GOTHLOLI OF THE WEEK #91: JUSTINE. FILM OF WEEK IS MIYAZAKI: HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE. HELLO KITTY NAIL ART & JAPAN CAT GUTS TOY?
† 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).
Thanks so much and please keep in touch (I do my best to respond to messages): RSS feed, posts in your inbox, MySpace, Facebook Group, Facebook Fan page, Twitter, YouTube, Bloglovin and Google Friend Connect.
SHARE & COMMENT
LA CARMINA
66 Comments
My girlfriend is always teasing me that Howl is my cartoon doppleganger…a handsome, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, aristocratic wizard who is so obsessed with his looks that he thinks it’s not worth to live if you aren’t beautiful and mopily turns into a blob of hate when his hair gets messed up…my exact description, and I unfortunately have to admit to her that it’s accurate despite the grumpy faces I make! XD
Regardless, the film is lovely despite its general…inconclusiveness. I get a general sense of “why” to so many things that are going on, especially why Sophie does various things…I imagine the original novel contains much of the detail that was left out and consequently confuses me…
Aha, that’s pretty much you in a wizard’s shampoo bottle! ;)
My favorite “huh??” moment in the film is when *SPOILER ALERT * she kisses Kabu-Atama and he turns into a cute ringlet-haired aristocrat. He had to be kissed by his beloved to break the spell. But she doesn’t even give him a second glance — her attention goes to Howl, and Kabu shrugs it off and hops away to the next land… huh??
Exactly! XD And WHY does she find the need to destroy the house only to have Calcifer re-animate another portion of it? And WHY did Howl eat Calcifer as a boy and WHY is this entire plot relevant? XDDD
Howl’s Moving Castle is my FAVOURITE movie out of all of them, I don’t know why, I just LOVE it to death! I have a friend, oh god, Narcissism was NAMED after him >.o So when I saw Howl’s tantrum for the first time when his hair was dyed… Oh god, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, because my friend had said the EXACT SAME THING a week prior. Regardless, this movie remains my ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE out of all of the movies made by Hayao Miyazaki.
Granted, Sophie irritates me a little occasionally, but for some reason most of the girls in his films do, just due to behaviour and choices they make. Like Sophie with Calcipher when he was begging for wood, she was horrid there and she made me a bit cranky with her. I love Calcipher <333
Hahahh seems like everyone knows a boy like that these days… ;)
Oh yeah, I felt bad for Calcifer… girls in Miyazaki movies have PMS moments, it’s funny!
i wish id bought some of those nails when i was in tokyo! they are so weird i love them….
There are some lovely fake nails in Marui One and Odakaya in Shinjuku… so great!
My girlfriend is always teasing me that Howl is my cartoon doppleganger…a handsome, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, aristocratic wizard who is so obsessed with his looks that he thinks it's not worth to live if you aren't beautiful and mopily turns into a blob of hate when his hair gets messed up…my exact description!
Howl's Moving Castle is my FAVOURITE movie out of all of them, I don't know why, I just LOVE it to death! I have a friend, oh god, Narcissism was NAMED after him >.o So when I saw Howl's tantrum for the first time when his hair was dyed… Oh god, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, because my friend had said the EXACT SAME THING a week prior. Regardless, this movie remains my ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE out of all of the movies made by Hayao Miyazaki.
Granted, Sophie irritates me a little occasionally, but for some reason most of the girls in his films do, just due to behaviour and choices they make. Like Sophie with Calcipher when he was begging for wood, she was horrid there and she made me a bit cranky with her. I love Calcipher <333
i wish id bought some of those nails when i was in tokyo! they are so weird i love them….
Oh my god, I love Howl’s Moving Castle! It’s one of my all-time favorite Miyazaki films (Ponyo is up there, too).
My favorite part is where Howl has one of his characteristic tantrums after Sophie has cleaned up – the wrong bottle turns his hair orange. ^_^ I have to laugh every time I think of it.
Do you think he looked better blond or Goth-haired? I think blond…
haha, omg, the last picture is so strange. But I love the Hello Kitty nails, these are NUTS!!! I wouldn’t be able to type on a computer keyboard with those.
the young lady sounds very cool.
Same, I keep my nails short because I can’t work otherwise… Some of my friends have 2-inch REAL nails; I’m amazed!
My favorite part of Howl’s Movie Castle is also when he throw his tantrum. I joke with my friends about how my angst would manifest as green goo if I had magical powers (it’s quite amazing that I never bickered with my roommate in college because she sees herself as Sophie). The book definitely goes more in depth, but the movie takes so many liberties that I just think of it as a separate story. Recently I read the sequel, Castle in the Sky, and I would love to see Miyazaki make a film out of that one.
As for the fashion trends…
Hello Kitty and gumball nails – Kawaii, but bordering on ai-yah. Any more decor and it would look like you didn’t have any fingernails.
Japanese Snuggie – Ai-yah! It reminds me of a Hazmat suit.
Cat guts – Um, what about kimokawaii? (Or maybe for those who are easily grossed out, just kimoi).
I liked how she was able to cast away many expectations and inhibitions by being in an old lady’s body — an intriguing idea. I laughed so hard when she had to carry the fat dog up the stairs (that’s a classic Basil Farrow action!)
Kimokawaii — perfect!
Ooohh!! I just want to eat the nails :P And I think I’ll stick to my Americanized snuggie o__0
Hahah there are snuggies for pets… somehow, I don’t think Basil Farrow would appreciate that.
Justine is really pretty <3 Wonderfull lolita
Beautiful
i watched part of it! so good!
So kawaii but not for me
Oh my…. for me, it’d be a huge nay xD;; Way too kawaii for me x_x
Oh my god, I love Howl's Moving Castle! It's one of my all-time favorite Miyazaki films (Ponyo is up there, too).
My favorite part is where Howl has one of his characteristic tantrums after Sophie has cleaned up – the wrong bottle turns his hair orange. ^_^ I have to laugh every time I think of it.
Man I been wanting to see those movies for a while now…and LOL on the snuggie that one is perfect for my daddy XD
Howl’s Moving Castle is amazing and totally kawaii! Strangely, I read the book before watching the movie, most people don’t know it’s a book AND has a sequel. Best scene? My two favorite scenes:
1) In Howl’s bedroom full of trinkets and magic-stuff
2) When Sophie sees how Howl and Calcifer “met”, such a cute and sad moment
I kinda regret lending the book to my ex… she never gave it back TT_TT
The nails and sleeping bag – Ai yah!
I’ll keep the cat on the maybe list cause hey, taxidermy animals are weirder. Cuter, but weirder, that works for me.
Happy New Year (said quite a few days in advance due to my over-exitedness)!!!
haha, omg, the last picture is so strange. But I love the Hello Kitty nails, these are NUTS!!! I wouldn't be able to type on a computer keyboard with those.
the young lady sounds very cool.
My favorite part of Howl's Movie Castle is also when he throw his tantrum. I joke with my friends about how my angst would manifest as green goo if I had magical powers (it's quite amazing that I never bickered with my roommate in college because she sees herself as Sophie). The book definitely goes more in depth, but the movie takes so many liberties that I just think of it as a separate story. Recently I read the sequel, Castle in the Sky, and I would love to see Miyazaki make a film out of that one.
As for the fashion trends…
Hello Kitty and gumball nails – Kawaii, but bordering on ai-yah. Any more decor and it would look like you didn't have any fingernails.
Japanese Snuggie – Ai-yah! It reminds me of a Hazmat suit.
Cat guts – Um, what about kimokawaii? (Or maybe for those who are easily grossed out, just kimoi).
Ooohh!! I just want to eat the nails :P And I think I'll stick to my Americanized snuggie o__0
Justine is really pretty <3 Wonderfull lolita
Beautiful
i watched part of it! so good!
Aha, that's pretty much you in a wizard's shampoo bottle! ;)
My favorite “huh??” moment in the film is when *SPOILER ALERT * she kisses Kabu-Atama and he turns into a cute ringlet-haired aristocrat. He had to be kissed by his beloved to break the spell. But she doesn't even give him a second glance — her attention goes to Howl, and Kabu shrugs it off and hops away to the next land… huh??
CUTE !!
I hope you had nice Christmas :-D
soooo cute.. i juz saw the pics today ^^
Hahahh seems like everyone knows a boy like that these days… ;)
Oh yeah, I felt bad for Calcifer… girls in Miyazaki movies have PMS moments, it's funny!
There are some lovely fake nails in Marui One and Odakaya in Shinjuku… so great!
Do you think he looked better blond or Goth-haired? I think blond…
Same, I keep my nails short because I can't work otherwise… Some of my friends have 2-inch REAL nails; I'm amazed!
I liked how she was able to cast away many expectations and inhibitions by being in an old lady's body — an intriguing idea. I laughed so hard when she had to carry the fat dog up the stairs (that's a classic Basil Farrow action!)
Kimokawaii — perfect!
Hahah there are snuggies for pets… somehow, I don't think Basil Farrow would appreciate that.
So kawaii but not for me
Oh my…. for me, it'd be a huge nay xD;; Way too kawaii for me x_x
“I see no point in living it I can’t be beautiful!” – pretty much sums up my love for that movie. (Though it’s not Miyazaki’s best work, his worst movies still top most anything Hollywood pumps out.) Sadly, I’ve had trouble finding the book on which it’s based. :/
The nails: Kawaii, BUT I wouldn’t want to wear them unless it was for a photoshoot or some similar thing. They would not last a day in real life. However, they really are cute.
J-Snuggie: Well, I never liked the normal snuggies (they’re essentially backwards housecoats), and this one is just… bizzare. Why would you want to walk around in a sleeping bag? Especially when you have no arm holes for the inevitable moment when you trip and fall on your face? Very “ai-yah”.
Eviscerated plastic cat: The most hilarious thing about that cat is the little boy’s face on the package. He looks very excited for his newly road-killed cat. Otherwise, it’s funny in a gag-gift sort of way.
cat guy toy GROSS very ai-yah! The sleeping bag a bit dangerous if you fall your hands are stuck inside! Good way to fall on face
Man I been wanting to see those movies for a while now…and LOL on the snuggie that one is perfect for my daddy XD
Exactly! XD And WHY does she find the need to destroy the house only to have Calcifer re-animate another portion of it? And WHY did Howl eat Calcifer as a boy and WHY is this entire plot relevant? XDDD
Howl's Moving Castle is amazing and totally kawaii! Strangely, I read the book before watching the movie, most people don't know it's a book AND has a sequel. Best scene? My two favorite scenes:
1) In Howl's bedroom full of trinkets and magic-stuff
2) When Sophie sees how Howl and Calcifer “met”, such a cute and sad moment
I kinda regret lending the book to my ex… she never gave it back TT_TT
The nails and sleeping bag – Ai yah!
I'll keep the cat on the maybe list cause hey, taxidermy animals are weirder. Cuter, but weirder, that works for me.
Happy New Year (said quite a few days in advance due to my over-exitedness)!!!
I don’t think I’d be able to accomplish anything while wearing that hello kitty nail art! lol
& I luv Spirited away! but I havn’t seen Howl’s moving castle…*sigh*
I love the Nails and The Phone Case, very cutee! I would love to get my nails done like that but unfornuately, 1.) They would probably fall off, I love typing and haven’t mastered it w/ fake nails yet. 2.) I don’t think I could recreate them. my luck it’ll come out wrong, haha. As for the Snugie Bag/Sleep Walker outfit and the run-over toy kitten. I’m not sure I would ever use those itemss. Well except for Camping and a present but Nay. Points for creativity though and on the Package, I love the Little Boy Smiling. :]
hahah yeah, I don’t think I can handle super decora nails…
CUTE !!
I hope you had nice Christmas :-D
soooo cute.. i juz saw the pics today ^^
“I see no point in living it I can't be beautiful!” – pretty much sums up my love for that movie. (Though it's not Miyazaki's best work, his worst movies still top most anything Hollywood pumps out.) Sadly, I've had trouble finding the book on which it's based. :/
The nails: Kawaii, BUT I wouldn't want to wear them unless it was for a photoshoot or some similar thing. They would not last a day in real life. However, they really are cute.
J-Snuggie: Well, I never liked the normal snuggies (they're essentially backwards housecoats), and this one is just… bizzare. Why would you want to walk around in a sleeping bag? Especially when you have no arm holes for the inevitable moment when you trip and fall on your face? Very “ai-yah”.
Eviscerated plastic cat: The most hilarious thing about that cat is the little boy's face on the package. He looks very excited for his newly road-killed cat. Otherwise, it's funny in a gag-gift sort of way.
cat guy toy GROSS very ai-yah! The sleeping bag a bit dangerous if you fall your hands are stuck inside! Good way to fall on face
I don't think I'd be able to accomplish anything while wearing that hello kitty nail art! lol
& I luv Spirited away! but I havn't seen Howl's moving castle…*sigh*
I love the Nails and The Phone Case, very cutee! I would love to get my nails done like that but unfornuately, 1.) They would probably fall off, I love typing and haven't mastered it w/ fake nails yet. 2.) I don't think I could recreate them. my luck it'll come out wrong, haha. As for the Snugie Bag/Sleep Walker outfit and the run-over toy kitten. I'm not sure I would ever use those itemss. Well except for Camping and a present but Nay. Points for creativity though and on the Package, I love the Little Boy Smiling. :]
I love Howl’s Moving Castle! Watched that movie in my Nihongo class in university. I think I have to watch it again. =D
-Denise
I love Howl's Moving Castle! Watched that movie in my Nihongo class in university. I think I have to watch it again. =D
-Denise
I love Howl. He’s so hot and it’s a very awesome, funny movie!
hahah yeah, I don't think I can handle super decora nails…
nails = :S weird. but omg i love howls moving castle!!!!! i want to name my daughter Sophie because of this movie, i loved it so much. and the music. the song. merry go round of life…. <3
I love Howl. He's so hot and it's a very awesome, funny movie!
nails = :S weird. but omg i love howls moving castle!!!!! i want to name my daughter Sophie because of this movie, i loved it so much. and the music. the song. merry go round of life…. <3
Want to have a date? Try our new dating game online! Only at CHUZI.
Want to have a date? Try our new dating game online! Only at CHUZI.