Seo In-young Goes Full 'Yamanba Gyaru' in Tokyo

Singer Seo In-young took on the extreme Yamanba gyaru look in Tokyo, pairing deep brown skin tones with bold white highlights, vivid pink makeup and a voluminous blonde wig. The transformation turned heads on the streets of Shibuya, the Tokyo district long tied to Japan's gyaru youth culture.

A Bold Makeover in the Heart of Shibuya

The makeover appeared in a video titled 'Seo In-young's Ultimate Gyaru Revealed' on her YouTube channel 'Gaegwacheonseon Seo In-young' on the 14th. After arriving in Tokyo, she visited a local gyaru specialty shop and used a translation app to ask for a very strong gyaru look in the Yamanba style.

Yamanba is a subgenre of Japanese gyaru culture known for deeply tanned skin, white eye makeup, exaggerated lips and bright hair. It grew out of the late 1990s and early 2000s. As the dark foundation went on, Seo joked that it felt like clay on her face. Once the white nose and forehead highlights, bright eyeshadow, full lashes and pink tones were added, she was delighted, saying she felt she had found her face. She even joked about 'raising' her nose, since the contrast made her nose bridge look sharper without changing its shape.

She finished the look with neon-toned outfits and a big blonde curly wig, then walked through Shibuya. Passersby stared, and she admitted feeling embarrassed, saying everyone was looking only at her. Still, she kept posing for the camera.

Shibuya 109 was a hub for gyaru fashion brands in the late 1990s and 2000s, and those styles are returning in Japan's Heisei-era retro trend. Today's revival tends to soften the look, keeping skin light while stressing eyes, lashes and glossy lips. K-beauty trends such as aegyo-sal emphasis, soft brows and blurred lips also shape Japanese makeup.

Why It Matters

While modern gyaru makeup moves toward everyday wear, Seo chose the 2000s Yamanba look at full intensity, showing how Y2K nostalgia and K-beauty are meeting Japanese street style. Her makeover is a vivid reminder of the distinct aesthetics gyaru culture built in the 2000s.

Read the original article in Korean: K trendy NEWS