You’ve probably seen the photos from the late nineties or early 2000s. Deep, orange tans. Hair bleached so bright it looks like straw. White concealer smeared over eyelids and lips. It looks wild, right? To an outsider, it might just look like a bizarre fashion phase that took over Shibuya, but the reality of the different types of gyaru is way more complex than just "tanning and hair dye." This wasn't just a trend. It was a massive, rebellious middle finger to traditional Japanese beauty standards.
The word "gyaru" is basically just the Japanese transliteration of the English word "gal." But don't let the simple name fool you. While most people think of one specific look, the subculture actually branched off into dozens of tiny, hyper-specific niches. Some girls wanted to look like Hawaiian princesses; others wanted to look like futuristic club kids or even cyber-punks. It’s a rabbit hole. Honestly, if you try to lump a Gamba gyaru in with a Hime gyaru, you’re looking at two completely different worlds. One is about dark face paint and high energy; the other is about looking like a literal Rococo princess in a pink dress.
The Roots of Rebellion
Before we get into the weeds of the specific styles, we have to talk about why this happened. Japan in the 70s and 80s was all about the "Yamato Nadeshiko" ideal—the pale, demure, quiet woman. Gyaru culture trashed that. It started with brands like MILTON and later ALBA ROSA, but it really exploded when Namie Amuro hit the scene.
She was the blueprint.
Teenage girls saw her tanned skin and platform boots and lost their minds. They started flocking to the 109 Building in Shibuya. This gave birth to the Amura style. It was the "gateway drug" to the more extreme aesthetics that followed. It wasn’t just about clothes; it was about "kogyaru" (high school gals) shortening their skirts and loosening their socks to say, "I’m not the perfect student you want me to be."
Breaking Down the Major Different Types of Gyaru
If you’re looking at the evolution, you have to start with the most famous—and most misunderstood—branch: the Manba and Yamanba.
Manba and Yamanba: The Extreme End
This is usually what people see in memes. Yamanba (named after a mountain hag from Japanese folklore) involves deep tans and white makeup around the eyes, often called "panda eyes." By the mid-2000s, this evolved into Manba. It was more colorful. Girls would use neon eyeshadow, stickers on their faces, and multi-colored hair extensions. It was loud. It was meant to be seen from a mile away. They weren't trying to be "pretty" in a conventional way; they were trying to be "gal."
Hime Gyaru: The Princess Life
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, you have Hime (Princess) gyaru. Forget the tan. These girls stayed pale. They wore massive, teased "beehive" hair—think Marie Antoinette but with more hairspray. The clothes were almost exclusively pink, white, or floral, usually from brands like Jesus Diamante. They lived a lifestyle of luxury, or at least the appearance of it. It was about elegance mixed with that signature gal "more is more" attitude. Pearls, roses, and lace everywhere.
Onee Gyaru: The Sophisticated Older Sister
As the original gals grew up, they didn't necessarily want to stop being gyaru, but they couldn't exactly go to a corporate job in neon leg warmers. Enter Onee Gyaru. This is the "mature" version. It’s sexy but polished. Think gold jewelry, designer bags, and high heels, but still with the signature bronze skin and perfectly styled hair. It’s less "rebellion" and more "glamour."
Sentai and Kuro Gyaru
Then you get into the sub-sects like Sentai (inspired by Power Rangers or superhero teams) where groups of gals would coordinate their colors. Or Kuro (Black) gyaru, which focuses heavily on the darkest possible tan. The diversity is honestly staggering. You have Ane gyaru who are a bit tougher, often associated with bike culture or "yankii" (delinquent) vibes, and Psyche gyaru who are obsessed with psychedelic trance music and neon "glow-in-the-dark" aesthetics.
Why the Style Actually Died (and How it’s Coming Back)
People always ask: where did they go? If you walk through Shibuya today, you won't see dozens of Manba hanging out by the Hachiko statue.
The peak was around 2005-2008. After that, fast fashion like Uniqlo and H&M started taking over Japan. The "normcore" look became the new cool. Plus, the iconic magazines—the bibles of the culture like Egg, Ageha, and Koakuma Ageha—either shut down or went digital. The community lost its central hubs.
But here’s the thing: it’s not dead. It’s just "Reiwa Gyaru" now.
In the 2020s, a new generation is picking up the pieces. They’re using TikTok and Instagram to revive the different types of gyaru with a modern twist. They call it "Neo Gyaru." It’s less about the extreme tan and more about the attitude and the specific "Gal Mindset." This mindset—jibun-rashisa—means being true to yourself regardless of what society thinks. It’s why you see Gen Z girls in Japan wearing platform boots and heavy lashes again, mixed with modern streetwear.
The Cultural Impact You Might Not Notice
Gyaru culture influenced everything. Think about "deco-den"—the art of sticking a thousand rhinestones onto a flip phone. That was them. The massive fake eyelashes that became a global makeup staple? Gals were doing double-stacked lashes decades ago. Even the way people pose in selfies (like the "peace sign" held close to the face to make the face look smaller) has roots in purikura (sticker booth) culture dominated by these girls.
It was a feminist movement in its own messy, consumerist way. These women were choosing to spend their own money to look "scary" or "weird" to men. They weren't dressing for the "male gaze." They were dressing for each other and for themselves.
How to Explore Gyaru Culture Today
If you're actually interested in the aesthetic or the history, don't just look at Pinterest boards. You have to go to the source.
- Look for Archive Magazines: Search for digital archives of Egg (for street style) or Ageha (for the more glamorous, hostess-inspired look). The photography in these magazines captures the energy better than any retrospective article ever could.
- Follow the "Circle" Culture: Gyaru weren't loners. They formed ciru (circles) like the famous Angeer or Black Diamond. Some of these circles still have an active social media presence.
- Check the Brands: While many are gone, brands like d.i.a. (famous for its "trashy-chic" belts and tops) still have a massive cult following in the secondhand market. Searching for these specific brands on Mercari Japan or Depop will show you the actual pieces that defined the era.
- Understand the "Gal Mindset": If you want to "be" gyaru, it’s less about the makeup and more about the confidence. The core philosophy is about being loud, being proud, and refusing to blend into the background of a conformist society.
The era of the "mountain hag" might be in the past, but the influence of the different types of gyaru is baked into the DNA of modern global fashion. From the "baddie" aesthetic to the Y2K revival, the fingerprints of Shibuya’s rebels are everywhere.
To truly understand the movement, start by researching the "Gal Unit" music scene of the mid-2000s. It provides the literal soundtrack to the visual chaos. Explore the discography of artists like GALO or the various Eurobeat compilations that fueled the Para Para dancing craze. This will give you the rhythmic context for why the fashion was so high-energy and unapologetic.