I Love Mama

I Love Mama «stylized as "I LOVE mama"» was a gyaru fashion and lifestyle magazine published monthly in Japan by Inforest Publishing.[2]

I Love Mama

January 2012 — From left to right: Mariko Mizuno (age 28, in the last month of her pregnancy); Yumiko Idogawa (age 24, nine-months pregnant); Yuhmi Sugiyama (age 21, eight-months pregnant)[1]
Chief editor	Ayako Yamashita
Categories	Fashion, Lifestyle
Frequency	Monthly
Circulation	200,000
Publisher	Inforest
First issue	September 2008
Final issue	2014
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese

Originally named "Mama Nuts × Ageha", I Love Mama was established as a special edition of two gyaru magazines, the hostess-targeted Koakuma Ageha magazine and dark-skin obsessed Happie Nuts magazine.[3]

I Love Mama was considered a unique magazine, as it was a magazine especially for "gyaru-mama" females [gyaru females who have children],[3] consisting of the likes of housekeeping tips, parenting tips, and fashion tips.[4]

Described as a "mega-hit" magazine, it has been the highest-selling gyaru-mama magazine ever since its launch in 2008.[5]

There was some Western interest in the magazine, and it could be purchased from Amazon and eBay.

History

I Love Mama was first published in September 2008 under the name "Mama Nuts × Ageha" as a special co-edition of Koakuma Ageha and Happie Nuts, after these two magazines' special editorials for "gyaru-mama" audiences gained considerable popularity.[6] Mama Nuts × Ageha was the first-ever magazine devoted solely to the gyaru-mama scene,[7] and it became a smash-hit, with 150,000 copies sold during its first three days and an additional 30,000 copies sold.[6] Mama Nuts × Ageha changed its name to "I Love Mama", becoming monthly in April 2009.[8] Circulation reached 200,000 by October 2009.[9]

Following the closure of Inforest Publishing I Love Mama ended publication in 2014.[10]

Models

The most notable trait of the models appearing in I Love Mama is that most of them appear in the magazine with their children. The children in the magazine are called the "chibiko".[3]

Exclusive models are officially called the "Love-mo". Irregularly-appearing models are officially called the "Love-mama".[11]

Model and her "chibiko"s on the cover of a 2011 issue

• "Love-mo" : Ako Hina, Chika Kiguchi, Satomi Daikuhara, Hanako Noda, Yukari Shirai, Saori Nakamoto, Chika Arai, Kyo Son (the actual twin sister of fashion model Wei Son), Ayaka Shirato
• "Love-mama" : Maho Ohshiro, Ayane Kubo, Saki Kawabata, Yukari Nakatsu, Akari Suzuki, Ai Hotta, Mariko Mizuno, Naho Mishima, Hiromi Sayama

References

1. "Three beautymama-models appear pregnant-semi-nude just before childbirth", 17 November 2011, Livedoor News, Model Press (in Japanese)
2. "No.1 gyaru-mama magazine 'I Love Mama' and Ajinomoto KK research about lifestyles of 'gyaru-mamas'!", 8 April 2010, PR Times (in Japanese)
3. "Mama-san Diary Episode 33 'Moyamoya Childcare Magazine Cruise' : 'I Love Mama'" date unknown, Hidemi Horikoshi Gentosha (in Japanese)
4. "'Mama Gohan' event of factory tour & family cooking" Archived 2012-07-14 at Archive.today, date unknown, All About (in Japanese)
5. "'I Love Mama' × Ajinomoto KK cellphone website 'Mama Gohan' opens on April 26!!", 26 April 2010, Asahi Shimbun, PR Times (in Japanese)
6. "Inforest of 'Koakuma Ageha' and 'Nuts' launches a monthly magazine 'for mamas'!" (2/3), 24 February 2009, Nikkei BP (in Japanese)
7. "Agejo, gyaru, significantly growing women's magazine of a moderate-sized publisher" 2 October 2008, The All Japan Magazine and Book Publisher's and Editor's Association (in Japanese)
8. "I Love Mama" Archived 2011-11-21 at the Wayback Machine Model Press (in Japanese)
9. "Magazine gives moms fashion tips", 1 October 2009, The Japan Times
10. "The Demise of Ageha, Happie Nuts, I Love Mama, Ane Ageha and Egg". Universal Doll. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
11. Official Archived 2011-11-24 at the Wayback Machine (in Japanese)

External

• Official (in Japanese)
• Official (Inforest) (in Japanese)