Series: Gen Z Trend Survey! – What are the latest trends according to Gen Z members working at a PR agency? (Lifestyle Edition)
Hello! I’m Mizutani, a second-year employee!
In every era, we often hear the phrase “Young people these days…” While many adults struggle to understand what the youth are thinking, the younger generation often feels frustrated, thinking, “Don’t just lump us all together as ‘young people’!” This dynamic seems to remain unchanged.
Recently, “Generation Z”—those born between 1996 and 2015 (though definitions vary)—has been drawing attention as the generation creating new consumption trends.
Therefore, we conducted a trend survey among our members in their first to third years of employment. As members of Gen Z themselves, tracking trends is their life’s work as PR professionals! (The survey was conducted in August.)
We are constantly thinking about global trends—from casual daily chats like “I’ve been seeing a lot of ○○ lately” to professional observations like “The next wave seems to be ××,” and sometimes even plotting, “I really want to make △△ (which I’m in charge of) a hit…” Let’s take a look at Gen Z trend analysis from our unique perspective!
▼ Gen Z Trend Survey: Lifestyle Edition
Top 3 Trending Fashion Items
No. 1: “Sheer Items”
Sheer shirts, tulle skirts, clear sandals, and skeleton bags—anything “see-through” is incredibly popular.
While these can be considered trends specific to spring and summer, showing a bit of skin in a sophisticated and sexy way is healthy and wonderful.
In the summer of 2021, Gen Zers walking the streets certainly exuded a sense of transparency!
No. 2: “Oversized Silhouettes”
Wearing oversized clothing has become a staple of Gen Z fashion. It is popular among both men and women, with comments like “It defines your style in one piece,” “The moderate bagginess is cute!” and “It’s the best because it’s so relaxed.” The key seems to be its compatibility with sports-mix styles paired with jerseys or sneakers, as well as street styles.
On the other hand, there were also comments like “Everyone looks baggy” (laughs).
No. 3: “Sport Sandals”
The current trend is to wear sport sandals stylishly with socks, almost as if they were sneakers.
Even with a dressy one-piece, wearing sport sandals to dress down the look creates a perfect overall balance!
And above all, they are easy to walk in! Their functionality might also be a major selling point.
Top 3 Trending Songs
No. 1: YOASOBI – “Racing into the Night” (Yoru ni Kakeru)
YOASOBI “Racing into the Night” Official Music Video
Image Source: YOASOBI Official Site
A true classic. YOASOBI has become an explosive hit not just with Gen Z, but across all generations. You hear it everywhere in the city!
This signature song, with its sense of speed that ignited YOASOBI’s popularity, takes the top spot.
No. 2: Yuuri – “Dried Flower”
Yuuri “Dried Flower” Official Music Video (Short ver.)
If you ask any Gen Z person around you, no one would say they don’t know this song. It’s a heartbreak song from a woman’s perspective that anyone can empathize with. The “emo” feel of the ballad style is also beautifully poignant.
Its popularity accelerated further on TikTok. The YouTube video of Yuuri singing on “THE FIRST TAKE” also became a hot topic.
No. 3: Vaundy – “Tokyo Flash”
Tokyo Flash / Vaundy: MUSIC VIDEO
The catchy melody is impressive. This also spread to many people through TikTok. The relaxed tempo and groove are very pleasant.
One opinion was, “It feels somewhat nostalgic for students and workers who moved to Tokyo in the spring!”
As expected, Gen Z music trends seem to be born from TikTok.
Top 3 Recommended Manga/Anime
No. 1: “Tokyo Revengers”It was the overwhelming number one.
The concept of “time leap x delinquents” is innovative. Each character is cool and impressive. It has been adapted into a live-action movie, and both the anime and manga are extremely popular.
Mikey’s line during the meeting scene, “Is anyone chickening out? No one!!” inspired various parody videos that went viral on TikTok. Many people have probably imitated it at least once.
Image Source: TV Anime “Tokyo Revengers” Official Site https://tokyo-revengers-anime.com/
No. 2: “Kingdom”
A historical manga set in China’s Warring States period, depicting the rise of the protagonist, Shin. While the unique generals are charming, the highlights include not only the battle scenes but also the intelligence and strategic nature of the characters. It is a noteworthy content that can be enjoyed from an adult perspective, as the leadership of the generals, organizational building, and tactical planning can be applied to business.
Image Source: Shueisha Comic Official S-MANGA
https://www.s-manga.net/items/contents.html?isbn=978-4-08-891254-7
No. 3 (by a narrow margin): “My Hero Academia”
In a world where everyone has a supernatural ability called a “Quirk,” this is the story of a “Quirkless” protagonist aiming to become the greatest hero. It is a top-tier manga even within the currently intense Weekly Shonen Jump lineup, with the 5th season of the anime (6th season production confirmed) and a 3rd movie. It also ranks high on Netflix, and we received passionate comments from Gen Z members saying, “Now is the time to catch up!”
Image Source: TV Anime “My Hero Academia” Official Site
https://heroaca.com/
Gen Z Members’ Favorite Gourmet Picks
Since food preferences vary greatly, we received so many delicious recommendations that we couldn’t compile a ranking. Instead, we have carefully selected a few of our Gen Z members’ favorite gourmet items!
Animal-Themed Maritozzo
Maritozzo is a dessert that has become a massive trend. It is a sweet from Rome, Italy, consisting of a brioche bun filled with plenty of whipped cream.
The cream-filled appearance is enticing, but we would like to introduce the animal-themed maritozzos that are appearing one after another.
Examples include the “Ironeko Maritozzo” sold at the bakery cafe “Blue Jean” in the Hotel New Hankyu Osaka, and the “Kerotozzo” released by Aoyagi Souhonke, famous for the Nagoya specialty “Kaeru Manju.” Both are so cute it seems like a waste to eat them!
Image Source: Hotel New Hankyu Osaka Official Site
https://www.hankyu-hotel.com/hotel/hh/osakashh/restaurants/blue_jean/menu/ironeko_maritozzo
Image Source: Nagoya Joho-tsu
https://jouhou.nagoya/kerotozzo/
Canelé
A traditional French pastry characterized by a crunchy exterior and a moist, sweet interior.
Like macarons, despite their small size, they are somewhat expensive, ranging from 150 to 300 yen each. There seems to be high demand for them as rewards for oneself or as gifts.
Super Cup Pudding
Super Cup Pudding is a modified recipe where “Super Cup”—a popular ice cream available at any convenience store or supermarket—is heated in the microwave, mixed with a beaten egg, heated again, and then chilled to set (methods vary). The slight sense of “guilty pleasure” from melting ice cream in the microwave might be addictive, as it has been trending on YouTube and TikTok.
It’s easy to try, so I want to give it a challenge too!
Image Source: Joshi SPA!
https://joshi-spa.jp/1103441/3
That concludes the Gen Z Trend Survey: Lifestyle Edition! We caught a glimpse of “emo” and modern trends across fashion, manga, anime, and gourmet.
Here is a comment from Kaneko, a member of the Gen Z editorial team!
The survey responses from our members also included some niche and unique trending items! For example… “Tooth Gems,” which are jewelry attached to the teeth!
Apparently, the way they catch the light when you talk or smile is cute, and they are trending among Gen Z! By the way, I didn’t know about them. (I’m not keeping up…!) I’m going to buy some tooth gems tomorrow (laughs)!
What caught my attention was the South Korean idol survival audition project “Girls Planet 999,” commonly known as GalPla. I at least knew the name, but personally, I’ve avoided audition shows because I can’t wait for the next episode and I’m not good at remembering many members… However, I hear rumors that the looks, singing, and dancing are all high-level! Since the final episode just aired recently, I think I’ll try to catch up (laughs).
We’ve seen the unexpected preferences of each Gen Z member and new trends that even some Gen Zers didn’t know yet, so we plan to update this regularly!
Look forward to the next one!
