† Name: Justine Chantelle Abad aka. “Jaja”
† Age: 20
† Location: Manila, Philippines
† How were you introduced to Gothic Lolita fashion?
I found a book called Fruits in our school library and saw Lolita street snaps there. Noted the word Lolita and researched. It was way back in 2006.
† What do you find appealing about GL style and culture?
I’ve always been a fan of Japanese fashion. Also, I have an odd fascination with world history so seeing a mix of Rococo/Victorian style with Japan’s kawaii style was a hit for me.

† What are your favorite Gothic Lolita clothing brands?
I can’t afford burando. But I love Angelic Pretty and Metamorphose’s products.
† Any other comments (inspiration, tips, favorites)?
Shameless plug! Philippine Gothic and Lolita community: http://lolitaph.lefora.com

Film of the Week #41: Howl’s Moving Castle. Hayao Miyazaki is a superstar. Spirited Away remains my above-and-beyond favorite, but his storytelling shines in Howl’s enchanted, retro-futuristic world. The young heroine is turned into an old hag by a spell, and her “eeeee” reaction in front of the mirror is simply perfect — I laughed so hard! Miyazaki’s quirks are in full form: the little dog with short legs, Howl throwing the most emo of tantrums, Turnip-Head scarecrow hopping about, Markl the little boy putting on a ridiculous bearded costume… a joy to watch. If you’ve seen Howl’s Moving Castle, what are your favorite parts?

Time for another edition of kawaii or ai-yah! I’ll post photos and you tell me what you think. To voice your opinions, just click the comment link on the bottom right of any post; you can post as Guest if you don’t want to create a Disqus account.

Lisa Katayama (who interviewed me for BoingBoing) runs a Japanese pop culture blog, TokyoMango, that is a longtime favorite of mine. (The photos above and below are from her site.) Japanese nail art reaches new heights with Hello Kitty’s face and mini-gumballs. The Sanrio star also graces an iPhone case. Your reaction: kawaii or ai-yah?

Round two: introducing the Japanese Snuggie, a sleeping bag you can walk in. (To facilitate running away from bears? Or Godzilla?) And how about Neko Funjyatta, a plastic toy cat with its guts spilling out? Not surprisingly, I saw it at the David Cronenberg meets Lynch otaku cafe in Koenji. Once again, with more cowbell: kawaii or ai-yah?

If you would like to be the next Gothloli of the Week, please read the submission instructions here. For all your Lolita shopping needs, check out the links to clothing brands on the right column of my blog.

If you shop on Amazon.com, may I ask you to please consider supporting this blog by buying via my site? Just click here and search for whatever you want from Amazon (there are no extra costs to you).

Film of the Week #40: Wild Zero. You may recall that when the Adventure Team visited Hyaena Gallery, we gushed over Guitar Wolf’s “jet rock ‘n’ roll” zombie horror B-movie. Space aliens invade the Earth, and it’s up to the Japanese rockabilly trio to save the day! On the way, they wrangle with crazy rock managers in very tight shorts, naked women shooting guns in the shower, and bloodthirsty zombies. (Sounds like a day in the life for me.) The DVD is a great present for anyone with an offbeat sense of humor.

Introducing a new weekly blog feature that I’ve been testing out on my Twitter! It’s called… kawaii or ai-yah? I’ll post a photo and you tell me what you think. To voice your thoughts, just click the comment link on the bottom right of any post; you can post as Guest if you don’t want to create a Disqus account.

First up, here’s a JSK from the Baby, the Stars Shine Bright collaboration with Gloomy Bear. All of the fashion items incorporate the bear in some way. In this pink dress, his face spans the entire chest! What’s your opinion: kawaii or ai-yah?

Style Arena has a regular “Tokyo Tribe” feature, and one of the recent posts was on Japanese emo fashion. I couldn’t stop laughing when I read the “Engrish” breakdown of the style: “People wearing Emo-fashion have long forelock and black, white or vivid colored hair, and wear normally tight clothes. They prefer the combination of black colored bottoms and the loud colored outer. Using black color and the loud color together makes their style more emotional.” (Remember my gay emo boy outfit in our indie movie?) Thoughts on Japanese scene style: kawaii or ai-yah?

If you would like to be the next Gothloli of the Week, please read the submission instructions here. For all your Lolita shopping needs, check out the links to clothing brands on the right column of my blog.

If you’re doing last-minute shopping on Amazon.com, may I ask you to please consider supporting this blog by buying via my site? Simply click here and search for whatever you want from Amazon (there are no extra costs to you).