub-aesthetics originate from the Harajuku neighborhood and surrounding Shibuya district of Tokyo.

In ancient Japanese, the words “kawayushi” (かはゆし) and “kaohayushi” (かほはゆし) were used. Different to the nowadays "kawaii", they were associated with a negative image, referring to something "so pitiable one can't stand it". Later on, those words were replaced by "kawaii" and started to take on a positive strength, instead of being seen as a weakness. However, before the term became used the way it is now, it was mainly used by men to objectify women, and during the 60s, it was very common to be catcalled "Kawaiko-chan" (かわい子ちゃん), which is similar to the English "cutie". Later on, the meaning of "kawaii" changed once again when women started to use it to describe everything that is just like them: cute.

In the 70s, the number of people who use the term "kawaii" exploded, resulting in the birth of kawaii culture. The Japanese word "kawaii", which previously was just an adjective, has come to have symbolic value. During that time, the company Sanrio gave birth to Hello Kitty, which soon would become one of the most iconic "kawaii" characters in history. Beyond that, "non-standard girlish script" (変体少女文字) was introduced as the typeface in 1974, and this overly cute writing style became so popular among high school girls, teachers started to have issues reading their homework. Another change of that time was among girl's manga magazines. Previously, they mostly came with posters and stickers of popular boy groups, similar to western girl's magazines, but in 1975 this changed to "kawaii" stationary goods with characters from the mangas printed on them.

In 1982, the magazine "Olive" (オリーブ) was launched by Heibon Publishing (now Magazine House) and gave birth to the first wave of "kawaii revolution" (かわいい革命) as well as "otome" culture. The fans of the magazine dolled themself up in ribbons and frills, lace, floral prints, and other girly styles. Popular with those girls that idolized its style were brands that gave off a fairytale-like feel, such as Pink House by designer Isao Kaneko. The designer did not hesitate spreading the new meaning of "kawaii" as "by women for women" which is precisely why the brand has been considered a leader of spreading kawaii culture ever since. Its followers would collect things that appealed to their sense of cuteness and mix them, expressing their individuality, and this is would evolve into what is referred to as Harajuku or kawaii fashion nowadays.

Kawaii visuals are in a range of colors, but are most commonly associated with pastels , with white as a neutral and pink as the most popular color. However, this is not necessary in all of the aesthetic's visuals, as different examples show that this is not the case; for example, neon with Decora and black with some Sanrio characters. Lighting is always bright, with few to no shadows. Photo-editing is highly utilized in kawaii, as people often add additional stickers and sparkles, enlarge their eyes, and smoothen the photo to look more maximalist and hyper-cute.

Sweets are a common visual motif in kawaii. These can include cakes, macaroons, flan, cotton candy, iced cookies, ice creams, parfaits, and even sweet drinks like ramune or boba. These sweets are done in the Japanese style with specific references to the culture, such as having the food shaped like certain characters, elaborate whipped cream decorations, having desserts in pastel/bright colors, etc., as opposed to Western sweets. Decorations are mandatory, with multiple textures and colors present via sprinkles, drawn-on icing, etc. Strawberries are an incredibly common motif due to repeated use in early artworks and merchandise. Additionally, savory foods may appear in the form of bento boxes with food shaped as different characters. Nature-inspired motifs, such as skies, flowers, and small critters, are also very commonplace in form of minimalistic drawn stars, clouds, rainbows, butterflies, and cherry blossoms.

Anthropomorphic illustrated characters, are the most unique and recognizable feature of the aesthetic. The most popular characters originate from the Japanese company Sanrio, which created Hello Kitty, Cinnamon Roll, My Melody, and more that can be viewed here . Another popular company would be San-X, with characters like Rilakkuma, Sumikko Gurashi, Sentimental Circus, Mamegoma and more, which can be viewed here . Other examples include Care Bears, Moomins, Pusheen, and different Animal Crossing characters like Isabelle and Tom Nook, and different Pokémon such as Pikachu and Eevee. There are multiple commonalities between these kawaii characters; many of them are simple in design, with features that are simultaneously distinct enough to be different from other competing characters, but also following the guidelines in character design that make characters look friendly and child-like. These include round bases for bodies, large eyes and heads with small arms, and a lack of intense shadow and angularity. These characters' immense popularity allows them to easily be marketed as merchandise, with a variety of stationery, home goods, clothing, and even large vehicles such as airplanes.

Human characters could also be classified as kawaii if they are innocent and childlike. These are called Moe, and tend to come from anime and manga, as the trope is from Japanese pop culture. Like the critters, these characters have large eyes, round shapes, and unique colors and outfit designs. Their intense and open displays of emotion are related to people's affection for them, and often appear as either helplessness and/or upbeat cheerfulness. One such character is Hatsune Miku, the most universally recognizable Vocaloid. Gifs and images of these Moe characters often appear in kawaii blogs and websites.

External links to help get a better understanding of this aesthetic.A Kissaten is a type of tea and coffee shop that serves food in Japan, with this type of establishment being popularized in the 1920s. It was inspired by Viennese coffeehouses, with a deliberately European interior design.Kiwiana is a term referring to the culture, heritage of New Zealand predominantly from the 20th century that are iconic and exclusive to New Zealand. The term Kiwiana refers to the Kiwi, the national bird of New Zealand and the nickname of New Zealand peoples. The term is also used to describe any and all New Zealand icons,  pop culture items such as toys or branded foods; national icons of New Zealand have become Kiwiana. These include the kiwi and the hei-tiki.

Under construction.Kkonminam (Korean: 꽃미남, literally " Flower Handsome Man " or " Flower Boy ") is a socio-cultural phenomenon and aesthetic standard in South Korea that emerged in the late 1990s.

It refers to men who are characterized by their soft masculinity, which emphasizes exceptional physical attractiveness, meticulous grooming, careful attention to fashion, and significant usage of cosmetics. This aesthetic directly challenges the historical, patriarchal ideal of the "tough," muscular, and hyper-masculine Korean male, replacing it with an image of men who are polished, innocent, sensitive, and beautiful.

The Kkonminam concept is a major component of the Hallyu (Korean Wave) and has changed the global perception of Korean male beauty.

The modern Kkonminam concept is often traced to the Japanese idea of bishōnen ("beautiful young man"), which originated in shoujo (girls') manga and anime. This provided a visual template of soft, elfin features, fair skin, and silky hair that appealed strongly to Asian women. Despite official bans on Japanese popular culture before 1998, this aesthetic information spread through underground networks, piracy, and travel. Early revolutionary K-Pop groups in the late 1990s were heavily criticized for borrowing this Japanese style, although they were highly influential in effeminating Korean masculinity.

The emergence of the Kkonminam aesthetic represents a socio-cultural shift in South Korea:

Flower boys typically sport preppy and cruise-like outfits, featuring lighter fabrics and colors. They often incorporate traditionally feminine elements, including soft colors, pastels, and floral patterns, into their clothing choices, demonstrating a move towards gender-fluid fashion concepts. Despite the focus on soft features, the aesthetic does not necessarily exclude athleticism; Kkonminam often describes males who have boyish, delicate features in contrast to bodies that are still strong and muscular.

The aesthetic's ideal is to achieve smooth, flawless, and fair skin, often requiring the application of cosmetic products, including foundation and subtle eyeliner, a practice that was traditionally considered feminine. In some cases, this desire for perfection extends to surgical enhancements, such as double eyelids, which align with Westernized beauty standards while fitting the polished look.

Kkonminam is especially visible in “flower boy” romances in K‑dramas and in many first– and second‑generation idol groups whose concepts emphasize soft, pretty masculinity.

Some groups blend kkonminam prettiness with more “beast” or hip‑hop masculinity, rather than being pure flower‑boy acts.Kogal ( コギャル ) refers to the aesthetic of members of the Gyaru subculture who are students and therefore still have to wear a school uniform. The name comes from a contraction with kōkōsei, the Japanese word for "high school". Thus, Kogal is not strictly a type of Gyaru fashion on its own but rather the name for Gyaru that are students. Technically, adult Gyaru who wear school uniforms as part of fashion aren't considered Kogals but their style is referred to as " Nanchatte Kogal " ( なんちゃってコギャル ) or "Gyaru Seifuku" ( ギャルい制服 ).  (It's a bit of pedantic distinction, but the English community tends to correct others on it.) While the peak period of the classic Gyaru subculture was during the late 1990s and early 2000s, Kogal peaked in the mid-1990s, especially around the period 1994-1995.

The aesthetic emerged around 1993 amongst younger girls (especially high school girls and middle school girls) trying to emulate the adult-like sexiness and confident self-assertion of Bodikon gals— something especially common in early 1990s Japan. The 1993 television special Za kogyaru naito ( The Kogal Night ) introduced the kogal to a mass audience and provided a model for aspiring Kogals to follow— promoting controversial activities popular amongst those older Bodikon women such as prank-calling and enjō-kōsai (compensated dating). Around late 1994, as Bodikon died with the closure of Juliana's Tokyo and the end of magazines such as Heaven's Door, the style of Kogals broke into the mainstream and by early 1995 became commonplace among teenage girls. Kogals were popularly troped in the Japanese media in the mid-1990s as being obsessively trend-conscious.

A major influence on the style was J-pop singer Namie Amuro, who in 1994 popularised platform shoes. Her music became a major staple amongst Kogals, and her tanning also became widely adopted by them.

The "Kogal" style is based around Gyaru fashion being combined with their Japanese high school uniforms. Most uniforms tend to have plaid skirts, bows around the neck and sweaters. They are often beige in color. Serafuku (sailor uniforms) are also very popular. Kogals may wear normal Gyaru styles outside of class. Gyaru also popularised the use of ' Nanchatte Seifuku ' (fake school uniforms) to wear Kogal style without actually being a Kogal.

Kogals add a twist to their uniform in order to make it appear sexier and cuter. They shorten their skirts, wear loose socks ( ルーズソックス ) and sometimes even add bows or ties to their uniform, even when it isn't a part of their uniform.

Some Kogals also buy extra uniforms from different schools and wear them after school, and although it is rarer, older gals who are out of school buy uniforms to wear.

The style is also characterized by dyed hair, and with older girls, tanned skin. Tanned skin has become less common in Kogal, however, as tanning in of itself has become less popular among Gyarus.

Kogals often dyed their hair in blondes, reds and light shades of browns, although sometimes colors such as pink and blues were added if one preferred.

Kogal-go was a type of speech that Kogals created, although it is commonly also used within Gyaru too. These words were often a mix of English and Japanese. Some examples are:

Decoden is a very popular activity within all of Gyaru, but Kogals are most known for it and decorate almost everything, whether it be using resin pieces, stickers, pearls, cabochons, bows, studs, whipped cream glue and more.

Although almost everything can be decorated, commonly decorated objects are phone cases, iPods, consoles, mirrors, lighters, hairbrushes, laptop cases and trinket boxes.

These brands are all very popular within Gyaru styles as a whole, however many Kogals also particularly liked these:

Since 2016, there has been a trend of new romance-comedy shounen manga being based around Kogal characters.Korean Cozy Beige is an aesthetic that describes the aesthetic community in Korea that largely centers around images of domesticity in a neutral color palette with ivory, brown, and beige tones. People in Korea generally post these photos to cohesive Instagram accounts, which later get re-uploaded onto Pinterest.

These images carry across a cozy yet mature tone, with clean and simple compositions. It often has a blog-style component, with Korean residents showing the cafe they went to, events in their life, places they have traveled to, etc.

All the images in the aesthetic have a majority neutral color palette, with beige, ivory, white, and occasionally brown as the primary colors. The lighting in these photos is natural, such as bright and clear sunshine to more muted lighting.

One of the most common photo subjects is of cafes and bakeries , which are very trendy in Korea. Bottled milk tea and coffee, lattes, iced beverages in minimalistic white or clear bottles and cups are often the center focus of the image, and are subject of home cafe videos, which are a popular trend in Korea that teaches viewers how to make fancy drinks at home. All manner of sweets and baked goods, such as croissants, cookies, toast, tiramisu, etc. are also photographed.

Interior design is another common subject, and largely features cozy and neat homes filled with minimalist furniture in neutral colors.

The fashion of Korean Cozy Beige is usually built around casual, comfortable clothing. Some examples of this are:

Hair might be worn in a messy bun or ponytail with a scrunchie, or as bedhead or casually down and tousled. The makeup associated with Korean Cozy Beige is a natural look, very minimal makeup usually focusing on the eyes with some eyeliner and aegyo sal. For lips either go with an ombre look making the centre of your lips darker, or a pale tone with gloss. Nails, if painted, are done in cute simple styles such as popular characters or soft neutral colours. Accessories are minimal, usually small dainty pieces like necklaces, rings and a watch on the wrist.

Music for this aesthetic can be calming and un-distracting - allowing people to focus on themselves and their hobbies rather than stress, or bubbly K-Pop tracks. Lo-fi can be a popular genre to listen to.Krocha was a short-lived but highly visible youth subculture that originated in Vienna, Austria, during the late 2000s, peaking in popularity around 2008. The name, derived from a Viennese dialect term meaning "to crash," was coined by DJ Stefan Berndorfer and describes a trend centered on partying, consumerism, and a specific fashion style.

The Krocha look was defined by its eclectic and often loud combination of elements: brightly colored, neon clothing (especially V-neck t-shirts), large, flashy belt buckles, Palestinian scarves (Keffiyeh), and a deep, artificial tan. The most iconic feature, however, was the hairstyle: the Vokuhila (a German term for a mullet), often bleached blonde, heavily gelled, and sometimes featuring shaved patterns.

Musically, the subculture was associated with hard, fast electronic genres like Schranz and Jumpstyle. Similar to its French contemporary Tecktonik , the Krocha trend was a quintessential late-2000s fad, heavily tied to the social media platforms of the era like Netlog.

The Krocha subculture originated in the cities of Vienna, Linz, and Graz and surrounding areas around 2005, quickly gaining popularity and spreading throughout Austria by 2008. With most members of the subculture being really young teenagers,  this trend was spread primarily through platforms like YouTube, Netlog, MyVideo, and internet forums. The videos were recorded with relatively cheap mediums, like phone cameras. Although its exact origins are unclear, the term itself was coined by Stefan Berndorfer (Stee Wee Bee). Some have drawn parallels to the earlier Gabber subculture in the Netherlands. However, unlike Gabber, Krocha was not associated with any particular political ideology, beliefs, values, or racist controversies. In fact, this trend attracted many young people from immigrant backgrounds. The subculture was primarily driven by teenagers, with very few members being over 18 years old. This was attributed to the demands of work and adult responsibilities, which left less time for the social activities and fun central to the Krocha lifestyle.

Krocha reached its peak in 2008, becoming a recurring topic of discussion reported in Austrian media. During this year, entire Krocha contests were also hosted in the Lugner City mall in Vienna, which involved people, including adults, dressing up for the trend and dancing. However, the intense media attention was accompanied by widespread mockery, similar to what other youth subcultures like Tecktonik experienced (a dance trend originating in France around the same year that also faced ridicule for its distinct style). As a product of its time, the trend began to decline in late 2008, with many young people moving on to other interests and identities. It should also be noted that some teenagers at the time could perfectly fit the look, but didn't inherently identify with the term.

The popularity of the subculture even led to the release of compilation albums like " Krocha Traxx Vol. 1 " and " Krocha Hits Vol. 1 " by Universal Music and EMI Group. In 2008, the Viennese hip-hop duo Die Vamummtn perfectly captured the zeitgeist of Austrian youth culture with their satirical song " Krocha Hymne ." The song poked fun at and exaggerated the Krocha subculture's obsession with things like tight jeans, neon caps, Palestinian scarves, and solariums. The song gained over a million views on YouTube. Universal Music Austria saw how popular the song was and released it as a single just a few months after the Krocha trend surfaced.  It was the first hip-hop song in over five years to make it onto the Austrian music charts.

People could easily spot a Krocha by their clothes, even though some people made fun of their style for being too flashy. They liked to wear a mix of expensive brands and regular streetwear, as if they wanted to show off a bit but also fit in with their friends. Brands were really important to them, and they liked labels like D&G, De Puta Madre 69, Baxmen, Angel Devil, and above all, Ed Hardy.

They wore tight jeans, sometimes with their boxer shorts showing a little above their pants. They also liked white sneakers or boots. They wore lots of gold or silver jewelry and keychains hanging from their pants. They also often wore a Palestinian scarf around their neck, but just because they thought it looked cool, not for any political or cultural reasons. Krochas also wore neon-colored caps, especially ones from Ed Hardy. Their caps or t-shirts usually had words, phrases or logos on them.

Krocha guys usually had a " Vokuhila " (mullet) hairstyle with short hair on top and long hair in the back. They used a lot of gel to style it and sometimes even shaved patterns on the sides. Girls ( Krocharinnen ) straightened their hair or bleached it and dyed it black or blonde. Both guys and girls wanted to be tan, so they spent a lot of time in tanning salons to make their skin darker.

The dance style associated with Krocha is highly energetic. It involves a lot of jumping, kicking, and other fast movements, described as "wild" and even somewhat "epileptic" by the ATV. It was influenced by Jumpstyle , Hardstyle, and also incorporated some elements of Charleston. At the height of the trend, some dance schools in Austria even offered classes specifically on Krocha dancing. This dance style also shared some similarities with French Tecktonik , which involved less leg movements in contrast, basically the yin to Krocha's yang.

Although Krocha never gained international popularity and largely remained as an Austrian cultural phenomenon, there are some communities in South Korea dedicated to its dance style. Korean Krocha communities can usually be found under the tag "TK Krocha" online (possibly a local term for the scene).

One of the most influential aspects of the Krocha subculture, despite its brief popularity, was their slang. It is named " Austro-Pidgin " due to its inspiration from the Viennese dialect and languages spoken by immigrant communities in the city. There are some phrases associated with this cultural phenomenon that are still used in an ironic manner. On the internet and written language, they overused capitalization and distorted spellings.

Some examples include:

Krocha-themed graphic design was a minor aspect of the trend, primarily used in album cover arts. It is visually really similar to Vectordelia , frequently using black silhouettes (usually depicted striking a pose with some kind Krocha accessories, such as the Palestinian scarf or a cap), flourishes , and a color palette consisting of white, pink, yellow, and fluorescent green. However, it should be noted a majority of these albums were released by Universal Music Austria with the intent to capitalize on the trend.

The Krocha subculture faced heavy criticism and mockery in the Austrian media, particularly from cultural commentators in daily newspapers. Their fashion choices and preferences for neon colors, mullet hairstyles ( vokuhila ), and Palestinian scarves, were often met with disapproval and considered to be "tasteless" and "superficial." Oliver Grimm described it as a revival of "the worst of the 80s" in Die Presse (2008). The usage of their so-called Austro-Pidgin slang was also perceived as "irritating," "uneducated," or "anti-intellectual."

Philipp Ikrath, head of the Hamburg department of the Institute for Youth Culture Research in Vienna, characterized Krocha as a "pure fun culture" in Der Standard (2008), criticizing them for their focus on self-expression and consumerism. He also criticized the appropriation of symbols like the Palestinian scarf ( keffiyeh , also known as Palästinensertuch in German), which held no political or cultural significance for the Krocha and was merely seen as a simple fashion accessory. Ikrath predicted that the trend would be short-lived, arguing that Vienna was not typically a city where international trends originated.Kuromicore is a dark feminine aesthetic based on the character Kuromi, who is a white rabbit wearing devil-inspired attire, by the company Sanrio. In Japan, hardcore fans of the character are also referred to as Kuromiotaku (クロミオタク).

Kuromicore's origins in the dark alternative J-fashion scene have made it a staple in fashion styles such as Yami Kawaii , Dark Girly , and Jirai Kei . In the west, it has a strong connection in aesthetics such as E-girl , Pastel Goth , Dark Babygirl , and general dark styles in touch with Japanese aesthetics and trends.

Clothes in Kuromicore vary heavily, with the core trait of them having a black, pink, and pastel purple color palette with Kuromi motifs. In Japan, Kuromi is closely associated with Jirai Kei . Western Kuromicore may follow one or multiple alt fashion styles, usually following those in the Pastel Goth , 2020 Alt , and E-Girl umbrellas. Chokers, belts, harnesses, and corsets may be decorated with chains and studs. Platform boots and shoes are paired with striped/fishnet tights or thigh-high stockings. In J-fashion circles, Kuromicore fashion may be more in line with Dark Girly and Goth-Punk attire in addition to western alt styles. In terms of accessories, face stickers, piercings, pointy-decorated nails, Kuromi-ear headbands, and devil tails are popular.

In the west, Kuromicore makeup follows trends popularized on online alternative circles that may be similar to E-Girl makeup. Eyes are decorated with black, hot pink, or purple eyeshadow with winged eyeliner and false lashes. Similarly to Jirai Kei, some wearers may try to make their eyes appear sickly or teary-eyed with reddened coloring, paralleling the "sickly byojaku" eye makeup trend in Japan. This eye makeup is done in combination with horizontal blush and dark lipstick. Eastern kuromicore makeup instead favors a "cutesy yet sickly" aura. Japanese accounts on TikTok and Instagram tend to follow a similar pattern of dark, reddened eyes and desaturated foundation, but with less pronounced lashes, downturned eyeliner, pronounced "baby-eye fat" (涙袋), and black circle lens contacts to make the iris appear larger.Larme Kei (ラルム系) is a style described by the overseas community centered around the early issues of the Japanese fashion magazine LARME that features a dainty feminine aesthetic catered towards women in their 20s. The term itself is not used in Japan, and the core style of the magazine is known as " Girly fashion " (ガーリーファッション) or " Girly Kei " (ガーリー系).

Much of the magazine also focused on hair and makeup, which always followed a hyper-feminine and kawaii style, with liberal use of pinks, browns, and glitter. The hairstyles are incredibly elaborate, with bangs being a must.

LARME magazine is a Japanese magazine founded in 2012 and described as a "sweet and cute girl's fashion picture book" by Haruna Nakagoori. The target audience was cultured young women from the ages of 18-25, who would read and go to museums, but started to focus on popular trends after its relaunch in 2020. A unique feature of the magazine's early issues were its editing style, with multiple props and illustrations being used to decorate the pages. The fashion magazine had a distinctly feminine style in both outfits and props that balances kawaii and sexy elements, with multiple vintage-inspired pieces and interesting textures.

In addition to the magazine, there were many other photos from the boutiques where LARME clothing originates from. These smaller clothing stores often have "shop girl snaps," where employees style the brand's clothing in their own outfits to be posted on the website.

During the years Larme Kei was active, Japan had many microtrends with these boutiques sharing the same motifs. LARME magazine was both inspired by these boutiques (and inspiring them in return), making the trend known among this circle but lacked a name. This style was commonly found in Shibuya, where the Shibuya-109 department store housed these small businesses.

The fashion style was codified as "Larme Kei" by Westerners during the mid-2010s who used the same applications of rules and guides that Japanese fashion subcultures (such as Lolita and Fairy Kei ) used. This was through various blogs, specifically on Blogspot. Some western readers would codify some styles based on the photo shoot themes based off of models, as well as some common motifs from the 2014 issues. In addition to Blogspot, many fans also created Polyvore moodboards.

However, there is some discrepancy between "Larme Kei" and what is actually shown in the magazine. Larme Kei refers to what was common within the magazine and specific stores from 2014-2017, with an incredibly specific blend of cute with sexy, the colors pink and black, the use of fur and leather accessories, etc. As trends passed, Larme naturally evolved away from these mid-2010s elements, proving that Larme magazine's style is not just "Larme Kei".

The magazine itself also featured varied looks, so there is not really a definitive style beyond its core being the Japanese style known as "Girly" (not to be confused with the English adjective). For example, some shoots featured looks that could be classified as strictly preppy, French Girl, fairy tale, etc. The Larme Kei featured in western blogs was often limited to a few shoots and trends found throughout multiple themes combined into one style.

The aesthetic later faded in popularity in the overseas community, and many of the Blogspots ceased to post or had their domains taken down. The tag is still in use, and like many J-fashion communities, has new content on TikTok. However, the TikTok outfits incorporate elements of Jirai , which is another departure from the original wearability featured in the Larme magazine.

This aesthetic has also led to Jirai Kei . Since both originate from girly aesthetics, there are many commonalities, especially with the pink and black color combination being extremely popular. Many of the brands that produced clothing featured in Larme magazine had made their designs resemble Jirai styles in the 2020s. Because of this, many western people also misattribute Jirai Kei as Larme.

In regards to the magazine, the popularity of it is largely due to not only the outfits and beauty, but also the setting and editing style of the photoshoots. The models and selfies are often put into scenery that carries a girly connotation. For example, cluttered bedrooms, rose gardens, tea parties, etc. are some settings found within the magazine. The edits would include transparent images of bows, pearls, and other girly objects and English text saying dreamy quotes. However, the magazine also aimed to have a melancholy feel to it. The models rarely smiled, instead having neutral, sensual, or pouting faces.

In the blogosphere, the bloggers did not have the elaborate photoshoots or edits of the magazine. Instead, it was typically a selfie or a flatlay of their outfit. The Blogspot graphic design and tumblr themes they created resembled the magazine instead. Blogs were typically pink, had a handwritten or vintage font, and had similarly melancholy/dreamy/romantic headings and usernames. Social media accounts who posted Larme Kei also tended to post non-fashion related photos that could be categorized as Delicate Sweet , Pink Parisian , Pink Princess , and Kawaii .

Note: The fashion included in Larme Kei for this section describes the western interpretation of the fashion, as opposed to the real magazine, which includes outfits that may not be in line with the traditional image of "Larme Kei." This fashion aesthetic is present in multiple issues of Larme, but Larme itself contains multiple styles and does not identify the typical outfit formulas as attributed to them inherently.

Larme Kei styles largely focus on hyper-femininity, with different outfits balancing or leaning towards elegant , sexy, or girlish elements. Many bloggers have mentioned this in styling, with making a garment contrast the other to make the look more "Larme" as opposed to purely girlish or purely sexy. For example, a puffed sleeve pink blouse (girlish) pairs with a black pencil skirt (mature), while a black cold-shoulder top (sexy) pairs with a fluffy tulle skirt (girlish). In the magazine, these elements are also often kept separate, as different sections of the issue have different themes.

Much of the style, both in western Larme Kei and the magazine, relies on mixing textures . Lace, leather, sheer fabrics, feathers, fur, etc. are common features within outfit photos. However, colors are less bold, with the most common colors being pastels, red, black, and white . The magazine, however, often does deviate from this color palette while the western community largely focuses on red, pink, black, and white. There are also some common patterns, most especially gingham and plaid .

Something common between both interpretations is the utilization of different girly personas in creating outfits. Schoolgirls, French maids, and dolls are some common ones. Larme's themed photoshoots and outfit tips often encourage incorporating outfit details reminiscent of these characters, such as a "maid" outfit having a black blouse with a white collar paired with a black pencil skirt.

The tops in Larme Kei contain various feminine details. These include:

Most often, pencil skirts (or other form-fitting skirts) are worn in the fashion. This allows for either a vintage and sophisticated, or a sexy element to exist to contrast the more feminine and girly top. An incredibly viral item that became mimicked by multiple brands is a pencil skirt with an attached "garter belt" in the form of a peplum and dangling garters attached to the skirt.

Another type of skirt is one where a mini skirt is under a sheer maxi skirt . This would often be attached together and in black.

Pants also may appear in this style, albeit they are much rarer than skirts. Because of this rarity, they often do not appear in coordinates in western fans. In the magazine, they are most often gaucho pants.

Suspenders are an incredibly common detail found in bottoms, with ruffles at the shoulders sometimes. Additionally, a high waistband that looks like a corset is popular.

Most dresses include the same elements as the tops and bottoms above, but attached together.

Strap and slip dresses are often worn over tops and are often in a contrasting texture, such as satin, sheer, pleated, etc.

For a while, there was a microtrend of putting fur and feathers on shoes to mimic the incredibly popular and sexualized marabou mules . Larme magazine (and thus Larme Kei) emphasized the femininity of the style by exclusively wearing heels or platform shoes in classic styles , which tend to be Mary Janes, pumps, T-straps, etc.

These shoes would almost always be paired with lace or sheer socks or tights . This would be in a more classic design.

Most often, Larme Kei wearers incorporated a choker into their outfit, often contrasting the top. For example, if the top was mature and sexy, the choker would be pink and have a heart charm, while a pink outfit would include a black and collar-esque style.

The models almost always had bangs that covered their forehead , either bluntly or in a wispy style. This is because it is common in Japan and signifies femininity , making this style seen in multiple Japanese fashions. And because Larme Kei wearers in the West often dabble in multiple J-fashions, they also wore these bangs.

Multiple spreads in Larme magazine and Japanese blogs featured tutorials for intricate braids , often incorporating ribbons and hairclips.

The makeup in Larme involves eye makeup that makes the wearer appear as if they were crying. So, heavy pink eyeshadow is one of the most common looks. This is often paired with fake lashes, contact lenses, and shimmer to make the eyes appear more delicate and large.

Base makeup is a light, clean look that does not feature heavy contour. However, blush placement is often varied and changed the face dramatically.

For lip makeup, the color and shine level depends entirely on the season and outfit aesthetic, so a wide variety of lip products could be used.

As described above, this section describes the "rules" of the fashion perceived by the Western community. These bloggers translated the taglines of the models (which only went on for a handful of editions), and interpreted it as "substyles" in the Larme Kei look. Below, the galleries show spreads from Larme 020, where bloggers cite the substyle idea. This concept was later left behind, but because of the lag due to translation, misinterpretation, etc., it was seen as a constant in the style.

This style was worn by Risa Nakamura, and was characterized by being more overtly sexy in comparison to the other girls. Fur coats , especially in leopard print , are a common motif in her outfits and fits the sensual, texture-heavy motifs of the styling. Likewise, fetish and lingerie motifs , such as slip dresses, latex, and garter belts appear in outfits.

The silhouette is also tighter . Pencil skirts, baby tees, and turtlenecks are more popular in her outfits.

The earliest issues of Larme magazine had a high focus on "Lolita fashion", much to the annoyance of Japanese Lolita fashion enthusiasts. In the case of Larme, the term Lolita is used as name for nymphet fashion with "American Lolita" being inspired by the 1997 movie and "French Lolita" by the works of Serge Gainsbourg. Thus, the fashion spreads the editors made were in the style of the different film adaptations. Red, especially gingham , was a common motif. Cherries, sailor collars, and other fashion motifs found in the film adaptations were the common traits of this substyle.

Often, the magazine draws upon inspiration from grunge fashion, with individual spreads focusing on the re-interpretation of the aesthetic. Here, the editors and fans combine garments typically associated with grunge with the magazine's style. The outfits here are also in darker colors, avoid girlish styles, and use stiffer fabrics and metal embellishments.

Common garments here include: bomber/military jackets, platform boots, and tee shirts .

The concept is "sweet girly artbook". It is a magazine with a very cute atmosphere, often covered by girls in girly fashion on the cover. It often features freebies like eyeshadow make-up sets and paper with cute visuals.

A magazine full of mature girly outfits that are not too sweet and a casual mix. The accessories such as pouches and bags are collabs with extremely cute fashion brands.

With the theme of girly beauty, it features a style with feminine elements that is a little mature. It will be helpful if you like girly fashion but want a calm outfit.

Defunct blogs will include a link to a Wayback Machine archive.Lulicore (可露丽风) is a fashion aesthetic that emerged in China on the social media platform Rednote in 2025. The name is a phonetic translation of the Chinese term " kělùlì fēng ," which means " Canelé Style ," referencing the French pastry. The aesthetic is characterized by a color palette that combines a base of brownish colors, meant to evoke the caramelized crust of a canelé, with accents of bright pastel shades that represent the dessert's filling or toppings.

Lulicore originated from a collaboration between Rednote’s fashion gala, REDGALA, the magazine Vogue, and the art toy brand POP MART, featuring its character LABUBU. The trend was forecasted on social platforms as a combination of previous trends like Dopamine Dressing and Maillard Style , gaining further credibility from its alignment with Pantone’s 2025 Colour of the Year, mocha mousse. It quickly gained significant traction on Rednote, where the hashtag #可露丽风 (lulicore) accumulated over 211.9 million views. A related hashtag featuring the celebrity Nana Ou-Yang, #欧阳娜娜可露丽fitcheck, reached 6.67 million views and ranked on the platform's Hot Topic list.

The core of the Lulicore fashion aesthetic is its specific color theory, directly inspired by the French canelé dessert. Outfits are built around a main color of brown, with various pastel shades used as accents. This can be achieved by pairing brown tops and bottoms with colorful accessories, or by layering garments, such as wearing a brown outer garment over a pastel inner garment. The style combines the rich, neutral tones of brown with soft, bright colors to create a gentle and sweet visual.Magical Girl ( 魔法少女 ) is a character trope and literary genre that centers both around the concepts of girls coming of age and possessing power through their femininity rather than by rejecting it. It is a common theme for the protagonists to need to balance their school lives, personal lives, and their responsibilities of saving the world as a Magical Girl. The aesthetic is often hyperfeminine and very in touch with expressing emotion freely, both positive and negative.

Magical Girls are often in a team of young girls, destined to save the world. These characters often have their own designated color, weapon, and power assigned to them, although which colors, weapons, and powers can vary. Alongside these color coded costumes, a very iconic part of what makes a Magical Girl a Magical Girl visually is the animated transformation from a normal young girl into her Magical Girl identity.

Sally the Witch by Mitsuteru Yokoyama was the first Magical Girl anime to air in 1966, whilst Himitsu no Akko-chan was the first Magical Girl manga (first printed in 1962), but the most well known and influential Magical Girl anime in pop culture is Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon (often shortened to Sailor Moon ) by Naoko Takeuchi.

Magical girl-inspired fashion, also known as Mahou Kei , shares many visual similarities with Fairy Kei . Beyond the casual outfits with magical girl print, there are also many frilly sailor uniforms and over-the-top Lolita dresses inspired by the outfits from the various series. Handmade transformation  compact brooches and magic wands are popular accessories. Different to other styles, wigs are very common to be worn due to the extensive styling that gives a more otherworldly feeling to the outfit.Maidcore (Мейдкор) is an internet music scene and aesthetic that originated in the mid-2010s within the Russian social media platform VK. The movement is defined by a community of anonymous musicians who adopt the personas of the "Nijiura Maids," a set of fictional characters created on the Japanese imageboard Futaba Channel (2chan). The core of the aesthetic is this act of performance: artists release their music under the pseudonym of a specific maid (e.g., "Yakui the Maid," "Ozoi the Maid"), and the music itself is intended to be an instrumental expression of that character's personality and backstory.

The Maidcore scene was founded around 2013 by the artist Yakui the Maid, who was the first to adopt a Nijiura Maid persona and create music to fit it. The concept quickly gained traction on VK, and a community of artists followed suit, each choosing a different maid from the Nijiura canon or creating their own original one.

The inspiration for the movement, the Nijiura Maids, are a collection of over a dozen original characters created by anonymous users on 2chan's Nijiura board. Each maid has a unique name, design, and a set of personality traits or symbolic attributes (e.g., one is sickly, one is a swordswoman, one is paranormal). The Maidcore music scene uses these established character concepts as a thematic framework for its musical and visual output.

While the community solidified on VK, the practice of using Nijiura Maids as personas originated on the now-defunct Russian imageboard Omichan. Early users employed images of the maids (particularly "Yakui," known for drug references) for trolling purposes before the trend evolved into a musical project. The term "Maidcore" was officially coined in 2014 by artists Yakui and Ozoi with the release of the album Regressive Maidcore, intended as a tongue-in-cheek genre label that stuck.

The scene experienced a resurgence in popularity in the 2020s, gaining a more international audience beyond Russia through platforms like Spotify and Bandcamp. This led to the formation of a dedicated record label, Maidcore Records, to issue physical releases.

The visual aesthetic of Maidcore is inextricably linked to the "Nijiura Maids" characters from Futaba Channel. Artists typically commission or create anime-style illustrations of their chosen persona for album covers and social media profiles. However, distinct from the polished style of mainstream anime, Maidcore visuals often employ a raw, lo-fi, or glitch aesthetic.

The style has been described by developers associated with the scene as "Oekaki Punk" (referencing the early internet "Oekaki" or doodle boards). This visual approach is characterized by a disregard for modern digital polish, favoring non-anti-aliased lines, jagged pixels, and a sketchy, hand-drawn quality that retains the roughness of early 2000s internet art.

Artwork frequently features muted or monochrome color palettes, digital noise, and distortion effects that mirror the abrasive and melancholic atmosphere of the music. Specific motifs often include drug paraphernalia (referencing the character Yakui), gloomy urban environments, and glitch artifacts. The consistent use of the "X the Maid" naming convention serves as a unifying textual motif, creating a cohesive lore across the disparate musical acts.

Maidcore is often thematically linked to the "Post-Soviet" experience and the Doomer mindset. In interviews, foundational artist Yakui the Maid has described the genre's output as "sad music for riding a bus in a post-Soviet Russia," reflecting a sense of urban alienation, routine, and melancholy common in Russian internet culture. While the visual presentation relies on "cute" anime tropes, the underlying philosophy explores themes of social anxiety, drug abuse (referenced by the character Yakui), and existential dread, creating a deliberate dissonance between the cheerful maid costumes and the bleak reality of the artists' environments.

Maidcore does not adhere to a single, rigid sound, but it is generally characterized by an eclectic and experimental fusion of electronic music and rock. The most common description of the sound is a blend of Breakcore , Post-Rock , and Post-Metal . The music is almost always instrumental and is defined by a dark, moody, and often "depressive-aggressive" tone. Common sonic elements include:

The combination of these elements varies between artists, with some leaning more into metal, some into witch house , and others into ambient post-rock. The unifying principle is that the music serves as a character piece, translating the personality of the chosen maid persona into sound.

Production often utilizes specific vintage hardware to achieve its signature grit; for example, Yakui the Maid utilizes Soviet-era synthesizers (such as the Lel 22 and Tom 1501) alongside digital workstations.

The aesthetic has expanded into interactive media, most notably with the visual novel Project Basement Dating by developer Mad_M. The game is explicitly inspired by the Maidcore music scene and features an art style described as "Oekaki Punk"—a raw, pixelated, and unpolished visual style that mirrors the lo-fi nature of the music. The game incorporates the scene's themes of drug use, mental distress, and the Nijiura Maid character archetypes into a narrative format.Mall Ninja is a braggadocious stereotype involving boasting about weapon proficiency and being "badass," despite a lack of mastery and respect for weapons practice. Obsessed with weapon tropes depicted in anime, action movies, or other violent fiction, the Mall Ninja is characterized by clumsy threats or posturing for superiority. Mall Ninja is an offshoot relation to the "Internet Tough Guy."

The main aesthetic concept of the Mall Ninja is that of being a poor mimicry of a fictional badass character. Their weapons, which they often carry in the eponymous malls, tend to be tacky and based on items that they have seen in anime. For example, they would have unnecessary ornamentation like colors, have no practical function, and are made of poor quality materials. Likewise, the clothing that they can typically be seen wearing is cheap, may fit poorly, and looks tacky. This is not based purposefully on camp, but rather being inexperienced in judging quality.

Most of the aesthetics and hobbies also overlap with Weeaboos . In fact, one of the main motivators of becoming a Mall Ninja could come from wanting to be like an anime character or because of the Dunning-Kreuger Effect which is defined as "a cognitive bias whereby people with low ability, expertise, or experience regarding a certain type of a task or area of knowledge tend to overestimate their ability or knowledge. Some researchers also include in their definition the opposite effect for high performers: their tendency to underestimate their skills." For example, a Weeaboo may mistake the hours of anime they watched as being hours of watching weapons training. These two groups, Weeaboos and Mall Ninjas, also share similar stereotypes such as a lack of hygiene, anti or asocial personality traits, "basement-dwelling", and an over-obsession with their hobbies.

As described by the Internet history site "Know Your Meme," the term was first documented being used around a thread on Glock Talk, a forum for gun owners, in 2001. Gecko45, a mall cop (sometimes derogatorily referred to as a "2.5" insinuating a mall cop is equal to half of one police officer which is a "5-0"), was paranoid about being shot on the job and talked about constantly wearing a bulletproof vest while having a firearm with him. The following is his defense of these habits which ironically, though unintentionally, became the very first Mall Ninja post. Linked here is an archived version of the original thread responsible for coining the term.

After this incident, the fact that Gecko45 worked in a mall and had claimed to be adept at skills held by real ninjas the term "Mall Ninja" became popular on the Glock Talk forum and spread to other internet communities as Mall Ninjas appeared on other social media sites such as Facebook and 4chan. In 2012, the subreddit r/mallninjashit was created for the purpose of posting images of Mall Ninja weapons, accessories, and memes. Later the same year, a page related to this cultural niche appeared on "Rational Wiki," a wiki-like site similar to this one with the purpose of documenting internet philosophy.Manba (マンバ) is a substyle of Japanese Gyaru fashion that emerged from the late 1990s, reaching its peak popularity in the early 2000s. It evolved from Ganguro , pushing its style and characteristics to more extreme levels. The style is a visible and deliberate rejection of traditional Japanese beauty standards, which favor pale skin and natural-looking features.

The key characteristics of Manba include a very deep, dark artificial tan, achieved through tanning beds or dark foundation. This is contrasted with heavy, striking makeup, specifically white concealer applied around the eyes and on the lips to create a stark, panda-like effect. The hair is often voluminous and bleached to bright, unnatural colors like platinum blonde, silver, or neon shades. Face stickers, especially glittery or star-shaped ones, are also common. The fashion is vibrant and casual, drawing inspiration from Hawaiian and tropical themes with motifs like hibiscus flowers, often worn with platform boots and bright clothing.

Manba originated in the Shibuya district of Tokyo, Japan, around 1999 and 2003 as a more extreme evolution of the Ganguro style. The name " Yamanba " was sometimes used interchangeably or to describe an even more intense version of the look, with the term allegedly being a reference to " Yamauba " (山姥), a mountain witch from Japanese folklore. The style's deliberate use of deep tans, bleached hair, and dramatic makeup was a form of rebellion against traditional Japanese beauty standards, which valued pale skin and understated features.

At the height of its popularity, Manba was promoted heavily in youth fashion magazines like egg and Ranzuki. The subculture was associated with Shibuya's Center-Gai street, where participants would gather for activities such as parapara dancing, taking pictures in purikura photo booths, and shopping. This lifestyle was seen as non-conformist and was often viewed negatively by mainstream Japanese society and even some within the broader gyaru community due to its perceived "unattractiveness" and association with a rebellious lifestyle.

The popularity of Manba peaked in the early 2000s but began to decline by the mid-to-late 2000s. The decline is attributed to several factors, including harsh public criticism, negative media portrayal, a societal shift toward more natural beauty standards, and the natural aging of the Gyaru community. However, since the late 2010s, the style has seen a small revival on social media, as well as the resurgence of magazines like egg. This has introduced Manba to new generations and re-energized the community, though it remains a niche aesthetic compared to its peak.

Manba fashion is a deliberate and theatrical aesthetic that exaggerates elements of Ganguro and Gyaru. The style is characterized by a stark contrast between deeply tanned skin and bold, light-colored makeup. It embraces a playful and non-conformist attitude.

Makeup is a central component of the Manba aesthetic, designed to create a dramatic and contrasting look. The base of the style is a deep artificial tan, achieved with dark foundation or even face paint to produce a very dark skin tone. This is contrasted with a heavy application of white concealer used on the eyes, lips, and sometimes the nose, creating a striking "panda-like" effect. Adornments such as rhinestones, glitter, or stickers are frequently applied to the face. The eyes are further emphasized with thick eyeliner, false lashes, and circle lenses in light, unnatural colors like blue, pink, or white to make the eyes appear larger and more doll-like.

Hair in the Manba style is typically voluminous and brightly colored. It is often bleached to a light shade such as platinum blonde or silver, or dyed in vibrant neon colors like pink, green, or blue. Extensions are frequently used to add volume and length. Hairstyles can also include small braids and clips to further accessorize the look.

Manba clothing is casual and colorful, with a strong influence from Hawaiian and tropical motifs. It features bright, neon clothing that stands out against the dark tan. Accessories such as leis and other floral items are common. Footwear typically consists of platform sandals or boots, which add height and contribute to the exaggerated silhouette of the style. The overall look is meant to be fun and expressive.

The Manba subculture, like other extreme aesthetics, has faced various criticisms and controversies, particularly as it gained international attention. These criticisms often relate to cultural and historical context, leading to debates within and outside of the Gyaru community.

One of the most common criticisms of Manba, especially from Western perspectives, is the accusation of blackface . In the United States, blackface refers to the historical practice of white performers darkening their skin with makeup to perform racist caricatures of Black people. Due to this history, the practice of intentionally darkening one's skin for an aesthetic, as seen in Manba and other Gyaru substyles, is often criticized for its resemblance to blackface.

While the original intention behind tanning in Japan's Gyaru subculture was to rebel against Japanese beauty standards that prize fair skin, the practice lacks the historical context of racial oppression found in the West. This difference in cultural history is central to the debate. However, critics argue that regardless of the original intent, the visual resemblance is insensitive and perpetuates harmful stereotypes. Within modern international Gyaru communities, while tanning is still a component of Manba, participants are often more mindful about not tanning to an extreme degree, with the exception of those who have naturally dark skin.

The term Ogyaru is not a substyle of Gyaru but a descriptive label for a specific type of participant. It was used to describe Gyaru who were perceived as unkempt and smelled bad, often because they went days without bathing or changing clothes. Many Ogyaru were associated with Manba or Yamanba . While they were often criticized and judged, it is now understood that many of these individuals were runaway teenagers who were unhoused and lacked access to safe places to clean themselves. Others intentionally adopted an uncleanly appearance to prevent being sexually objectified by men.

" Tropical Gyaru " is a term coined by some Western Gyaru enthusiasts and admirers. It gained popularity on social media platforms like Pinterest and TikTok and is used to describe Manba, Yamanba , and other Gyaru wearing beachwear or swimsuits. The aesthetic visually overlaps with the Coconut Girl aesthetic. However, the term is seen as controversial within the wider international Gyaru community. Many in the community consider "Tropical Gyaru" a simplified or "watered-down" version of the more complex and detailed Manba or Yamanba styles. This critique shows the desire of the community to preserve the distinct cultural and historical identity of the original subculture against what is perceived as a superficial reinterpretation.Marshmallow Girl (マシュマロ女子, Mashumaro Joshi ) describes a Japanese fashion movement characterized by a yurufuwa (loose and fluffy) style of dress. This aesthetic emphasizes soft textures, rounded silhouettes, and comfortable, loose-fitting clothing, creating a gentle and airy impression. The term "Marshmallow Girl" emerged to positively describe women who embrace this style, particularly in a cultural context where traditional beauty standards favor extreme thinness. While the name alludes to a soft, rounded physique, the aesthetic primarily focuses on how clothing and styling can convey cuteness and comfort regardless of body size, aiming to challenge prevailing beauty norms and promote self-acceptance.

The "Marshmallow Girl" phenomenon originated in Japan in 2013 with the launch of La Farfa, a new plus-size fashion magazine. La Farfa, credited with coining the term, aimed to offer a positive representation of women who did not conform to Japan's prevailing thin beauty ideals. The magazine featured models, such as Goto Seina, who were described as "Marshmallow Girls" and typically weighed between 60-120 kg. This initiative provided a new platform for clothing designed for larger-than-average Japanese body sizes, which were historically difficult to find due to widespread societal discrimination against those perceived as "chubby". The term "Marshmallow Girl" itself was inspired by the tactile "heavenly ‘marshmallow feel’" of a soft stomach, serving as a cutesy re-appraisal of body shapes often subjected to negative labels.

Following La Farfa's success, the concept expanded. In early 2014, J-Pop idol groups composed of "Marshmallow Girls," such as Chubbiness and la BIG 3, were formed through collaborations between fashion magazines and entertainment companies. These groups presented members in brightly colored, cheerful attire, often incorporating food imagery in their music videos to playfully emphasize their connection to food and challenge stereotypes. For instance, Chubbiness's debut song, " Manma Dear ," served as an anthem for "chubby girls" globally, promoting self-love. These idol groups, through their upbeat music and positive self-presentation, aimed to inspire confidence, even though some members' body mass indices were within the normal range by Western standards.

The trend gained traction, with La Farfa's popularity increasing to a bi-monthly publication. The market for "Marshmallow Girl"-inspired products also grew, including the release of plus-size cosplay costumes by companies like JiG Paradise. While the movement was born out of a capitalist desire to tap into an underserved market, its emergence created new spaces for self-expression and body positivity. However, reception was mixed; while many women found the term empowering, it also faced criticism for potentially infantilizing women, being a product of male desire, or reinforcing a link between larger bodies and food consumption.

Marshmallow Girl fashion is defined by a yurufuwa (loose and fluffy) style of dress, emphasizing soft textures and rounded silhouettes. This aesthetic prioritizes comfortable, loose-fitting clothing to create a gentle and airy impression. The style challenges conventional beauty standards in Japan by providing a positive fashion identity for women who do not conform to the prevailing thin ideal.

The clothing is often characterized by a cute ( kawaii ) aesthetic, incorporating bright and cheerful color palettes. It frequently features garments that are not specifically designed as plus-size but are worn by women of varying sizes to achieve the desired soft and rounded silhouette. This includes items such as dresses, skirts, and tops that are relaxed in fit. The intent is to convey cuteness and comfort regardless of body size. While the term "Marshmallow Girl" alludes to a soft, rounded physique, the fashion focuses on how styling can positively represent this body type, celebrating self-acceptance through clothing choice.

The concept of "Marshmallow Girl" has faced various criticisms, despite its aim to promote a more positive body image in Japan. Initial feedback from some readers of La Farfa magazine expressed that the models were not considered conventionally pretty, asserting that dressing them up did not alter their perceived overweight status.

A significant portion of criticism, particularly from men on the internet, has been directed at the concept itself. Some respondents preferred slimmer women, linking larger body sizes to negative perceptions of being "slovenly" or "unhealthy," and often used derogatory terms. The term "Marshmallow Girl" itself has been criticized for being infantilizing or excessively cutesy, as it refers to a sugary food item. Some questioned whether "kawaii" (cuteness) should be the sole aspirational beauty standard for all Japanese women, suggesting a need for new ways to discuss women's bodies rather than fitting them into existing categories.

Concerns have also been raised regarding the movement's capitalist motivations. Critics questioned if the initiative, launched by a fashion magazine and later monetized through idol groups, truly aimed at empowerment or merely created a false sense of positivity to drive consumerism. The portrayal of "Marshmallow Girl" idols frequently associated larger bodies with food consumption, which some argued inadvertently reinforced stereotypes linking increased food intake with larger body sizes. Additionally, some male preferences for "Marshmallow Girls" were attributed to a desire for a "motherly" feel or a "sensual feel" of their bodies, raising questions about the extent to which the movement truly empowered women versus responding to male physical desires. There was also debate whether the movement truly challenged societal norms or simply represented an "acceptable form of deviance" from the established thin body ideal.Mizuiro (水色, meaning "water colored" or "aqua") is a Japanese aesthetic that utilizes a light blue color palette and visuals from contemporary youth in the nation. Its mood is largely pessimistic, with cold tones, slouchy clothing, and an association with Otaku culture. It also incorporates Kawaii elements, especially with mascots and girly fashion.

Western fans had mistakenly referred to the 2020s revival of Mizuiro as Tenshi Kaiwai (天使界隈, Angel Community); this is actually the community hashtag of the Tenshi Zyoshi magazine/blog that featured the aesthetic, not the aesthetic itself. It is also sometimes misspelled as "Tenshi Kawaii," which the Japanese community does not use.

The community for this aesthetic creates content on Instagram and TikTok, which can be found by searching 水色界隈 (mizuiro community), 水色サブカル (mizuiro subculture), and 水色雰囲気 (mizuiro aesthetic).

Before it was given any name, the aesthetic was mostly associated with Ano from the now distinct Japanese idol group You'll Melt More! as well as her fans during the mid-to-late 2010s. As the "light blue" member of the group, she was mainly known for being a social outcast and her customized tracksuits, both of which are still a recurring theme in the aesthetic to this today.

In 2020, due to a tracksuit boom, a renewed interest in the aesthetic occurred, causing a new peak in its popularity.

Most images in this aesthetic have been edited to be cooler toned, with a bluish-gray hue over the image. The colors in this aesthetic always include light blue (hence the name) and white. Black and silver are other common colors. Pink may show through because of the popular trend of excess blush makeup and its ubiquity in Kawaii merchandise. Some mizuiro visuals incorporate cyber/ webcore visuals from the 90s or 2000s to early 2010s, with low-poly computer generated imagery, old web design and fonts, and Web 1.0 internet UIs.

Cute, minimalistic illustrations are also a popular motif in this aesthetic and very reminiscent of wabi-sabi with their wobbly outlines and unpolished look. They usually feature original characters created for purely aesthetic reasons rather than a story.

However, characters from specific anime and franchises may be featured too. People in this aesthetic may own figurines, posters, and various other merchandise centered around these characters, similar to Kawaii Gamer . A common character is Rei Ayanami from Neon Genesis Evangelion, Hangyodon from Sanrio, as well as Hachiware from Chiikawa, and the de facto mascot is Sanrio's Cinnamoroll. What all these characters have in common is that white and blue are their main colors, which explains their popularity in the mizuiro community.

The locations many images take place in also reflect an Otaku lifestyle. Many photos often take place in arcades and gamer set-ups. The photos also often have an industrial edge to them, as many photos were taken in city streets and parking garages, with concrete and steel being common in the background.

While the aesthetic covers a wide range of styles, there is a few elements that are characteristic of mizuiro fashion.

This fashion style mainly consists a light blue color scheme, usually with hints of sportiness or techwear influences like tracksuits, hoodies, etc. Sometimes flared leg warmers are included. Usually features kawaii imagery or a general soft feel, and is paired with old web aesthetics.

Content creators on TikTok often create videos of them wearing the light blue outfits and dancing to fast-paced electronic dance music or VOCALOID music. Commonly, these people cover up their face with stickers or use filters.

Like in other fashion-centered TikTok communities, there are also many videos where people following the aesthetic show off their latest hauls, introduce their favorite brands, or recommend specific products and where to get them.

Popular artists within Mizuiro include:Moe (萌え/もえ) is a Japanese term describing the subgenre of anime and manga visuals focused on cuteness and innocence. Leaning heavily into Kawaii and feminine visuals, the term is used for characters that create emotions of affection and adoration. The Moe aesthetic places these characters as its main focus.

Around the end of the 90s there was a rise of an internet board known as 2channel or 2chan for short. 2channel gained huge popularity towards the end of the century where it grew to have as much influence in society as television and other forms of media did.

On one of the many boards on the site, there grew a rise in young men posting anonymously about young girls in anime, manga and games. These men began to refer to these girls with the term moe, coming from the word " moeru " (萌える) which can either mean "to bud/sprout" or "to burn with passion" depending on the kanji and context.

The term " Moe " is a bit broad in of itself, while the term's origin is uncertain, some believe Moe derives from the said " Moeru " (萌える), or "budding",  (perhaps to imply someone's budding feelings for a character) Or it could have derived from a character named "Hotaru Tomoe" from Sailor Moon. This became a slang word that originally became popular among Otaku on internet forums in the early 1990s, and then spread across mass media in the 2000s. The term then evolved to being used to describe anything cute, although this article is focused on the original definition.

Moe as an art style stems from "𝗕𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗷𝗼" (美少女) meaning "beautiful girl", This style was common in most  80s/90s anime character design, since there was an intent on marketing more to the female demographic, overtime more rounded and "kawaii" art styles became dominant in Shoujo series, these character designs often exaggerated certain facial features like making the eyes bigger in order to make them more cute or appealing. While Bishoujo designs emphasize the beauty of a character, these exaggerations usually are used to emphasize the cuteness of the character. This new design eventually branched off to become a major part of feminine character designs in anime and manga. As the Moe style became more popular and influential in anime, the art style for Moe character designs evolved steadily over the decades. Modern Moe designs are much thinner and simpler with linework and exaggerate the chibi-like facial proportions more compared to past anime.

The term's origin and etymology are unknown. Anime columnist John Oppliger has outlined several popular theories describing how the term would have stemmed from the name of anime heroines, such as Hotaru Tomoe from Sailor Moon or Moe Sagisawa from the 1993 anime Kyōryū Wakusei.

Moe used in slang refers to feelings of affection, adoration, devotion, and excitement felt towards characters that appear in manga, anime, video games, and other media (usually Japanese). The term is often used to describe a strong emotional response to a character's cuteness, innocence, vulnerability, or other endearing qualities. Moe characters are typically depicted as being cute, charming, and sometimes somewhat naive, which can evoke protective or nurturing feelings in the viewer.

Moe Anthropomorphism ( 萌え擬人化 ), also referred to as Gijinka characters , is a form of anthropomorphism, and it refers to fictional characters that represent non-human animals, inanimate objects, consumer products or abstract concepts in a humanized form and include moe characteristics , such as cuteness, childlike innocence and endearing vulnerability. Sometimes, it can also apply to parodies of real-life persons and historical figures as anime characters. This phenomenon has been  embraced by several anime franchises and has appeared in several forms of media, including manga, video games, and webcomics.

While Moe Anthropomorphism on its own is not meant to be offensive or objectifying, it has gained popularity among image board websites like 2channel and 4chan, where they are sometimes given a problematic or political use. A notorious example of a controversial moe anthropomorphic character is " Ebola-chan " , a personification of ebola created by 4chan users during the 2014 ebola virus epidemic in West Africa. This character was spread around by trolls in African social media websites, along with misinformation about the disease and racist statements. With the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, they created a similar character in 2020  called " Corona-chan " , which personifies the Coronavirus disease. Other controversial ones include Vivian James , a personification of Gamergate (a cyberharassment campaign targeting women in the gaming industry) or " ISIS-chan " , a personification of the terrorist organization of the same name.

Apart from internet controversies, some specific anime series and games like Fate/Grand Order , which personifies historical and mythological figures from several cultures, and Hetalia: Axis Powers , which personifies the countries of the world, have been criticized for cultural appropriation or insensitivity, since some of these moe characters were inaccurate or encouraged stereotypes.Mori Kei is a Japanese fashion style that intends to capture how someone living in the woods may dress. In Japan, the style is generally referred to as Mori Girl ( 森ガール ) or Mori Boy, ( 森ボーイ ) depending on the gender of the wearer and not Mori Kei (森系, meaning "forest types").

In 2006, a community called "Mori Girl" was created on the Japanese social network Mixi . The name was chosen by its manager, Choco, after a friend commented on one of her outfits stating "You look like you are in the forest."

The “Mori Girl” Mixi community reached 35,000 people in 2009, and it caused a big boom that led to the creation of multiple mori kei magazines and brands, such as Mori Girl Lesson magazines, Choco's Mori Girl Book, and the popular mori brand Wonder Rocket. The style also saw considerable popularity overseas, where the name Mori Kei began to be used, leading to the creation of various communities on social media and . However, in Japan, the style began to decline in the early 2010s, and magazines and brands declined with the end of its popularity.

As of 2019, the online Mixi group where mori kei originated has been deleted, and the brand "Wonder Rocket" closed its Harajuku store in 2017.

The heyday of the fashion may have passed, but because there still is a number of enthusiasts, mori kei itself has not disappeared. There are still brands catering to mori kei, even though the design has changed to suit the present, as well as the still-existing international online community.

Mori Kei has undergone many changes and trends since the height of its popularity, but the basic appearance still remains the same. It combines clothing that appears natural, girly, layered, and loose. In general, the main staple of mori fashion is its many loose layers that hide the body shape, and the term "yurufuwa" (ゆるふわ) is often used to describe its fluffy appearance.

Clothes with embroidery, various kinds of lace, and light materials are preferred and for layering, cardigans, vests, and knit scarves and shawls are often used in the style. Besides its most known off-white color schemes, earth tones and other natural tones, such as navy blue, khaki, beige, and brown are used. Floral colors such as light pinks and blues are also sometimes used. Popular accessories include lace-up leather boots, tights, and baskets.

The hair and makeup match the outfits in their natural appearance. The popular eye shadow options are beige, gold and pink, in minimal styles. The blush is often highly placed and round. The eyebrows are thick and natural.

While Mori Kei is not a music genre, some Japanese bands briefly identified themselves as Mori Kei during the style's heyday. Additionally, genres like folk, baroque pop, and dream pop are popular in the community.

Dark Mori (also known as Mori Goth, or originally Black Forest Mori) takes the standard Mori Kei aesthetic, but gives it a gothic twist, incorporating darker clothing into the look compared to the usually more light-hearted Mori Kei. The style was created by the international community and part of it later separated off into Strega /Witchcore.

Today, Dark Mori itself is considered separate from Strega , as it still follows the rules of the original Mori Kei in terms of layering and shape. Many people in this aesthetic consider Helena Bonham Carter to be a style inspiration. They are also more open to Goth music and the Goth community (particularly the Strega aesthetic and the work of Siouxsie and the Banshees and All About Eve).

This substyle has continued to grow in considerable popularity amongst the international community and is widely known.

Natural Kei is a subgenre of Mori Kei which is generally understood to be a more simple, or even casual, version of it. Natural Kei also takes inspiration from American styles such as Prairie and Western , and 1970s brands such as Gunne Sax and Laura Ashley.

The term Natural Kei originated in the 1980s (or possibly earlier) as a way of describing the style associated with Japanese brand PINK HOUSE. At this time, it had a particular silhouette to it, and focused mostly on layered skirts, pinafores, and sometimes brighter colors than Mori Kei, and at times resembled Country Lolita.

However, in the modern era, Natural Kei has evolved to include more casual clothing items, solid colors, and has less emphasis on a particular silhouette. Online, it is often misused as an umbrella term for all comfortable, feminine Mori-inspired outfits on earth tones.

Hama Kei is a substyle of Mori Kei adapted to life in the seashore and the beach that gained temporary popularity in the 2010s. It features fewer and lighter layers, often shorter skirts and sleeves, and an emphasis on blue, aqua, beige and white tones, as well as the use of denim and sailor-like stripes and anchors.

Yama Kei was introduced by Japanese women with a passion for the outdoors. It features practical outdoor clothing and equipment in bright colors and vivid patterns.

Bright Mori is a subgenre that utilizes bright or pastel colors, and more Kawaii motifs. It is believed to have been coined by icewindandboringhorror on Tumblr in 2014.

Bright Mori takes influence from more colorful fashion styles such as Fairy Kei , Cult Party Kei , and Dolly Kei , although still emphasizes the Mori Kei silhouette, and its characteristic layers of thin fabrics and lace. Bright Mori is also generally the only form of Mori Kei where unnaturally colored hair and wigs are common. While it had a decent following in the mid-2010s, the aesthetic never reached the heights of popularity that other Mori substyles have, and remains obscure today.Mote Kei (モテ系) is a Japanese fashion trend centering itself around femininity without showing off too much sexuality or individuality. The idea is to attract the widest possible interest from men using a mixture of cuteness and sexiness. The phrase "Mote Kei" was been obtained from the slang term Moteru (モテる), meaning to appeal to the opposite sex.

Mote Kei fashion follows popular and well-known trends, so common themes can be vague. Despite all of the diversity in Mote Kei fashion, it still needs to keep its attractiveness to men.

Mote Kei is meant to be quiet and subtle, which means it should not consist of loud, flashy, and overly sexual themes. Instead, the style should be neutral, keeping everything balanced and easy on the eyes.Motomami is an aesthetic popularized by the Spanish singer ROSALÍA through her 2022 album of the same name. It is a conceptual fusion of two contrasting ideas, as reflected in its name: "Moto," representing a hard, strong, and masculine energy (from "motorcycle"), and "Mami," representing a soft, vulnerable, and feminine power.

The style is defined by its blend of rugged Biker culture with a futuristic, avant-garde edge and influences from Y2K and Japanese anime. It became a significant trend in 2022 and 2023, influencing both street style and high fashion runways and creating a distinct visual language centered on themes of transformation, confidence, and a multifaceted femininity.

The Motomami aesthetic was born with the release of ROSALÍA's album MOTOMAMI in March 2022. The entire visual campaign for the album—from the minimalist, striking cover art featuring a nude ROSALÍA wearing only a motorcycle helmet, to the music videos and the wardrobe for her world tour—established a cohesive and powerful aesthetic. This visual language was a deliberate artistic choice, meant to reflect the album's themes of duality and transformation.

The aesthetic draws inspiration from the long history of biker fashion, tracing back to the iconic leather jackets of the 1950s and their interpretation by designers like Yves Saint Laurent in the 1960s. However, ROSALÍA's version updates this look through a contemporary lens, incorporating influences from 2000s pop culture, Japanese manga and anime (such as Akira ), and a futuristic, Cyberpunk sensibility.

The style quickly spread beyond ROSALÍA's own work, becoming a major trend on social media and being adopted by fashion figures like Bella Hadid and Kim Kardashian. High fashion brands such as Miu Miu, Chanel, Balmain, and Dior also took inspiration from the aesthetic, incorporating moto-inspired elements like leather, protective padding, and racing silhouettes into their runway collections.

The Motomami fashion style is a direct expression of the aesthetic's core duality, blending hard and soft elements to create a look that is both strong and sensual.

The most iconic garment of the aesthetic is the leather biker jacket, often oversized or cropped. This is frequently paired with other moto-inspired pieces like racing-style pants, leather miniskirts, or full racing suits. The tough, utilitarian nature of these garments is often contrasted with more feminine or revealing items, such as delicate tops, sheer fabrics, or form-fitting black dresses. Pleated "schoolgirl" skirts are also a common element, adding a touch of playful juxtaposition.

The most defining piece is the motorcycle helmet, particularly a futuristic, Cyberpunk -inspired design with cat ears, which was popularized in ROSALÍA's live performances. Oversized Y2K-style sunglasses, long opera gloves, and chunky silver jewelry are also common. Footwear is typically heavy and practical, consisting of thigh-high leather boots or chunky moto boots.

The color palette is dominated by black, white, and a vibrant, lipstick red. Soft pink is often used as a contrasting accent, representing the "mami" side of the aesthetic. A key visual motif is the butterfly, which symbolizes the theme of transformation that is central to the album and the aesthetic. The album's artwork also established a visual style of handwritten, scribbled text and symbols, which is often replicated in fan edits and related media.Nanchatte Seifuku (なんちゃって制服) is a Japanese fashion that represents the romanticized school life of female students as portrayed by popular media. The term translates to something along the lines of "pretend school uniform", and the outfits often involves mixing and matching elements of traditional school outfits—like blazers, pleated skirts, and neckties—with casual or trendy pieces.

As an aesthetic, Nanchatte Seifuku heavily focuses on academic visuals and motifs but not so much about the learned subject matter, as the goal is to experience comfort and joy from themes and visuals similar to modest private school life as opposed to high-end boarding school aesthetics like Preppy or the American school based High School Dream . Main themes of the aesthetic include friendship, personal growth, learning, and more.

The fashion is a fun and playful take on Japanese school uniforms. The outfits typically feature a blazer,  pleated skirt, and a cute tie or bow, but they are worn in a more relaxed and laid-back way. Think of it as how students would wear their clothes while on a break instead of in the classroom. It's all about the mix of school nostalgia with current trends among high schoolers!

The outfits are often customized to be more personal, so the fashion is perfect for those who love to express themselves through their style. For example, skirts might be paired with chunky sneakers or knee-high socks for a sporty vibe. Layering is big too—people often add oversized cardigans or hoodies to keep it casual and comfy. Accessories like cute scrunchies, decorated collage bags, or statement jewelry really help personalize the look.

Color palettes can range from soft pastels to bold, eye-catching hues, allowing for plenty of self-expression. Overall, nanchatte seifuku is all about having fun with fashion while capturing that youthful, schoolgirl aesthetic.

One of the most popular activities among those who wear Nanchatte Seifuku is to go to theme parks to make fun memories and take selfies together. Dineyland in particular is popular in Japan where many girls make uniform outfits centered around the themes of their favorite character.  In addition, there's also adult couples who wear school uniforms for their dates in order to roleplay the experience of a high school romance.Neko is an aesthetic derived from the cat-person trope, primarily catgirls and sometimes catboys, found in anime and manga. While " neko " is the Japanese word for cat, " nekomimi " accurately refers to cat-people, and " kemonomimi " denotes animal-eared people in general. The trope's origins may trace back to 1924, but its popularity surged in the 2010s, becoming integrated into otaku culture. This aesthetic has since permeated meme and stan culture, where image and video edits transform subjects into cat-people. Neko is prevalent within the Kawaii Gamer and E-Girl communities and is a recurring element in Erokawa .

This aesthetic is popular within the transfem community as their ideal post-transition selves. The charm of the Neko aesthetic is its exaggerated childlike femininity. This aesthetic is mostly expressed on TikTok and various other social media platforms. Including cat-ears and cat-tails has become a staple on most Picrews (a Japanese site for avatar creation) and in the avatar creation genre as a whole.

Cat-people (aka Nekos) are generally normal-looking humanoid beings with cat ears and a tail. However, some have other cat-like features like paws for hands or feet. They also have often have cat-like (especially kitten-like) personality traits such as being playful, cuddly, and even bratty. Other kinds of kemonomimis exist, such as wolf-people, bunny-people, and fox-people, to name a few, and also take on traits associated with that animal.

Please note that cat-people may not consider themselves furries ; they wear cat ears, tails, and mittens that look like paws, but not full fursuits. Cat-people also do not identify as a cat, they simply enjoy dressing up or roleplaying. Certain cat-people are furries, however, but most of them are not.

Neko and other kemonomimi styles are sometimes associated with the BDSM subgenre of petplay, which focuses on the power dynamic between an owner and their pet (and can also sometimes be non-sexual). Similarly, kittenplay is a popular form of petplay which draws on cat girl tropes. Many people who wear Neko fashion are not, however, associated with petplay and simply enjoy the style.

Visuals of this aesthetic typically include cute pastels and the inclusion of cats/cat features. People or characters with bright pink blush/effects are common themes in this aesthetic.

Common motifs include:

Neko fashion can range from E-Girl to Kawaii Gamer to Pastel Goth to Softie . It commonly involves:

Neko fashion often intersects with Lolita and Maid aesthetics because of the dresses utilized.

Japanese mythology contains many cat yōkai (spirits) such as Bake-Neko and Neko-Mata. The oldest mention of catgirls (with the term "nekomusume") was from a 1700s misemono where a cat/woman hybrid was depicted. The first instance of catgirls in a modern sense was in a 1924 book titled "The 4th of Narcissus Month" by Kenji Miyazawa, where the first catgirls appear as beautiful women with cat ears. The next time catgirls were in media was with the DC Comics characters, Catwoman and Cheetah in 1940.

Catgirls wouldn't appear in anime until Ousama no Shippo in 1949. The second anime to include a catgirl was 1968's popular GeGeGe no Kitarō . The catgirl in this anime was named Neko Musume - which likely popularized the term Neko for cat-people. Anime wouldn't see another catgirl until the start of the 1980s with a short film titled Star of the Cottonland by Mushi Productions. This anime tells the story of a kitten named Chibi-Neko, who was adopted by a 18-year old boy named Tokio, and dreams of being a human (but still with their cat ears). In 1988, the Puma sisters (android catgirls) from "Dominion Tank Police" were introduced to the public. And 1989 had "Ranma 1/2", where characters that are normally human but can transform into catgirls were introduced. Overall, the 1980s paved way for the catgirl trope to rise in popularity.

The 1990s did not have any notable catgirls until Natsuki Sasahara made her debut in Hyper Police in 1997. Natsuki Sasahara is the closest representation to the modern view of catgirls. Outlaw Star featured the next influential catgirl in 1998 - Aisha Clanclan - who got to be in space. In 2002, Tokyo Mew Mew was the first magical girl anime that had a main character transform into a catgirl as their ideal magical form. Finally, in 2008, the creation of Blair from Soul Eater was a catgirl who could reverse transform herself from a cat into a human with cat ears. Since then there hasn't been any new innovations within the Neko trope, except for catboys.

Catboys are men that are half-cat (thus having cat ears, a cat tail, and/or paws). Catboys are almost always feminized, wearing traditionally feminine clothes or edited to have feminine characteristics. However, catboys can sometimes wear more masculine clothing - it depends on the media, the character, and the person. Although catboys tend to be portrayed as femboys , this is not true of other kemonomimi boys such as puppyboys or foxboys who are typically portrayed as masculine.Neo-Chinese Style , also known as New Chinese Style (新中式), is a contemporary aesthetic movement originating in China that integrates traditional Chinese cultural and design elements with modern sensibilities. This style began in the late 20th century within architectural design, where Chinese cultural motifs were combined with neoclassical and later postmodern architectural principles. Its application then expanded to interior design, blending contemporary furniture and materials with traditional Chinese patterns, shapes, and soft color palettes. It is closely connected to the " national trend ."

In the 2020s, the Neo-Chinese style gained prominence in fashion. This reflects a growing identification and confidence among the younger Chinese generation with their cultural heritage. The fashion aspect of Neo-Chinese style is characterized by the simplification of traditional elements for contemporary apparel. Examples include the application of Mandarin collars in modern shirt and dress designs. The style allows for a mix-and-match approach, enabling wearers to display both classical elegance and a modern sense of style. It aims to preserve the essence of traditional culture while incorporating current fashion trends, creating garments suitable for various occasions, from casual wear to formal attire. The aesthetic is widely popular on Chinese social media platforms such as Xiaohongshu and Douyin.

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Neo-Chinese Fashion (新中式穿搭) is a recent development characterized by its reinterpretation of traditional Chinese clothing elements into modern designs. It moves beyond strict adherence to historical garments like Hanfu, instead simplifying these classic features to create contemporary apparel that is suitable for daily wear. This aesthetic often incorporates elements such as Mandarin collars, which appear on modern shirts and dresses. Traditional frog closures and Chinese knots are also integrated into contemporary garments.

The style frequently features fabrics like silk, linen, and cashmere, sometimes adorned with traditional Chinese embroidery or patterns that draw from nature or classical art. Silhouettes inspired by the Qipao and Hanfu are reinterpreted to fit modern forms, resulting in dresses, tops, and outerwear that blend cultural essence with contemporary cuts. This fusion allows for outfits that display classical elegance alongside a modern or avant-garde sensibility.

Neo-Chinese fashion encourages a mix-and-match approach, where traditional elements are paired with modern clothing items. This flexibility allows for a range of expressions, from sophisticated and understated looks utilizing neutral and earthy tones, to more daring and experimental combinations that may incorporate elements from other aesthetics, such as Y2K or cyberpunk . For example, a Tang suit might be recontextualized with cyberpunk accessories, or a Qipao-inspired garment could be paired with modern footwear and bold makeup. The popularity of this style is evident on Chinese social media platforms like Xiaohongshu and Douyin, where users share their "Outfit of the Day" (OOTD) photos and styling tutorials. Domestic brands such as Yueqi Qi, Samuel Guì Yang, Apozi Collection, Loumutaku, and Tilt Knees specialize in this aesthetic, contributing to its evolution and widespread adoption among Chinese youth.Onee Gyaru, directly translating to “Older Sister Gal” is both a descriptive term and substyle of Gyaru.  It is typically used to refer to Gyaru who have graduated high school, usually around 20-35 in age, and also refers to a sub style of Gyaru that is more matured, and "tone downed" in style.Onii Kei (literal 'elder brother style') is a Japanese fashion style that combines American casual, Italian casual, and rocker styles to create a 'slick' look. White tailored jackets [?] , low-necked tank tops, imported jeans, and pointed shoes are commonly featured. A shag haircut known as 'wolf hair' is also a part of this fashion style.

Onii Kei is the male counterpart of Onee Kei (literal 'elder sister style'), which emerged around 1996 and was a sexy, casual style which featured body-hugging dresses and an adult look.

TBAOshare Kei ( お洒落系 ) is a subgenre of Visual Kei featuring, unlike most other visual kei subgenres, bright colors and many pop influences. Thus said, bands under this style live up to the meaning by dressing up in colorful costumes, or in Decora style. So, many of them are seen sporting massive amounts of jewelry and bags of cartoon characters and animals slung on, tons of hairclips that make you go dizzy because you'd lose count, and lighter make-up. The music is more happy sounding, the lyrics lighter and happier.

Oshare Kei is composed of music that is positive and upbeat. While Oshare Kei is primarily a mixture hard rock and punk music, it has also been influenced by jazz, techno, and dance music.Otaku are a subculture in Japan that is characterized by their obsession with anime, manga, and video games, like a Japanese combination of Geek and Nerd . It is similar to Weeaboo , but the distinction is that otaku describes the culture within Japan while weeaboo is used for those outside of Japan. Additionally, the Japanese word can mean fan in a more general sense, and someone can be an "otaku" for literature, computers, and video games. Howoever, anime and manga otakus are the most well known type familiar to Western internet users. What makes Otaku notable is their inability to connect with reality and the social system of Japanese society. This group of people collect an incredibly large amount of merchandise related to their anime/manga of choice. Their bedrooms are filled with the bookshelves full of these manga and doujinshi.

Their stereotypical fashion is a flannel shirt, glasses, bandana, and jeans. Clothes are typically unironed and ill-fitting; hair is unkempt. Common accessories include backpacks, cameras, and glowsticks. "Otaku coordinate" is the aesthetic of wearing these stereotypical otaku clothes. It became a small trend in Japan to wear these clothes during the 2010s, mostly among teenage girls. The appeal of the aesthetic was wearing unusual and unfashionable clothes to be unique.

Akiba-kei ( アキバ系 ) is a Japanese slang term for Otaku who gather in the Akihabara shopping district located in Chiyoda. The district is known as the "capital" of Otaku culture as it contains many stores selling anime, manga, and video games.

Hikikomori is an extreme form of otaku, becoming an individual who has withdrawn themselves from society and has become a social recluse. Hikikomori are classified by the Japanese government as individuals who live in their parent'(s) house, do not go to work or school, and isolate themselves from society.

Wota ( ヲタ ) is a Japanese subculture dedicated to celebrating idols, a form of Otaku. See more on page Wota .

This group of people collect an incredibly large amount of merchandise related to their anime/manga of choice. Their bedrooms are filled with the bookshelves full of these manga and doujinshi.

Their stereotypical fashion is a flannel shirt, glasses, bandana, and jeans. "Otaku coordinate" is the aesthetic of wearing these stereotypical otaku clothes. It became a small trend for Japanese teens to wear these clothes during the 2010s. The appeal of the aesthetic was wearing unusual and unfashionable clothes to be unique.PEEPS ( ピープス ) is a Japanese fashion that resembles a sporty Goth style inspired by ghost Pokémon trainers. It heavily relies on thrifting and upcycled clothing, making it less brand-focused as other styles.

PEEPS first emerged during the late 2010s among thrift stores in Ura-Harajuku, which have a focus on importing American 90s-style clothing, predominantly the store "Ohpearl" that quickly became known as the sacred place for PEEPS girls. In 2018, the dedicated online magazine PEEPS launched on Instagram giving the style its name, with the owner stating "It would be nice if girls with this style could connect with each other and have a sense of fellowship while wearing their clothes with confidence" as for why the English slang for "friends" was choosen. In 2020, it was voted one of the major trends next to Jirai Kei and Korean fashion.

The most distinctive feature of PEEPS fashion is that the outfits center around the combination of black with neon colors in a way that is still casual. There are many tops that are made to resemble layered clothing with bits and pieces of skin showing. The bottoms are usually short with various kinds of belts and chains attached to them. Silver accessories are the most popular in the form of chain necklaces and large rings. Sweatbands are occasionally worn and often feature tribal embroidery. Different to other edgy styles, fishnets are generally not worn with the focus being on a sporty appearance with the help of socks. There are many accessories centering around ghost Pokémon with the most popular being Gengar.

This section describes the media that PEEPS followers interact with, rather than there being this type of aesthetic within the media.PMC Ryodan (ЧВК Рёдан) is a subculture primarily present in Russia and Ukraine. It is characterized by groups of teenagers, often anime fans, who adopted the name as an ironic reference to the Wagner Group, a Russian private military contractor (PMC). The name "Ryodan" originates from a group of thieves in the anime series Hunter x Hunter . Members of the subculture are often identified by their attire, which includes black hoodies featuring a white spider symbol.

The PMC Ryodan subculture emerged in Russia, primarily among teenagers approximately aged 14 to 16, who are fans of anime, specifically the manga series Hunter x Hunter . The name "Ryodan" originates from the " Genei Ryodan " (Phantom Troupe), a criminal organization in the manga, identifiable by a black spider emblem. This spider symbol is prominently featured on the clothing of PMC Ryodan members, specifically black hoodies.

The clothing, featuring a 12-legged spider, is associated with a clothing brand created by a designer known as Hikikomori Kai, established in 2020. Prior to widespread attention in 2023, individuals identifying with "Ryodan" congregated at concerts and online, without drawing significant notice.

The addition of "PMC" to the name has drawn comparisons to the Wagner Group, a Russian private military contractor. The origin of this addition is unclear, with speculation that it originated as an ironic joke. The first major online community associated with the group appeared on the Russian social media platform VK in September 2022, and it reached 190,000 users. It was then blocked by Roskomnadzor on February 28, 2023.

The subculture's existence gained media attention on February 22, 2023 following a physical fight at the Aviapark shopping mall in Moscow. According to accounts from Ryodan members, the conflict initiated after they were confronted about their clothing by individuals with right-wing and white supremacist affiliations. Following the incident, a video of the altercation was shared online, accompanied by a caption that contained hostile language, contributing to its rapid spread.

After the Aviapark incident, law enforcement increased their presence in shopping malls across Russia. This led to over 500 detentions of teenagers who were assumed to be associated with Ryodan. Online videos then appeared showing teenagers dressed in black being coerced into apologies and subjected to physical assault, in some cases the teens had no association with "Ryodan." Copycat groups began to emerge, not just in Russia, but also in Ukraine and Belarus.

Russian authorities addressed the subculture, with members of the State Duma expressing concern about the "harmful influence of the West on youth." Officials suggested restrictions on aspects of youth culture, including anime and video games such as Dota 2 . Officials, such as Yekaterina Mizulina, linked the subculture to "Ukrainian efforts to destabilize Russia," while Ukrainian authorities attributed the emergence of Ryodan within Ukraine to Russian provocation. Incidents involving alleged Ryodan members also occurred in Belarus, resulting in further detentions.

Law enforcement detained teenagers in cities including Novosibirsk, Kazan, Rostov-on-Don, and Krasnoyarsk. In St. Petersburg’s Galeria shopping mall, a mass brawl led to 131 arrests and injuries. In Chita, approximately 300 teenagers gathered, resulting in detentions.

Members are identifiable by their distinctive attire, primarily black hoodies featuring a white 12-legged spider logo and the number 4. These symbols are derived from the Genei Ryodan (Phantom Troupe) criminal organization in the manga series Hunter x Hunter . The look is often complemented by checkered trousers (plaid pants) and long, dyed black hair, creating a visual overlap with Emo and E-Boy aesthetics. This specific combination serves as a visual marker for membership, distinguishing them from the Adidas-clad gopnik subcultures they often clash with.

The aesthetic shares significant overlap with the Russian Dead Inside (or "Ghoul" subculture, which similarly centers around depressive anime tropes (specifically Tokyo Ghoul ), Dota 2 , and long hair.

The Russian parliament has addressed the PMC Ryodan subculture following mass detentions across Russia. Dmitry Peskov, the Press Secretary for President Vladimir Putin, acknowledged that the Kremlin is monitoring the group. Law enforcement in St. Petersburg informed detained teenagers that PMC Ryodan is a creation of "Western intelligence services," framing the subculture within Russia"s "confrontation with the West." Similarly, Ukrainian authorities, including the Kyiv Police, have attributed the group to "Russian propagandists," alleging an "informational-psychological operation" aimed at "destabilize the internal situation in Ukraine."

Despite that mainstream media portrayals that have, at times, sensationalized PMC Ryodan as a "transnational terrorist organization," it is, in fact, a loosely organized subculture of anime fans, primarily teenagers. Media outlets have also used terms such as "cult of violence" and "fight club," contributing to a heightened sense of alarm. The subculture initially gained attention following physical altercations in shopping malls, primarily between Ryodan members and groups described as " offniki " or " gopniki ," characterized by their Adidas tracksuits and perceived antisocial behavior. This focus on isolated incidents of violence, coupled with the use of loaded language, has heavily influenced how the public views PMC Ryodan, often overshadowing the group's actual nature as a youth subculture.

Anti-Ryodan groups have organized online, using platforms like VK and Telegram, to conduct attacks against individuals identified as Ryodan members. These groups have used homophobic and white supremacist language and symbolism. However, the confrontations are described as localized conflicts, akin to schoolyard fights, rather than a clash between politically motivated subcultures.

A majority of arrests involving members of the subculture did not involve actual fights. The Ryodan phenomenon is viewed by some as a reflection of a generational divide in Russia and Ukraine, with older authorities misunderstanding youth culture and online interactions.Partille-Johnny (often abbreviated as PJ ) is a youth subculture and fashion trend that originated in Sweden during the late 2000s. It is primarily associated with teenage boys and is characterized by a distinctive exaggerated grooming style involving extreme amounts of hair wax, the use of cosmetic foundation, and the wearing of hair ties or rubber bands around the ankles.

The aesthetic is widely considered a male counterpart or sub-variety of the Fjortis phenomenon. While the style originated in the municipality of Partille near Gothenburg, it became a nationwide trend in Sweden and saw minor proliferation in neighboring Scandinavian countries. The subculture is notable for its blurring of traditional gender norms regarding male grooming, as participants heavily utilized makeup and hair products previously marketed primarily to women, though the intent was often to achieve a specific " guido " or " metrosexual " status rather than androgyny.

The term "Partille-Johnny" is derived from a specific individual, Johnny Shalaimon, a resident of Partille, a suburb of Gothenburg. According to reporting by Göteborgs-Posten , Shalaimon is credited with popularizing the initial look, which was subsequently emulated by peers and spread through social interaction and early social media platforms.

The trend gained significant popularity in the spring of the late 2000s, peaking during the summer and autumn of that year. It spread from the Gothenburg region to other parts of Sweden, facilitated by the internet and youth interaction in schools. By the time the trend reached mainstream awareness, it had evolved from a local curiosity into a codified style with strict rules regarding clothing brands and grooming habits.

The Partille-Johnny aesthetic is characterized by a rigid set of visual markers. The style requires significant time and financial investment in personal maintenance, with adherents often waking up early to prepare their appearance before school.

The most recognizable feature of the Partille-Johnny is the hairstyle. It involves short to medium-length hair that is sculpted into a chaotic, spiky, or "back-slick" formation using excessive amounts of hair wax. The goal is often to create a look that defies gravity and appears permanently wet or stiff. Specific brands of wax, such as D:fi (specifically the green tub) and Dax Wax, were considered essential to achieving the correct texture. A single user could consume up to two jars of wax per month to maintain the look.

The aesthetic also involves the heavy application of " brun-utan-sol " (self-tanning lotion) or dark liquid foundation to the face to achieve a deep and unnatural-looking bronze skin tone. This was frequently paired with the application of Idominsalva (a white ointment) or pale foundation on the lips to create a stark contrast with the darkened skin.

The defining accessory of the subculture is the placement of multiple rubber bands ( gummisnoddar ) or hair ties around the calves, typically over the bottom of the pant legs. The number of bands served as a status symbol within the group; adherents would increase the number from a few to as many as twenty distinct bands climbing up the shin.

High-visibility reflective vests, typically used for construction or roadside safety, were worn as fashion accessories regardless of the time of day or season. Standard attire included jeans from brands like Evisu (often featuring large logos), chinos in various colors, and flared or bootcut jeans. Tops consisted of hoodies or t-shirts, often from brands popular in the Fjortis scene like Wesc or Björn Borg.

For footwear, canvas shoes or sneakers were common, though followers were sometimes advised to avoid Lacoste shoes if they were deemed "overused" by the local scene.

The Partille-Johnny lifestyle is centered on conformity, group identity, and the pursuit of a specific ideal of attractiveness. Interviews with participants suggest that the aesthetic served as a "mask" or armor; adherents described feeling "invisible" or "like everyone else" without their signature bands and hair wax. The style was not merely a fashion choice but a consuming lifestyle that dictated daily routines and social interactions.

The subculture functioned on a logic of accumulation: more wax, more rubber bands, and darker tans equated to higher status. It was highly communal, with trends spreading virally through peer imitation. The dedication to the style often required a significant financial outlay for cosmetic products, with teenagers spending allowance money specifically on hair products and tanning supplies.

The music associated with the Partille Johnny subculture was rooted in the Hands Up (often incorrectly called "Euro" or "Techno" at the time) and Electro House genres of the late 2000s. The high-energy beats (140+ BPM) and pitch-shifted vocals mirrored the loud and attention-seeking nature of the members.

In Sweden, this sound evolved into a localized micro-genre known as Fjortisdunk ("Teenager Thump"), characterized by simple repetitive melodies and lyrics often centered around partying, alcohol, and teenage romance.

The Partille-Johnny subculture was frequently the subject of ridicule and polarization within Swedish society. Like the broader Fjortis culture, it was often dismissed by outsiders as superficial or tacky. The aesthetic drew criticism for its perceived vanity and the artificiality of the fake tan and hair.

Adherents of the style reported facing harassment from peers who did not approve of the aesthetic. The derogatory labeling of the style as "ugly" or "unnatural" was common in online forums and blogs of the era. However, within the in-group, the style was viewed as a way to demonstrate that one "cared about their appearance" and possessed the social capital to afford the necessary brands and products.Pop Kei ( ポップ系 ) is a colorful Japanese fashion mostly associated with the Decora aesthetic. The term refers to how the brightly colored clothing "pops" in an outfit.

The style first emerged in the 90s in Japan as teenagers started to create a world that rejected muted, adult fashion norms. During that time, designer Sebastian Masuda founded 6%DOKIDOKI and Sayuri Tavuchi opened Spank!, both being brands that are synonymous with Pop Kei even today. The rise of fashion magazines like FRUITS and KERA helped to spread the style, both in Japan and internationally.

This style is mostly based around graphic tees as well as otherwise printed clothing with '80s pop impressions. It is very similar to Fairy Kei but with the main difference being that it uses bright colors over pastels. The look is often unisex and can feature trousers, shorts and leggings rather than dresses and skirts. Very popular are thrifted and remade clothes featuring cartoon characters, polka-dots, and denim.

External links to help get a better understanding of this aesthetic.Positivity Kawaii or Wellness Kawaii is an aesthetic prevalent in marketing since approximately the 2010s. It is characterized by its emphasis on positive and inspirational quotes, cute mascots often based on animals or inanimate objects, and a general air of wholesomeness. It resonates strongly with themes of optimism and wellness culture. This aesthetic primarily targets Gen Z and, increasingly, Gen Alpha girls, manifesting itself in a wide array of consumer goods. From stationery, plushies and bags to cosmetics and school supplies, Positivity Kawaii finds particular prominence during back-to-school seasons.

While drawing clear inspiration from the Japanese concept of Kawaii , this aesthetic represents a distinct Western interpretation. It shares some superficial similarities with the " Live Laugh Love " aesthetic, particularly in its focus on positive affirmations. However, a key distinction lies in its target demographic and cultural context. "Live Laugh Love" often appeals to an older demographic and carries a more traditional, sometimes even saccharine, connotation. Positivity Kawaii, on the other hand, embraces a more playful, modern sensibility that aligns with the digital native generation. Its visual language is often more stylized and less overtly sentimental.

Notable brands and characters that exemplify Positivity Kawaii include the internet-famous cat, Pusheen, Organic Kitchen, the Spanish brand Mr. Wonderful, and The Fruit Company.

TBA

TBAPuppycore is a kawaii aesthetic centered around the hyper-feminine, pastel, and deliberately exaggerated depiction of puppies and dog-related motifs. The aesthetic draws heavily from the visual language of early 2000s Japanese merchandise and stationery, making it a distinct facet of the Heisei Retro nostalgia movement.

The visual style is characterized by overlays and soft focus that enhance the cuteness and innocence of the animals, presenting them as objects of gentle affection and comfort. The original proposed name for the aesthetic, Wancore , was a pun based on Wanco, the Japanese word for "doggy." The aesthetic sometimes depicts animals other than dogs. Contemporary recreations of this visual style often resemble similar trends, specifically the editing techniques of Cutecore .

The Puppycore aesthetic originated with specific Japanese merchandise brands from the 2000s that popularized these hyper-cute, photo-manipulated pet images.

The most significant visual influences came from Japanese companies like San-X (creators of Wan Wan Wanco) and Artlist (creators of The Dog), whose posters and stationery featured puppies with exaggerated features and wide-angle lenses. The popularity of the aesthetic was cemented by early 2000s media that focused on pet ownership and cuteness, such as the Nintendo game Nintendogs .

The aesthetic uses a color palette consisting of soft pastels, primarily pink, baby blue, lavender, and cream, often layered over a white or pale background. Imagery is treated with blurry or hazy filters and soft focus to emphasize gentleness and innocence. Glitter, digital sparkles, and fluffy textures are frequently overlaid onto images to enhance the feeling of fantasy and cuteness.

Visuals consistently feature puppies (particularly small breeds like Corgis, Pugs, Golden Retrievers, Shih-Tzus, etc.) which are often edited to be exaggerated:The appreciation of rural living in China has been a common motif throughout history and culture, with the agriculture, material culture, and landscape being admired in literature, poetry, and art.

Romanticized depictions of rural Chinese villages have become incredibly popular, specifically on Douyin, the Chinese equivalent to TikTok. This aesthetic describes the new emphasis on traditional handmade cooking and crafting with farmed or foraged ingredients made with non-industrial tools, filmed along with cinematic shots of the landscape and traditional architecture of China.

This page describes the contemporary trend online, rather than the development and true image of Chinese village life throughout history.

The romanticized image of rural living has been a subject of Chinese art and poetry for centuries, including works by the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove (3rd century AD), Tao Yuanming (365-427 AD), etc. These poets wrote about leaving behind diplomatic life and instead leaving to live in the wilderness and like peasants farming for sustenance while admiring nature. Likewise, village scenes, forests, mountains, etc. have been painted by countless Chinese artists.

With social media began the introduction of this theme into an online medium. The popularity of these videos began with Li Ziqi, a video maker from Sichuan province, who posted her first video in 2015. After her stopping videos in 2021, many other influencers began to fill in the gaps and fit into their own niches, such as depicting specific handicrafts, regions, or recipes.

This aesthetic focuses on rural Chinese villages, which have a particular architectural style. Sloped, tiled roofs, courtyards, intricate wood panels, etc. are in the backgrounds of videos.

Village life also includes the depiction of people in it. In videos, the creator often greets their neighbors or brings food to them. Elderly people often appear in these videos, as Chinese culture emphasizes taking care of the elders and their knowledge of traditions being something to pass down.

These videos often show food being harvested and cooked, with the beginnings as a plant and the end product being a meal eaten by the family. The food is often a regional specialty, for example, with mapo tofu in Sichuan province. Other foods include simple and straightforward foods (i.e. dried sausages) or have associations with Chinese holidays (i.e. large feasts during Chinese New Year ).

The creator of the video can also make traditional Chinese furniture, clothing, linens, etc. As with food, the involvement begins with the natural resource, such as a depiction of chopping down wood, harvesting flowers for dye, etc.

However, the aesthetic stays away from the difficult aspects of rural living, with no images of strain in the people depicted, a lack of food, poor infrastructure, etc.Salon Kei (サロン系) is a style started by men working in Japan's hair and beauty industry. It focusses on modern trends, and was created solely for men.

Salon Kei is slightly feminine in fashion. It mixes high and low fashion brands, as well as secondhand clothing, with the goal of creating a fashionable look.

Visuals include:

While natural hair colors and styles are the most popular, any other fashionable hair can be part of this fashion. Minimal makeup also appears, but it is supposed to look natural.Sanriocore is a fan-created internet aesthetic centered around the visual world, characters, and merchandise produced by the Japanese company Sanrio. The aesthetic emerged from the global popularity of kawaii culture and is characterized by a blend of cute, playful, and sometimes edgy styles that draw heavily from Y2K fashion . The aesthetic focuses primarily on the most popular Sanrio characters, using their specific color schemes and personalities to inform fashion choices, interior design (typically rooms), and digital moodboards.

While the Sanrio brand includes many characters, the Sanriocore aesthetic focuses primarily on those with massive global followings, often using a combination of their merchandise and individual stylistic personas.

The most popular characters central to the aesthetic include:

The aesthetic is characterized by a sense of digital cuteness applied to both merchandise and digital edits. Visuals are typically saturated with pastel filters that emphasize light pink, baby blue, and lavender hues. Common digital motifs include sparkles, rounded fonts, speech bubbles, and pixel art, often applied as overlays to photos of character goods.

The moodboards and digital spaces of Sanriocore often feature imagery of plushies, candy, and desserts, contributing to the overall themes of innocence, playfulness, and childhood nostalgia. These elements are frequently used to customize personal items, such as phone cases and shoes.

Sanriocore fashion is eclectic, blending cute and girly styles with dark or edgy elements, sometimes drawing inspiration from subcultures like Pastel Goth or Soft Girl . A user's specific fashion choices can often be determined by the character they align with (e.g., darker themes for Kuromi, softer themes for My Melody).

The style pulls much of its silhouette from the Y2K era and includes a number of distinct accessories:

Makeup for the aesthetic is usually neutral but highly focuses on creating a cartoon-like, innocent appearance. Key elements include:

The music associated with the Sanriocore aesthetic is primarily electronic or pop music with themes of cuteness, innocence, or playful aggression. Playlists often focus on creating a specific "Sanrio vibe" by featuring hyperpop , bubblegum pop, or soft electronic music.Shamate ( 杀马特 ) is an edgy subculture originating from China. Very similar to Emo and Scene subcultures or Japan's Visual Kei , Shamate involves spiking one's hair and dying it unnatural colors, dark makeup focusing on the eyes and lips, and shocking/statement-making accessories such as religious symbols, dog collars, or anything representing death and darkness.

Shamate comes from the English translation of "smart" and initially took off with migrant factory workers in Southern China in the late 2000s-early 2010s.  Its creator, Luo Fuxing, stated in a segment with Vice Asia that it was done largely for entertainment because of how boring and lifeless factory life could be, where the only outlets for entertainment were the internet, video games, hanging out in the park, and styling one's hair.  Being one of the first internet users in his village of Dongguan, he was heavily inspired by the Visual Kei aesthetic (but admits he knew nothing about the music associated with it) and started by initially mimicking what he saw with the Visual Kei style. It really started to take off from 2009 to 2013 and at its peak, there were about 20,000 shamate, but the community has shrunk since then, but the ones who are still involved in the shamate community have become incredibly strict adherents to it.  In recent years, however, the shamate community has seen something of a resurgence, especially on platforms like TikTok.

Shamate followers tend to wear dark makeup, such as eyeliner. Their hair is spiked and tends to be dyed, typically red, yellow, or blue, although other colors are incredibly popular within shamate. It was also incredibly popular to use temporary spray dye for their hairstyles initially due to the fact that if your hair was too outrageous in terms of color and style, many Chinese factories simply would not hire you.

Much like the iconic shamate hair, shamate fashion is designed to be eye-catching and help them stand out, which had made them generally hated by Chinese society as a whole (not helped by the fact that many shamate tended to be lower-class workers, and the irony of the fact that shamate help to keep the Chinese economy going isn't lost on the shamate devotees).  As the backlash against the shamate from mainstream society increased, the shamate went even further underground, but it still pops up in other places in China from time to time.  Despite the mainstream backlash against shamate, shamate devotees don't necessarily have the same level of disdain for mainstream culture as a whole.  Clothing-wise, a lot of shamate will rock anything ranging from fake luxury clothing brands to fashion influenced by Korean fashion to Western-style Punk , Scene , and Emo fashion.

Musically, the Shamate community tend to listen to a lot of Hanmai , Shout Mai, K-Pop, electronic music, and Visual Kei music, despite their appearance leading many Westerners to think they might listen to Rock or Metal music.Shanzhai (山寨) is an aesthetic that involves contemporary use that usually encompasses counterfeit, imitation, or parody products and events and the subculture surrounding them.

Most Shanzhai visuals come out of, no surprise, mainland China, which has had very loose enforcement of copyright laws, especially in the 2000s-2010s. Oftentimes they will take on the appearance of popular Western brands with some minor changes to not only convince locals that it's just as good as the Western brands, but also potentially give Western tourists something familiar to give them a little taste of home.

Shanzhai fashion consists of bootleg versions of popular luxury fashion brands (Nike, Gucci, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Cartier). If one wants to go for that Boujee or Hypebeast look, but don't exactly have the budget for the name brand stuff, the Shanzhai aesthetic might be a nice alternative, especially as the Shanzhai variants become more and more indistinguishable from the genuine article.Shibuya-Kei (渋谷系, lit. "Shibuya Style") is a music genre and fashion subculture that flourished in the Shibuya district of Tokyo during the mid-to-late 1990s. The movement is defined by its eclectic, sophisticated, and highly referential "cut-and-paste" approach, which draws heavily from a curated selection of 1960s Western pop culture, particularly yé-yé , lounge music, bossa nova, and sunshine pop .

More than just a music genre, Shibuya-kei was an all-encompassing aesthetic that manifested in fashion, graphic design, and a particular lifestyle of elevated consumerism. It was a byproduct of Japan's economic boom, which allowed a new generation of affluent, urban youth to access a vast library of imported music and fashion from Shibuya's many record stores, which they then reinterpreted into a new, distinctly Japanese style.

The groundwork for Shibuya-kei was laid by the Western-influenced sound of 1980s City Pop . By the early 1990s, a new scene began to coalesce around bands that were pushing this eclecticism even further. The two pioneering groups who formed the bedrock of the genre were Pizzicato Five and Flipper's Guitar.

Pizzicato Five, led by Yasuharu Konishi, became the most prominent and internationally recognized act of the movement. Their fusion of jazz, soul, and lounge with a polished J-pop sensibility, combined with their strong 1960s-inspired visual identity, came to define the Shibuya-kei aesthetic. Flipper's Guitar, the duo of Kenji Ozawa and Keigo Oyamada (later Cornelius), initially drew from British indie and jangle pop before evolving into a more complex, sample-heavy sound. After their breakup, Cornelius's solo album Fantasma (1997) became a cherished work of the genre, celebrated for its "kaleidoscopic" production.

The scene peaked in the late 1990s and subsequently declined as its key figures moved on to other musical styles, but its influence on both Japanese and international indie music, as well as on fashion and design, has been long-lasting.

The fashion of Shibuya-kei was a direct reflection of its music: a stylish and self-aware revival of 1960s Western aesthetics, particularly those of Mod culture and the French Yé-yé movement. The look was sharp, clean, and retro-futuristic.

Key elements of the fashion included tailored suits, mini-skirts, A-line dresses, and bold, geometric patterns reminiscent of Op Art . The style was androgynous and sophisticated, favoring a polished look over the more casual styles of other youth subcultures. The fashion was heavily influenced by the visual presentation of artists like Pizzicato Five, whose lead singer, Maki Nomiya, became a style icon of the movement with her distinctive bob haircut and chic, 1960s-inspired outfits.

The aesthetic of Shibuya-kei extended beyond fashion to its album art, music videos, and graphic design. It was a playful and highly stylized collage of retro and kitsch elements from the 1960s. The aesthetic was heavily influenced by Pop Art , Space Age design, and the graphic sensibilities of that era. Album covers and promotional materials frequently featured bright, saturated colors, bold typography, and a clean, modernist layout. This created a cohesive visual style that was as important as the music itself in defining the subculture's identity.

Shibuya-kei music is defined by its eclectic and self-aware "cut-and-paste" approach, blending a wide array of genres into a sophisticated and nostalgic pop sound. The style is less about creating a completely new sound and more about the artful curation and reinterpretation of past musical styles. The genre draws heavily from 1960s Western pop music, including the orchestral lounge of Burt Bacharach, the studio productions of Brian Wilson, French yé-yé music, and Brazilian bossa nova.

Artists frequently incorporated elements of soul, funk, jazz, and Italian film soundtracks, often using samples to create a collage-like effect. As the movement progressed, influences from electronic genres like house and trip-hop also became common. This method of "curation-as-creation" reflected the consumer culture of the Shibuya district itself, where musicians would draw inspiration directly from the vast selection of imported records available in local shops.Shoujo Girl is the (approximately) 2023 Western reinterpretation of 2000s Heisei Retro and early 2010s Himekaji fashion trends from Japan. The name "Shoujo" refers to teenaged girls in Japanese, but in the West, it is used to refer to the manga and anime with this demographic in mind. Reflected in the aesthetic, the people in this aesthetic often theme their on-video lifestyle on manga characters' stories and mimic the outfits and appearance of Shoujo characters.

This trend is part of the post-pandemic aesthetic trend of the 2000s revival, growing interest in kawaii J-fashion, and rise in feminine, "girlish" aesthetics in general.

The aesthetic had its beginning with the Coquette aesthetic (called Dollette on this wiki), where much of the look derives from TikTok user lovedtopisces' personal style. Her videos did not coin the term, but rather used the #coquette hashtag with the additional information that all her clothes are imported from Japan.

Concurrent with this was fashion TikTok's fascination with the Shoujo manga and anime Nana . TikTokers would try to recreate/reinterpret the characters' style, and the girlier protagonist, Nana Komatsu, nicknamed Hachi, wears a pink, frilly style that people would try to recreate.

Because of the Japanese clothing designs being different from the original Dollette aesthetic, the people who are fans of this fashion desired a new tag in order to find similar content, rather than having to share a tag with that aesthetic, which had fashion that is more in-line with American trends. In addition, these videos started to incorporate not only the fashion, but also the visuals of anime/manga, music from Japan, and Heisei Retro motifs.

The tag " Himekaji " was used, but fans of that aesthetic emphatically pointed out that the use of this label for this style is incorrect. So, the people who like this aesthetic used "Shoujo Girl" as a tag. For the differences between Himekaji and Shoujo Girl, click here .

The most commonly found item in this aesthetic is the milkmaid top , which refers to a top with a gathered bust and tight torso area, sweetheart or square neckline, and cap sleeves. This piece has gone viral in the Dollette aesthetic, and it was also popular in 2000s Japan.

Milkmaid tops are also a name falsely given to twofer tops which were popular in the 2000s, which had a "2-in-1" design of a scoop neck top with a faux lace-trimmed camisole.

The most popular and hyped item in this community is the Liz Lisa sukapan , a Japanese term referring to skirts with shorts attached. The brand during the period of approximately 2009-2011 released extremely short, extremely gathered rectangle shorts with bloomers underneath decorated with ruffled lace trim.

Mini skirts that are extremely gathered (poofy) in general are also extremely popular, as it adds to the feminine aesthetic. Similarly, bloomer shorts with tiered ruffles are a substitute, often with a roomwear connotation.

Interpretations of the look that are more modest and based on the character Sawako from Kimi ni Todoke use long, flowy skirts, often either tiered or from the late 90s to the 2000s.

As for pants, bootcut jeans are the most popular choice due to this style having an association with the 2000s. For a feminine look, it's also common to see these jeans styled under dresses.

This style utilizes a combination of extremely sought-after Himekaji pieces from the early 2010s, pieces from 2000s Japanese brands not associated with Himekaji, fast fashion that replicates this aesthetic's viral pieces, and thrifted basics found locally. Often, Depop sellers would specialize in finding these pieces from Japan and import them to sell in their specialized online stores.

People who speak Japanese point out that the name of this aesthetic translates as "Girl Girl." As discussed in the introduction, "Shoujo" is used to describe Shoujo anime and manga in the West. The use of language in this way can be offensive, as it utilizes Japanese words to refer to a specific aspect of their pop culture, which echoes the West's flattening of Japanese language and culture into solely anime and manga.

Additionally, the use of Shoujo imagery and this unique hashtag is criticized as being overly categorical, and like above, overly applies anime and manga to Japanese culture as a whole. As the Jfashion community discussed,  the resemblance to manga characters is simply because manga illustrators wanted to communicate that their characters are stylish young women that the audience can aspire to. They based their design on contemporary feminine fashion in Japan. Treating this style as an alternative, fanciful microtrend discredits the Japanese fashion landscape and romanticizes something fairly mundane and non-fictionalized in its original country .

Acquiring this fashion also often involves "scalping" and scarcity. Much of the pieces in this style have gone viral, such as Liz Lisa sukupans and pieces from the 2000s. Secondhand sellers on Depop charge upwards of $200 for some pieces they bought for much less in the Japanese secondhand market and hide the brand tags of the pieces they find, so others cannot find them.Showa Retro (昭和レトロ) is a Japanese aesthetic based on the nostalgia for the Showa era, which corresponds with 1926 to 1989 in the Gregorian calendar (primarily focusing on the aftermath of World War II, specifically 1950s to 1970s). Its main charm is the overall "unpolished" feeling that most modern era aesthetics are lacking.

The aesthetic is characterized by a mix of traditional Japanese and Western tastes as a result of foreign popculture rapidly influencing the country in the post-war period. This reflects in the interior design in particular as even ordinary households started replacing typical Japanese furniture such as tatami mats with western designs. There is a heavy focus on primary colors such as red and green as they were easier to produce during that time where printing on garments was not yet common.

TBASlavic Doll is a retrospective term for a high-fashion aesthetic that became prominent in the early 2000s, defined by the look of supermodels predominantly, though not exclusively, from Eastern European countries. The aesthetic centers on a specific physical ideal: a tall, extremely slender physique with delicate facial features, such as high cheekbones and almond-shaped eyes, often complemented by pale skin and long, straight, light-colored hair. This look was popularized by models like Natalia Vodianova, Vlada Roslyakova, and Sasha Pivovarova, who became synonymous with an aloof, elegant, and hyper-feminine image on the runways of luxury brands.

The aesthetic saw a resurgence as a microtrend on TikTok in the 2020s, fueled by Y2K nostalgia and the popularity of the related Coquette aesthetic. This revival, however, often took the controversial name "Slavic Bimbo," linking the look to the Winter Bimbo trend.

The "Slavic Doll" look emerged in the early 2000s as the fashion industry shifted away from the grunge and heroin chic styles of the 1990s. The fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 had opened up Eastern Europe, allowing a new wave of models to enter the international market. Their popularity was often framed through a "Cinderella" narrative, where women from poor economic backgrounds achieved immense success, a story exemplified by the career of Natalia Vodianova.

This "Doll Era" was characterized by an extremely thin, almost emaciated physique that sparked significant controversy. A 2006 New York Times article described models appearing so gaunt that "their knees and elbows were larger than their concave thighs and pipe cleaner arms," leading to widespread debate about the industry's promotion of unhealthy body standards. In response, Madrid Fashion Week banned underweight models from its runways. The exploitative side of the industry was further exposed in the 2011 documentary Girl Model , which highlighted the "meat market" conditions, financial hardships, and risk of trafficking faced by young Eastern European girls, primarily from Siberia, scouted for the Japanese modeling market.

The aesthetic resurfaced in the early 2020s on TikTok, driven by a broader Y2K revival. A viral meme comparing "Slavic Dolls" to the contemporaneous " Brazilian Bombshells " (like Gisele Bündchen, associated with Victoria's Secret) became popular. This new iteration saw users adopting a Winter Bimbo style, wearing faux-fur hats and lip-syncing to viral Russian pop songs. This revival also brought new controversies, including the misrepresentation of Slavic culture through the "Slavic Girl Diet" meme, which promoted an inaccurate and restrictive eating plan that was heavily criticized for being a dog whistle for pro-ana content.

The Slavic Doll aesthetic combines a cold, detached sensibility reminiscent of the preceding Heroin Chic trend with elements of high-fashion glamour. The look is defined by a tall and extremely thin silhouette, often with pale skin and light-colored, straight hair. Makeup is typically minimal but can feature dramatic eyeliner that accentuates an aloof or piercing gaze.

This minimalist base is then styled with luxury items. The aesthetic heavily features designer labels such as Chanel and Versace, with fur coats (faux or vintage), knee-high boots, and miniskirts being key garments. The overall impression is one of sophisticated, inaccessible elegance, directly modeled on the runway and editorial looks of Eastern European supermodels of the early 2000s.

The original 2000s aesthetic was primarily visual and not associated with a specific music genre. However, its 2020s resurgence is strongly linked to Russian pop and Eurodance music, driven by viral trends on TikTok. The most notable example is "Мой мармеладный" by Katya Lel, a song that became the soundtrack to the " Slavic Bimbo " trend, with users lip-syncing to it while dressed in the aesthetic. Another prominent track is the remix "Privet Privet 2009," which is often used in edits and videos associated with the aesthetic.

The Slavic Doll aesthetic is subject to severe criticism for perpetuating harmful ethnic stereotypes and promoting dangerous body standards. While "Slavic" is a broad term covering numerous nationalities , the trend almost exclusively uses stereotypes associated with Russia, from the music to the fashion (e.g., the ushanka hat). Critics argue this imposes an inaccurate and monolithic identity on a diverse group of peoples and romanticizes a "mail-order bride" caricature of Slavic women as submissive, traditional, and solely focused on their physical appearance. This is compounded by a historical ignorance of the realities of the post-Soviet era, which was a time of immense hardship, poverty, and high rates of human trafficking for many women, a reality that is erased when the period is reduced to a glamorous aesthetic.

The most significant criticism revolves around the glorification of an extremely thin and often unhealthy body type. The aesthetic's revival on social media has been linked to the promotion of eating disorders, with trends like the "Slavic Girl Diet" being identified as a thin veil for pro-ana content. The term "Slavic Doll" itself has reportedly been used as a dog whistle to circumvent content moderation on platforms and discuss restrictive eating habits. Many critics view the aesthetic as a dangerous repackaging of the '00s "size zero" and Heroin Chic ideals, presenting a potentially life-threatening body image to a new generation of young people.Subcul Kei , also known as Jirai Danshi , is a style similar to Jirai Kei , and essentially its male counterpart, incorporating more elements from aesthetics such as goth and punk. It originated from the Goth Punk aesthetic but features more use of the color purple. it is highly androgynous and is a style worn by both men and women.

The basis of this style takes influences from E-Girl , Goth Punk , and generally dark alternative styles. Because of this, some outfits may even be completely in that style without the use brands dubbed Jirai. What distinguishes this style from alternative styles is the subcultural stereotype and the Jirai makeup style.

Oversized tees, sweaters, and sweatshirts are the most common garment in this aesthetic. They often have a print with a stereotypical motif, English text, anime prints, etc. Feminine details are sometimes featured, but rarely; for example, there may be eyelets for lacing ribbon through, zippers, or detachable Peter Pan collars. This resembles the fashion of the Yami Kawaii aesthetic, and contributes to an edgier and less girly look. As a feature of the mental illness and Yami Kawaii aspect, outfits use clothes typically only worn at home (ex. with pajama pants and house slippers) such as Crocs or novelty Sanrio rubber slippers with oversized tees. This also creates a sort of irony with the liberal use of accessories and elaborate makeup.

Jirai boys add masculine or androgynous elements to this style, while girls tend to pair tops with chunky platform sneakers and chain necklaces. The more casual Jersey Maid and Yami Kawaii inspired looks can also have track pants (ex. Adidas track pants) paired with a track suit jacket, oversized tee, or sweatshirt. This style also demonstrates rebellion through extensive piercings, both real and fake. Snakebites, pierced noses, pierced eyebrows, etc. finish the look.

Subcul Kei is associated with the character Ame-Chan from Needy Girl Overdose, which came out around the time the style was being popularized.Sukeban ( スケバン ) is a former Japanese subculture as well as the name of a fashion style derived from the looks of rebellious girl gangs. It first emerged during the 1960s as a form of rebellion against societal gender norms that expect women to always behave and dress well-mannered, causing a rise of deliquent girls enganging in anti-social and violent behaviour as a form of feminism.

Older sukeban were often also members of bosozoku biker gangs.

The popularization of the word Sukeban is largely due to movies, TV shows, and manga in the 1970s and 1980s. There are multiple theories for the meaning of the term, but the most common is that it is a portmanteau of "Suke" (slang for girl in Japanese) and "Banchō" (boss of a delinquent gang) forming "Sukeban" which makes it roughly translate to "girl boss". 
The word "Sukeban" originated from Norifumi Suzuki's "女番長ブルース 牝蜂の逆襲" (On'na Banchō Series: Queen Bee Strikes Again), which had "スケバン" (Sukeban) written underneath the On'na Banchō part (as Ruby characters, a way to give an alternate reading of words in Japanese).

As most members of girl gangs are still school age, they still have to wear school uniforms most of the time which are modified to show off their signature styles: blouses are cropped to expose the bare waist, skirt length is increased, and loafers are replaced by sneakers. Another key feature is the long customized coats (特攻服) which feature feminist symbology and anarchic messages in kanji.

Sukeban TV shows were popular during the 1980s. They almost always featured the sterotypical depiction of a sukeban character wearing a blue sailor suit with a long skirt. They featured action and fighting and were usually based around the sukeban characters having powerful abilities or tools.

A notable example of sukeban in fiction is Saki Nikaido from Zombieland Saga. She was a biker gang leader who originates from the 90s, and both her normal outfit and her first performance outfit are examples of the sukeban style.

The character of Sailor Jupiter from the Sailor Moon franchise was originally written as being a part of this subculture, but it was quickly dropped, though she does retain some elements, especially in her hairstyle and school uniform.

Shenmue takes place in the town of Yokasuka, Japan and features a sukeban gang with characters, including the leader Yumiko Minamino . The sukeban wear schoolgirl outfits with skirts modified to be very long and colorful eye makeup. Their activites include squatting in alleyways, hanging out with the Yankis, using rods and razor blades as weapons, insulting the player's character, and recruiting girls to their gang.Summer Matsuri , also known as Natsu Matsuri (夏祭り) in Japanese, is a seasonal aesthetic about Japanese summer festivals.  Summer Matsuri events typically occur between July and August, marking the height of summer in Japan.

The origins of Summer Matsuri can be traced back to ancient Japanese traditions, with many festivals having roots in Shinto and Buddhist practices. These events often began as religious observances or harvest celebrations, evolving over centuries into the lively community gatherings we see today.

In the post-World War II era, particularly from the 1950s onwards, Summer Matsuri began to gain prominence in popular culture. Anime and manga creators frequently incorporated these festivals into their works, solidifying the aesthetic.

The rise of social media in the 21st century has led to increased global awareness of Summer Matsuri. Scenes of colorful yukata, fireworks, and bustling festival stalls have made these events popular among international audiences.

The Summer Matsuri aesthetic embodies several key philosophical and cultural values:

Community spirit is at the heart of Summer Matsuri. These festivals bring people together, fostering a sense of belonging and shared experience. They serve as a reminder of the importance of human connection in an increasingly digital world.

Tradition plays a crucial role, with many festival elements remaining unchanged for generations. This connection to the past provides a sense of continuity and cultural identity, especially important in rapidly modernizing societies.

Celebration of nature and the seasons is another key aspect. Summer Matsuri marks the height of summer, acknowledging the changing rhythms of the natural world and humanity's place within it.

Nostalgia is a powerful component of the Summer Matsuri aesthetic. For many, these festivals evoke childhood memories and a romanticized view of simpler times, creating a bittersweet longing for the past.

The fashion of Summer Matsuri is an essential part of its aesthetic appeal:

Summer Matsuri scenes are prevalent in various forms of Japanese media, including anime.Taishō Roman (大正ロマン) or Taishō Romance (大正浪漫) aesthetic was a result of the radical shift in Japanese culture towards industrialization and liberalism during the Taisho era (from 1912 to 1926).  The Taisho period is best known for its quirky, roaring 20s-inspired reinterpretation of traditional culture. It is called Taisho "Roman," short for "romance," because of the ideals of European Romanticism spread to Japan during the period.

Both art and fashion of this time were influenced by the larger Art Deco trend of the 20s.

Art movements in Japan were revitalized by modernization and romanticism. The Sousaku-hanga movement in particular arose from the ideals of individuality and self expression.

Taisho Roman often features elements of technology that were emerging in Japan at the time.

In the Taisho period, politics experienced a progressive and liberal trend called Taisho Democracy. A representative democracy in the Japanese monarchy was formed with political parties representing the people. Political movements such as feminism, universal suffrage, leftism, and anarchism had spread.

Growing cities like Tokyo and Osaka became centers of modern life, featuring department stores, cafés, cinemas, and new forms of transportation. The continued influx of Western culture, fashion, technology, and ideas was eagerly adopted and adapted. The term haikara (ハイカラ, from "high collar") initially described Westernized styles and attitudes.

However, this liberal period was short-lived. Growing radical militarism, the Kantō Massacre of 1923, and the enactment of Peace Preservation Law of 1925 caused democratic freedom to vanish, eventually leading into the more nationalistic early Shōwa period with a reversion to tradtionalist beliefs.

Taisho Roman was greatly influenced by western fashion that spread to Japan after it opened to trade. Western business suits and bowler hats became popular with men in Japan. The western-style sailor suit became the school uniform for girls as serafuku . Synthetic fibers and dyes began to be manufactured more widely in Japan, and a wider array of clothes than ever before began to emerge in in new styles and colors.

While high-class women were able to embrace the Western flapper fashions completely, creating a style known as moga ('modern girl'), lower-class women incorporated the iconic styles of the era (such as shawls, cloche hats, etc) into styling. Geometric motifs on kimonos were also commonly seen.

The male equivalent to moga is known as mobo ('modern boy'). It featured bowler hats and sunglasses with the lenses removed. These glasses were called Lloyd glasses because they were popularized by the 1920s comedian Harold Lloyd.Takenokozoku (竹の子族), or "Bamboo Shoot Tribe," was a Japanese street fashion and dance subculture that was active in the Harajuku district of Tokyo from the mid-1970s until 1981. The movement was predominantly made up of teenagers who gathered on Sundays to dance to music from portable stereos. The style was a deliberate rejection of mainstream fashion and was a form of self-expression for the youth of the time. The name "Takenokozoku" comes from the influential clothing store, Boutique Takenoko, which was the primary source of their unique clothing. In 2019, a group called KEKENOKO attempted to revive the style.

Takenokozoku fashion is characterized by its vivid, colorful, and loose-fitting clothing. The style was a maximalist aesthetic that often featured an abundance of patterns and accessories. A key garment in the style was the harem suit, a shapeless jumpsuit or wide-legged pants with a matching top, often made from cheap, lightweight materials. The clothing came in a range of bright colors, including red, pink, and violet, and was often adorned with ribbons, bows, and fringe. This gaudy and deliberately unrefined aesthetic was a direct contrast to the more traditional and conservative fashion of the era, and it served as a visual statement of individuality and rebellion. The aesthetic of Takenokozoku, with its vibrant colors and focus on group identity through fashion, is sometimes cited as a predecessor to later Japanese street fashion movements like Gyaru .

The Takenokozoku dance groups gathered in Harajuku's Yoyogi Park on Sundays to perform choreographed dances to music. Their music of choice was not traditional Japanese folk music, but rather blaring rock music from large, portable radios. This choice of music, combined with their stylized dance routines, was a key part of their public performance and a central activity of the subculture.

The Takenokozoku subculture, though primarily centered on music and fashion, also represented a form of quiet rebellion against the rigid social conformity of 1970s Japan. The youth involved, largely junior and senior-high school students, were part of the "no hunger" generation; a post-war cohort that had grown up in a period of prosperity and did not share their parents' emphasis on selflessness and hard work. Their colorful, gaudy clothing and public dancing were a direct contrast to the conservative and disciplined attitudes of the time. This public display of individualism and ebullience was seen by some as an act of defiance, and the subculture provided an outlet for personal expression and independence that was otherwise discouraged in Japanese society. The movement symbolized a growing desire among younger Japanese to lead more individualistic lives, less constrained by corporate and societal duties, and to question the values of their parents' generation.Tanbi Kei (耽美系) is a substyle in Visual Kei that centers around fancy costumes inspired by European culture and fashion. It pulls heavily from Baroque, Victorian and Rococo periods in fashion and visuals. It also follows some visual cues from and has similar influences to Lolita fashion.

The costumes usually exemplify a feeling of elegance and royalty you would expect to see in a costume from a play. They are usually extremely detailed and very elaborate.

When it comes to makeup, the style seeks to emulate a beautiful appearance, usually combining the costume with extreme amounts of makeup, hair ribbons, bonnets, bright lipstick and other eye-catching accessories and features.

Male-to-female crossdressing is also very common in the style. These male crossdressers usually state that they use the style as a way of magnified, overemphasized artistic expression. A well-known male-to-female crossdresser who wore Tanbi Kei quite frequently is the iconic musician, Mana . Due to Tanbi Kei being a very recognizable look, it is one of the most popular styles among Visual Kei cosplayers.

Since it is a Visual Kei style, Tanbi Kei finds it's origins with the musicians who started it. Listed below are some bands who are known, or were known, for exemplifying the style.Thai Modern is an aesthetic rooted in Thai fashion from the 1930s to the early 1980s, encompassing the years leading up to World War II and extending through the Cold War era. During this period, Thailand underwent significant modernization and absorbed cultural influences from the West. Western fashion, architecture, and design merged with traditional Thai charms, giving rise to a distinctive blend of vintage Western and Thai local character. This aesthetic is also closely tied to the golden age of Thai cinema, which flourished during these decades. Thai Modern echoes the visual language of classic Thai films, where vivid, bold colors played a central role in defining the style and mood. The result is an aesthetic that is at once nostalgic, vibrant, and uniquely Thai.

Thai Modern no longer reflects the current sense of modernity in Bangkok, Thailand’s bustling capital. However, its influence lingers in the aesthetics of rural life and in the enduring sounds of Luk Thung and Luk Krung music.

Today, one of the most prominent figures reviving this aesthetic is Sayamo—the stage name of singer and fashion influencer Sayapa “Tang-Mo” Singchoo. She blended her given name, Sayapa, with her nickname, Tang-Mo, and infused it with the spirit of Siamese Modernity (Sa-yam-Modern) —a nod to the era she draws inspiration from.

Growing up in a province outside Bangkok, Sayamo was steeped in the sounds and aesthetics of Luk-Thung and Luk-Krung, spending much of her time with her parents who nurtured her love for vintage Thai culture.As 1990s nostalgia began to resurface, Sayamo saw the perfect opportunity to revive the vintage style she grew up with—transforming it into her signature look.

The rise of Lo-Fi and Chill-Hop has inspired a new wave of artists to blend vintage Thai music with the beats and rhythms of electronic music, creating nostalgic soundscapes with a modern twist.

In the 2000s, Thai films revisited this aesthetic, reviving the charm of mid-20th-century Thailand and paying homage to its cinematic golden age.The Tiki aesthetic originated in the United States with the opening of Polynesian-inspired bars and restaurants in the 1930s. Tiki became popular after World War II, when America became fascinated with Polynesian and South Pacific culture. Dim lighting, rum cocktails, tiki decor, hibiscus flowers, and nautical objects (such as maps, fishing nets, and netted fishing floats) are all aspects that make up the Tiki aesthetic. The first major establishment to assume the Tiki aesthetic was a tiki bar called Don the Beachcomber, which Donn Beach opened in Hollywood in 1933.  Many other establishments followed, some of the most famous including Trader Vic's, which Victor Bergeron opened in 1936 in Oakland, California, and Mai-Kai, which opened in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1956.

As mentioned above, the Tiki aesthetic is ever-present in tiki bars and other Polynesian-themed establishments.  The Tiki aesthetic can also be seen in popular culture.  A perfect example of this is the animated television show Spongebob Squarepants .  The nautical-themed show is packed full of Tiki art, as seen in the backgrounds, title cards, and time cards of each episode.

On general Tiki culture -- anything by Sven Kirsten :

Tiki culture with cocktail recipes:

Tiki cocktail recipes:Tokusatsu (特撮, lit. "special filming") is a Japanese term referring to live-action films or television programs that make extensive use of practical special effects. While originally a technical term, tokusatsu has evolved into a distinct visual and cultural aesthetic. It's primarily associated with science fiction, fantasy, horror, and superhero narratives, defining a unique style of visual storytelling. Its contemporary use became widespread in Japanese mass media around 1958, particularly during the "first monster boom" (1966–1968), when it gained significant popular recognition for its visual impact.

Core subgenres that shape the tokusatsu aesthetic include kaiju (giant monsters) like the Godzilla and Gamera series; superhero narratives such as Kamen Rider and Metal Hero ; Kyodai Hero (giant heroes) like Ultraman and Denkou Choujin Gridman ; and mecha (giant robots) from series like Giant Robo . Many tokusatsu programs blend these elements, exemplified by the Super Sentai series. Though a significant form of Japanese entertainment, only key properties like Godzilla have achieved widespread international recognition, influencing global cinema and pop culture.

The visual identity of tokusatsu is defined by its innovative use of practical special effects, creating a distinctive blend of realism and fantasy. Key visual elements include the intricate design and use of creature suits for monsters and aliens, often engaging in city-destroying battles with detailed miniature sets and scaled-down urban environments. Early tokusatsu often features a retrofuturistic aesthetic with intriguing, old-fashioned futuristic technology. The human characters, particularly superheroes, are known for their stylized masked costumes, often undergoing iconic transformation (Henshin) sequences.

Beyond the special effects, tokusatsu explores profound themes. It frequently depicts robots, androids, and cyborgs, often with cybernetically enhanced biological life, alongside intriguing weaponry. Narratives frequently delve into the fight against fascism and war, exploring concepts of the human spirit and the human condition. A deep appreciation for life is a recurring value, often contrasted with the destructive power of monsters or villains.

Tokusatsu has origins in early Japanese theater, specifically in kabuki with its action and fight scenes, and in bunraku, which utilized some of the earliest forms of special effects, specifically puppetry. Japanese cinema pioneer Shōzō Makino is recognized for founding early tokusatsu techniques, directing jidaigeki films with special effects that inspired later filmmakers like Yoshirō Edamasa.

Eiji Tsuburaya and director Ishirō Honda became the driving forces behind 1954's Godzilla . Tsuburaya, inspired by the American film King Kong , formulated many of the techniques that would become staples of the genre, such as suitmation—the use of a human actor in a costume to play a giant monster—combined with the use of miniatures and scaled-down city sets. Godzilla fundamentally reshaped Japanese science fiction and fantasy, establishing Toho as a global leader in special effects.

Godzilla launched the enduring kaiju genre. However, a shift towards masked heroes began with the 1957 Super Giant serial, followed by the highly influential "Henshin Boom" ignited by Kamen Rider in 1971. The introduction of color television further propelled the genre with series like Ambassador Magma and Ultraman , establishing the Kyodai Hero subgenre wherein a regular-sized protagonist grows to larger proportions to fight equally large monsters. Popular tokusatsu superhero shows in the 1970s included Kamen Rider (1971), Warrior of Love Rainbowman (1972), Super Sentai (1975, trademarked in 1979) and Spider-Man (1978).Too Cool ( 土酷 ) is a kitschy movement and fashion trend originating from China. Characterized by its bedazzled and ostentatious style, it reclaims rural and traditional Chinese styles that were once considered outdated and unfashionable, transforming them into expressions of individuality and cultural pride. The aesthetic frequently uses vibrant colors, nostalgic imagery, and DIY elements, incorporating motifs of traditional Chinese culture juxtaposed with references to early internet culture and modern, ironic twists.

The aesthetic was pioneered by the Chinese influencer Liu Min, better known by her stage name Princess Butterfly. "Tu" (土, literally translated as "soil") is one word being used to describe this traditional, rural look. "Tu" has mainstream connotations of rural tastelessness and has historically been used to show contempt towards China's rural population. However, its connotations have shifted in recent years, especially on the Chinese internet.

The reclamation of the word "tu" is a defining feature of this aesthetic. "土酷" sounds like "too cool " in English, playfully challenging the stigma against rural culture and transforming a once derogatory term into an expression of empowerment. On platforms like Weibo, young people are actively embracing the term with hashtags like #toocool and #toocoolgirl, garnering millions of views.

To completely understand Too Cool, it's valuable to examine the history of Chinese aesthetics in the global context, particularly how these aesthetics are perceived internationally. These perceptions often fall into two overly simplistic stereotypes: " the Orient ," which evokes an image of rich, sophisticated traditional art and culture, while the "Communist State" is often reduced to visual clichés associated with authoritarianism and propaganda, derived from Socialist Realism . These stereotypes, perpetuated in Western media and the global art market, contribute to a limited understanding of Chinese aesthetics.

Another prevalent stereotype is the "Made in China" label, which is frequently associated with low quality products, knock-offs, and a lack of originality. This stems from China's rapid modernization and urbanization, where the focus on mass production and rapid consumption led to the borrowing and copying of Western consumer aesthetics. While China has become a leading exporter of goods, this has also reinforced the image of Chinese production as synonymous with counterfeiting and a prioritization of profit over creativity, as seen with the Shanzhai aesthetic.

Too Cool reappropiates dismissed elements of Chinese aesthetics and challenges the notion that Chinese production is solely defined by imitation and a lack of originality. It suggests that the act of copying and reinterpreting itself can be a form of creativity, leading to unique and unexpected aesthetic outcomes. This challenges the dominant narrative of Chinese aesthetics as derivative.

It's also important to consider its predecessor, the Shamate subculture. Emerging in the 2000s, Shamate (derived from the English word "smart") was characterized by its bold hairstyles and fashion inspired by various Western subcultures like Scene , Goth , Emo , Punk , as well as some influences from Japanese Visual Kei bands. Often perceived as a "poor rip-off" of these styles, Shamate nonetheless developed its own distinct identity, particularly among youth in lower-tier cities in China.

The rise of "Too Cool" is closely associated with the popularity of Liu Min, known online as Princess Butterfly. Since launching her Princess Butterfly persona in early 2018, Liu Min has become a prominent figure in the Chinese fashion scene. Her personal style, as shown through her presence on platforms like Weibo and Instagram, features a mix of Qipaos embellished with images of Chinese deities, stockings decorated with gold ingots, and photographs set against idyllic backdrops of flowers, clouds, and iconic Chinese landmarks like the Great Wall. Photographer Hu Weishan credits Princess Butterfly as a muse and a source of inspiration, stating that her discovery of Liu Min marked a "crucial turning point" in her career, leading to an exploration of kitsch and evolving aesthetics in modern China.

The term "Too Cool" is actually a phonetic English translation of the Chinese term "土酷" (Tuku), which translates to "tacky cool." This references the inherent irony within the aesthetic, as it reclaims and celebrates elements of Chinese culture that were once considered outdated or unsophisticated. According to Yangya, who claims to have created the style, the emphasis should be on the "Too," signifying an excessive or exaggerated coolness, rather than on "Tu," which carries connotations of tackiness.

While Too Cool has been around since the mid-2010s, the aesthetic entered mainstream consciousness in mid-2020 when Balenciaga incorporated elements of the aesthetic into an advertisement for Qixi, the Chinese equivalent of Saint Valentine's Day. The ad sparked controversy and accusations of cultural appropriation , with many netizens criticizing Balenciaga for utilizing "vulgar and old-fashioned imagery" reminiscent of Princess Butterfly's signature style.

Liu Min acknowledged the influence of traditional "土 earthy" styles, but she rejects the notion that Too Cool is inherently old-fashioned or something "of the past." She views the aesthetic as a form of vintage nostalgia, a retro homage to a period of rapid change and modernization in China. This element of nostalgia is reflected in the DIY aesthetics and references to early internet culture often found in Too Cool imagery, similar to the overseas equivalent of Xpiritualism . The nostalgia of Too Cool is not necessarily about longing for the past, but rather paying homage to bygone eras and a recontextualization of cultural elements that were once dismissed or overlooked.

Too Cool is characterized by embracing elements considered "tacky" or outdated, drawing from the fashion and visual culture of rural towns in China. The aesthetic is often expressed through performative photography and videography featuring exaggerated poses, dramatic makeup, and theatrical settings.

The iconography combines elements of traditional Chinese culture and modern influences. It incorporates imagery such as depictions of temples, eagles, and Buddhist figures, alongside references to rural life and older generations, like those found in old posters featuring plum blossoms, lotuses, ancient proverbs, and "get certificates" (办证) stickers. This fusion of disparate elements challenges established notions of style and taste. Waterfalls and flowers also frequently appear as a backdrop or setting in photoshoots and videos. Certain typographic fonts combined with a glossy, skeuomorphic texture and rainbow text are also common.

Too Cool fashion is a combination of contradictory elements, fusing traditional Chinese garments and motifs with modern, often ironic, twists. Qipao, the classic form-fitting Chinese dress, is a staple of the aesthetic, but featuring vibrant colors and unconventional embellishments. For instance, Princess Butterfly has been seen sporting a qipao adorned with images of temples, eagles, and a female Buddha.

Beyond the qipao, the aesthetic incorporates a variety of traditional Chinese garments and accessories, such as bellybands and Chinese tunic suits, often with contemporary adaptations. The juxtaposition of traditional and modern extends to the use of accessories and imagery. Traditional symbols like dragons, tigers, and auspicious proverbs are frequently incorporated into clothing and accessories, often alongside references to early internet culture and contemporary trends. The clashing styles challenge the conventional notions of taste and beauty.

While the term "Tu" (土), meaning "soil," has historically been used to denigrate rural fashion as unsophisticated, Too Cool reclaims and celebrates these elements, much like other kitschy aesthetics. Designers and influencers draw inspiration from a range of sources associated with rural life and older generations, including those that predate living memory. Old posters featuring "well-meaning" elements like plum blossoms and lotuses, ancient proverbs, and even "get certificates" (办证) stickers, which were once a common sight in older residential buildings, are frequently used elements.

The embrace of "Tu" aesthetics reflects a growing nostalgia for elements of pre-communist China's past and a rejection of the previously held stigma against rural aesthetics. Reclaiming "Tu" can also be seen in the work of designers like Fabric Porn's Zhao Chenxi, who uses humor and tongue-in-cheek references to Chinese cultural symbols from his childhood in his works.

Too Cool has begun to influence mainstream fashion trends in China. Designers like Kate Han of Mukzin and Angel Chen incorporate elements of traditional Chinese imagery and symbolism into their collections, albeit with a more modern interpretation.Uchuu Kei (宇宙系, literally "Space Style") is a Japanese street fashion subculture that emerged as an evolution of Fairy Kei . It maintains the playful, childlike spirit and layering techniques of its predecessor but shifts the thematic focus entirely to outer space ( uchuu ) and alien ( uchuujin ) motifs. Unlike the 1980s nostalgia inherent in Fairy Kei, Uchuu Kei draws inspiration from the futuristic aesthetics of the 1990s and is defined by its fusion of soft colors with bold, futuristic, and synthetic elements.

Uchuu Kei emerged in the vibrant street fashion scene of Harajuku, Tokyo, specifically branching off from the Fairy Kei subculture.

Fairy Kei itself was largely cultivated by designers who ran second-hand and designer stores in Harajuku, with the 2004 opening of the influential boutique SPANK! being a significant event in the consolidation of the wider aesthetic. While Fairy Kei focused primarily on 1980s Western nostalgia, Uchuu Kei evolved by adopting the maximalist, cute, and pastel approach but grounding its fantasy in space-age futurism and 1990s pop culture. It consciously moved away from vintage authenticity, embracing the artificial and the loud, neon visuals that were distinct from the softer, purely pastel look of its predecessor.

Uchuu Kei is distinguished by a highly curated blend of its core color palette and choice of materials, which are designed to evoke a playful, science-fiction aesthetic.

The foundation of the style rests on the classic pastel shades inherited from Fairy Kei , which are then aggressively mixed with fluorescent or neon colors and cool tones like deep blues and purples to create a celestial, electric vibrancy. These colors are frequently accented by metallic silver and black to emphasize the futuristic, space-inspired look.

The choice of materials is central to achieving the futuristic feel:

Outfits are characterized by layered complexity and playful silhouettes:

Accessories in Uchuu Kei are literal and direct translations of its theme, moving away from the vintage toy motifs of Fairy Kei:

Makeup can vary from simple to extremely vibrant. It frequently features unusual and unconventional lipstick colors (such as bright blues, greens, or purples) to complement the alien-pop aesthetic.Ukiyo-e (浮世絵), which translates to "pictures of the floating world," is a genre of Japanese art that flourished during the country's Edo period (1603–1868). The term "floating world" was an ironic reference to the ephemeral urban lifestyle and pleasure-seeking culture of Edo (modern Tokyo), which included its kabuki theaters, teahouses, and red-light districts. While the genre includes paintings, it is most famous for its mass-produced woodblock prints, which made art accessible to ordinary townspeople, not just the wealthy elite.

The production of Ukiyo-e prints was a collaborative process involving a publisher, an artist who drew the initial design, a carver who cut the image onto a series of woodblocks (one for each color), and a printer who applied the ink and pressed the image onto paper. The subjects of these prints reflected the interests of the urban population. Early works focused on the stars of the "floating world," such as beautiful courtesans ( bijin-ga ), famously depicted by artists like Kitagawa Utamaro, and popular kabuki actors in dramatic poses ( yakusha-e ).

By the 19th century, the genre expanded to include landscape prints ( fūkei-ga ), which became immensely popular. The two great masters of this style were Katsushika Hokusai, known for his series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, and Utagawa Hiroshige, celebrated for his series The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō. The visual style of Ukiyo-e is characterized by bold outlines, asymmetrical compositions, and large areas of flat, unshaded color. When these prints arrived in Europe in the late 19th century, they fueled the trend of Japonisme and had a significant influence on Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists like Monet, Degas, and Van Gogh.

The roots of ukiyo-e can be traced back to the earlier art form called Yamato-e, which depicted scenes from Japanese history and mythology. However, ukiyo-e emerged as a distinct art style in the 17th century, reflecting the flourishing urban culture of Edo (present-day Tokyo) and capturing the essence of the pleasure districts, theaters, festivals, landscapes, and famous personalities of the time.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, ukiyo-e prints gained immense popularity, becoming a significant part of Japanese visual culture. They were collected by people from various social classes, from commoners to samurai, and served as a form of entertainment, education, and even political commentary.

Despite the decline of the ukiyo-e tradition in the late 19th century with the advent of modernization and the rise of photography, its artistic legacy continues to inspire and fascinate people around the world. Today, ukiyo-e prints are treasured artworks, admired for their intricate details, vibrant colors, and their portrayal of a bygone era in Japanese history.

Through the 19th and 20th centuries, Ukiyo-e was revitalized through the movement of Shin-hanga . Shin-hanga was inspired by European art and incorporated these new techniques into traditional Ukiyo-e. The themes of Shin-hanga remained the same and it featured the same subjects as Ukiyo-e. One of the most prolific paintmakers of the period was Hasui Kawase, who made primarily landscapes.

At the same time as the Shin-hanga movement, a new movement named sousaku-hanga (創作版画, or 'creative prints'), made famous by artists such as Koshiro Onchi, proclaimed self-expression and individuality. Unlike Shin-hanga, it was drastically different from traditional Ukiyo-e. Printmaking was traditionally a collaborative system, but sousaku-hanga artists opposed this and did the drawing, carving, and printing all on their own. Sousaku-hanga prints are distinct because of their more modernist qualities like abstraction and personal expression.

Ukiyo-e displayed oblique projection, asymmetry, flat plane, and abstract color.

The typical subjects were female beauties; kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers; scenes from history and folk tales; travel scenes and landscapes; flora and fauna; and erotica (called Shunga). The women depicted were most often courtesans and geisha at leisure, and promoted the entertainments to be found in the pleasure districts.

The most famous artist was Hokusai, who created the iconic The Great Wave off Kanagawa in 1831. The Great Wave is still very popular in modern culture and is seen multiple modern aesthetics, such as Vaporwave .

After the re-opening of Japan in the 19th century, Ukiyo-e spread to Europe and started a craze called Japonisme , since it was so unique and different from the European paintings of the period.  Ukiyo-e influenced various western art movements and artists of the time, especially the Post-Impressionist Vincent van Gogh, who termed this influence on him " Japonaiserie ".

Ukiyo-e art is common to see on t-shirt designs from brands such as UNIQLO. This is partly because Ukiyo-e art is in the public domain and can be used freely by anyone.Visual Kei (ビジュアル系, bijuaru kei), meaning "visual style," is a Japanese music movement that emerged in the 1980s, characterized by its members' use of elaborate costumes, dramatic makeup, and extravagant, often androgynous, hairstyles. It is not a single music genre but rather an overarching aesthetic that encompasses a wide variety of sounds, including those influenced by glam metal , post-punk , gothic rock, and industrial .

The primary unifying principle is an emphasis on visual presentation as an integral and equal component of the musical performance. Pioneered by bands like X Japan and Buck-Tick, the movement drew initial inspiration from Western Glam Rock , Goth , and Punk but developed into a uniquely Japanese phenomenon.

Over the decades, Visual Kei has evolved into numerous distinct sub-genres (such as the dark and aggressive Nagoya Kei, the bright and colorful Oshare Kei , and the traditionalist Angura Kei ) each with its own specific visual and musical codes.

Visual kei originated in the late 80s, but was heavily influenced by early 80s Japanese Goth rock and Post-Punk bands in its visuals (particularly bands like Auto-Mod, Madame Edwarda, Phaidia, and Die Zibet).

Going even further back, the Japanese Post-Punk bands were musically and aesthetically influenced by members of particularly theatrical Goth and neo-Glam bands, like Japan, Hanoi Rocks. Bauhaus, Gene Loves Jezebel, and Christian Death. (Zin-Francois Angelique of Madame Edwarda and ISSAY of Die Zibet took from this style especially.)

The results of this conglomeration of influences include very flamboyant and big hair, heavy makeup, and elaborate costumes of varying styles. Determining whether a band is visual kei or not is generally rather easy -  either the fans or the artists themselves will be sure to let you know if they are, as it's generally a conscious choice to be a part of the scene.

As it is primarily a visual style, it's impossible to pin down visual kei by hearing alone, and to dismiss a band as "not visual kei" based on their sound is unwise, as the music can range from J-pop to extreme metal to electronic dance music.

Visual Kei is not a monolithic style but an umbrella movement encompassing numerous subgenres, each with its own distinct visual and musical codes. While there are many small variations, the movement can be understood through several key styles:

Often considered the "archetypal" or "quintessential" form of Visual Kei from the 1990s, Kote Kei is characterized by a dark, gothic, and often grotesque aesthetic. The fashion is elaborate and androgynous, featuring complex costumes with materials like vinyl and lace, dramatic makeup, and exaggerated, often gravity-defying hairstyles. Musically, it is typically aggressive and emotional, drawing from goth rock and heavy metal. Key bands include early Dir en grey, Madeth Gray'll, and Phantasmagoria.

Meaning "aesthete school," Tanbi Kei is a subgenre heavily inspired by historical European aesthetics, particularly the Rococo, Baroque, and Victorian eras. The look is aristocratic and regal, featuring elaborate, princely costumes, ball gowns, and meticulous, often classically inspired hairstyles and makeup. The music frequently incorporates elements of classical, symphonic, and neoclassical music. The most iconic Tanbi Kei band is Malice Mizer, with others including Versailles and Lareine.

Originating from the city of Nagoya, this subgenre is known for its darker, gloomier, and often more subdued take on Visual Kei. Compared to the flamboyance of Kote Kei, Nagoya Kei fashion is often more stripped-down, favoring black, tailored clothing with a more modern, punk-influenced sensibility. The music is often heavier and more influenced by Western punk, death metal, and industrial rock, with a less polished sound. Foundational bands include Kuroyume and Silver Rose.

Meaning "fashionable school," Oshare Kei emerged in the early 2000s as a brighter, more colorful, and pop-influenced alternative to the darker styles. The fashion is vibrant and playful, drawing heavily from Japanese street fashion styles found in Harajuku. The look often includes bright colors, clashing patterns, and cute accessories. Musically, Oshare Kei bands typically play a more accessible and upbeat style of pop-punk or pop-rock. Key bands include An Cafe, SuG, and LM.C.

This subgenre incorporates traditional Japanese aesthetics into its look and sound. Bands often wear modern interpretations of kimonos, yukatas, or samurai attire, and may use traditional Japanese patterns and props like fans or masks. Musically, Wafuu Kei integrates traditional Japanese instruments (like the koto or shamisen) and folk melodies into a rock or metal framework. Notable examples include Kagrra, and Kiryu.

The earliest form of visual kei, predating the coining of the term "visual kei" itself. Throughout the 1980s, Japanese media tended to refer to all bands who wore makeup on stage, such as Japanese Hair Metal and Goth bands, as "okeshou" (makeup) bands. As time went on, okeshou bands began to coalesce into a more unified scene. In 1991, the term "visual kei" was coined by the editor in chief of SHOXX magazine, inspired by X Japan's slogan "Psychedelic Violence - Crime of Visual Shock," and many of the okeshou bands which still existed at that time began to refer to themselves as visual kei, with the stylings of the 80s/early 90s bands being called "okeshou kei." Due to their influence, okeshou bands which had already broken up before 1991 are often considered early visual kei bands despite never using the term for themselves.In traditional Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi (侘寂) is a world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete". It is a concept derived from the Buddhist teaching of the three marks of existence (三法印, sanbōin ), specifically impermanence (無常, mujō ), suffering (苦, ku ) and emptiness or absence of self-nature (空, kū ).

Characteristics of the wabi-sabi aesthetic include asymmetry, roughness, simplicity, economy, austerity, modesty, intimacy, and appreciation of the ingenuous integrity of natural objects and processes.Weeaboo is a subculture and derogatory term used to describe Western fans of Japanese animanga culture, primarily from 2006 (Release of Crunchyroll) to 2016 (Filthy Frank and Cringe Compilations). Weeaboos emulate the behavior of fictional anime characters rather than actual Japanese social norms. The Weeaboo visual aesthetic incorporates the incongruous fashion and visual blend developed by Western fans attempting to emulate anime.

This subculture originated out of a transitional era in the Western anime fandom, between the niche era of Animecore and the modern consumerism of Oshi Culture . While originally a derogatory term. "Weeb" has been reclaimed by members of the anime fandom to describe their distinct identity centered around conventions and online communities.

The current term Weeaboo is only just the modern iteration of a term for western lovers of Japanese culture/media. The first recognizable instance of such a term came from the 18th century, and was called Japanophile. It should be noted though that this sort of term was not exclusive for Japan, as there are many similar terms such as Anglophile, Germanophile, and Ailurophile. These terms are used for a person with a love and appreciation for a specific culture, though the context and connotation varies term to term.

The first instance of a term resembling the modern iteration came around 2000 from the site 4chan, where the term Wapanese caught traction as a derogatory term for those obsessed with Japan on the site.

Around 2005, the moderators of 4chan created a word-filter that actively replaced each instance of Wapanese with Weeaboo. Weeaboo, first seen in a comic by Nicholas Gurewitch , was meant to be a meaningless word. However, the filter was ineffective as 4chan users began using this word as a replacement for Wapanese and the meaning simply transferred over.

Since then, the term has been shortened to Weeb, though it would be wrong to say definitively that the two versions of the term share the same meaning.

The Weeaboo subculture flourished from the scarcity of its Old Web counterpart, when Western Anime fans had to collaborate to find content using 4chan and torrenting.  After the rise of internet accessibility in the mid-2000s, streaming platforms like YouTube and Crunchyroll meant that anime was easy to find. This created a generation of fans with high enthusiasm but low context, leading to the formation of a distinct identity. This created friction within the anime fan community; the original fans resented these "normies" and created terms like Wapanese and Weeaboo.

As Weebs grew in popularity it began to become corporatized by fashion brands that began to incorporate anime. Many releases sell out within minutes and get resold at a higher price point. These clothes use the original fashion brand's aesthetic but involve subtler motifs that reference the anime, such as certain colors, stylized illustration, and tasteful logos.

Weeaboo culture has faced criticism for fetishization, historical ignorance, and social awkwardness. The tendency to view Japan as a utopia based on cartoons led to friction. The 2016 election of Donald Trump brought Filthy Frank and cringe compilations that relentlessly mocked Weeaboos. At the same time, liberals criticized Weeaboos for supporting anime which sometimes included misogynism and age gaps.

These negative stereotypes ultimately forced the subculture to change entirely. The modern "Weeb" is often self-aware and ironic. The desire to distance themselves from "cringe" led to a decline in the classic culture and behavior of Weeaboos.

Abandoning the unique culture created in anime conventions, Western anime fans have started to adopt the practices of real Japanese Wota (Wotagei dance, Ita-bags, Oshikatsu) to be more "authentic". The strict rules of Wota culture are a direct reaction against the "cringe" of the chaos of the Weeaboo era.

Animecore also arose as a romanization of the period before Weebs.

Weeaboo fashion is characterized by its lack of cohesion and the integration of anime fandom with daily clothing. one stereotype is that Weeaboos dress poorly , which indicates their ignorance or lack of care for "normal society."

Weeaboos often mix and match certain elements from anime with casual clothing; for example, someone may pair a casual tee shirt and old hoodie with a school uniform skirt and knee socks.

Some of these fashion aesthetics are also only worn in certain situations , such as cosplays for conventions.

Due to the era of its peak, it often overlaps with 2000s alternative fashion of Emo / Scene .

Weeaboos often combine Fandom Fashion They are known for wearing Naruto headbands worn around the neck or forehead in public schools or malls.

Many Weeaboos own a graphic tee shirt or hoodie with an anime illustration . This can be for representing their love for a certain series or character and is often used as a way to signal to other people that they can connect on the anime.

However, these graphic tees can often be used to show hentai or ecchi (sexual imagery), which is why many people are put-off by Weeaboos. One meme garment that became extremely popular is the "ahegao" hoodie . (Ahegao being the exaggerated face after orgasming, including having one's tongue out and eyes crossed.)

As Weebs grew in popularity, fashion brands began to incorporate anime, with Weebs heavily anticipating these collaborations- many releases sell out within minutes and get resold at a higher price point. These clothes use the original fashion brand's aesthetic but involve subtler motifs that reference the anime, such as certain colors, stylized illustration, and tasteful logos.

Fan-created merchandise is another way people show their love for a property without having to what is released officially. Many fan-artists release tees, enamel pins, can badges, keychains, and embroidery patches in a unique aesthetic.

Weeaboos often prioritize functionality over cohesive style. For comfort, they often also wear hoodies and sweatshirts.

The bottoms would often be jeans or pants that have many pockets (cargo shorts) or pants that can transition into shorts.

Weeaboos also often carry large messenger bags or backpacks in order to hold their laptops, headphones, and manga. These would be covered completely in buttons/pins. Unlike the Ita-bag, which is curated and organized, the Weeb messenger bag was chaotic, overlapping, and often dirty.

While the classic Weeaboo fashion centered around anime merchandise, the 2010s saw the formation of Kawaii Fashion based around Japanese school uniforms with the pleated mini-skirt and thigh-high socks.

This combination is directly linked to the Japanese otaku concept of "Zettai Ryōiki" (絶対領域), which translates to "Absolute Territory." This term refers to the strip of exposed thigh between the skirt and thigh-high socks. The aesthetic was heavily popularized in anime, as it demonstrated a cute, youthful, and desirable female character.

As Weeaboo culture waned in the late 2010s, this fashion continued on into various other aesthetics, such as the Kawaii Gamer or "Gamer Girl", Femboy , and 2010s Bright Kawaii .

Weeaboos are iconic for the "Naruto Run". This refers to running with the torso bent forward and arms trailing behind, mimicking the guy from the anime series Naruto .

Weeaboo languge includes the insertion of Japanese loanwords into English sentences, often grammatically incorrectly. Common words include "kawaii", "sugoi", and "desu".

Fujoshi culture also brought about the now-banned practice of the Yaoi paddle. This is a wooden paddle with the word "Yaoi" (gay sexual relationships) on it that is used to hit men that the paddler finds attractive. Often, this is without consent.

As form of escapism or harmless fun, Weeaboos may find their waifu or husbando, which is an anime character the person finds especially appealing and takes special interest in learning more about them, reading/looking at fanworks, buying special merchandise, and having a sexual or romantic interest in them.

Weeaboos are highly associated with one of the most common motifs in anime, the use of anime girls, who are visually attractive characters from anime or drawn for arts' sake that could be either Moe, meaning cute and inspiring protection, or Ecchi, which is a sexually explicit depiction. There are certain tropes associated with these two types. With Moe, their eyes are typically enlarged and they appear explicitly childlike. Maid, Lolita, and generally childlike or Kawaii fashion is more popular with Moe. Meanwhile, Ecchi characters are half-nude, with skimpier maid uniforms, bikinis, etc. In anime, extremely large breasts are popular and are a common association with Weeb culture.

Specific female characters also became incredibly popular and are used as memes. Examples include the VOCALOID Hatsune Miku, Chika Fujiwara from Kaguya-Sama Love is War, Rei and Asuka from Neon Genesis Evangelion, Rem from RE:Zero, and more. Anime girls who inspire large amounts of dedication are called waifus.

The above is typically a heterosexual male aspect of the hobby. With some female anime fans, being a fujoshi is a similarly odd and sexual component. This word describes women who are attracted to homosexual male relationships in anime and manga, with their interest being fetishistic. Like the above, certain characters are the male counterpart to waifus, called husbandos. Being slim, having a mysterious or "cool" aura, and working as butlers or class presidents are some common tropes. However, they are not as meme-ified as the female characters.

Waifus, husbandos, and anime characters in general are incorporated into real-life visual culture through being put on stickers, posters, anime figurines, plushies, body pillows, tee shirts, and even on cars. These products are sold by the company that produced the anime and fan artists. Dedicated stores exist, but many people buy these things at anime conventions.

Because of the fascination with Japan, it is also common for weeaboos to own things that are not necessarily anime-related, but also Japan-related. This often crosses over with Mall Ninja, as certain weeaboos have an idealized image of Japanese weaponry and would own katanas, shuriken, etc. Other examples of visuals a non-anime Weeaboo would fixate on include samurai, Yakuza, Yokai and Japanese mythology, etc.

The term "Weeaboo" originated on the imageboard 4chan as a slur intended to mock new anime fans as being overly obsessed with Japanese culture. This gave rise to a pervasive negative stereotype that has stuck with Weeaboos, even after the term has been reclaimed.  This stereotype typically portrays the "Weeaboo" as socially inept, unhygienic, and unable to distinguish the fictional world of anime from the reality of Japanese society. This was further amplified by online during the 2010s during the period of mocking "cringe" things.

One of the main criticisms of Weeaboo culture is their fetishization of Japan. Rather than acknowledging that Japan is a multifaceted nation with its own complex socio-political issues, many Weeaboos imagine Japan as a paradise wherein their idiosyncracies would be accepted, Japanese people act like anime characters, and that they would find romantic partners. This phenomenon is referred to as "Yellow Fever" and used to depict Weeaboos as racist and sexist.

However, the trope of Weeaboos attempting to speak broken Japanese to random Asian people and treating them as real life anime characters is rare and exaggerated. While some Weebs may be socially inept, this level of cluelessness around the world originates from negative sterotypes to mock Weeaboos for being socially inept, rather than actual concerns. The Weeaboo interest in anime is often conflated with fetishization through a Western racial politics.

In Japan, "Loli" characters are a ubiquitous part of the moe aesthetic and are generally accepted as a fictional trope separate from real-world pedophilia. In the West, however, this distinction is often rejected. Weeaboos are often considered to be pedophiles for liking Loli characters.

Anime and Weeaboo culture often has been criticized through a feminist lens. Particularly, fan service is taken as a given in all anime, with particular tropes in anime being based on finding humor and enjoyment in sexual assault, sexualizing teenagers, having a submissive romantic partner, etc. For example, accidental groping, upskirting, and flat-chested women wishing they had a larger cup size are common tropes, and they often involve teenagers. Many essays have also discussed how in comparison to male characters, female characters are often not fully realized and only serve as romantic and sexual subjects.

Fujoshis who fetishize homosexual/homoromantic male relationships have often brought their fangirl behavior into the real world and made male-attracted men uncomfortable through sexualizing them, prying into their personal lives, etc. Fujoshi culture also brought about the now-banned practice of the Yaoi paddle. This is a wooden paddle with the word "Yaoi" (gay sexual relationships) on it that is used to hit men that the paddler finds attractive. Often, this is without consent.Wota ( ヲタ ) is a Japanese subculture dedicated to celebrating idols, both real and fictional. It is a form of Otaku and the name is derived from Wotaku , the katakana form of Otaku. Wota also carries some negative connotations of being obsessive, like Otaku. While it originally was mainly associated with men, there has been a rise of female wota since the mid-2010s as part of the diversification of idol culture.

Wotakatsu (ヲタ活) are all general activities done as part of the subculture such as going to concerts, attending events, and buying the latest releases or merchandise. Even if you don't have the chance to partake in anything "live", exchanging with others about your favorite idol groups on social media is a great way to meet other wota.

Oshikatsu (推し活) refers to all activities related to celebrating your favorite idol (oshi). In addition to idol group members and actors, this can also include fictional characters. The activities of oshikatsu are wide-ranging and there are various ways to enjoy them, but the most popular is crafting goods that promote your favorite with the most popular being ita bags.

Nuikatsu (ぬい活) centers around small dress-up plushies in "chibi" style of one's favorite characters or idols. The appeal of the activity is that it can be enjoyed by a wide range of people in the form of the creation of the plushies as well as creative photography. Since a boom in the mid-2020s, there is many tourist destinations offering own photography spots specifically for nuikatsu.

Wotagei (ヲタ芸) is a dance involving glow sticks made by the audience in support of the performing idol group.

Ryousangata Wota (量産型ヲタク) is derived from the observation that female wota are known for posting pictures of themselves attending live events dressed in elaborate Girly Kei outfits, often to the point where many of them look seemingly identically in groups. This has caused many to call wota girls "ryousangata" (量産型), or "mass-produced", in reference to their fashion taste.Wuxia (武俠 lit. martial heroes) is a genre of Chinese historical fiction focusing on stories of martial artists and warriors in ancient Chinese settings. Wuxia works, while historically comprised mostly of literature, have grown to include Chinese opera, films, television series, manhua (comics), and video games. The genre boasts great popularity in Chinese-speaking areas around the world and is considered a prominent aspect of Asian popular culture.

Wuxia stories follow a hero of some kind, typically of a lower social class, as they fight evil and injustice. The heroes in wuxia works usually follow a form of chivalric, martial code, which differs between the storyteller and era the story is told in and acts similarly to Japanese samurais' bushido , and often belong to a secret warrior society related to the jianghu (rivers and lakes, or the greater world of outlaw martial artists) .

Many ancient Chinese stories feature warriors that would fit this aesthetic today such as the ancient Chinese ballad of Hua Mulan that is dated back to 4th to 6th century CE. Chinese films and plays often followed suit with these legends, and the Wuxia fad arrived in the US with Chinese ethnic enclaves. With Bruce Lee, a Chinese-American martial artist, the aesthetic was popularized among American youth.

The aesthetic is mainly focused on the fandom and general genre of films, books, and folklore that tell of Chinese warriors or martial artists fighting for what is right, usually in an ancient Chinese setting. Anyone who has an appreciation for the genre could be considered a part of the aesthetic, although actual martial artists are considered to be 'figures' of the aesthetic. The heroes in Wuxia work are usually similar in some ways to each other: they could be both in a low social class and follow a specific moral code as each other, for example.

Many Chinese novel websites, such as Qidian, have their own distinct visual styles for wuxia book covers that often include white backgrounds and Chinese characters.

As it is a genre of fiction, media is the core of wuxia, especially wuxia books, which were the main beginnings of the genre. Wuxia books include:

Wuxia films include:

Xianxia is a subgenre of wuxia where the characters are written in the mold of the Taoist xian or immortal, a demigod-like ideal that humans could supposedly strive to be in some branches of Taoism. Usually, the characters are quite powerful and use chi for energy-based attacks, and often, there is a multiverse and biopunk elements.Yabi (亚逼) is a contemporary Chinese subculture and social label that emerged from the urban underground music and club scenes of cities like Shanghai and Beijing around 2019. Unlike traditional aesthetics defined by a strict fashion style, Yabi is characterized by an extreme form of eclecticism and the arbitrary mixing of diverse global and local styles. The movement is largely driven by Gen Z youth who navigate the "cultural supermarket" of the internet to construct highly individualized identities, often as a response to societal pressures known as "involution" (内卷, neijuan). While the term originated as a vulgar pejorative, it has since been reappropriated by its adherents as a badge of subcultural pride and aesthetic defiance.

The term itself is a compound word: " ya " (亚) is derived from " yawenhua " (亚文化, subculture), and " bi " (逼) is a derogatory, diminutively feminine curse often used in insults like " shabi " (傻逼, idiot) or "zhuangbi" (装逼, poser ). Literally translating to "subcultural c***," the label was initially weaponized by netizens to mock individuals perceived as superficial posers who "dress loud" but lack critical social awareness or deep knowledge of the subcultures they emulate. However, influencers and artists within the scene have actively challenged this narrative, reframing Yabi as a "neo-tribe" that prioritizes "aesthetic freedom" over historical authenticity or gatekeeping.

The emergence of Yabi is rooted in the transition of Chinese youth culture from the meme-based, pessimistic online movements of the early 2010s such as "mourning" culture ( sang ) and "lie-flat" ( tangping ) into a more active, visual form of self-expression. In the underground club circuits of 2018 and 2019, collectives like EVO began blending elements of Japanese Visual Kei with classical Chinese "ghost culture" and Western techno aesthetics. This experimental "remixing" flourished as young urbanites sought new ways to signal non-conformity in a highly regulated social environment. By 2020, the term "Yabi" went viral following a backlash in the electronic music community, where it was used to insult club-goers who appeared to be performing a "niche" identity solely for social media clout.

The subculture's history is deeply intertwined with the "involution" of the post-1990s generation, who face intense corporate competition and narrowing paths for upward mobility. As traditional goals like home ownership become less attainable, youth have turned inward toward aesthetic communities (tongwenceng) as a digital release valve. Vlogs like taoagou00's "I Am Yabi" (2021) and Etsu Kinugawa's "Reflections of an OG Subculturalist" (2022) have been influential in documenting this shift, arguing that the chaotic nature of the style is a sincere expression of a "repressed soul" struggling against societal "positive energy" ( zheng nengliang ) narratives.

Yabi fashion is defined by its lack of a monolithic look, functioning instead as a high-contrast collage of multiple alternative styles. Common visual signifiers include maximalist accessories, intricate or ripped stockings, and hair dyed in neon or pastel shades. Adherents frequently draw from Kogal -style loose socks, Cybergoth face masks, and Y2K Futurism , often incorporating vintage tech accessories like Nintendo 3DS consoles or large over-ear headphones as part of the outfit. The aesthetic frequently integrates "Neo-Chinese Style" elements, such as modern interpretations of traditional Hanfu, and the " Too Cool " movement (土酷), which celebrates a kitschy, retro-Chinese sensibility.

The digital presentation of the style is as important as the physical clothing. On platforms like Xiaohongshu, Yabi photography often utilizes "distorted" angles, blurry "piss filters," and computer-generated overlays to create a misty, dark, or otherworldly atmosphere. This visual language is intended to convey feelings of "spiritual ennui" or alienation. In fashion discussions, the look is often categorized by its "丁德米粒" (Dean-De-Milli) influence (referring to the layered, oversized, and accessory-heavy styles of South Korean artists DEAN and Kid Milli) which emphasizes a "more is more" approach to styling.

The central philosophy of Yabi is centered on the reappropriation of subcultural fragments without a strict adherence to their original history or context. Proponents argue that in a globalized "cultural supermarket," the act of "mixing and matching" is the most authentic way for Chinese youth to express their eclectic selves. Theorists like GGLobster have proposed the term "Neo-tribe" (新部族) to describe these groups, which gather intermittently to share a collective identity based on taste rather than a fixed ideology. This approach consciously rejects the Western subcultural taboo of "posing," viewing the superficiality of the look as a legitimate response to the "involuted" state of modern life.

Criticism of Yabi remains prevalent on the Chinese internet, where detractors view the style as a "watered-down" and commercialized version of the earlier Shamate subculture. Critics often accuse Yabis of "跟风" ( genfeng , following the wind) or being "跟风狗" ( genfeng gou , following-the-wind dogs), suggesting they lack critical thought and only care about appearing "cool" or "edgy." Some argue that the movement is a form of "involutionary fashion" that prioritizes consumerism over genuine social critique. Despite this, defenders maintain that the act of reclaiming a vulgar slur like "Yabi" and using it to define one's own identity is a subtle, non-verbal form of resistance against mainstream conservative values.The Yakuza aesthetic is a style based on the romanticized and fictionalized portrayals of traditional Japanese organized crime syndicates in popular culture, especially in film and video games.

This aesthetic is defined by visual duality. On one hand, there is the public-facing image of the Yakuza member: impeccably dressed in a sharp, tailored suit, projecting an aura of intimidating calm and professionalism. On the other hand, there is the hidden, private identity symbolized by the extensive, full-body tattoos known as irezumi . These tattoos are central to the aesthetic, featuring intricate and symbolic Japanese motifs like dragons, tigers, koi fish, and mythological figures, which are typically concealed under clothing.

Thematically, the aesthetic revolves around a strict, quasi-samurai code of honor ( ninkyō ), unwavering loyalty to the family (clan), and ritualistic practices like yubitsume (the cutting of one's finger as an apology). This is often set against the backdrop of the neon-lit, vice-filled entertainment districts of Tokyo, creating a dramatic tension between their self-perception as chivalrous outlaws and their violent criminal activities.

The Yakuza aesthetic is built on a stark contrast between stoic outward appearance and hidden, elaborate artistry. The most iconic element is the full-body tattoo, or irezumi , which is traditionally kept concealed under clothing and serves as a symbol of one's loyalty and personal history. These tattoos are rich with symbolic imagery drawn from Japanese folklore, featuring motifs like dragons, tigers, and koi fish, which represent strength, courage, and perseverance. This hidden world of vibrant art is contrasted with the Yakuza's public-facing uniform: a sharp, conservative business suit, typically in black, white, or grey. The overall aesthetic is often depicted with a cinematic, high-contrast look, using shadows and the neon-lit backdrop of urban entertainment districts to create an atmosphere of dangerous professionalism and mystery.

The primary outward garment is the business suit, typically impeccably tailored and in sober colors like black, navy, or charcoal grey, which projects an image of professionalism and conformity. In some media portrayals, higher-ranking or more flamboyant characters may wear more daring, high-fashion suits with bolder colors and patterns. The most significant element of the Yakuza aesthetic, however, is what is concealed beneath the suit: the irezumi. This full-body tattoo suit, which is traditionally kept hidden from public view, functions as the true marker of a member's identity, commitment, and status within the organization.Yami Kawaii ( 病みかわいい ), which literally translates to "sickly cute" or "ill cute," is a Japanese aesthetic and fashion style derived from Yume Kawaii . It distinguishes itself from its predecesor by pairing a generally cute and girly appearance with explicit visual motifs related to mental anguish, physical illness, and self-destructive behavior. While often confused, Yami Kawaii is the visual aesthetic, whereas Menhera (メンヘラ, "mental healther") is the sociological subculture, mental health awareness community, and slang term from which the style originated.

It is important to note that Yami Kawaii is generally not gory; unlike Gurokawa (grotesque cute), Yami Kawaii typically expresses morbidity through stylized, often pastel, iconography—such as traces of pink blood or wounds represented in an anime-style, shoujo context.

The aesthetic's origins are rooted in Japan's struggle with mental health taboos. The term Menhera is a slang abbreviation for mentaru herusu (mental health) that began spreading in the early 2000s, initially referring to users of online discussion boards such as 2channel who discussed mental health issues. As mental health remains a highly stigmatized subject in Japanese society, the Menhera movement, which grew around this term, sought an outlet to challenge the silence and judgment surrounding internal suffering, or the idea that having a therapist/psychologist equals being insane.

The Yami Kawaii aesthetic emerged among the members of the Menhera community, finding its first traction around the mid-2010s through "vent art" shared on message boards like 2channel. This art served as a form of therapy, reflecting personal struggles with medical and mental health themes.

The original purpose of Yami Kawaii was to create a cathartic outlet that allowed sufferers to express their internal pain visually while maintaining a cute and attractive exterior. This contrast directly challenged the societal stigma that often judges a person's suffering based on a visibly "bad" or disheveled appearance. Pioneers like artist Bisuko Ezaki, creator of the influential character Menhera-chan, helped popularize the aesthetic, transforming it into a recognizable fashion and design trend.

The visual aesthetic of Yami Kawaii is based on the strategic combination of contrasting colors and morbid iconography, intended to create an unsettling visual tension that represents inner suffering. The style utilizes a foundation of dark colors (black, deep purple) to convey a negative worldview, but it always incorporates bright accents (chiefly pink and lavender) which represent the kawaii element and serve to make the morbid details stand out. The visuals often occupy a space between reality and fiction, resembling a kind of disturbed, psychological daydream, where morbid elements are sometimes hidden within the cute imagery at first glance.

The primary motifs are explicit representations of trauma and self-destruction, often stylized in a shoujo or anime format:

Yami Kawaii fashion is characterized by dark, casual outfits that serve as a canvas for the style's dualistic prints and accessories. Popular Harajuku brands often produce clothing with opposing prints—like cute animals overlaid with negative text—to embody the style's duality. Many garments feature prints that originated as vent art shared within the Menhera community.

While there are many ways to integrate Yami Kawaii into fashion, the most common pieces are dark casual outfits that feature prints with morbid or cynical motifs.

A distinctive feature of Yami Kawaii is the specific use of makeup, regardless of the wearer's gender, to achieve a sickly or fatigued look. This involves applying pink or red blush directly under the eyes instead of on the traditional apple of the cheeks. This technique is often further exaggerated by enhancing the natural under-eye line to emphasize the appearance of distress or lack of sleep. Lips are typically kept simple, though gradients are also popular.

The spread of Yami Kawaii is often credited to have been helped by the character and manga series " Menhera-chan " in particular. It was first created in 2013 by the artist Bisuko Ezaki as a form of vent art character during his university entrance exams, but gained an unexpected amount of attention that led to an expansion into an own manga series as of 2014.

Because of the background of its creation, the story of Menhera-chan is not suitable for everyone because of its heavy emphasis on themes of self-harm, and might even be misunderstood as romanticizing such a topic as the main cast transforms into magical girls by the means of slitting their wrists. With the increasing awareness of the series, there also appeared a massive influx of people who solely use the art of the characters for the purpose of glorifying self-harm. On Twitter in particular, it has become commonplace for the official Menhera-chan account to share fan content from accounts of such people, potentially exposing strangers to graphic content.

While the series inspired many other people to use art as as a creative outlet to break the silence regarding their suffering, there also have been many critical voices claiming the increasing popularity went over Bisuko Ezaki's head, fueled by his attempt to register Yami Kawaii as his trademark in 2017 as well as an increase in general drama and problematic remarks from the artist , resulting in the local community in Japan to distance from the term .

The aesthetic itself was accused of glorifying mental illnesses and self-destructive behaviour as well, mostly due the anti-recovery community also engaging with the hashtag while posting triggering content.

Popular artists within Yami Kawaii include:

There's also many VOCALOID producers who are popular within the aesthetic's community because of the combination of depressing themes with the adorable voices of the characters in their songs, such as:Yandere (ヤンデレ), derived from the Japanese words " yanderu " (to be mentally ill) and " deredere " (lovey-dovey), describes a character archetype with an unhealthy love-related obsession that often results in violent outbreaks triggered by unrequited love or disappointment. Another similar type of character would be Yangire , who turns violent regardless of love.

Due to the controversial nature of Yandere as a trope in anime, often criticized of fetishizing or demonizing the mentally ill as well as romanticizing abuse, this aesthetic had to become distinct from the more wholesome Lovecore on a level beyond their aesthetic differences. Some mentally ill people choose to indulge in Yandere to find like-minded others and reclaim the concept as a form of (albeit somewhat unhealthy) coping mechanism.

In general, a Yandere is a character that is often depicted in a state of paraphilia (sexual perversion), manic depression, or codependence. The term is generally only used in reference to fiction, and does not hold any actual background in psychatric diagnosis. The sick, obsessive state of a Yandere is sometimes referred to as "darkening" (闇化) or "blackening" (黒化) in Japanese due to the shadow cast on the face of the character. Fans of the archetype like the extraordinary degree of obsession that a Yandere shows towards their darling.

However, the definition of Yandere is fluid and often has different meanings depending on the context. For example, on the Japanese website New Akiba , it is described as "a moe-type heroine that is suffering from a wicked heart", and in " Keitai Watch " it's described as "a character who seems to be mentally ill". It is sometimes pointed out that some of the attributes of a Yandere character are extreme exaggerations of real-life illnesses such as Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Obsessive Love Disorder (OLD).

It is assumed that the term "Yandere" first started to spread among the mainstream media in 2005 because of the release of the visual novel "School Days" and the TV broadcast of the anime "Shuffle!". Shortly after that, Yandere has become a popular character archetype in various media. However, even before the term was coined, there were already multiple characters whose attributes would fit under Yandere. According to the Japanese website "Yandere Encyclopedia", the first instance of a Yandere character would be the 10 years old "loli"/underaged girl character Minatsu Tsukishima of the adult visual novel "Kurutta Kajitsu" from 1992. In order to monopolize the MC (main character), who is also her teacher, she starts killing all the women in his life one after another in gruesome ways in an attempt to make him commit suicide just so she can stay with his corpse forever. The use of the term "Yandere" then was popularized by NekoNeko Soft who used it describe the side character Sasai Yuuna, who appears in Chapter 3 of their visual novel "Gin'iro" from 2000.

Mathers Numakichi, the representative of the company Overflow which produced School Days, describes the Yandere boom as "a manifestation of wanting to seek more steadfastness and favor towards oneself". When asked regarding one of the heroines, Knoha Katsura, being labeled as Yandere, he answered, "I wasn't aiming for a Yandere character, so it was more of a lucky coincidence rather than something I 'created' on purpose". He also pointed out that the visual elements of the character were kind of mixed, and stated that "Both tsundere and yandere were a reflection of that time, people wanted to bring a person's inside to the outside".

In the late 2000s, the term "Yandere" also spread among the overseas anime community, and even western games started to incorporate this character archetype. However, the mainstream perception of the term in Japan is still mostly in a negative context, also fueled by multiple instances of murder cases by self-proclaimed "Yandere", such as Yuka Takaoka, who have been celebrated by fans of the genre.

The Yandere visual aesthetic is characterized by the juxtaposition of cute and disturbing imagery. Common visuals include edits of anime characters (like Yuno Gasai from Mirai Nikki ) that feature the iconic "yandere face"—often with shadowed eyes, an unsettling smile, and a deep blush, indicating psychological instability. These edits frequently overlay screencaps or fake text messages with pastel filters, heart motifs, and possessive or threatening text. Violence is heavily aestheticized: knives may be pink or heart-shaped, and blood is often stylized to fit the creepy-cute color palette of pink, red, and black. This has a strong overlap with the Japanese art movement "Eroguro" (erotic grotesque) and the related Gurokawa aesthetic.Yanki ( ヤンキー ) consists of young men and women who dye their hair blond or orange, wear trashy clothes and smoke, drink before they're out of high school. They are famous for being loud, rude and refusing to take part in the strict manners of Japanese society.

In addition to the specific aesthetic, Yanki can be a general term to refer to the delinquent groups in Japan. For example, Sukeban , Gyaru , Bosozoku , and Teamer , can be considered Yanki.

The Yankii subculture lasted a long time in Japan; it originated from the '50s, gained its name in the '70s, and then flourished with popularity throughout the '80s and '90s. People stopped adopting the aesthetic in real life after the 2000s, but it still remains popular in anime and manga to this day.

Yanki could be recognized by punch perms or pompadours, shaved eyebrows, altered school uniforms, popping squats, being poor students and causing violence or trouble. Yanki is a term that applies to both boys and girls, but some girls split into a seperate subculture called Sukeban . Although it is rumored that yankii would be recruited into the yakuza (the Japanese mafia), this is not always true. Many yanki simply joined the regular workforce and lived regular, productive lives after high school.

The name "yankii" is borrowed from the English word "Yankee", a name taken from the American GIs who gave the Japanese their first glimpse into the world of rock ‘n’ roll. Yankii was heavily influenced by the American culture brought over by US soldiers. Sukajan, which were souvenir jackets inspired by American letter jackets originally targeted towards soldiers deployed at US Military base in Yokosuka, were then commonly worn by the local Yankii imitating US soldiers in the fashion movement known as "Sukaman". The popularity of Sukajan spread through the entire country and became more associated with Yankii after being featured in the movie Pigs and Battleships . Yankii haircuts such as Pompadour were inspired by the Greaser subculture.

Along with sukajan, Yankii are known for wearing a long jacket with high collars known as the "chouran" ( 長ラン ), typically ones in black color. It is a type of modified "gakuran" ( 学ラン ), which is the military-style male school uniform of many Japanese middle-schools and high-schools. The chouran originated from the Bankara fashion that had died out but then lived on through the uniform for the leaders of Tokyo cheer teams, where it then became adopted by yankiis and spread to schools across the country. The chouran is often seen worn on the shoulders unbuttoned in order to give it an even bigger appearance. It also common to see chouran embroidered and modified with kanji, similar to tokku-fuku.

Japanese Rockabilly originated in the 1950's and combines the Rockabilly music and dancing of that time period with the fashion of Greaser . Similar to Yanki, it was spread to Japan from the American soldiers deployed there.

The fashion comprises of black Greaser jackets and jeans. Women could wear this style, but they also are known to wear 50's dresses and poodle skirts with polka dot and floral designs. Men's hairstyles harken back somewhat to the 1950s American biker, with the iconic, huge, and tall pompadour being the main hairstyle.

More information at Japanese Fashion Wiki: Rockabilly .

The Teamers ( チーマー ) are a type of delinquent in Japan that refer to their groups as "teams" rather than gangs, influenced by American Hip-Hop culture. They originated from the area surrounding the street named Center Gai in Shibuya, Tokyo. They wore a style of street fashion inspired by American casual fashion that was called Shibu-Kaji, Shibuya Casual. They are known for wearing American-produced clothing such as Leather jackets. The Gyaru subculture has also been associated with Teamers due to some of the girlfriends of members being Kogal .

Yanki tend to be part of a tight-knit community that was created during middle school and stayed together through adulthood. Some stereotypes (throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s) included men entering the field of construction, while women were teen mothers who dropped out of highschool. Yankii also maintain a strict social code with specific customs. Groups tend to have fighting codes that are focus on limiting violence. Cars and motorcycles can also be a part of the Yanki lifestyle.

There are many Yankī movies, most of them being B action movies.Yume Kawaii ( ゆめかわいい ) is a Japanese aesthetic that centers around fantasy themes in pastel colors. It appears like the embodiment of a “girl's dream” and you can find many illustrations, clothing, and goods, which incorporate this aesthetic. Due to the nature of dreams, it can also feature nightmarish elements.

Although the concept of the aesthetic has existed for some time, it wasn't until 2013 that it started to spread under the name Yume Kawaii. Eventually, the rise of image-centric social media platforms gave birth to online groups such as "Strawberry Milk Gang" (いちごみるく団) that were a major contributor to shaping the aesthetic with their image edits. In 2015, Yume Kawaii caught the attention of companies, and pastel-colored goods with the aesthetic in mind hit up the shelves, spreading its popularity among a mainstream audience.

As mentioned previously, Yume Kawaii doesn't only consist of good dreams, but also nightmares. Due to that, there's also edited images and artworks that embody this pale cuteness and slightly sad poems. There's also many artists who focus on the Yume Kawaii aesthetic. One of the most well-known illustrators who represents Yume Kawaii is Kato Rei. He has released his first artbook "Girl Friend" in 2015, featuring a romantic world view drawn in pastel colors, embodying Yume Kawaii.

Yume Kawaii fashion includes feathers, frills, ribbons, and other fluffy materials in its looks. The outfits usually consist of printed tops with a sailor collar, sheer jackets, poofy skirts or pants, loose socks, and platform shoes. Sleeping masks and pillows are also popular in the aesthetic.

While Fairy Kei emits a vintage, retro kind of kawaii , Yume Kawaii covers many modern styles and features lots of motifs related to Japanese pop culture, such as magical girls, strawberry milk, and konpeito.

Hairstyles are often bleached and dyed to light colors like milk tea, pastel pink, and lavender, but fluffy wigs are also very common.

There are many circle lenses, glitter under the eyes, and pop impressions. There's also an important element: The "Sleepy" look, which can be achieved by applying an excessive amount of blush under the eyes.Yōkai or Yōkaicore is an aesthetic centered around Yōkai, mythical creatures part of Japanese culture, found in their mythology. Some Yōkai were created for entertainment purposes while others were created as explanations of otherwise mysterious phenomena in ancient life. Yōkai existed during the 8th century which includes the earliest documentation of gods, consisting of supernatural creatures like the kitsune and the kappa and demons like the Oni and Akuma.

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