It is not unnatural to see girls dressed as Nabokov’s Lolita’s lookalikes in the streets of Tokyo or almost everywhere else in Japan. They are called the Kawaii Girls? Who or what is a Kawaii girl. Well a Kawaii girl thinks, acts, looks, feels and work at being cute. Kawaii girls lives in the wonderful world of utter cuteness, exactly like Korea’s Gwiyomi.
How to become a Kawaii girl? A Kawaii girl has big eyes, big hair – long, curly preferably in pastel shade. Kawaii girls like colourful clothing. Accessorising is all important to be a Kawaii girl. Must clutch the cutest teddy bears, cutest flowers, cutest backpacks with little teddies. And most important of all a Kawaii girl must sound like a little girl. A girl with high squeaky voice.
Being a Kawaii takes a lot of doing. It is not easy being a Kawaii girl. Your heart and mind must be into it 100 per cent, otherwise you are a sad imitation of the real thing.
Probably being a Kawaii girl or wanting to be cute is a Southeast Asian thing. I remember being obsessed with cute things when I was in my teens in the 70s. I adored Hello Kitty. I bought everything that was branded by Sanrio. It was not only me, all my school mates loved Hello Kitty or Sanrio brand as well. We would compare latest finds of the Hello Kitty every time we saw one another. We all wanted to live in Japan in a Hello Kitty house. Hehehe
I used to love Japanese anime. My sister and I avidly watches Candy, Candy and Ron Ron the Flower Angel. We were their biggest fans in the world.
When I first came to London, I brought with me my Sanrio’s Tiny Poem toothbrush, Hello Kitty face towels, hand mirror, etc. I was like a little girl lost in London, but not for long. LOL
Being cute and girly does not leave you completely, which is fine. Childlike qualities are good but being childish is another ballgame.
Speaking for myself of course, I still buy occasional Hello Kitty items. My husband knows about my partiality towards Helly Kitty products and he gets me them as well. He bought me a beautiful Hello Kitty crystal necklace when Swarovski release their Hello Kitty range and just love it. He bought me handbags, money boxes, etc.
Anyway going back to our topic, Kawaii girls look like girly; little 11 year olds in teenage bodies. Being a Kawaii is a culture of cuteness in Japan. Kawaii is not just a phase, it is a way of life. It is a lifestyle, it is living and breathing at being enchantingly pretty in a childlike way. The look is enhanced to look young and innocent.
Some go beyong using make-up to make their eyes to appear larger, some resulted to surgeries, called blepharoplasty, commonly known as double eyelid surgery.
I wonder what happens when a Kawaii girl reached that certain age when being cute does not or rather not too appropriate anymore? Afterall we all have to grow up and grow old sooner or later… 🙁