hello everyone~! welcome back to my blog~
so, i mentioned in the last blog that i wanted to do more opinionated blogs! now dont get me wrong, i love doing educational blogs, but it can be really difficult at times to do a lot of research... not to say that i dont like doing research, but now that college has started up again, i wanna give myself a break from heavy research in my gyaru blogs... i will still be doing researched blogs, so dont worry! they'll just be more spaced out from now on~
anyway! lets get into the meat and potatoes of today's gyaru blog... what (in my opinion) makes a gyaru?
i was asked to make a blog about this, and i thought it would be a good chance to get into my personal philosophy when it comes to gyaru and being gal!
and before we begin, i do want to stress that this is all my opinion, because the great thing about opinions is that we're all entitled to them! therefore, dont feel pressured to agree with me or take my word as law. im not the main authority on gyaru, not even a little bit! so, if you dont agree with me, feel free to let me know in the comments. i'd also like to point out that these are general rules/standards that i hold myself to, im not in the business of policing other gals... unless genuine misinformation is being spread, of course.
okay, lets get into the nitty gritty!
so, the first thing that makes a gal to me is the personality and mindset. by now, we all know gal is MIND, but what does that actually mean? to me, having a gal mind is being yourself but "better", if that makes sense. before i decided to be gal full-time, i was incredibly self-conscious and anxious. i felt like i was just... wasting my life away. so, when i decided to take the plunge, i wanted to change. of course, the changes didnt happen overnight, and im human; im not immune to having my bad days where all of my problems get to me. but, being gal still encouraged me to be more confident in myself. it inspired me to stop being so anxious and scared all the time. but im still me, ya know? im just a version of myself that i think is "better"! so, i think having a gal mind means pushing yourself to be the person you want to be, whilst embracing the things about yourself that make you special. the goal should be to become a strong person, and an even stronger gal!
but i want to be clear: while having the mindset is important, it isnt the defining feature. sure, you can have a mindset that fits in with gyaru, but you need to look the part as well. simply having a gyaru mindset is only half the job.
i talked about this a bit in my unpopular gyaru opinions blog that i posted forever ago, but i wanna reiterate a couple of points i made. you absolutely have to wear makeup to be gal. theres no way around it. you dont have to wear it everyday, i dont even do that, but the goal should be to wear it as much as you possibly can. one of the basic rules of gyaru is to be as eccentric as possible, and i feel a lot of new/baby gals dont realize that. a lot of people feel they need a reason to wear gal make, but that isnt true. you should wear it whenever you feel like it! have an 8am class? wear gal make! just going to the gas station? wear gal make! laying around at home? wear gal make! wear it whenever you feel the itch!
to once again quote my beloved Harutamu:
and this is where having a gyaru mindset comes in. lets be realistic: you should be prepared for people to look at you like youre insane. you should even be prepared to get made fun of at times. but when you have a gyaru mindset, none of that matters. sure, it can feel really horrible, and no ones expecting us to be immune to shitty people. but being yourself and being gal is the way you fight back. if you let random assholes control you, can you even call yourself a gal? just food for thought.
another thing that makes a gal is kindness. of course, dont be a pushover or a people pleaser. when people piss you off, call them out! dont just roll over and take peoples shit, and dont give kindness to people who dont deserve it. but in general, a gal should be kind to people. call out injustice whenever you see it. see someone online bullying a baby gal? tell them to fuck off. someone being an asshole to someone just minding their business? call it out. authority figures on a power trip? tell them exactly what you think. a lot of people think gals are mean and intimidating, but we just speak our minds even when people dont like it. and frankly, people dont like genuine displays of kindness, but be kind anyway. take care of people. stand up for people. kindness is how we foster community. obviously, dont do this at a detriment to yourself, and dont put yourself in unsafe situations. you dont have to be a gal superhero. but even small acts of kindness can amount to something good.
now for the final and less serious thing that makes a gal: listen to techno music and eurobeats. this isnt a requirement by any means, but it makes the gal experience so much cooler. listen to insane shit that melts peoples brains. do Para Para until u cant move ur arms. listen to techno/eurobeats, youre gonna thank me for it!
so, dear reader, i ask you this: what do you think makes a gal? let me know in the comments!
thanks so much for reading, i hope you enjoyed! i hope i didnt come across as too strict in this one... i tried to be extra clear that this is just my opinion, so i hope that paid off... the next blog will be about gyaru characters in media, so if you have a specific character you want me to include, let me know! please look forward to it! and if you have any other topic you'd like me to discuss, please leave a comment or IM me, and i'll do my best to make it happen! friendly reminder that i have a gyaru discord server, so feel free to join if you like! i think i'll wrap this blog up here!
remember, shido-chan loves you~!
kiss kiss~ ☆⌒ヽ(*'、^*)chu
Comments
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meghanraeee
love this!!!! this is the exact reason why i much prefer to call myself "gyaru inspired". i love so many elements of gyaru culture, and im a big fan of many gal fashion brands, music, and magazines. but full on gal makeup quite simply doesn't suit me, and i have skin conditions to where makeup is only advisable like 2-3 times per week, and it must be light >_> (my skin is very clear nowadays thank gawd, but i must be careful to avoid flaring up!)
dont get me wrong, i LOVE looking at gal make and i absolutely use it as inspo for my own makeup looks. but its in such a small way that i know it's not right to call myself gyaru. it does make me a little sad to be screamin' "GAL IS MIIIIIND!!!" in my car while my style in daily life is much more on the softer cutecore/coquette side, but such is the life of having like 5 aesthetics fighting for dominance every day lolz.
ANYWAYS im rambling, but this is why i don't refer to myself as gyaru or even a baby gal! gyaru-inspired is my fave phrasing to use because i feel like it gives appropriate credit to the gals that inspire my style so much, while also recognizing that i'm not fully invested in it. regardless tho, i absolutely love elements of gyaru (hoping 2 get my hands on my first ma*rs soon!!) and im satisfied admiring from a distance and using bits and pieces of it to build my own style identity! luv this blog
tysm for reading~
i wouldnt stress about not being "gyaru enough" personally!! if u love the style, keep on admiring it! i can definitely relate to having 5 different aesthetics trying to jump out at once lololol
i think gyaru-inspired is a really great term~ keep letting us gals inspire u~
thanks again for reading, this comment was so sweet~ ♡
by シドちゃん ☆ #1 gakupo fan!!; ; Report
Oka
Your post is awsome as always <33
Maybe it would be nice to make a post about how the gal culture became popular all around the world
But i dont know if its a good topic ( ̄▽ ̄;)
And wich parapara song do you prefer the most or a group
Personaly i really like team hinoi ( ^ω^)
tysm for reading~
thats a great idea! i'll keep it in mind for when i get the backlog of blogs i need to post lolololol
my favorite Para Para choreo is Speedway, but i also love My Sweet Banana and Yahman Hard Bass!! ^^
by シドちゃん ☆ #1 gakupo fan!!; ; Report
Maxi manko
THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING PARAPARA- ive had such a hard time when people say parapara is dead and doesn't need to be be practiced - then our past gyarus who created this way for us all would be soso heartbroken - another amazing blog from you as always much love from a fellow gal XO
tysm for reading diva (っ˘з(˘⌣˘ ) ♡ and i agree!! Para Para is sooo fun i hate that ppl arent really into it lately (;_;)
by シドちゃん ☆ #1 gakupo fan!!; ; Report
I have been practicing so hard ad its like a workout ! I love the beats aswell ! :3
by Maxi manko; ; Report
♱ 𝔫𝔬𝔢𝔩𝔩𝔢 ♱
i agree so much!! i honestly think the midnset contributes the most to being gal lol.. not caring abt what anyone says or not taking anyones shit is so gal to me more than anything <33
wahhh tysm for reading!! honestly i do think the mindset is fundamental, but i see a lot of ppl saying the mindset is the ONLY thing that matters, which just isnt true :')
by シドちゃん ☆ #1 gakupo fan!!; ; Report