Bandages And Bondage

The latest word from Japan is all about the fad for kegadoru, or “injured idols”. It’s got a bondage angle and aesthetic, too:

“The otaku industry is now focusing on kegadoru rather than the old staples of girls wearing glasses or surgical masks,” Takabo, who calls himself an otaku idol researcher, tells Weekly Playboy.

Nonoko, who works at a popular maid cafe in Tokyo’s geek sanctuary Akihabara, agrees.

“Girls who get decked out in Amaloli (cute, pink or white frilly outfits) have started covering themselves in bandages and wearing eye patches,” she says. “Many of the men who come to Akihabara often compliment us on how good our bandages look, or how cute they are. For girls hanging out in Akihabara, bandages and eye patches have become a must-have fashion item.”

A female cosplayer the weekly describes only as S explains the appeal of swathing herself in bindings.

“When you’re covered in bandages, everybody pays attention to you and worries about you. They also provide a chance to start talking to guys, who’ll ask you how you hurt yourself, so the bandages are really, really good,” she tells Weekly Playboy. “One guy into the injured woman look told me that the reason he likes it is because he loves the idea of seeing a thin woman’s body wrapped in bandages because it looked kind of like bondage and made him want to protect her from harm. I think those wearing the bandages get on well with the guys who want to look after them because they don’t want them to get hurt.”

Psychologist Yu Yuki says the new fetish for women who look like mummies probably has something to do with fans and their mommies.

“There is a common trait among the Akihabara otaku fetishes, with the poor eyesight of the girls wearing glasses, the humility of the maids who refer to every man they deal with as ‘master’ and now the women feigning injury but still swathed in bandages and eye patches: all these women look as though they’re weak. This makes the men want to protect the women,” the pshrink says. “In our age of gender equality, the number of strong-willed women has increased. Men still want to protect and look after women, though, so they seek out those who seem to be in need of help.”

Throw in a quadruple amputation and a catheter and you get the hard-core manga version:

helpless and bandaged

5 comments on “Bandages And Bondage”:

Kinky Mink commented on August 25th, 2007 at 7:41 pm:

Wow,that’s really a fascinating fad! Only in Japan, eh? ^_^

And wow, that’s also a really nice quadruple amputee pic. Very attractively helpless, much like a woman in bondage– but also makes you want to take care of her and comfort her. It’s really quite well drawn, I love how her face is so expressive. What is this picture from anyhow?

The Ferret commented on August 26th, 2007 at 5:08 pm:

I have to say my curiousity is piqued as well, Any details on where the pic is from?

As for the bandage thing Mink, It’s definately not just in Japan, From what I know though a cast fetish is more common in Europe and North America, rather than bandages and eye patches.

Rope Guy commented on August 26th, 2007 at 7:25 pm:

You know I always give a link when I have one. “My hard drive” is the best I can do this time…

The Ferret commented on August 27th, 2007 at 9:00 pm:

*nods* This is true, Thanks anyways:)

Rich06 commented on May 31st, 2008 at 9:11 am:

I have always had this thing for athletic women with bandages upper arms and shoulders, playing wounded spy babe or scuba bae. Does anybody know anything else about this type of fetish?

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