This blog isn't cute. I'm too old to be cute. I am however, gyaru, and I am opinionated. That, according to the standards of the internet, is enough to have a blog. I've been involved in western gyaru since '05, and I know everyone who is or was anyone in the western community. You wanna know secrets? I've got your secrets. 
Why no one likes Manba anymore
July 31st, 2009 by Coco received 6 Comments »I’ve heard a lot of talk lately about why manba shouldn’t be considered a dying style. People don’t understand why no one likes it so much anymore, or why it’s never featured in magazines and the like. I have some theories, and I’d like to share them with you all.
We’re all getting older
Most of the westerners who were originally into gal fashion, have now reached a point in their life where manba is no longer practical. We are in college, and some are even in the working world in more professional jobs. It’s time for us to grow up, so to speak, and dress and look at least a little closer to our age.
This isn’t a strictly western thing either. Most models are about my age, are getting married and having children. (Not always in that order! lol) Although a lot of them move on to do other things, some stay in the culture, and influence it.
We’ve seen a lot of BAD manba
Manba is probably the style most people discover first, and try first. It’s the style people want to cosplay at conventions, and shamelessly post pictures of. And a majority of the time, it’s very very bad.
Think about how many bad gyaru you’ve seen in the past month. Now think about how that adds up over 4 years.
That’s how many bad attempts at manba I’ve seen. It makes you sick of the style, really.
It’s the circle of fashion
Anyone who says that gyaru have become too obsessed with trend, or that it isn’t a problem that manba is a less popular doesn’t understand the concept of fashion and Japanese culture.
Fashion trends have several stages of popularity, only two of which are where a small percentage wear the said trend. One stage is early adopter, where the trend is new and only the trendiest of trend setters are wearing it, and then there is the laggard stage, where only the people who are most behind in fashion wear it. Manba is obviously not a new style, so we can’t assume that it is a new trend becoming popular.
Also, Japanese culture is about fitting in. Gyaru spend an exceptional amount of time trying to look their best, by fitting into trends that everyone is doing. If you look at magazines or street snaps and wonder why they look so alike, it’s because it is culturally ingrained to fit in! There used to be a video (that I can’t find) of a comedienne making fun of shop girls in Shibuya 109. The number one comment to the video was that people were horrified that they all looked so alike. That’s the point!
So do I think people should stop doing manba? Honestly I don’t really care. I really only think that people should be well informed of the trends in both manba and onee gyaru, and practice practice practice before posting a lot of bad pictures. I think people should stop getting so angry towards styles they don’t even like, and really focus on the point of gal, which is looking good.
But that’s going to lead me into western gal and all our drama, which I’ll save for Monday’s post.
Popularity: 25% [?]
Tags: Attempts, Conventions, Fashion Trends, Fashion Wear, Gyaru, Having Children, Japanese Culture, Lol, Lot, Magazines, Manba, Models, New Style, New Trend, Popularity, Professional Jobs, Trend Setters, Westerners
Posted under: lifestyle
I’ve been reading this blog for while and I really like it, and I would also like to state my opinion but english isn’t my second language so it’s a bit hard for me to explain it with all the words.
I really think that Manba used to be part of the gyaru culture, with the more extreme and rebellious styles which started it all, kind of like what punks, lolitas, vk and decoras did the same. Their attitude towards japanese people and society was sort of like a slap in the face, and it was cool for a while, until it got more and more extreme (the look and behaviour). I read a while ago an interview of an oldschool kogal with a passion for tanning and white makeup, she said it was fun at first, they did all type of silly stuff but then it transformed into a competition of who was the more obnoxious looking brat; so she cooled down a bit and transformed into what’s the regular trend follower gyaru.
Now I understand that by the year 2005/ 2007 was the peak of manba, banba and even tsuyome manba which looks a bit more like what’s manba by now, MORE extreme(see mop head manaba in gyaru_fucks XD). And manba turned out to transform into a parody of itself, towards normal japanese people. And all the attitude we could see comedians doing, the manba did as well, so they were more like characters and that’s why most of the gyaru grew out of it and into more mature styles.
Some people tend to think that age conditions them to grow into more mature styles, but I also tend to think that it’s conditioned by the feeling of looking and thinking older, but we can see people doing extreme styles of fashion untill they are old and I really admire and don’t blame them, they can choose whatever they want.
I’m gonna be 20 this year, but i’m not even close to feel old or a mature woman, i’ve never done full manba because I haven’t got the chance or the experience to do it well, but I still love what’s regular trend gyaru and whats more extreme.
and about new manbas I love it as well, some will say that hey are fucking it up, but I love it and I love the fact that they are wearing new types of makeup and being so different from each other, wearing new type of materials on their head and clothes that go far from being sexy XD. yay for their creation and from steping back from gyaru society, let them be their own style and fashion ^^
btw I love this journal keep em coming ;D!
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Coco Reply:
July 31st, 2009 at 12:21 pm
This is a wonderful comment, and I’m glad you made it.
I think that if people want to do the next extreme thing and keep moving toward what manba will become, I say that’s awesome. Honestly the only picture I thought was bad from the gyaru_fucks post everyone is mentioning is the one where the girls brown face is way darker than the rest of her body.
As for the age thing, it’s more like life transitions as opposed to how we feel. If I could have huge colorful hair and dark make all the time, I’d do it. I really love manba. But I manage a retail store, so it’s impractical. Most professional jobs are like that, which is where the change comes in. Maybe I could wear one style to work and one style at home, which is always a possibility for me, and maybe something to try.
I’m 24, so I can see where at 20 you wouldn’t feel too old for any style of gyaru. And you shoudn’t!
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Well, first of all, I completely agree with your analysis of the topic. Here are my thoughts, most of which concern Western followers of gyaru fashion.
Manba in Japan are few and far between these days. You rarely—if at all—see them in magazines or street snaps. If that’s not proof enough, the Japanorama documentary where host Jonathan Ross interviews two manba aired in 2007. While recent, it is certainly not a reflection of current trends. Japanese gyaru have clearly moved on, so why can’t Westerners?
Some Westerners think so long as they can find a single, recent picture of a manba, it still can be considered a valid style. Two random girls in a purikura doesn’t count as evidence of a trend or style, unfortuantely. And if a person refuses to follow current trends, he or she is fundamentally ignoring what gyaru style is all about.
Many Westerners don’t do thorough research. Part of this can be blamed on the fact that there are still very few scholarly articles written in English about gyaru fashion and culture. The rest can be blamed on Westerners who don’t bother to seek out newer sources of information. They believe that old information is current fact.
For certain Westerners looking to follow extreme fashions, gyaru is likely the wrong fashion sub-culture to follow. A lot of Westerners who like manba fashion also tend to like other extreme or elaborate Japanese fashion sub-cultures, such as decora, VK, or gothic lolita. These fashions stick out and turn heads, and that’s exactly why some people like them. Yet since Westerners first discovered these fashion sub-cultures, decora, VK, and gothic lolita have all remained relatively unchanged. Unlike these sub-cultures, gyaru is based on trends and the natural progression of fashion and culture. Most of us will agree that gyaru has evolved into a much tamer version of what it once was and are content with these changes. Rather than accept gyaru for what it currently is, some Westerners stick with old styles like manba to satisfy their need for extreme fashions.
Now, speaking for myself personally, I think manba is wholly unattractive and impractical. It masks a person’s natural features by hiding them under layers of makeup. Normal gyaru makeup, rather, looks good on almost everyone and can be accomplished with normal cosmetics and a little practice. It’s not like I’m singling manba out either. Any style that requires extreme clothes, hair, or makeup is probably not very flattering or good for everyday wear.
So does that mean I consider manba completely verboten? No more than anything else. I see it more as a fun costume rather than a serious fashion.
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petit_lacet Reply:
August 1st, 2009 at 12:32 am
I do understand completely your point. I posted some time ago in my journal a pic of some manbas doing purikura, and was very happy indeed to see that the style still existed yet I do completely realize that this not mean the go on like they were on 2007. And most probably, they aren’t manba the full week.
But I guess I would be pretty happy if the western gyarus would realize that maybe manba does not conform part of gyaru culture anymore, and work out as a completely different trend or style.
I personally consider it that way and strongly believe that manba has nothing to do with gyaru nowadays, and i’m not sad or angry about it. In fact i’m really happy it evolves on it’s own, even if it looks completely different than what it was in 2007.
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I must say its always very informative whenever I do read this blog!
You make a very valid argument as well as petit_lacet and Malignita.
Over all I really have to say I agree with Petit 100%
Maybe Manba is evolving into its own subculture. Which would be fabulous!
Most of the thing I said before where “in the heat of the moment” yet I stand by my views at the time. I’d be lieing if I said i wouldnt enjoy seeing a sudden emergence of Manba again.
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more basic shibuya gyaru fashion will live on coz its more mainstream like Yuma and Aina
http://www.japansugoi.com/wordpress/yumachi-aina-shibuya-gals/
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