Hi, this is another Wednesday’s What About post! It’s been a while, huh?
This week, I wanted to talk about hair decorations.
But before I do that, I should probably define what a hair decoration / hair dec is. They’re cute accessories which characters (mostly girls) use to embellish their hair… and that’s about it, folks!
However, hair decs are not just mere ornaments. In anime, they can signify the personality and disposition of characters. Take Satania from Gabriel DropOut, for example.
She’s actually a devil, so wearing a bat-wing hairpin, which are typically associated with devils, is quite suitable for her. Satania is trying to, in other words, channel her inner malice as a devil by choosing to wear a bat-wing hairpin and complimentary black ribbons! Unfortunately for Satania, she’s just not competent enough to actually threaten Raphiel or Gabriel.
Speaking of which, Raphiel (Gabriel DropOut) dons crosses in her hair and it should be obvious that she’s an angel given her preference in hair decorations and her name. An angel who’s actually a sadist and who enjoys manipulating others so she is entertained, yes, but an angel nonetheless.
Sometimes hair decs reveal a character’s tastes and preferences, such as her mindset or her diet. In Idol Jihen, for example, Ume wears a hair dec which resembles a seagull. Ume is also prone to proclaiming how awesome the weather is or how the ocean can affect and influence situations, so this hair dec suits Ume quite well!
Meanwhile Natsuki is rockin’ onigiri hair decs. You read that right. The girl just loves her rice balls (her grandmother’s onigiri, in particular) to the point that she feels compelled to display her affection through matching onigiri hair decs.
And then we have Azumi and Yuuko from Nyanko Days. The two girls really, really like their cats (even though said cats are basically lolis with cat ears and cat tails, which has some upsides and downsides compared to the typical not-human felines). Their strong feelings is put on full display since Azumi is wearing a fish-shaped hair dec (and we know that most fish likes cats) and that Yuuko has two cat hair-scrunchies. They’re wearing their obsession hearts on their hair sleeves, essentially!
In BanG Dream!, Kasumi talks about how she once heard the rhythm of a “star beat” (which is when, according to Kasumi, stars twinkle). And once she discovers her passion for bands, Kasumi finds the prospect of standing on stage and shining (like a star) to be thrilling. So it should come as no surprise that she is wearing star-themed hair decorations.
Well, I wanted to just talk about characters in simulcast shows here, but this is definitely something that has been a part of anime for a long time and that won’t change any time soon. After all, it’s another aspect of character design and if Kyra’s blog (she writes great posts where she analyzes characters’ names, by the way) has taught me anything, it’s that people who designs characters put a lot of thought into their decisions. Both names and accessories are aspects that helps viewers potentially get a grasp on a character’s… character, after all!
What are some of your favorite hair decs? Did they suit the character wearing them? Am I making a big fuss over something which just happens to make a character look cute(r)? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!
The Lily Garden 
One of my favorites is Yoko from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann and her skull ornament, which mirrors her own facial expressions in some scenes.
Although not a hair ornament, Yuki from “Saki” has a Cat badge on her side pouch that similarly emulates her emotional state. 🙂
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Mmm Yoko’s expressive skull ornament is a classic.
I’ve definitely enjoyed seeing Yuuki’s cat badge imitate her emotions, too. Ahhh bless Saki.
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Awesome post! It is such a subtle detail and I never noticed it before. But it goes about to show just how much thought and effort goes into a character design. Anime truly is art!
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Haha I’m glad you think so! As long as the accessory isn’t a generic ribbon that was slapped on, at least.
Yes, it’s an art form!
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I’m super clueless when it comes to these subtle details so I might miss them once in a while.
There are definitely certain elements to a character’s design that showcase their personality (sometimes even acting as foreshadowing!) and if a creator took so much time and put so much effort into their work, we should absolutely do our best to spot these little hints.
I didn’t know hair decs were so relevant though… Need to start paying more attention!
Super cool post!
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Mmm. Sometimes they’re relevant and sometimes they almost seem tacked on last minute (generic ribbons and bows and such fall under this category). It really depends!
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
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Haha lol 😂😂 This has been one of the most original ideas I have seen for a post in a while. I agree with D above though, have not been paying much attention to hair decorations myself either, but maybe after reading this I will pay a bit more attention to it lol 😊
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I’m flattered, wahaha. Well, I’m glad I could entertain! Give it a shot lol
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Who knew cute little pieces of hair accessories had a wealth of meaning to them? I didn’t! I don’t think I’ve ever paid much attention to hair decorations in the past but this post has been greatly entertaining and informative.
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Wahaha I’m glad the post was helpful somehow. Mmm I just find hair accessories fascinating for some reason.
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Hey Remy!
Hair decs are, as many traits in character design, a delightful way that fiction allow authors to further emphasize their intentions and easily distinguish people. Not going very far, the combo [Hairstyle + Hair color + Hair decs] are the main way to make characters appear different in many shows, especially those that take place in school setting.
I share your love for them and on top of my head (HAH) the first ones that comes to mind are Tsukihi and Karen from Monogatari Series and those iconic “eggs”. Regardless of whether the reader/viewer is aware of any deep meaning, they have become an integral part of those characters, so much that I’d argue that if you were to go to a Cosplay Event and see a girl wearing regular clothes but an EggShaped Headband you would quickly associate it to one of them.
Thanks for the shoutout!
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Hey Kyra!
Mmm you’re definitely right about the hairstyle and hair decs being the primary ways to distinguish characters from one another. Just gotta hope that the characters in a story that takes place in a school setting allows hair accessories, though.
I’m glad you like them, too (what a pun)!
Their egg hair decorations definitely pop into mind when one talks about hair decs in general. Monogatari doesn’t let the viewers down with the symbolism and deeper meanings in regards to the accessories, either. I agree that they’ve definitely laid claim to any egg-shaped headbands haha.
You’re very welcome!
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