Kimono Fanservice: Difference between revisions

In Japan, kimonos''kimono'' have a very special place in people's hearts, and are a medium for a thousand symbols. For more information about kimono, see the [[Kimono|useful notes]]. For use as a visual cue for traditionality, see [[Kimono Is Traditional]].

Kimono<ref>One kimono, many kimono - no "s" on the plural. Likewise, one yukata, many yukata.</ref> are also a specific type of Japanese [[Fetish Fuel]], in ways not easily explainable. First, people are expected to ''not'' wear normal/western-style lingerie underneath, including bra and panties, as bra will ruin the chestline (which should be smooth), and panties will without exceptions create pantylines. Second, most of the body will be covered in a lovely package, spelling out (in the case of a young girl) "youthful", "innocent", "pure", "proper", "cheerful" and "<s>virginal</s> eligible for marriage" - in kimono code. Few people in Japan know enough about kimonoskimono to get every nuance, but much of the message seems to trigger some subconscious understanding. There's the fact that the idea of getting to open a present wrapped neatly like this thrills many a mind, similar to [[Of Corsets Sexy|corsets]]. There's also the fact that no matter how much of the body is wrapped up and hidden, the Ultimately And Most Bewitchingly Sensual Mystery of Female Body, the nape of the neck, will be game for eyes. Then add to that the garment restricts the movements of arms and legs to appear rather lady-like (or, on guys, more disciplined and manly) - what's not to like.

;B, [[Pandering to the Base]], [[Fetish Fuel]] (withand/or [[Downplayed Trope|mild]] [[Fan Service]])

Due to its complexity and obscurity to modern (and non-Japanese) folks, it's also constant fodder for [[Did Not Do the Research]] -induced [[Unfortunate Implications]] (right flap over left means you are dead and soon buried) and [[Accidental Innuendo]] (in modern era costumes, obi tied in front means you are a ''working girl'' and need to be able to get it off on a short notice but in older period costume, this innuendo won't apply; and a million more). Kimono wearing in itself has suffered from [[Trope Decay]]; a single man{{context}} can be blamed for today's tubular kimono fashion, its rigid rules, and the death of the more fluid style of pre-WWII times. As per [[Rule of Cool]], many of those rules get kicked out of the window in fiction, and heroines won't get accused for "abusing a national symbol" by a mob of angry aunties.

== Anime &and Manga ==

* Ichihara Yuuko from ''[[xxxHolic×××HOLiC]]'' has [[Costume Porn|stunning ensembles]] [[Rule of Cool|breaking every conceivable rule of kimono propriety]], while remaining elegant and very stylish despite her... suggestive fashions.

* ''[[Iro Otoko]]'' centres around a designer who is trying to market fashionable men's kimonoskimono, which isn't working very well for him. Both he and others models walk around in them to advertise, invoking this trope.

* Sumire Kanzaki does a B2 var.variation with an [[Impossibly Low Neckline]] in ''[[Sakura Taisen]]''.

* In ''[[Hidamari Sketch]]'', a festival offers free snacks to those who come in yukata (and bring the flyer). Miyako, who doesn't have one, is ready to [[Curtain Clothing|pull down her curtains to make one]], but Hiro offers her old one with a [[Magical Princess Minky Momo|Mahou Shoujo Minky]] print. It comes down to about a centimetercentimetre below her buttocks. She thinks it's a perfect fit, and Yuno and Hiro say it looks "cute" and "fashionable", respectively, though Sae privately thinks she looks like a hooker.

* In ''[[Lucky Star]]'', at the matsuri, Konata muses that if they were in a [[Dating Sim]], they'd trigger a flag because they're at a festival, outside, wearing yukatasyukata.

* Nearly any manga and anime long enough features a [[Festival Episode|summer festival episode/chapter]], or a [[Hot Springs Episode|ryoukan/hot springs resort one]], or ''both'', with male members of the cast expressing gratitude for getting to see the ladies in yukata, and sometimes vice versa as well.

* [[Moe Anthropomorphism|Japan]] from ''[[Axis Powers Hetalia]]'' doesn't really fit this trope canon-wise, fitting [[Kimono Is Traditional]] better... but does fandom put him into yukatasyukata and kimonoskimono a ''lot'' more often than canon does? And use them to play up his [[Yamato Nadeshiko]] and/or [[Moe]] traits? You betcha.

* One of the scenes in a ''[[Code Geass]]'' game have the mainly European cast wearing kimonoskimono. Hilariously, it even included the [[Meganekko]] who has... ''problems'' with the Japanese.

* Yumi from ''[[Rurouni Kenshin]]'' wears an off-the-shoulders kimono that should not logically stay up. She is also a former prostitute.

* ''[[Sayonara, Zetsubou-sensei]]'' makes reference to the fact that a kimono would traditionally be worn without underwear, and the whole show is a massive example of typeCostume APorn, thriving in [[Awesome Anachronistic Apparel]].

* [[Tear Jerker|Cruelly and dramatically]] subverted in ''[[Oniisama e...]]''. During a flashback, we see {{spoiler|Kaoru Orihara}} wearing a yukata during a date with her boyfriend {{spoiler|Takehiko Henmi}}, and she strips naked in front of him... {{spoiler|to show him her physical scars after her [[Ill Girl|breast cancer]] caused her to have a mastectomy. She then breaks up with him, because [[Don't You Dare Pity Me!|she doesn't want to be a load to her loved ones]].}}

* Often occurs in festival episodes for the ''[[Pretty Cure]]'' series. May count more as aFan Type BService than ACostume Porn, as the Cures often squeal about how a certain teammate looks good in a yukata.

'''Ranma:''' Yes. For even overweight girls can look beautiful in kimonoskimono such as the one you're wearing. }}

** Akane and other characters often wear lovely yukatasyukata during festivals.

* ''[[Shakugan no Shana|Shana]]'': Shana, a world-innocent [[Tsundere]], sports a kimono during some festival episodes, and almost everyone both in and out-universe agree she's cute wearing it.

* The film version of ''[[Memoirs of a Geisha]]'' offers typekimono Aas Costume Porn. Unless you notice and care about such mistakes as [[Did Not Do the Research|incorrect fit in should-be-tailored pieces, less-than-perfect ''kitsuke'', or inappropriate seasonality]].

* O-Ren Ishii from ''[[Kill Bill]]'' seems to be a typeCostume APorn type when she's a Japanese ganglord.

== WebcomicsWeb Comics ==

* Geisha are more or less the embodiment of typekimono Aas [[Costume Porn]]. Not do they only master the proper kimono wearing posture and carriage to be always elegant, they also wear certain items (like red underkimono) and such fashions (such as lower-and-looser-than-strictly-proper obi) to specifically tantalize. As the style they wear is obsolete, also counts as [[Gorgeous Period Dress]].

* There have been some [[Miss World]] contestants from Japan wearing heavily[[Fetish B2Fuel]] type costumes on the "national" round. Opinion varies on whether those costumes are an exiting and sexy approach to the kimono or a complete disgrace.