The ChamaTama Wave?

It's been one week since the release of the first chapter of JMODE's webmanga ChamaTama. Thanks to several portal webcomic lists, the manga has been having quite a number of guests. Good start, I guess.

Some of the viewers kindly left comments (and we are very very grateful for them), and there was one suggesting us we should pay attention to the details of men's fashion as much as women's. True enough, but I have to say that it wasn't really in our initial plan. But he or she does have a point once that s/he's brought it up. Japanese men these days are quite conscious about fashion. And if we want to present the reality of Japan today, we simply can't neglect it, right?

So what's hot in men's fashion now? Largely influenced by the celeb fashion trend in women's mode (celeb fashion is a style imitation Hollywood celebreties and top Japanese actresses or charismatic idols/singers) Japanese men are into men's celeb fashion right now. What kind of a style is that? In a word, neat and cool. No dirty looking, no baggy clothes, no. And where do these men go shopping to? A lot of them go to Marui men's or the men's floor on 109-2. I tend to wear second-hand clothes so I'm on the Harajuku side, but.

My favorite shops are always the same. I just browse around my favorite places and that's it. Sometimes I go on new adventures but I can't seem to find new favorites that easily. Although, because I don't find new favorites that often the satisfaction of when I do is pretty big.

In that sense, the fact that a bunch of trendy shops in a wide range of styles and genres gathering around Shibuya - Harajuku - Omotesando area (they're pretty close to each other. barely walking distance, if you wanna give a try) is really helpful. Even if I cruise around town looking for secondhand clothing, I get to see the trendiest clothes on display on the streets so I get to know what's hot in town.

Anyhoo, I got off the track a bit but what I wanted to say is that ChamaTama isn't only a ninja-action manga but is a dispatcher of the hottest fashion and pop culture in Japan this moment. And now that I've written this, for both men and women. You'll see if you walk around Shibuya or anywhere elso around in Tokyo, there is no single style that everyone really follows. There are several styles and trends indeed, but different people have different tastes and they dress themselves quite differently. You see a whole lot of varieties in a city as big as this. It's a biiig mixture of different-ness. And I hope to implement and express this variety in the manga.

The second chapter of ChamaTama is scheduled to be updated on May 1st. That's next Monday. There'll be Shibuya and Shibuya fashion and all that sort in it, so make sure you check it out! Keep tuned to Japan Mode ;-)