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Do You Clique? |
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Tokyo's Exclusive Girl Gangs |
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by Brian Ashcraft |
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Night's fan club in Absolute Boyfriend has nothing on the clubs that Tokyo's trendiest high-school girls are dying to join. Called gal circles, these exclusive groups come together primarily to plan rave-style dance events.
While even respected universities have gal circles, Angeleek, based in the Shibuya district of Tokyo and led by 20-year-old president Yucco Hisashi, is one of Japan's most famous. Seven years ago, a woman (now 27 years old) with the moniker Papa established Angeleek, and EGG magazine (the rebellious girls' equivalent of Seventeen) has regularly featured its members since then. Joining isn't easy. Wannabes first email a photo to the address on the group's Web page. If you've got the right look (along the lines of tanned skin, colored hair, and a short skirt), you move on to a phone interview. If that goes well, you meet Angeleek's president in person. Successful candidates get the invite to join the circle. |
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"Do You Clique?" by Brian Ashcraft been edited for shojobeat.com;
the original article appears in the June 2006 issue of Shojo Beat Magazine. |
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