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In the anime [Hajimete no Gal (aka My First Girlfriend is a
Gal)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_First_Girlfriend_is_a_Gal), it's made
abundantly clear in the first episode that "gal" is not just another feminine
pronoun. Based on the 2 "gals" in the show, and compared to the other girls in
the show, it seems there's a marked difference in style, personality, and
appearance to be labeled a "gal".

What is a "gal" in anime or Japanese culture?


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What does "gal" mean in Hajimete no Gal and/or Japanese culture?


"Gal" is the English transliteration for
[_gyaru_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyaru), which is a fashion trend in
Japanese culture. This fashion trend includes things like:

  * Tanning/darkening the skin
  * Wearing lots of shiny makeup (traditional Japanese culture is very modest with makeup)
  * Wearing lots of jewelry and has lots of accessories (fake nails, excessive nail/toe polish)

Effectively, the "gals" in _My First Girlfriend is a Gal_ are following the
_gyaru_ fashion trend.


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Can't comment yet so I'll add an answer.

ギャル ( _gyaru_ ) is actually the way they imported the English word "girl".

Then they imported the English slang "gal" on top of that as a back- _Romaji_
-ized name for the current fashion.

(In addition to what Makoto said.)

If you can read the Japanese, here's a dictionary entry, but it doesn't help
much:

[https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/srch/en/ギャル/m0u/](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/srch/en/%E3%82%AE%E3%83%A3%E3%83%AB/m0u/)

Here's a wikipedia entry:

[https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ギャル](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%AE%E3%83%A3%E3%83%AB)

And here it is in English:

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyaru>

The Japanese is more complete and more interesting, of course.


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There is also a bit of a deeper meaning and as to why this trend came about.
It goes way back to the World War 2 and a bit before. After occupation to make
money, girls would well prostitute themselves, so a tanned girl was also a
sign that they were out on the corner a lot. In the rebellion days of youth,
in the 80s, it was a way to rebel in Asia, so it became a popular trend.

This is why you also get that "gals" are sluts or whores. In the west though,
tanning became a positive thing while in the east it became a negative thing.
Also why in the anime and the manga of _Hajimete no Gal_ , the ex calls her a
"slut". Also, _Hajimete no Gal_ directly translates to "first time gal".


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