Brand In Review: Lady Sloth

Lolita in Anime and Manga

 

Today I want to talk about lolita inspired fashion in anime and manga. Not only am I passionate about lolita fashion, but I love, love, looove anime and manga. I am a lolita Otaku (nerd). While other lolitas are more into literature and books. So, as my lolita fashion adventure began five years ago, now I can't help but notice how the fashion has made itself present in movies, anime and manga. Brand and indie brands also draw inspiration from media and literature when also designing their garments for all lolita enthusiests to enjoy. 

 

 

Movies

First, I am going to start with the movie most lolitas are familiar with, 下妻物語 Shimotsuma monogatari, or otherwise known as Kamikaze Girls. This follows the story of Momoko, a 17 year old High School girl is is obsessed with 18th century France, dresses in lolita fashion, has an obsession with the fashion brand Baby, the Stars Shine Bright. She befriends a Yanki biker girl around the same age and they form a rather odd relationship and become friends...........

 

 

Anime

Some anime I have been drawn to because they have some aspects of Victorian- rococo lolita-esque looks about them, and also fit into my lolita otaku life style, when I can curl up on the couch and realx watching anime.

Rozen Maiden

Rozen Maiden is a story of a boy called Jun, he is an adolecent teenage boy who refuses to go to school due to his classmates bullying him. One day he receives a letter asking to if he will circle "wind", or "not wind". Jun chooses to "wind", then a brown suitcase magically appears, he opens and finds a doll. He uses the key to "wind her awake", which brings her to life. Without giving too much away, you have to watch the series to find out what happens next...........................

 

                                           

 

So how has Rozen Maiden influenced lolita fashion? The Japanese brand called Innocent World actually designed a Rozen Maiden "Coord" so to speak. Link is here if you want to take a look :)

Other anime that has Victorian/ Rococo inspired anime for the lolita enthuisiest is:

 

Gosick

 

Imagine Sherlock homes, but a lolita sherlock holmes. GOSICK takes place in 1924 in a small, made-up European country of Sauville. The story centers on Kazuya Kujo, the third son of a Japanese Imperial soldier, who is a transfer student to St. Marguerite Academy, where urban legends and horror stories are all the rage. There he meets Victorique, a mysterious yet beautiful and brilliant girl who never comes to class and spends her days reading the entire content of the library or solving mysteries that even detectives can't solve.

                                              

 

 

Alice to Zouroku

 

A group of young girls possess a mysterious power known as "Alice's Dream," which gives them the ability to turn their thoughts into reality. Detained and experimented upon, these youths are locked away in secret until one of them manages to escape. Her name is Sana—a girl with the power to ignore the very laws of physics. When this willful powerhouse crosses paths with a stubborn old man named Zouroku, his carefully-ordered life will never be the same again.

 

As most anime I've seen, they have a gothic lolita element, so it is nice to see an anime with a sweet lolita for a change.

 

 

                           

 

 

Angels of Death

 

13-year-old Rachel awakens to find herself trapped in the basement of an abandoned building. Without any memories, or even a clue as to where she could be, she wanders the building, lost and dizzy. In her search, she comes across a man covered in bandages. He introduces himself as Zack, and he wields a grim-reaper like sickle.

A strange bond is struck between them, strengthened by strange, crazy promises...

These two, trapped in this strange building, don't know why fate has placed them there. But they will work together desperately to find a way out...

 

Also, when I was walking through La Foret department store, this anime did a collaboration with Alice and the Pirates. That's how I learnt that this anime existed!!

 

 

Manga

As some of the anime above are manga adaptions, recently I stumbled across some manga which the lolita enthusiest would like to read.

 

The Magic of Chocolate

 

This manga is written and illustrated by Rino Mizuho. This manga follows the story of Aikawa Chocola, a magical girl who owns a chocolate shop and has only the best chocolate availabe to her unsuspecting customers. The customers are invited to come to the shop in the promise of their wish being granted. So, they eat the chocolate their wish comes true. The story is also a bit morbid as it sends a message to the reader. Basically, if you do the wrong thing, there will be consequences.

 

As you can see from the cover, the Chocola character is wearing a chocolate themed coord.........There are also other stories in this series also.

 

                                                   

 

 

Black Alice

 

I've just started reading this one. So, I have not finished it to provide a synopsis what it is about. You will have to read it and find out hehe.....

 

 

 

 

Baby the Stars Shine Bright recently come out with an OP (as part of their anniversay collection)  that emcompases the lolita aesthetic while adding an Alice in Wonderland twist to it.

 

 



This is said Alice inspired OP.

 

Rose of Versailles

 

This manga is a oldie but a goodie. First published in 1972, this manga has had a huge influence on lolita fashion and how it has evolved of what we know today. 

 

Synopsis:  Raised from birth as a man, the Lady Oscar commands the palace guards at Versailles in the years before the French Revolution. Her beauty and noble spirit make her a shining figure in the eyes of both men and women but she is torn between her chosen life of service and duty to class and country and her own heart and desires. She lives as a noble amidst the opulence of Versailles but her keen senses and compassion are not blinded to the poverty of the French people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok, that's all for today rufflebutts. Hopefully you have found this useful and will have something to binge watch on a cold, rainy day, OR curl up on the couch with a manga to read!!

 

 

Have a lovely Lolita day!!