A gyaru in the world

Ever since I immersed myself in the beautiful gyaru subculture as a gyaru gaijin, I’ve constantly heard comments about my look, the way I dress, and how I act. 

Where I live, having a distinct identity or style just isn't common. That’s why, back when I was starting out and exploring different sub-styles, I realized how much it rattles people when u don't follow those "unwritten" social rules.

I’ve been questioned about everything... And honestly, I still am, even by my own family. How should I look? How should I act at my age? How should I live my life and relationships while rocking this style outside of Japan? For some reason, it makes everyone around me, even total strangers so unsettled They lose their temper just because I don’t fit some national standard of "womanhood."

I know the subculture was originally meant to break the mold of the "traditional" Japanese woman, so I get that their specific struggle is technically foreign to my daily life. But that’s exactly why I’m so grateful to the Japanese gyaru community. Even if their fight started as something internal to their country, it gave foreigners like me a roadmap.

It’s not about "trying to make society uncomfortable" It’s about fighting to be accepted in any space without needing approval from a world that judges you the second you deviate from the norm. It’s about standing out when the world wants you to be quiet, "neat," and "pretty" without ever challenging anything. That’s why I’m okay even with the criticism and the hate; cuz I know that on the other side of the world, there’s another woman who feels just like me, fighting for visibility in a man’s world that just wants us to be "theirs" or part of a "traditional family."

To anyone thinking about joining the community but feeling scared of what people will say (even if you’re not gyaru or don't want to be) remember that life is way too short to suffer for people who don't bring anything positive to your life, even if they’re family. Time waits for no one. And If u spend your whole life being miserable just to please someone else, you're the one losing. It’s better to break free, even if it hurts at first. It's better to regret something for a while than for a lifetime. Believe in yourself and who u are, live without fear. 

Be youself!