Picture Commentary: Reina, This Is A Hair Intervention

All right, CJ Reina fans aren’t going to like this one. Just treat it like a pic spam, Reina-digging peeps! That’s all I ask!

For a long time, I’ve felt something strange about Reina. No, it was not a girl crush. Stop it, I’m addressing that in the next post. In any case, when I finally saw a backstage clip of Sayu and Reina, it all came together. Sayu was the one with the crush!

…No, I’m just fucking up my own post now. In short: Discussing each other’s hair, Sayu asked to touch Reina’s. Her fingers ventured towards the mess atop Reina’s head. They made contact. A disgusted expression flashed across her face for a millisecond of a moment before they changed the subject. It was awkward, but revealing.

Reina has awful, damaged hair and it grosses me and Sayu out.

First, let’s start with some close-ups. Everyone, look at these. Look at them NOW. You need to see the truth.

Is that some serious frizz or what? I… Reina, you’re an idol. You need to take care of your hair. And let me tell you, I thiiiiink we can trace it back to the hair dye you’ve been using and abusing ever since even before your Morning Musume days.

And then just some bad hair choices altogether. Do these scream “trailer trash” to anyone else?

I don’t even know where to start with these. How could she actually want to go out like this? I feel like she’s trying to go for “edgy,” but she just looks like a crack whore selling herself for drugs in a dingy trailer park. The glittery, sparkly streaks in her hair add a certain amount of class, don’t they? In her earnest efforts to be yankee and special, she often ends up like this. It’s a little sad.

All right, that’s enough negativity. I realize that Reina tends to like up-dos, pigtails and other things that give her some sass and a bit of additional help with her short stature (I once saw a picture where her side-ponytail made up for a couple inches of her total height), but there are many better ways to do it than what she usually opts for. Here are a couple I liked.

The first one, in particular, I like for its casual but elegant kind of appeal. It’s the sort of thing you see actresses wearing to events and awards shows all the time, and quite frankly, it’s pretty classic. Can’t go wrong there. The second one is sleek and sexy with some of her hair pulled up into a ponytail and the rest let down. While Reina frequently pulls her hair up, she rarely creates a balance as we can see here, so it allows her to keep some of her regular style while mixing things up for something new and interesting. Both of these are hairstyles I very much approve of for her; they suit her sensibility while not looking… like… um, shit.

Straight is all it takes! I’m not sure why Reina almost always feels the need to curl her hair until it’s basically fried and then tie it tight enough to give herself a headache. It looks so trashy and she’s honestly just fine leaving her hair alone! Straight is my favorite style for her. Here are some nice, fierce examples:

We’re not exactly discussing her choice (or lack thereof) of clothes, and these photos are all essentially the same, but I especially love the first one. Her whole image looks amazingly stylish, way more than the yankee shit she tries to pull off. I’m not saying she should betray what she feels is truly her, but I also think that she’s eighteen and needs to start experimenting with more mature choices in fashion and the overall presentation of herself. Sayu was frequently thought to be the most immature of her generation early on, but look where she is now! She’s got style, she’s got class, she’s becoming a woman and she’s transitioning seamlessly into her new maturity. Think about the last time you saw her flash an Usa-chan Peace and it’ll be even more apparent. So, Reina, step it up! You can’t always be winking. As for the second one? Wow, love that headband. Accessorize it, bitch!

Lastly, some variations on the above styles that could still make them fresh. Just a couple I came across and thought were solid ways to change up her style every so often. We don’t see these very much! They’re very good regardless and I think they should come up in photographs more often.

The first one curls outward for a kind of sharp, severe look. It conveys her “dangerous” side better than Reina seems to be able to herself, visually. The second picture shows Reina with her hair down in soft curls, and this may be the most beautiful one of all, in my opinion. God, just… so pretty. They’re so much more pleasing to the eye than the harsh curls she usually sports. I’m very seldom a fan of Reina’s looks, but when she presents herself well, she is stunning.

I hope, at the very least, that this post was worth something. Of course I know that Reina will never see this, and I’m well aware that few people think poorly of Reina’s style, but by God, this is a problem and I wanted to highlight the positive aspects a little more than the negative. You can do this, Reina. You are hella fab and you can do this. Step outside the box, girl, it’s nice outside.

Good luck, Tanaka Reina.