Can Gyaru Be Considered a "Music-Based" Subculture? My Opinion

やっほー～！ Welcome to another Gyaru blog~

I'm officially (finally!) finishing off my little Para Para/Eurobeat mini series! Unlike the other two blogs, this one won't be evidence-based and is more of an opinion piece. If you've been reading my Gyaru blogs for a while, then you might know that I tend to stay more facts-centered, mostly because I like to touch on aspects of Gyaru that are concrete. Unfortunately, the Gyaru community is rife with misinformation and people sharing their opinions as if they are fact... Still, I like to throw my opinions into the ring here and there! And that's what I'm going to do today!

Of course, as I just mentioned, this is purely my opinion. Some people have their own thoughts about this subject, and I'm not necessarily aiming to change anyone's mind... Nor am I very interested in changing my own opinion about this, truthfully! Is that a bit cocky of me? You be the judge, hehe...~ Anyway! Just keep that in mind as you read, and let's get into this discussion~!

So, can Gyaru be considered a "music-based" subculture? I'll give you the long and short answers...

Short answer: No.

Long answer: While music is a big element of Gyaru culture, it's not the focus in the same way as fashion and makeup are.

Let me elaborate...

With Gyaru gaining more and more popularity online, the discussion about what this subculture is and is not has become one of the key talking points. For example, if you spend any amount of time on TikTok exploring Gyaru content, it won't take long to see the space is inundated with misinformation. One of the most pervasive pieces of misinformation is that it is possible to be Gal without wearing makeup; without getting too off topic, it has been thoroughly established that no, you cannot be Gyaru without wearing makeup. However, since that assumption is so widespread, people have begun saying that Gyaru is actually a music-based subculture and not a makeup/style-based one.

As I mentioned above, music is incredibly important in Gyaru (after all, I'm writing this blog to include in a mini series about dancing and music), but in comparison to the makeup and fashion? Music is actually a fairly minuscule aspect. Although many Gals dance Para Para, it is not by any means a prerequisite to be a Gal, nor do you have to be particularly interested in Eurobeat or House music to be a Gal. Gyaru is quite a unique subculture in that aspect, I think. If you take a subculture like goth, for instance, you'll see that goth music and goth fashion are of pretty equal importance. From what I have seen, it's pretty important to listen to goth music if you intend to express yourself as goth. In the Gyaru subculture, I don't think you'll see anyone called a poser if they don't dance Para Para or strictly listen to Eurobeat (not a jab at the goth community, by the way! I love them~).

This begs the question, though: Why do some people want Gyaru to be a music-based subculture? This is where it gets a bit tricky for me. Personally, I don't think there is any one reason. Some people just like to be contrarian and spread misinformation, others want to claim the Gyaru label without committing to it fully, others are simply misinformed, and more. Basically, there are a plethora of reasons that vary on a person-to-person basis. I do think wanting to call oneself a Gal without doing proper research or committing to the lifestyle is a big one, though. It's often in conjunction with people simply being new to alternative fashion and/or misinformed, and I think people love to sort of "collect" the titles of extreme subcultures. On a platform like TikTok, being extreme is how you get attention, and it's a well-known thing on the internet that misinformation will always spread farther than the truth. 

Another reason I believe people want to lean into music is the simple fact that it's easier to get into music. Music is amazing in the sense that it can appeal to tons of different people, and that's where I think Gyaru makeup and fashion lose them. Gyaru is just not for everyone, and that's okay! Instead of just being an admirer, though, they still want to feel a part of it, and therefore, they start saying Gyaru is music-based. Gal is MIND also contributes to this, because it's been so watered-down and misconstrued. The real meaning behind Gal is MIND is that just dressing like a Gal does not make you a true Gal, you have to have the mindset. People took that to mean that calling yourself a Gal is enough, and you don't have to put any effort into looking the part. This may be a hot take, but I think the overall lack of effort people put into everything these days is a big factor as to why misinformation is so huge in the Gyaru community. Gyaru is a lifestyle, and it requires a great deal of effort; if putting in that effort makes you unhappy or is something you don't want to do, then you do not have to be a Gal, but there are those of us who enjoy it. This circles back to my point that it's okay to admire Gyaru and enjoy it without participating in it.

So, can music be important to Gyaru? Yes. Is it so important that Gyaru can be considered music-based? No way.

Aaaand that's all I have for today! I know this was considerably shorter than my other blogs, and I hope that's alright with everyone... I always find that my opinion-focused blogs tend to be shorter, but I still think I managed to get my point across sufficiently! What do you think, though? Have you come across this online, or is this a new topic for you? I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts and opinions! As always, please don't hesitate to comment whatever you'd like! I always love hearing about any questions, comments, concerns... Anything and everything! Reading comments on my blogs always makes my heart feel so happy~ I'll be back soon with another Gyaru blog~

Remember, Antama loves you~!

Kiss kiss~☆⌒ヽ(*'､^*)chu