One of the most obvious factors in how Gyaru essentially died and hasn’t really made a comeback (and this is the hill I will die on), is the decline in magazines. Koakuma ageha’s publisher accumulated 3 billion yen’s worth of debt, causing not just ageha to close, but other publications as well. EGG too ended up being discontinued, first through Men’s EGG and finally through the official magazine. The magazines that were still up and running were ones like Larme, Non-no, etc, though understandably these also took a hit but not enough to halt their publications. Let’s get more into the details of what led to these magazines closing up shop for what we thought would be for good at the time.
For one, the internet has changed how we consume our content. Instead of buying a physical copy of the magazine, you can read it online or even watch videos on YouTube. If you want to follow certain trends and check out new styles without buying the latest issue, then this is the best way for you to do so. In addition to saving money on magazines by reading them online or watching videos instead of buying them in stores (which are usually very expensive), following trends is also easier than ever before because there are so many different platforms where you can see what’s going on with “fashion” right now!
The smartphone was the last nail in the coffin for Gyaru magazines. It’s actually rather fitting that this was their downfall because it was their rise that drove them to start in the first place. Gyaru magazines were born out of the emerging Gyaru culture seen on the street (which had its roots in 1980s disco). The 1980s, when these magazines (primarily discotheque and adult magazines) were at their height of popularity, was an era marked by new technology: cell phones became common around this time, as did computers and game consoles. This is also when CDs hit stores and people started downloading music from the internet instead of buying records (hence HMV’s rise AND fall, for example).
The decline of magazine culture had not only affected models but also the very magazines themselves, obviously. In recent years, magazines have been forced to replace their models with younger and more popular faces. This is because as the years go by, many top models reach a certain age where they are no longer considered marketable by advertisers (despite the iconic status that a lot of these models maintained).
As a result, many advertisers have begun looking toward younger generations for their advertising needs instead of relying solely on established Gyaru models. In addition to this trend among advertisers, there has also been an influx of celebrities appearing on magazine covers more often than usual due to their popularity with fans—a notable example being singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu who appeared almost exclusively on various issues throughout 2018 (and even into 2019 as well as prior).
The rise of smartphones in the 2000s marked the decline of Gyaru magazines. These devices made it easier than ever to access information, and with the internet at their fingertips, teens could no longer be easily fooled by flashy magazine covers. They had access to a wide variety of content at any time and place. If a girl was interested in fashion, makeup, or getting advice from fellow teenagers on how to make her look more like a Gyaru (and not just an average Japanese girl), she would Google these things instead of buying a magazine that might not provide all the answers she needed or wanted.
If we’re getting more technical as well into exactly when Gyaru began dying out, Gyaru culture began declining even before smartphones became popular—in fact, it started when online shopping sites made it possible for young women living outside Tokyo’s center area where they used to go on excursions with their friends after school became available 24 hours a day! The popularity of Gyaru magazines declined as well; they were no longer as appealing because girls could find everything they needed online instead: beauty tips; articles about pop culture topics including anime characters such as Sailor Moon; fashion ideas; etcetera!