Gothic lolita fashion and lolita fashion, in general, was originally inspired by cute and childish elements. Therefore, it may not be a look you'd associate with physical strength or power.

There are some notable exceptions in Japanese fiction like Rory Mercury in the Gate novel, manga and anime franchise, and Stocking in the anime series Panty & Stocking with Gartberbelt, who are forces to contend with. Maybe that's an unfair comparison because one is a demigoddess and the other is an angel. In any case, when it comes to real life, many people wouldn't expect a Gothic Lolita fashion lover to exhibit signs of physical strength or power.

However, those who hold such an admittedly stereotyped view have surely not met Raraka. A first-year medical intern who enjoys wearing fashion which she describes as "Lolita, leaning towards Gothic," Raraka also happens to be an avid bodybuilder. This unusual combination was recently put in the social media spotlight on Twitter when Raraka posted the following two photos side by side:

Reproduced with permission from Raraka ららか (@u_raraka_)

"People say you don't look muscular when you wear Lolita fashion but Lolita clothes are heavy and require physical strength, so it's obvious that Lolita girls are all (ripped like) gorillas."

And as you can see on her Twitter account, this isn't the first time she's proudly shown off this kind of contrast, as she did in the following post to participate in a trending hashtag #脱いだときのギャップ選手権, which means "tournament (to show) the gap between your (dressed and) undressed look":


Here you can see some of Raraka's cool and creative fashion choices. Oh, and don't tell Raraka that her fashion choices make her look weak. She's all about "strength" both inside and out:

"I'm strong today too"

Here she is wearing a striking combination of a yukata and a sailor uniform-inspired corset and boy's student hat:


If you'd like to see more of Raraka's bodybuilding or fashion photos, you can follow her on Twitter here. On her profile, she mentions that she'd like to make friends with other lolita fashion lovers and girls who are into weight training and bodybuilding.


By - Ben K.