So Pretty / Very Rotten

>>9474845
Did anyone get their copy yet? I'm mostly curious about the content from Novala. I'll order it if it's good.

>>9474857
The Novala content is a short essay and an interview, it didn't seem like it was that different from some of his other previous lolita essays to me. Overall the book is a nice collection of short essays and comics, I think the most debatable part would be how the different styles are shown/defined. Would probably rate it 3.5 - 4 stars per amazon's system.

>>9474845
I got my copy! I'm not done reading it yet. So far I like it and it's definitely worth a spot on my shelf. One thing that does irritate me is how ink-heavy some of the pages are. The ink keeps getting on my fingers.

Rotten, why?

Can anyone posts pictures? I have two other books from that writer but this one doesn't seem interesting or informative at all.

>>9474845
i preordered my copy back in february and just got it in the mail yesterday! The book was a lot smaller and thicker than I thought it would be.
Did anyone else like the comic about Mei, who attends a visual kei concert? I love when she's like, "fuck off, i just want to be in my own world."

Other than that I feel like the book failed to go beneath the surface level of the fashion.

>>9475015
I didn't notice any issues with excessive ink, maybe you got unlucky? hahaha

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>>9475019
You are on cgl and really wonder why lolitas are rotten?

Anyone willing to scan a page? Or take a photo of the book?

>>9475047
you'll just have to buy it yourself anon kun ;^)

Just ordered my own copy, I hope it's worth it. I'm thirsty for new readable content on the fashion and I'm sucker for Novala.

>>9475057
You're right. I'm not scanning larme and GLB anymore.

>>9474845
Thankyou for this thread OP I haven't heard of this before so I just ordered one!

>>9475067
it's funny bc nobody asked you to in the first place

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I can't find any preview pictures where you can read the text. I wish this was a regular book and magazine thread.

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>>9475090

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>>9475092

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Reasons not to buy it: it's 17 euro and I don't think it's funny or informative
Reasons to buy it: so I can post pictures of Takemoto's essays
Tough decision
>>9475095

>>9475019
Probably a Kamikaze Girls reference.

>>9475019
It's referencing a quote from kamikaze girls.

>>9475067
There is a difference between a magazine only a few can get in from Japan and a book you can buy from amazon.


I actually love the comic sections more than the essays. I think they do a good job with matching the feel of being a lolita. They include stuff like being new, meeting a popular lolita, thoughts about why girls are drawn to it. The essays section seems a bit awkward, some missing info like only mentioning one lolita movie, recent news of kera isn't there (I get that) and the time changes from academic to personal. But I do like the talk about how ppl feel about vkei, mana, kaya etc as a gateway. For anyone who got into it years ago it brings up a lot of memories.

>>9475568
I can actually get the magazines way easier than that book because it's not available in my country (yet?)

>>9475047
Ask Danke at the /co/ Win-O-Thread. He rips a lot of things on request.

>>9474845
People have their copies already but Amazon says it's a preorder. I don't mind waiting a few extra days but where has everyone else ordered from?

On the topic, what other published books related to Lolita are worth buying? I'm going to pick up SP/VR, I already have the classics of Gothic and Lolita, Fruits, and Fresh Fruits. Anything else worth looking at?

>>9475098
Found it on Book Depository for €13.70 if that's any more alluring. I'm probably going to pick it up there too.

>>9477669
Japanese Goth and Style Deficit Disorder

>>9477669
Didn't Misako write a book on lolita? There should also be artbooks by lolita illustrators like Imai Kira and Mitsukazu Mihara etc.

>>9475090
>>9475092
>>9475095
>>9475098
This art is, uh. Not good? Not bad, but it's fairly amateur looking, a lot of the details are throwing me off.

>>9477695
Agreed, I was interested in buying this at first but after seeing these I think I'm going to holy on to my money.

Apparently the author and illustrator are at TCAF in Toronto.

>>9477695
I think >>9475098 is the best one

>>9477697
Same, seems like a waste

>>9477732
It's alright. I think some people can make the rough inkwork look good and this artist isn't one of those people. Would it have killed them to make the flowers look nice? They also fucked up the proportions of the girls, ero-loli has her knee way too low. The perspective of ribbons/straps/headbands that have to follow a curve also seem off, plus while this sort of coloring can look cool, for me it looks like the artist is trying to hide flaws by using "interesting" colors.

>>9477695
I saw some other stuff by the artist before this and wasn't impressed. There was a comic she was making that was supposed to be like seventies shoujo/gymnasium manga (ie Hagio Moto or Keiko Takemiya style) and it looked like it was straight out of a western how to draw anime book.

>>9477716
Last time I checked it looked like the only Japanese guest this year was Gengoroh Tagame, usually they have two or three so that's kind of disappointing

>>9474845
Picked up a copy from the TCAF prerelease thing on Thursday. I really really enjoyed the final comic. The photos posted in this aren't really good representations of the art used in the comics.

>>9477690
Yes, the book where she lists Lolita as her favourite film. I'm inclined to pass on anything Misako writes.

>>9477857
kek

>>9477857
The history part is done well tough

>>9477857
Now THAT is embarrassing behavior.

>>9477857
I don't know if it's lost in translation or what but so much of the guide stuff Misako has done has been awful. You expect it from models like RinRinDoll who only got into the fashion a couple of years ago and have been dressed by brands since then, but she's been a lolita for fifteen years so you'd think she'd know better. I feel like some of it's just getting mistranslated (like that video on lolita styles where she seemed to be saying that pink was what defined sweet lolita and sweet lolita had to include pink, and classic had to include sheer lace blouses) but it's pretty weird.

You could get the Kamikaze Girls novel, I hear that's pretty good. I didn't enjoy the manga.

>>9477732
I think that's the worse. The stiff hands, strange perspective, the super cliche and boring angel and demon combo, awful shadows, not to mention the middle girl's expression. Make me cringe a bit, it's like, I don't know, too sexual? I don't like seeing that shit in lolita art. It honestly looks like fetish crap.

I don't know, maybe I'm just not critical enough but I really liked the book. I'm not really well-versed in the specifics of art but I like the drawings and overall I thought it was worth picking up.
I'm also pretty enthusiastic about supporting Lolita media which is actually made by Lolitas so I guess that's probably tinting my glasses a bit.

>>9475095
I like this and >>9475090 the best. They embody the duality of the "pretty and rotten" motif very well, IMO.
The art is quite simplistic and scribbly/inky, but I don't think that makes it bad.

lolita brands traditionally have put out wonky fucking art, these illustrations don't bother me at all

I'm not a cheap ass and i love supporting lolita media made by lolitas, so it's up to one's priorities i guess

>>9478009
I don't think the art is bad either, but it's one of the things that are putting me off from buying a copy. It has a pretty generic western indie comic art style to it, and it doesn't quite have the dreamy otherworldly feel you get from other lolita artists like Imai Kira or Nakamura Asumiko. Some of the illustrations look like they were done by an outsider looking in on lolita.

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>>9478074
Early Baby's wonky art is the best though.

>>9477857
Does anyone have a photo/translation of this? I see it talked about all the time but I haven't actually read the book myself

>>9478074
Except their wonky art is stylized and endearing. These are just messy, washed out, and wrong. Nothing appealing about any of them at all.

>>9478089
Oh no...this is making me so nostalgic.

>>9478089
look at her tiny head aww

shrunken head - kei

>>9478074
>I'm not a cheap ass and i love supporting lolita media made by lolitas, so it's up to one's priorities i guess

Nobody's even mentioning anything about the price. You're coming across as butthurt that people find fault in something you spent money on. Sorry about your shit taste in art I guess.

>>9477695
I went to art school with the artist and her style's been pretty consistent. I wouldn't say it's for everyone but I personally really love it.

>>9478074
So much this >>9478080
Kira Imai works don't even show amazing anatomy skills and yet every drawing has something beautiful on it.
Those illustrations aren't appealing for lolita, the style is too rough, colors aren't pleasing to look at and the whole thing doesn't evoque that feeling the other anon mentioned before.

>>9478189
looks more like Clamp Anatomy Kei

>>9478439
>not knowing clamp anatomy kei is a substyle of shrunken head kei
wow spot the newfag

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>>9478453
haven't laughed this hard in a while omg

It seems like most people in this thread so far have liked the book, but is there anybody that didn't like it?
I personally didn't like it at all, especially the comics. I thought they're trying too hard to be deep but it just comes across as confusing and forced.

>>9478515
>confusing and forced
that's how I feel about the art desu which is why I won't buy it. It's all very overworked with little thought put into it beforehand.

I liked the book! I also liked some of the discussion in the essays but I think the things that hit me the most were the comics. I really liked the comic where the girl met one of her Instagram idols. Maybe its because i have started to feel some of the things that she was going through lately or maybe im just a dumbass. I also really liked the faq in the front so I could just shove this book in the hands of any of my friends who are curious without having the explain things over and over.

Either way, I liked the book and I'm glad I got it.

>>9478089
See, as wonky as this is, it's nice because it shows the dress. None of the example pictures really show off the dresses, and while I get they're supposed to be illustrations, not fashion plates, the whole appeal of lolita is with the dresses. It would make sense to illustrate those nicely at least IMO.

>>9478074
How many other Lolita books do you have?

>>9477690
I have her book I can post some pictures later

>>9478693
Can you post the history and soft lolita pages for translation? That would be really cool

>>9478074

>All artists can be nitpicked
>Therefore this fugly artwork you don't like is beautiful

That's not the way it works. Ugly is ugly. It doesn't become beautiful just because you can point to someone else's work and say you don't like the way they drew legs.

I wish they gave us different preview images, I hate the art I've seen too and I'm just not going to buy it based on some anons opinions that the rest is good. This is why I normally only buy books at a physical shop.

>>9478722
Sure thing!

An and Jane are old-school members from the early years of LJ. This book definitely has that feel to it. All of their comics are relatable today, but they are also calling back to the lolita movement before it well-defined and polished like it is today.

I really hope many of you will support the book. It's a must-have in my opinion to add to your lolita book shelf.

>>9478957
People have been saying that but desu the art is not good as far as I've seen. I'm not into comics, so I'd only consider buying it for the art or essays, and I don't think the essays would add anything new for me since I already have lolita books with good information on the history and subculture. From what I heard the essays are basically their opinion and old information, and the Takemoto essay quite the same as the one he did for Japanese Goth? What is the faq like?

Maybe it would be different if they had it at the bookshop so I could take a look, I have a long wishlist of (art) books that at least I'm sure of I would love.

>>9478968
(maybe instead of saying the art is not good, I should say it does not appeal to me at all)

>>9478968
>I already have lolita books with good information on the history and subculture
Do you have any recommendations? I'd love to expand my collection.

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>>9479077
Sorry, my phone flips them

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>>9479079

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>>9479082

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>>9479085

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>>9479086

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>>9479088

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>>9479092

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>>9479093

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>>9479094

>>9479099
Bless you anon! Where did you buy it?

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>>9479099

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>>9479104
>>9479102
There was a tea party where Misako was invited and If you wanted you could buy the book from her.

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>>9479110

>>9479110
These are pretty cute! Might ask my SS to pick it up for me

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>>9479111

>>9479079
>A big ribbon, a race with a romantic frill, a skirt that fluffy fluffily ......, There are clothes that can fulfill the girl's wish that "I want to be always cute." That is Lolita fashion. The word "Lolita" itself is said to originate from the nickname of a girl appearing in Vladimir Nabokov's novel "Lolita", but the lolita fashion itself has no direct connection with the content of that novel. It expresses the desire of the aristocratic clothes of the era of the Western "Baroque" "Rococo" "Victorian" and "the desire to be lovely like a doll", it is very bound and not bound to anything It is free clothes. Using frills, lace and ribbon plenty, the silhouette of a skirt that inflated in a pannier inflatable, is a princess of a story that everyone admired when they were young. So if you are wearing lolita fashion you can feel gracious posture Shaki gently stretch and you will also be careful about wording. Recently the range of dressing has expanded. Many brands began making clothes of original design, and it became more freely able to express cuteness. In this book, we introduce categories and coordination examples so that it is a hint of dressing, but Lolita fashion is "to be self-taught" and "to be like you" the most.

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>>9479112
Glad you liked it! It's a pretty informative book! Even if I don't understand moon runes, this book has a lot of information and pictures you can use as a guide!

Btw, here's the table of contents if anyone is interested in any other topic, just tell me the number of pages

I'm not >>9478722 btw, I just used the Google app. It didn't catch the last sentence.
>>9479116

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>>9479119

>>9479116
>[...] not bound to anything It is free clothes.
Lolita confirmed for no strict rules

>>9479251
We already knew that but consider this :
- We created the rules for gatekeeping, too many people didn't understand what lolita was, so guides and rulebooks had to be created. Now there are so many easy to find examples of what it is, the rules are not that necessary anymore but
- Nearly everyone active in my comm (who goes to meets and posts to cof) are also cosplayers and don't know how to dress themselves without following strict steps, they also nickpick everything like they would if you were copying a character
The people I know who wear lolita most often or in their own way (while still recognisable as lolita) are also the least active in the comm

>>9478957
Yeah, it works for me on this level because that's when I got started so there's a lot of nostalgia involved.

Regarding the art, it works for communicating their ideas. Adequate skill level, but I think I'm used to seeing this sort of style because I'm friends with "indie" artists who put out autobio zines about their mental illnesses, sooo.

If you're looking for great or beautiful or glorious art, this ain't it.

>>9479368
It's also worth pointing out An has written a thesis paper on lolita fashion and spent time in Japan studying the style (in the late 00s). I found that her essays really broaden a lot of topics you see in 101 panels.

A lot of time will say that lolita began in the 90s thanks to visual kei music. What the book does well is elaborate HOW that actually happened and what the scene looked like at the time. It also brings up good points about the differences in how Japanese and overseas lolita came about the fashion and how is began to progress.

Im glad someone else liked to book for the nostalgia! There so many hidden gems people forget to go digging for and this is a nicely packaged time capsule :)

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/be-colourful-be-happy-why-these-comic-books-artists-are-celebrating-lolita-fashion-1.4112513

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So kind of related I guess? Did they ever come out with a physical copy of the English version of Emily? I really want a psysical copy and not just an ebook. I heard some time ago about printing it eventually, but haven't heard anything about it in years.

>>9479112
You can get it on Amazon.

>>9479610
I heard the translation was really bad but I still want it. I don't have an ereader tho

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>>9479610
It might just be me, but I always thought that Takemoto Novala with dreadlocks looked a bit like Margo.

>>9478682
That's how I feel about it too.

>>9479625
Omg anon, I cannot unsee this

There's some good reviews of the book on Amazon if ppl are still undecided to get it.
https://www.amazon.com/So-Pretty-Very-Rotten-Fashion/dp/1927668433/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494880851&sr=8-1&keywords=so+pretty+very+rotten+-+jane+mai+and+an+nguyen

>>9480771
How many essays are there vs how many illustrations?

>>9480899
18 different sections split in half.

>>9478682
If you think the whole appeal of lolita is the dresses alone then you're missing the point of this book. It's a subculture. There's more to it than having a crystal clear view of the dress.

>>9481261
Sorry I worded it oddly but I mean the dresses look like shit in the pictures and it would be nice if these illustrations for a book about a fashion oriented subculture at least didn't have shitty fashion art.

>>9481265
Saying you think it's shit isn't really wording it any better.

>>9477695
I thought the art looked pretty nice. It's in line with a lot of other female-oriented graphic novels that are coming out in the US. It's pretty simplified, but it's charming overall and her use of panels is actually pretty interesting. I'm also really glad to see a current published investigation of this subculture. I wish the book could have had more guest essay writers though, or more specific quotes/stories from subculture participants.

there's an interview with the authors up on vice here: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/the-complex-femininity-of-japanese-lolita-fashion


pretty interesting

>>9481505
>Graphic Lolita Bible
lol'd

>>9478453
What about yaoi hands and shoujo legs?

Speaking about lolita books there is this french/japanese storybook about a lolita who decides to start a lolita school. Called Gothic Lolita: Princesses d'aujourd'hui. It's written in such a poetic way I would be affraid to butcher it in translation.

>>9481943
Is that the one by François Amoretti? I'd learn French just to be able to read it, I love his art. Too bad it's always out of stock.

>>9481306
The dresses are drawn poorly and the illustrations do not otherwise reflect anything about the lolita subculture. Is that better for you?

>>9481505
>Though many, including Takemoto, are working on a definitive history of the subculture,
This made me ultra happy

>>9481951
I don't really see what is bad about them, but I'm not an artist. It is cute, they did things like draw outfits they wished they owned and referenced real items. I guess I don't see the backlash on something that is more than just about the drawings especially when they are a typical style for the medium.

>>9481947
Yup. I happen to have one and speak french. I would love to translate it for you all to read but I don't know if that would be ok and I'm really affraid to butcher the beautiful poetic way it was written in.

>>9482000
I think part of it is that the aesthetic doesn't really fit in with Lolita, besides that they are wearing Lolita dresses. There's a reason brands do collabs with artists like Yoh and Kira Imai. The colours are really weird for Lolita too. It doesn't appeal to me but I like that they bring something new to Lolita art. I would buy it just for the essays if it was available here.

>>9482074
The art isn't coloured in the book, and I am unsure if those ones are even there. Most of the art is from comics not one offs so basing it off of what has been posted isn't really accurate.

>>9482100
In that case they ought to have showed accurate previews because people are deciding whether to buy it or not based on this art. There's no way to know if we would enjoy their comics.

>>9482074
Where do you live, anon? I'm pretty sure The Book Depository ships worldwide for free, you can buy it from there if you want it.

>>9482104
Where do you see colored previews? I only saw black x white

http://koyamapress.com/projects/so-pretty-very-rotten/

>>9482128
In this thread

>>9482571
Yeah but those were examples of the art style not the book. Although the black and white versions of some of these are there. It seems like ppl are trying too hard to shit on this..

>>9482875
Those images are from the website of one of the authors and are on a page announcing the book. If I don't have the book how am I supposed to know it doesn't look like that? The black and white images from the publisher are too small to read. You're free to post a better preview picture.

>>9483214
Maybe just maybe do a little light research.

She literally posted photos of her art.....
http://janemai.co/SPVR

>>9483407
>SO PRETTY/VERY ROTTEN
>A book in collaboration with An Nguyen about lolita fashion and subculture. Coming soon from Koyama Press in spring 2017.
>Pictures of the book cover
>Pictures of her art

How are people supposed to know those are just pictures of her art and are not going to be in the book (but actually they are in the book but in black and white and not all of them)

>>9483407
Maybe just maybe you should look in the thread because these pictures are posted ITT and they are what people are being critical of. Re-read the post you are replying to. You linked what that person was talking about.

I have to admit I didn't enjoy the essays very much because they were very 'lolita-101-esque". I really didn't think it was necessary to write the whole long part about "Lolita isn't related to the pedo book... but it's not related because japanese pedophiles like Real Infantile Lolis and american pedophiles think of lolita from the book as a Mature and Womanly child." I really could've gone the rest of my life having not read that. I shudder to think what anyone else who picks up the book would think, I decided not to lend it to my mother to bond with because of this.
That being said, I really liked the comics because of the feel they had, none of the essays showed how lolitas /really/ live as much as the comics did. The very last one even made me tear up a bit. It made me realize how much I miss livejournal bloggers who made diary entries about their daily lolita lifestyle, and how cool it would be if a lolita wrote a fictional novel with a lolita as the main character, not unlike shimotsuma monogatari...

>sage for shitty blogpost and opinions no one cares about