Dandadan brings back an almost lost anime trope

Modified Oct 07, 2024 05:00 GMT

Momo Ayase as seen in the anime (image via Science SARU)

The anime adaptation of Yukinobu Tatsu's Dandadan series, which was officially released on Thursday, October 3, 2024, received an overwhelmingly positive response from the fans. The animation studio, Science Saru, also received high amounts of praise for doing a stellar job in bringing the pages of the manga to life.

Now that the first episode is officially out online, fans on social media are analyzing and reviewing each and every aspect of the episode and comparing it with the manga.

On X, a fan recently pointed out a particular character from the first episode of the anime, who, despite having an extremely minor role, brought back a seemingly lost anime trope.

Dandadan episode 1 brings back representation of the gyaru culture in anime

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In episode 1 of the Dandadan anime, after Momo Ayase went through a breakup with her first boyfriend, she was seen talking to two of her friends in class. One of Momo's friends could be seen wearing Manba gyaru makeup, which is a part of subculture derived from the original ganguro style of gyaru fashion in Japan.

For those unaware, Manba gyaru is an extreme and colorful substyle of the gyaru culture in Japan, which is known for its bold fashion, exaggerated makeup, and rebellious attitude, which often go against the norm of traditional Japanese beauty.

It features deep tan, vibrant makeup, especially around the eyes, brightly colored hair, and playful and flamboyant clothing. Manba fashion embraces a carefree and fun-loving spirit, with people being free to make their own fashion choices. Often times, it also features oversized accessories, platform shoes, and detailed nail art.

To elaborate further on the gyaru culture as a whole, it is a Japanese subculture that has been around since the 1970s and peaked in popularity during the 1990s to early 2000s. The word "gyaru" is derived from the English word "gal" and initially referred to stylish and fashionable young women. There are several types of popular styles within the gyaru culture, such as Onee-gyaru, Kogyaru, Hime-gyaru, and Ganguro, to name a few.

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As mentioned before, the gyaru culture is known for breaking traditional Japanese societal norms in the standard of beauty. The culture originated as a rebellion against the traditional expectations for women to be modest and reserved. Gyaru women are known for being confident, outgoing, and carefree.

In the world of anime, gyaru culture had its fair share of representation over the years, with Kanako Sumiyoshi, Yukana Yame, Mikoto Aiura, Sakura Hibiki, Marin Kitagawa, Lord of Pastimers, and Shino Goto being shining examples of gyaru women in anime.

Gyaru women were perhaps represented the most in high school anime. In fact, in the earlier years, it was typical for most high school anime to have at least one gyaru character. However, there haven't been any gyaru characters in the recent high school anime series, which made fans think that it may have become a lost anime trope.

Fortunately for them, the Dandadan anime has brought back representation of the gyaru culture through the aforementioned character in episode 1, who was one of Momo Ayase's friends.

How fans reacted to Dandadan bringing back the gyaru culture

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Seeing the representation of the gyaru culture being brought back into the anime world through Dandadan episode 1, fans of gyaru characters were overjoyed, as they expressed their delight upon seeing the return of the popular anime trope on social media.

"Lost my mind over the gyaru girl in dandadan," one fan expressed.

"GYARU GIRL IN DANDADAN," said one fan excitedly.

"My first thought about Dandadan is that if it's the kind of show that goes all the way with a gyaru extra like this, that's a good sign. When the hell is the last time I saw manba in something?" another chimed in.

"Dandadan cooked so hard w/ the traditional gyaru lady, SHES SO COOL!!" said another fan.

Final Thoughts

While it may not be as prevalent as in its heydey, the gyaru culture overall is still somewhat present in the vibrant street fashion scene of Japan, as well as in the anime world today.