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<\/a><\/p>\nAVO Blog: Who are you and what is your goal in The Gentlemen\u2019s League?<\/strong> AVO Blog: How and when did The Gentlemen\u2019s League start?<\/strong> AVO Blog: Explain to those who don\u2019t know it, what Dansou is exactly.<\/strong> AVO Blog: How did you get in touch with Dansou? What made you start doing it?<\/strong> AVO Blog: What do you want to achieve\/acomplish with the GL and how do you want to do that.<\/strong> AVO Blog: How large is the group after a year of activity?<\/strong> AVO Blog: What is the best\/nicest reaction you\u2019ve gotten so far?<\/strong> AVO Blog: What tips do you want to give to starting Dansous? What are the do\u2019s and don\u2019t\u2019s?<\/strong> AVO Blog: Which message do you want to convey to those who do not yet dare to make the first step?<\/strong> AVO Blog: One of the more famous Dansou models is Akira, who has a band named DISACODE. Can we say that Akira is a role model for the dansou world? Is Akira your role model as well or is someone else your role model?<\/strong> AVO Blog: Dansou seems to get into the spotlight more and more, for example at some conventions like Nishicon and Osharecon (possibly even more this year!). With more spotlight, comes more attention. There have been multiple Dansou groups appearing, we are doing this interview\u2026 What\u2019s your view on this? Do you think this is something positive?<\/strong> AVO Blog: The Gentlemen\u2019s League does Dansou, but on what way is it different from Bokutachi, the other well-known Dansou Unit on Facebook?<\/strong> AVO Blog: What kind of activities can we expect from you guys in the next year?<\/strong> I want to thank Yomi, Hirozuki, Aiden, Yun, Ryuuto and Yuuyami for their time to answer my questions, as I know that they were all quite busy! You can follow The Gentlemen\u2019s League on the following websites:Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, Tumblr<\/a> and Ask.FM<\/a>. Also it is possible to send an email<\/a> to GL, but you can also leave a message below this interview.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Who goes to the conventions in the Netherlands, must have heard of The Gentlemen\u2019s League (GL)! And just because I also see posts from GL come by on the internet, I had enough reasons for an interview. I talk with The Gentlemen\u2019s League about GL, dansou and more! Make yourself comfortable, grab a cup of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15143,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[3067,3093],"tags":[3007],"class_list":["post-19991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-interviews","category-interview-other","tag-2015-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/avo-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19991","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/avo-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/avo-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avo-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avo-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19991"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/avo-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19991\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19992,"href":"https:\/\/avo-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19991\/revisions\/19992"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avo-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/avo-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avo-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avo-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nYomi: Hello! I\u2019m Yomi-Ouji, just call me Yomi or \u2018you with the face\u2019. I\u2019m 19 years old and I live in The Netherlands. I am the founder of the GL and the spokesperson. My main style is Aristocrat and I like to dress androgynoulsy more than entirely as if I was a man. Out of the group, you can recognise me by my long hair. I\u2019ve been doing Dansou for about five years, even though at the start I didn\u2019t know it was called Dansou. When you send the GL a message, chances are 89 percent that I will be the one to answer it and I shall do so quickly and honestly. *thumbs up and winks* My goal wiht the GL is taking over the world. No, actually, I want to make Dansou more well-known and I want to promote the style. Show people that it\u2019s a cool sort of fashion and that you can go a lot of ways with it. The GL stands for sophisticated style. So I want to show that Dansou is more than just looking like a man\/boy. I want to show the gent-side of Dansou.
\nHirozuki: I\u2019m Hirozuki-senpai, you can also call me Dai. I\u2019m a transgender and dress mostly Visual Kei or VK-ish. You can find me at concerts and most conventions in The Netherlands. I\u2019m just one of the gentlemen here and the goal is to stay awesome. Also to keep somehow more active because I\u2019m not very active in general\u2026 Also want to promote the more gentlemen style in Dansou, because I see alot doing more streetstyles and that is okay but I want to inspire people with our elegant style so more people will do this.
\nAiden: My name is Aiden and I\u2019m one of the newer members in The Gentlemen\u2019s League. Our goal is to spread Dansou, but in a more sophisticated, elegant style, more like The Gentlemen Style!
\nYun: I go by the name Yun and my purpose through Gentlemen\u2019s League is to show other enthusiasts that Dansou can be embraced through other styles than the mainstream once as well.
\nRyuuto: I\u2019m Ryuuto, I am another new member of Gentlemen\u2019s League in the United States. I am agendered. I am currently striving for a VK\/host\/onii-kei\u2026 blah blah\u2026 I like a lot of styles, but I am mainly for host kei! My goal in GL is to spread to love for Dansou as well as discover and explore the styles that fit me the best.
\nYuuyami: Hi~! My name is Yuuyami-Hakushaku, but please just call me Yuuyami (or any and all abbreviations of the former will do). I\u2019m currently the oldest Gentlemen\u2019s League member, at 26 years of age. My style has been described as all over the place, but mainly I go for the more vintage gentlemanly look with either a proper suit, or some toned down Aristocrat influenced outfit. I\u2019m all for free clothing and style choices, and hope to one day bring full appreciation for suits, ties and assorted awesome-sauce combinations of formal and casual wear back into focus, not only in the Dansou community but all-over. When all else fails: wear a suit.<\/p>\n
\nYomi: Once upon a time, there was this Facebook group<\/a> where all Dansous meet and Yomi laid eyes upon someone posting a picture of them in a suit. Suddenly, Yomi thought \u2018THIS IS SO NICE THERE MUST BE MORE OF THIS\u2019 but, alas, as Yomi scrolled through the group, Yomi only found people wearing streetstyle, crossplays, trying out wigs, binders and make-up. So Yomi thought \u2018Since there is not a lot of this on the public Dansou page\u2026 We must find another way to make more of this.\u2019 And then there was Yuuyami who agreed. And then there was Hirozuki who thought it was cool. It along came Yun who joined the force. And so these heroes decided to create THE GENTLEMEN\u2019 S LEAGUE. (It went more or less this way. I might have represented it more dramatically).
\nFun fact: Only now I realise that Gentlemen\u2019s League is actually incorrect English. It should be Gentleman\u2019s League (the gent his league) or Gentlemens League (the league of gentlemen). I think we can decide that Gentlemen\u2019s League is a mixture of both those things. The League is for Gents, made by Gents.
\nHirozuki: We showed our suits to people and they showed their suit to us aswell.. but then it stopped. Then we saw too less elegant styles \u2026that we decided to form a new group, where we show of our gentlemen\u2019s styles! It started with Yomi, Yuugami and me! and so our league got slowly, more members.
\nAiden: It started last year, like I mentioned before I wasn\u2019t part of the group around that time. I joined in the beginning of 2015.
\nYun: Yomi\u2019s version of the story describes the process the best.
\nRyuuto: Last year, I remembered Yomi posted about it in the Dansou fb group haha. That\u2019s about it.
\nYuuyami: When Yomi first mentioned the idea of the Gentlemen\u2019s League I was one of the first to jump the band-wagon. I thought it was a brilliant idea, and I\u2019d always been quite pro-suits and formal wear, so it wasn\u2019t exactly a tough choice to wear. For me personally, a great way to try and improve my Dansou skills, while aiming for world domination! \u2026I mean\u2026 the spread of Gentlemanly Dansou wear!<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nYomi: *takes a deep breathe* Dansou is when a person born as female dresses so that they will pass as a person born male in clothing typically meant for men. A Dansou is not per definition transgender or lesbian. A Dansou can be transgender, or lesbian, or straight, or female, or genderqueer or anything else! Clothing does not define gender\/sexuality. Dansou is a fashion style\/statement. This \u2018dressing to pass as male\u2019 also has to be a bit fashionable. Don\u2019t just wear a tracksuit and hope it covers enough of your feminine shapes. Dansou takes effort. It is also a lifestyle to some. With dressing up as man, comes acting like a man, speaking like a man and posing like a man. I think when you combine this all, you are Dansou.
\nHirozuki: It\u2019s when female, gender neutral, FtM ((Female to Male)and more genders probably) dresses in male J-fashion. The goal is not just to dress in those fashion, but actually making effort to pass as a real man. So not only clothes will come by, but also hairstyles, binders, makeup (contouring), acccesoires, even secret insoles to make you look taller. Dansou should not be confused with the tomboy style! Some do it for fun, and for other it is their lifestyle and even work.
\nAiden: What is Dansou? \u7537\u88c5(dansou) is when females\/gender-neutral persons wear Japanese male fashion. Some of them are transgender, others just like to wear this style and are completely normal beside of this. It can be anything. Like a cute boyish Oshare-Kei style, Prince like style, street fashion, Visual Kei, goth\u2026 it doesnt matter!
\nYun: The definition of Dansou was already stated, and I would dare to add that \u2018Dansou\u2019 also implies a certain attitude, and character. This being said, I think one needs a certain atittude and vibe about them which will truly give an unique impression to the others (in fact every style has its own attitude, right?)
\nRyuuto: Oh God\u2026 Dansou is a fashion style where assigned female at birth (includes nonbinary, female, FTM genders) dress in Japanese male styles. Personally, I think of it as a lifestyle. It\u2019s not the same as sexuality, gender, or any of that. Dressing as a male does not automatically make a biological female a lesbian or tomboy!! *rant rant.
\nYuuyami: *points to the above comments* My lovely fellow GL-members have pretty much said it all. Dansou is self expression, fashion and an excitingly versatile form at that! Often connected to certain gender-preferences, but not intrinsically connected. Dansou can be a way to give power and a form of self-assertion to a woman, but can also be a way to feel more comfortable with yourself when you\u2019re genderqueer or transgender. Unique to Dansou is that within Dansou, all fashion genres are represented, as long as they go for a male look. Trying to pass as a real man, of course, is the challenge!<\/p>\n
\nYomi: I started wearing tomboyish things because I liked it. I started crossplaying because I liked it. I only realised what Dansou was, when Aiden gave me the link to the public Facebook Dansou page.
\nHirozuki: I already started dressing like this since I found out my gender identity .. so I actually look everyday like this and I did not know about Dansou either back then. Later Dansou become more populair and so it appeared a lot on Facebook as well along with the public group. But I can say that when I watched \u2018You\u2019re Beautiful\u2019 , a Korean drama, that I was inspired by the lead role Go Mi Nam. (It\u2019s about a girl who needs to disguise as a guy in a band and it has also a Japanese version for the people who prefers that .. search for Ikemen Desu Ne)
\nAiden: I got in touch with Dansou throughout Visual Kei around the age of\u2026 14 I think. I used to love their looks, they looked so great! Around that time I didn\u2019t know there are also a few female Visual Kei bands and I wanted to look like these guys. So I started wearing clothes resembling Visual Kei\/Punk\/Rock. Later I found out that it also belongs to Dansou and I started to learn more and more each day.
\nYun: One of my friends showed me a picture with a host club with only Dansou members, and I thought I would like trying it, since I was into the Japanese culture already and fascinated by the \u2018host thing\u2019( for those who don\u2019t know, hosts in Japan are males paid to entertain women ) so I pretty much started experimenting with it and yea\u2026here I am, still trying new fashion styles in form of Dansou.
\nRyuuto: I\u2019ve always been a \u201ctomboy\u201d before I realized that I did not like the idea of gender overall, which was\u2026 last year ish? I saw a video Shun made that talked about Dansou fashion last year and I thought it fit me really well! So, I joined their FB group and researched more fashion styles that fit my taste. I liked VK music\/style since 6th grade though haha.
\nYuuyami: I got into Dansou throuh crossplaying anime characters, combined with a love for the Japanese all-female theatre: Takarazuka Kagekidan. After having played a couple of male characters on stage myself (amateur stuff), I noticed I loved the style of the outfits and mannerisms, and wanted to drag this feeling into my off-stage life as well. I started to wear more male inspired outfit combinations and hairstyles on special occasions. It took me a while to find out that what I was going for, was actually a thing called Dansou! Once I knew however, it gave me access to tips and tricks and I started slowly getting better. For me Dansou is still not a daily thing, but more of a special occasion thing. I very much enjoy it!<\/p>\n
\nYomi: I think I already answered this is question one. I want to show the world that Dansou is a lifestyle, a legit fashion style and that it is beautiful. I want to inform people about the style, help people who are starting with the style and make Dansou more well known.
\nHirozuki: We want to promote the more elegant style of dansou to the world. We do so by doing photoshoots and attending conventions. But we want to do more. We also want to help Dansou\u2019s and spread the word about Dansou . We will do this by giving lectures at conventions. Our first lecture has to come yet so we will set a really big first step into that. I also hope we could not only hold lectures later, but also different kind of events. I just want the people to love us as a group , which they want to see at conventions\/events.
\nAiden: I want to support the more sophisticated style of Dansou. Because you see many people resembling the more common styles like Visual Kei and Streetwear but not so many people go for the more classic, elegant looks. We want to spread our idea throughout the internet but also by attending several events and conventions and holding some lectures for now.
\nYun: I wish we could gather more followers of this trend and have bigger meetings and events\u2026 And a host club. Or a caf\u00e9. (I am asking for too much now, aren\u2019t I?)
\nRyuuto: Again, I want to just spread awareness of Dansou and sophisticated male styles overall (Because men in suits are nice). I plan on collaborating with local Dansou participants for group shoots, and also just dressing up in Dansou for local fashion walks! Maybe start a panel over here as well one day\u2026
\nYuuyami: Being a Gentleman is a lifestyle, that you can drag into your everyday life. You need not Dansou to be a Gentleman, but while you\u2019re at it, why not? The GL combine the elegant style of a Gentleman with Dansou looks, and hope this combination inspires others to do the same. Personally, I hope the Gent-lifestyle influences both men and women, in order to increase both respect and self-respect when it comes to the fashion and life-choices of the people around us. Always be a Gentleman, no-matter who, what or where. I hope to send this message through our online presence as well as lectures at events and generally being a Gent and hope it catches on.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nYomi: 6 members large. Alright, we started with four. It became seven. Then it was four, then five and now six. We\u2019ve got around 300 likes on our Facebook page<\/a> *yay* and we\u2019ve given a lecture at Osharecon, helped with a leture at Nishicon and performed in a fashion show at both those cons. We have done a lot of things, but I don\u2019t think we are a well known group yet. I want to continue to promote stuff. I would feel we have really grown when someone walks up to us and says \u2018 I heard you did a lecture at con A, can you give a lecture at my con?\u2019 Or when someone asks us if they can do a photoshoot with us. So\u2026 When people talk about us. I hope to accomplish that next year.
\nHirozuki: I\u2019m not good in counting so I will say I saw the members coming and going\u2026 and coming again.
\nAiden: I think it\u2019s quite okay. I know there were more members in the past before I joined, but now we\u2019re with 6 members. 4 of us are from the Netherlands, one from Romania and one from the United States.
\nYun: The group has enough members after one year of existing. And what is more, they are all very reliable, hard working and inspiring people.
\nRyuuto: Um, a decent size I would say? There were a few members that came and left unfortunately. One of them that left is actually a friend of mine in the same area where I live.
\nYuuyami: We currently have 6 members, 4 of whom are Dutch. Gents have come and go, but all in good friendship. I\u2019m very sure our now former members still carry out the Gentleman lifestyle! We\u2019ve started giving lectures, mainly in the Netherlands, since last year and we\u2019re currently expanding those activities.<\/p>\n
\nYomi: I think for me personally, I get a few people who tell me that Aristocrat really fits me. I like that *ego boost*.
\nHirozuki: I get to hear a lot from people that I have a really awesome fashion sense and from some that I am actually a senpai to them so that makes me very happy.
\nAiden: With The Gentlemen\u2019s League at the Fashion Convention Osharecon we got many nice reactions that we looked very good! I liked it when we had to walk a Fashion show together and stood on stage with all Dutch members. It\u2019s a good memory. But Daisetsu and me were both wearing a more Visual Kei like style back then.
\nYun: I think it was when some of my friends thought the GL was actually a model agency and they were really impressed by the style we pull off.
\nRyuuto: People who say I looked sexy in host style huehuehue *finger guns and wink*
\nYuuyami: Personally, I\u2019m a bit of a dunce when noticing other people\u2019s reactions. I\u2019ve had some nice people tell me they like my make-up and my jawline? (the jawline was basically all shading, so falls under make-up in this case). Generally people are very nice and interested! I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve been able to fool someone into thinking I\u2019m a guy so far though\u2026 I still feel like I need to improve my Dansou game, haha!<\/p>\n
\nYomi: Do: Create your own unique style. Give yourself tine to find this style. Ask questions and seek help when you need it. Talk to Dansous. Make new friends with similar interests. Research. Get informed. Join theDansou page<\/a>. Talk to Dansou Senpais when you are in doubt. Try things out!
\nDon\u2019t\u2019s: Bind your chest with anything that is not a binder. If you bind your chest with wrong stuff, it can cause problems for your lungs, ribs, back and chest. It is seriously dangerous. Don\u2019t be shy, the Dansou community is helpful and accepting. Don\u2019t think you can achieve full Dansou look in one hour. It takes time and research. Don\u2019t be discouraged or afraid. There will always be haters and people who just don\u2019t understand the style.
\nHirozuki: Look for inspiration in which J-fashion you want to dress but don\u2019t copy them.. create your own style and of course the first time might not be perfect, so don\u2019t give up and practice a lot! Also make dansou friends! you can help eachother out. Also it cannot be said enough but be careful if you wear a binder! It can also cause serious harm if you wear a cheap binder for a long time.. If you wear a binder often please, get a good one!
\nAiden: An absolute DON\u2019T is to try and bind yourself with duct tape or such. Many Dansou want to have a flat chest when wearing the style but it\u2019s really recommended to wear a binder, a special top or shirt that flattens you in a more careful way. Using tape can damage your ribs and chest and give you breathing problems, so please be careful! An absolute DO in my opinion is trying out styles. You can never try out enough styles to find out what suits you the best. Be creative, experiment and find out!
\nYun: Since I\u2019m pretty strict when it comes to fashion in general I\u2019ll try not to sound too harsh. So the most essential thing is keeping in mind that it takes a lot of time to achieve the best look. Start trying different styles to see which one fits you the best. Some of us might pull off the ouji style better than the punk\/gothic one.
\nRyuuto: Binding. Definitely read up on how to bind PROPERLY. I think another main thing would be fitness and diet? Being in shape or working out can definitely help create a more masculine image (or not, I mean, it\u2019s up to you). Look up stuff, get inspiration, try new things and see how they work. Have confidence in yourself. People may not necessarily react kindly; but as long as you feel comfortable and enjoy what you\u2019re doing, that\u2019s all that matters.
\nYuuyami: Absolute DO: Be yourself, even if that does not fall into the Dansou category. Don\u2019t ever let stereotypes ruin the fun. If you want to go Dansou, go Dansou, if you want to just wear male-inspired clothes, don\u2019t ever feel like you need to go \u2018all the way\u2019 with outfit and make-up. The whole point is feeling like yourself, so express who you are, not just what people think you need to do. Know, however, that the main point of wearing Dansou in the strictest sense is trying to really look like a guy, so here we come to a little don\u2019t: If you want to really call yourself Dansou, effort is appreciated to make yourself look like a guy. No need to try and be perfect though. No-one ever is.<\/p>\n
\nYomi: There can be many reasons for not daring to take the first step. I will talk to those who have parents\/siblings\/family\/friends who are not accepting of you dressing up like a man. Explain to them that it is a fashion and not that you are transgender\/lesbian\/etc. Many people might think this and find that the reason why they dissprove of the Dansou style (at least that was the case in my own experience). Even if you do not identify as woman, if you told your parents\/caretaker or not, that should not define your fashion style. I understand, that is a bit of a contradicton. You might wear Dansou to feel better because it gives you the opportunity to dress more manly and I totally support you if you do that because I feel the same. But to your parents or whoever dissproves of the style, I think you should just say that it is a \u2018fashion statement\u2019 and that you are still \u2018a girl\u2019 because Dansou is per definition \u2018someone born as a girl who dresses up as a man.\u2019 I hope this helps.
\nHirozuki: There are always people who are going to like it and others don\u2019t \u2026 so you shouldn\u2019t care to much what others think .. If you are really afraid, grab a friend and do Dansou together ! Ask for tips from your friends. It is also less scarier if you are with more people who wear the same style (or other J-fashion). Conventions are also a good place to try it for the first time, since alot of people wear J-fashion there. If you are not confident enough to go to the men\u2019s section at stores you could lend clothes from friends. You can do it!
\nAiden: Don\u2019t be shy, try to start with small steps such as changing your shoes or wear different shirts. And if you\u2019re still not confident enough to make a first step try to talk to others about the style, maybe it will help you to gain enough confidence to make that first step.
\nYun: I would say that one should never hold back when it comes to exploring different sides of fashion. If you want to try Dansou, just go ahead, what can go wrong? You might discover that you feel more comfortable like this (this was my case).
\nRyuuto: Uh, kinda like the last answer haha. Have confidence in yourself! Maybe start with \u201ccross-play\u201d\/male character cosplay first\u2026? Take small steps, don\u2019t just change your whole appearance in a few weeks. Take your time. Be patient. Find other people who have similar interests and help support each other.
\nYuuyami: I think I covered part of that in the last question: Be yourself. Don\u2019t feel pushed, but express who you, yourself, are. And take pride in what you\u2019re doing since it\u2019s a brave thing being yourself, against normal stereotyping. To me, personally, suits are power-wear. So I\u2019d say, start with a suit!<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nYomi: Akira? Well\u2026 I think for a lot of Dansous, she is a role model. For me, not so much. I\u2019ve never really been interested in her work so I never researched it either. *Googles Akira* Oh well, that\u2019s not my style at all. And I don\u2019t think it is the style of the Gentlemen\u2019s League at all either, so\u2026 Well\u2026 My role model would be Kamijo. His stye inspires me. Also, Lady Oscar and Utena (anime characters) are inspirations to me because they are girls who want to be or are forced to be princes, gentlemen and strong people, yet I think they remain kind and true to themselves. My biggest source of inspiration overall is the Aristocrat Visual Kei music like Malice Mizer, Versailles, D\u2026 And I like Gothic things\u2026 Things with drama~
\nHirozuki: Akira is a populair role model for the Dansou world alright. But I think Fudanjuku (Jpop Dansou group) is actually more populair for the Dansou world. They are really well known. If we talk about Dansou role models then Oni (Ganglion) is my favorite Dansou . Even before I knew the term Dansou I knowledged her boyish style.
\nAiden: Akira is indeed a very famous role model in the dansou world and I\u2019m sure almost every Dansou has heard of her, but to me she isn\u2019t such a big role model. I get my inspirations from different persons such as singer HITT, Sho Asakawa from PLASTICZOOMS, although I don\u2019t have the style like Sho I still admire his style a lot and models such as Sebastiano Serafini, Terry Terata and Park Young-Hee form a big inspiration for me. In the more elegant style bands like Malice Mizer, Moi dix Mois and Versailles inspire me.
\nYun: Akira is surely a well known name among this community, as well as Fudanjuku, another dansou band. However, I can\u2019t speak in the name of others. Many of us do admire her, including me, but in my case, the prime roles are the hosts. I absolutely adore their fashion sense and attitude.
\nRyuuto: Ahh\u2026 Akira. I respect her as a model, yes. I also respect her take on the idea of gender, yes. However, I never looked to her as a role-model or idol. She\u2019s definitely attractive, but I\u2019m not a huge huge fan of her. To be completely honest, I don\u2019t get inspired by other Dansou members. I just get fashion inspirations by other \u201cbiological male\u201d band groups or brands like GazettE, Sid, er, brands like WRogue, Midas, and so forth.
\nYuuyami: I\u2019ve seen some of Akira\u2019s work and she can definitely be seen as a role-model within the Dansou world. She is absolutely not the only one though! Personally, she\u2019s not really a role-model, though I like her fashion and cool looks. To me, my biggest source of inspiration is the Takarazuka all-female theatre. They also often carry the Gentleman elegance into their male roles, and are often a less popular-culture inspired, sophisticated form of Dansou. Among them, Todoroki Yuu is my greatest role-model.<\/p>\n
\nYomi: I think Dansou is becoming more well known and I like that, but we are not nearly there yet.
\nHirozuki: I think it is very positive! First almost no people here knew about Dansou but now its a whole lot more people.
\nAiden: I think this is something positive because Dansou in general will get more well known and get more attention since untill now its very unknown outside of Japan.
\nYun: Since it is relatively a \u2018\u2019newer\u2019\u2019 style, I think that it needs more attention. So I am happy to see that more and more people are taking interest in this fashion trend.
\nRyuuto: I\u2019m indifferent. It\u2019s good to get more recognition, but at the same time I enjoy being different HAHA;; Having people understand more and not have stereotypes is always a good thing though. *nods
\nYuuyami: More attention means more wide-spread. Hopefully Dansou will become a more well known and therefore more widely accepted form of fashion this way!<\/p>\n
\nYomi: We have different kind of people, I think. Bokutachi seems more populair and maybe more mainstream (I\u2019m not using mainstream in the bad sense of the word). I think Bokutachi has a different feel. Also, we promote the more high class styles, such as Aristocrat, Host and Visual Kei. Our styles might be less accesible. We try to be more Avant-Garde?
\nAiden: The Gentlemen\u2019s League is more aimed at the Sophisticated, elegant styles and Bokutachi aims more at different styles at once.
\nYun: We have different approaches, but the aim remains the same.
\nYuuyami: My GL colleagues already nailed the answer there: It\u2019s the \u2018Gent\u2019 part, the sophisticated style we carry out. Bokutachi has some members that look good in a suit, obviously, but gentlemanly fashion styles and mannerisms are our main focus, and that\u2019s the main difference.
\nHirozuki: Just as the others says\u2026 we aim more at the elegant styles\u2026<\/p>\n
\nYomi: We are certainly going to give a Dansou 101 lecture at a new event\/con called SQUEEKERS<\/a> in The Netherlands. It will be useful for those who want to start Dansou and for those who want to start crossplaying. It will contain basic info about Dansou and a lot of practical tips about binders, contouring, posing and more. We will also participate in a fashion show at Animecon <\/a>and we\u2019ll give the same lecture there as at SQUEEKERS. Furthermore, we have a lot of cool photoshoot plans in mind\u2026 So you\u2019ll see nice pics on our page soon. Also check our page if you want to know exactly where and when we will give the lectures\/shows\/etc.
\nHirozuki: Lectures for sure and events!
\nRyuuto: Ehh, I don\u2019t know. Maaaaybe a panel or event on the east coast here. The others will let you guys know haha. They\u2019re doing a fabulous job going to cons and such.
\nYuuyami: Next to some lectures at events, and all that Yomi mentioned, I hope to be more active on our Facebook page as well. I\u2019ve been slacking off a bit, haha! Expect to see more from me soon!<\/p>\n