Hello Cuties~
Let's not talk about how long I've been stretching this Gyaru Challenge. („ಡ_ಡ„) I really wish I wrote this one months ago because I'd love to see how my predictions and reality differ. Had you asked me my thoughts on the future of Gyaru in 2018, I would've said obsolete. In my head I thought it wouldn't be soon before Gyaru would be considered old fashion, out of date, or forgotten. I figured Gyaru would only live as long as the few Gals I knew continued showing their content online.
If we're being completely honest here, you could have asked me this question just at the beginning of this year and my answer would have been the same. I wanted to believe people still loved the style, but I noticed the community growing quiet. More social groups seemed to disappear. Well at least that's what I thought. Never did I imagine Gyaru receiving such a revival, not only within the gaijin community, but in Japan as well!
-From 2000 / Black Diamond 2.0 are probably the best things that ever happened to Gyaru. That may be a loaded comment but I really believe they did a lot for Gyaru. Now we're talking about the Gyaru revival, keep that in mind. But I will say, the o.g. unit Black Diamond paved the way! (I keep thinking of those "bts paved the way memes and now I can't stop laughing)
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So if you ask me now: What do you think will happen to Gyaru in the future? I say it's only up from here. Within these past eight months I've seen so much change. I'm sure we've sparked the interest of people outside of the gal community. I'm seeing new gals again. And oddly enough that's encouraging to me. For a long time I thought no one cared anymore and I feared I'd lose interest like many others have before.
It sounds so cheesy to say but, the Gal community has worked so hard this year. I mean think about it. A new gaijin Gyaru magazine? Spreading Gyaru to other platforms beyond our personal blogs? -From2000 shouting us out on YouTube and anticipating the debut of Papillon magazine?? These are major accomplishments! And social media has played such a large part in our success.
Japanese Gyaru showcased their lifestyles mostly through personal blogs. Soon came twitter, and YouTube. Some gals did use Instagram, but it wasn't a big percentage in the beginning. I think the first game changer was Vine (r.i.p ;__; ). I recall the Black Diamond Unit posting videos there and since it was the newest trend in social media, Gyaru probably got a lot of exposure. After vine died I was so sad because I didn't see many updates on Black Diamond or Gyaru in general.
It took a long time, a few major magazine and brand discontinuations in between, before the new BD Gals and -from 2000 popped on the scene. They seemed to show up at just the right time. The world seemed hooked on the idea of bringing the 90's back, so a lot of old trends were resurfacing. Egg was giving the magazine scene another try. And another social platform had been gaining popularity all at the same time, Tiktok. I swear it all just fell into place for them!
Do y'all remember this strange short movie?? I remember watching in confusion without subtitles until I got the vibe of "old gyaru returning". It literally sent a jolt of excitement through me.
I won't lie, when I saw the first images of the new Egg models, I didn't think the hype would build or last very long. I thought I was excited all by myself. However I'm so happy to have been proved wrong! Believe me, I wanted it to gain all the hype in the world! But I didn't know if they would receive the attention. Now Egg magazine looks a lot like it used to. Now they're re-releasing the very sought-after Alba Rosa coats. Who knows what's next!
~ Love you! x Amiman ~
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