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I've been watching lots of anime series and in lots of them the guy realizes
that he loves the girl when he sees her in a kimono specially for the
festivals. Just this last week it was both in ReLIFE and Twin Star Exorcists.
Just what is with that?


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2016-08-29T22:09:40.387
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2017-01-15T03:15:22.520
2016-08-30T01:05:14.380
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question
tropes culture
What is with kimono that makes Japanese guys to fall for the girls in many anime?


It's a similar trope to one you see in Western media, where the normally un-
feminine (or dorky, or nerdy, or otherwise not stereotypically attractive)
female character dresses up for some kind of fancy party - if the characters
are school age, then it's frequently a prom. So they ditch the t-shirt, jeans
and sneakers, don a dress and heels, swap the glasses for contacts, maybe put
on makeup and get their hair done, and then become the belle of the ball and
make the male protagonist swoon.

A kimono (or yukata, since a lot of these scenes take place at festivals in
the warmer half of the year) is a very traditional dress, and it's associated
with elegance given its fabric (often silk) and intricate patterns. In
addition, when wearing one, women will often put their hair up, maybe put on a
little makeup, and wear geta which are elevated sandals, which have an effect
on the wearer's height and posture similar to wearing high heels.


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2016-08-29T23:20:19.250
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answer


Just a small correction: guys do not simply fall for the girl when he sees her
in kimono/yukata; his love was built up and the kimono/yukata just sorta
delivers the final blow.

The kimono is a traditional Japanese clothing, it shows elegance and beauty to
the people wearing it. It is a formal garment that can be worn to weddings,
etc.

For teenagers, they don't get the chance to wear something fancy often, and
the kimono is something fancy which the teens can wear once or twice a year.
Because it's rare to see people wearing kimonos, it excites people
psychologically. It's sorta like finding a shiny Pokemon, all it is is a
different color with a low chance of encountering and people treat it like
gold. It's the same with this, because of its rarity, it enhances the beauty
of the girls wearing it.

Like I already said, this will only work if the guy has some feelings towards
the girl. If a random guy saw a random girl wearing kimono, he might feel
attracted but wouldn't fall for the girl. And the trope can work with other
fancy garment as well, such as a wedding dress (they go to a park where the
girl tries on a wedding dress) in some anime, or a qipao (Chinese dress)
depending on the anime. Most of the time it's a kimono because it's easy to
relate to and it's in Japan.


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