Moyoco Anno (安野モヨコ), the acclaimed manga artist behind hits like "Sakuran," "Sugar Sugar Rune," and "Insufficient Direction," is also famously married to anime director Hideaki Anno.
Recently, Anno took to X (formerly Twitter) to address some "completely off-base" comments about her that have left her scratching her head.
She revealed that despite never once claiming "I'm a gyaru," she's frequently labeled as "Moyoco Anno isn't a gyaru; she's just a geek who *wants* to be one." This mischaracterization, she says, is genuinely perplexing. Anno clarified, "I definitely love gyaru fashion and culture, but that's a whole different ballgame from 'wanting to *become* a gyaru.'"
She further emphasized that her personal style is completely different, and being able to draw something well doesn't mean she *wants to be* that thing.
Anno then shared a hilarious anecdote: back in the day, a *real* gyaru once applied to be her manga assistant. Her resume was unforgettable — drawn on art paper with crayons, featuring a surfing rabbit, and plastered with photo booth stickers.
She described these gyaru as having "incredible drive and quick wits." But she also candidly admitted, "Asking them to sit at a desk for three or four hours? They just can't handle it. Usually, they'd say 'No way!' and leave by midday." Anno-sensei chuckled, "That's what a gyaru is." Then she dropped the mic with a crucial conclusion: "There's no way someone could be a gyaru and continuously draw manga for thirty years."
This whole discussion actually kicked off because a netizen remarked that "gyaru who are kind to geeks" are supposedly mythical, but isn't Moyoco Anno exactly that? (Referring to her marriage to Hideaki Anno).
However, a flood of netizens immediately clapped back:
"She's not a gyaru who's kind to geeks; she *is* a geek herself," one user retorted. Another chimed in, "She's only kind because her name is Anno, not because she's a gyaru." A third declared, "She's a craftsman-type manga otaku, totally different from regular geeks or gyaru." Some even offered serious analyses of her autobiographical works, suggesting her characters are so well-rounded because she constantly navigates the tension between "otaku culture" and "normie" life.
Ultimately, the original poster apologized, admitting they'd just "said it offhand" and ended up being "corrected by about a thousand people." They now fully understand that "Moyoco Anno is a geek, not a gyaru."
More fans rallied to her defense, calling her simply "a stylish manga artist with great fashion sense." Long-time readers chimed in: "I never thought she was a gyaru; she's more like a cool older sister with that Aomoji-kei fashion vibe, like from 'CUTiE' or 'Zipper' magazines." Others pointed out, "The captivating characters in her works have always been 'popular men,' not gyaru girls." And a crucial insight: "Liking a certain culture doesn't mean you want to *become* part of that group."
This whole kerfuffle, of course, highlights a common pitfall: being skilled at depicting certain characters or cultures doesn't automatically mean the creator embodies them. So, next time you're fangirling/fanboying over your favorite artists, maybe hold off on slapping those labels on 'em!
via： togetter