Subculture
What does Jirai kei mean?
A Japanese landmine aesthetic: sweet and wounded at once, ribbons, black and pink, heavy makeup.
Definition
Jirai kei (地雷系) is mine-type: ribbons, a drawn tear, pink and black. It borrows volume from lolita; makeup and the app cut differ. Yami kawaii privileges pastel hospital; here the silhouette pulls dating and host clubs.
In the West the look went viral as an eyeliner tutorial. Outside the scene the word still insults; some people wear the kei as the slur on purpose.
Origin
Japanese 地雷 + 系. Jirai onna (地雷女) ran on 2ch around 2010 as an insult for a “landmine” woman. In March 2020 YouTuber SuReRo’s makeup challenge, under pandemic restrictions, glued the cut onto fashion. Kabukicho, in Shinjuku — host clubs, a late street — gave the backdrop; the look left the insult for Instagram.
History
From 2020 the cut became a global blush-and-under-eye-line tutorial. Pien-kei (ぴえん系) and menhera sit on the same slang shelf. Brands and Mercari sold pink-and-black faster than earlier Harajuku magazines.
How it emerged
Kawaii needed a branch that showed the underside. Mine was already an insult; 系 glued on the type and the 2020 challenge gave the face the feed copies.
Usage examples
She put together a jirai kei look in pink and black.
The ribbon and the drawn tear mark the coord.
Translations
- pt jirai kei / tipo mina
- en jirai kei / landmine type
- es jirai kei / tipo mina
Synonyms
- 地雷系
- yami kawaii
- jirai onna
- SuReRo