Gothic and Lolita Bible, Volume One; English Language Version: A Review

Intro

When I found out that the Gothic & Lolita Bible was being licensed for release in the U.S., I was pretty psyched! For those of you who might not know what that is, it’s a collector’s magazine (dubbed a “mook” by the Japanese–somewhere between a magazine and a book) that showcases some amazing fashions unique to Tokyo. As the title implies, it’s an assorted collection of Gothic and Lolita styles as well as Punk and mixtures of said fashions (such as Gothic Lolita). It appeals to both cosplayers and fashionistas worldwide–but until now, only those able to read Japanese could bask in its entire glory.

Review

The editors state in a “popcast” that the first English Bible is more of a beginner’s guide than anything else, and that they plan on having more in-depth issues following this one. My question is: Was a beginner’s guide really necessary? Thousands of Gothic and Lolita adherents have been waiting years for this moment; we don’t need an introduction to the fashion we already like. Luckily, there is a good chunk of content that isn’t tailored specifically to the beginner–for example, there are quite a few interviews, and I enjoyed every single one! It’s also fun to read translations of some of the things I’ve seen in my Japanese Bibles.

The biggest disappointment for me is the noticeable lack of Gothic representation within the new English content. What gives the Gothic & Lolita Bible (abbreviated GLB) its namesake is the endless duality it provides by showcasing Gothic AND Lolita side-by-side. It’s 50/50, not 30/70, as senior editor Jenna Winterberg expressed in the popcast. She also noted that Gothic styles in Japan look different than they do here, a comment that I appreciate–why not show how different they are and appeal to those who enjoy them?

Why not take it a step further and examine Western-based news and trends that appeal to both Goths and Lolitas? For example, Goth-prince Voltaire, who hails from New York, recently recorded a music video with Gothic Lolitas cast among other elegant extras. Why not do an interview with him in the future? To offset that, an interview with someone from the Baby, the Stars Shine Bright store opening in San Fransisco could be placed next to it.

I do like Lolita fashion, but it’s not my preferred identity within the Gothic and Lolita spectrum, and unlike the Japanese version, the English GLB hasn’t represented me very well.

Despite this, the articles are quick, easy reads, and the vocabulary is smooth like butter. I also have to hand it to the photo management–all of the pictures are beautifully sharp, even the ones submitted by fans. This is a crucial asset to a fashion magazine.

Content

Although they’re skillfully written, the content of most of the new English articles read more like they were written by observers of Gothic and Lolita than participants. More specifically, they read like a fanatical rehash of egl community FAQs and conversations. If I wanted that, I would just go to the egl community. Ironically, the article written by egl community members is probably the most authentic to the Gothic and Lolita subculture outside of Japan.

One of my biggest pet-peeves about Gothic and Lolita articles is that for some reason, people think that backing up their claims with research is unnecessary. I don’t even know how to correct the history article in the front of the magazine, because parts of it are true for Gothic Lolita (that it has ties to Visual-kei), but not for all Lolita, which is what the author claims to be writing about halfway through the article–and it doesn’t even mention Gothic or Lolita origins prior to their popularity in the late ’90s. There are other articles where they seem to use “Lolita” as shorthand for “Gothic and Lolita” that made me think, Wait, are you talking about both, or just Lolita?

The translated content was a let-down as well. Because most of us can’t read Japanese, the GLBs have been more like picture books than magazines. When I heard the first English version would include translations from four GLBs, I was hoping I would finally be able to read some of those interesting-looking articles. But in fact, there are more reprinted photos than translated articles. Oh well, so much for that hope.

What’s more, I assumed they would either choose content from the four earliest or four most recent volumes, but they seem to have randomly chosen volumes 15, 16, 21, and 23. Volume 16, from which they reprinted the brand catalog, is from 2005–three years ago!

The interviews are the Bible’s saving grace. They’ve reeled in some of the most influential figures of Gothic and Lolita in Japan, including Nana Kitade and Mitsukazu Mihara. They’ve also managed to catch some time from some brand-house employees as well as some Lolitas closer to home, namely Aimee Major Steinberger, author of Japan Ai, and Vivien Hoffpauir of the store Candy Violet. Being able to delve into the lives of all of these talented people was an absolute pleasure, and their thoughts on Gothic and Lolita resonated well with me.

Fan Participation

The magazine’s strongest point is the amount of participation they requested from fans and adherents of the fashion. Not only do they include some art and poetry, but an entire article is written by Lolitas from the egl community, complete with photos of some of its members. A call for submissions appears on more than one page.

There isn’t much to discuss here because it doesn’t seem like many have answered to Tokyopop’s call yet. I hope more people participate in the future, because the GLB editors are extending a generous hand out to us. The more they know what we like and want, the better they will be able to please us in the future.

Patterns

The patterns were chosen well, because there are items for Goths and Lolitas, in the true spirit of the Gothic & Lolita Bible. Also, they are not clothes, but accessories–an Alice bow and matching bag, a wolf hat and matching gloves, a bunny-ear cape, and a pirate/punk cat-ear headpiece–so no worries about the patterns not fitting you!

There are difficulty levels printed near the items and they seem simple enough to make, but I wouldn’t recommend trying to assemble them without a basic knowledge of sewing terms and techniques. All four sets of accessories are printed on one page, so the directions for each item are small and precise and there are no pictures to guide you through the process.

Conclusion

The first volume of the English GLB is either hit or miss. Some might find delightful relief in a Gothic and Lolita publication that they can actually read, and others might cringe at how hard it tries to be Lolita. I suggest checking out a visual review of the magazine before you decide to fork over $20 for something you might either love or hate. You can view Tokyopop’s popcast, an amazon.com preview, or if you can’t wait, head to your local bookstore and flip through a copy yourself. (Note: It seems some store catalogs list this as the “Gothic & Lolita Collection”–just an fyi in case you need them to help you locate it.)