Gothic and Lolita, Photo of Kengo and Hana
| Linguistics | Kengo, 22, Hana, 21. Dress: Handmaid (both) Point of Fashion: Goth Hanakengo performer (both) Current Obsession: Each other (both) |
| Concepts | Kengo and Hana are wearing Visual Kei/Goth Hanakengo styles. Goth Hanakengo is a form of gothic lolita. Photograph from the book Gothic and Lolita by Masayuki Yoshinaga (2007). |
| Visuals | Bumpy, cloud like, white, glossy, orbs all around the body and head. Ballerina shoes, heavy makeup, white hair, white vest, a shiny collar, and fluffy material on the crotch. The background is very dark, so they stand out like human cotton balls or pearls. |
| Emotions | Glee and humor. Fairly goofy side of Lolita, goth hanakengo plays on childish humor through dress. Both are seemingly having a great time. |
| Characters/ Objects | Kengo and Hana are dressed in goth hanakengo/gothic lolita. Photograph from the book Gothic and Lolita by Masayuki Yoshinaga (2007). |
| Scene | Tokyo. Undefined. |
| Aesthetics | Goth Hanakengo/Gothic Lolita. Both are literal embodiments of bubbles of joy. Both are infantilizing themselves by dressing this way, are living the alter ego of the shojo. |
| Westerness/ Japaneseness | No westernness or really Japaneseness in the dress itself. Both are infantilizing themselves by dressing this way, are living the alter ego of the shojo which is Japanese. |
| Grotesque/ Abject | Both dress infantile so that they are no longer in the homogenous gender binary, they entered a liminal and free-floating aesthetic of life, used the alter ego of the shojo, and achieved jouissance through dress. |