Kodansha have just released a new book, Japanese Schoolgirl Confidential: How teenage girls made a nation cool, looking at how the schoolgirl look in Japan became iconic for the country as a whole. The book is a must for anyone curious about the girls that dominate Japan’s pop culture. For years schoolgirls have shown up in internationally popular anime and manga such as “Sailor Moon,” and “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.”
Haruhi, popular with cosplayers here and now a massively popular anime worldwide itself began from a series of light-novels.
My personal favorite would be Saya from Blood+ and Blood: The Last Vampire.
Saya movie version. Played by a Korean actress Jeon Ji-hyun.
Lets also not forget games. Sakura was one of the late comers to Street Fighter but fast-became one of the most popular amongst the character lineup.
One more is of course Gogo in Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill:” Volume 1.” With chapters covering everything from sailor-suited pop-idols and cult movie vixens, to the power of shopping and uniform fashion, “Japanese Schoolgirl Confidential” takes you beyond the realm of everyday schoolgirls to discover the secrets behind this iconic creature. Learn the origins of their famous sailor-style uniforms, and how they became a brand used to sell anything from kimchi to insurance. Discover why these girls have become such a symbol of girl power, and why they are so very, very cool!
The book is written by Brian Ashcraft is also the author of “Arcade Mania!” and a senior contributing editor for the video game blog Kotaku.com. Tis well worth a look in.
Thoughts welcome below.
