Are you an anime nerd with terrible taste in clothes? This book could be your saviour.
The Ex-Otaku Fashion Guide series has a new volume, the No More Mistakes Ex-Otaku Fashion Bible, due out this month. Through manga and written explanations these guides, from author Kuze, lay out the basics of fashion for beginners, showing how to buy clothing and introducing easy-to-wear items, and are specifically aimed at members of the Japanese nerd subculture. They aim to teach otaku, who are stereotypically seen as hideously unfashionable, how to dress to fit in with “regular” society. The goal isn’t to shame them or get them to quit their hobby, just to offer tips on how to present themselves in a more approachable way, and the contents are presented in a light-hearted, non-confrontational manner.
▼ A stereotypical image of otaku fashion is a checked shirt tucked into faded denim jeans, with a nerdy headband to top off the look.
Fashion can be a minefield for anyone just starting to take an interest, so having something to refer to can be extremely helpful in the beginning, especially if it’s filled with drawings from respected manga artists. In this case, the cover illustration is by Namori, the mangaka behind popular slice-of-life girls-love series YuruYuri. As well as the cute girl characters she’s famous for, she has also drawn two male characters for this illustration, which has her fans taking notice. Manga illustrations inside the book will be from Mizuki Toko, the artist behind Fight! Don’t disappear!! Shikiso Usuko San.
▼ “Namori-sensei’s drawing guys! It’s a big deal! lololol”
Got a nerdy friend who’s hopelessly unfashionable? Or looking to avoid making a fashion faux pas yourself? Perhaps this guide can help. The book will go on sale on March 18 in Japan and will be available here from Amazon.
Source: Culture Lab
Top image: Twitter/@datsuota_bible
Insert images: Koala.jp, Twitter/@datsuota_bible