OK, Let’s Discuss Rina Carolina!

Wow, the new half italian girl REALLY doesn’t fit the image of Popteen imo. Haha Kumicky doesn’t seem like she want to be in the same shoot with her!

caroline just sort of makes me raise my eyebrow! haha pretty much for the same reasons you mentioned (her age, being half, etc.) and OMFG i did notice the diet pills before you pointed them out!!! popteen just seems confused about what type of audience it wants to go after…hm, hopefully they’ll figure it out?? at least popsister is turning out to be awesome~~

I think it’s fitting for popTEEN to have teens and preteens in it…but i can see how that can bring a mag down, I still read Seventeen and I still get angry when I see Justin Bieber all over the place~but then I remember: I am reading a teen mag…lol I guess I just don’t want to grow up!

hahas, i couldnt believe it either. I was like ehhhhhh!? When i came across that article in my issue of popteen. Her legs disgust me and she doesnt really look her age does she.. 12 going on 13~ apparently she has her own ameblo blog lol..

My first thought of Carolina was, ohh she’s pretty and soo unique looking (since she’s half Italian). But I’m surprised how young she is! 12?! OMG! But I do agree that she should be featured in younger audience magazines. It seems kind of weird how a 12 year old is in Popteen. And her being a “spoiled rich girl” doesn’t make it any better. But at least she’s a successful model. Good for her. lol.

lol, her legs disgust me! Apparently, rina carolina has her own ameblo blog ..Lol.. She doesnt really look her age, does she… still kinda angry they put her into popteen.. >

hahaha i actually didnt really like carolina as a new addition to the popteen model line-up either xD i dont think it has anything to do with her long legs or being half italian, because what i think irks me about her is how she’s trying too hard to become popteen material and acting grown-up-like when she’s only 12 D: she talks about how she does all these skin treatments and stuff that she does to keep her skin nice but really at that age i wonder if those treatments are even really necessary (@__@); hahah in one of the articles (or was it in her blog ?) she mentioned that she considers herself a gal and she says her dream is to become a regular on popteen

so yeah, she irks me xD i didnt think there were other people who felt that way too, since they seem to be really publicizing her on popteen and other magazines so i figured she must be getting some positive feedback for them to do that hahah anyway it was fun reading about your opinion about her too ! =D i always love reading your blog ~ ! ^ ^ and i adore your sense of fashion ~~! x3 lol

LOL i thought kumikki looked like she didnt like carolina either in some of the photoshoots but i thought it was just me since i didnt really like her (carolina) hahaha

Since we know the size of her chest, does that make us pedophiles???? HAHAHA ok ok…

When I was 12 I was wearing JNCO jeans, sketchers, and pigtails, big ole glasses and was not even allowed to wear anything but clear mascara and lip smackers!

But I have to say SHE IS BEAUTIFUL, sorry she definitely is. No offense but she looks like she could be your little giant sister (haha) It seems like she should be in vivi or something where theres more hafus and hapa girls. I thought popteen was strictly japanese…I dont really care if they have half girls in there imo but I know some people want to keep things exclusive.

But I can see this girl becoming like a top model, she has the looks for it. Honestly lots the girls in american vogue and other big magazines all over the western world are like 12-14. Thats why theyre so flat chested and etc..haha…its the honest truth. But they should keep things young/innocent with her. But japan has had like 13yr old gravure models so…

Looking at this kiddie, she is quiet a cutie pie. :3
She really does not fit into that typical Popteen model factor though.
I always associated Popteen as the cute gyaru magazine and loved models like Tsubasa and Kumicky.
When I see Rina and Kumicky together I think Rina stands out because of her mix and does not have that gyaru look.

For some reason I think she would be suited to be in the magazine ViVi or maybe Seventeen.
I think magazines like that have more mixed looking models.
Anyway, not sure what Popteen is doing and if they want to start adding in more mixed girls and try to appear like ViVi.
I really do not know.

Rina is cute but not Popteen material in my opinion… :(

Wowww! She looks so lovely! I should grab Popteen now.

I kind of feel bad for her. :/ Must suck being in that position. Especially since she stands out so much, with her heritage and with her age. Hopefully she can withstand the criticisms of the other models/readers/media without doing a Lohan death spiral.

Yeah, nothing about her looks gyaru, she stands out in a not very good way. Not that she is ugly, she just doesn’t suit gyaru yet. The roots halfway out…

She would look better in other magazines, especially those ones that rely heavily on mixed ethnicity models.

I don’t think her legs are so long as they are just stick thin. I feel uncomfortable looking at them…

She’s really cute, but yeah, I feel she’s too young to be in Popteen. And, she’s 40kg? At 12-13? That’s very scary, even though she’s Japanese (and half Italian). I don’t get why though she’s a half it’s weird that she models in this magazine? :/ In parts of Asia it’s ideal to be half if you want to have certain qualities (bigger eyes, different complexion and tallness). Look at this Chinese actress for example: http://i46.tinypic.com/23usrwi.png Blue eyes and red cheeks.

Though I’m a bit biased myself, being Asian and half Italian too. 8D Popteen must feel Carolina’s halfness gives her potential if they give her so much space. And yeah, her shark teeth, lol.

I can honestly say this is the first time I see a 13 year old in a fashion magazine like her. There are preteens in some fashion magazines I read, but they’re not styled up any way but their clothes and they’re only in the kiddies section. :/

Whoa…that’s all I have to say.

Yeah, young girls don’t have enough body image issues without people bitching about a twelve-year-old girl’s long legs or her natural eyebrows, like she had any choice in the matter. Giving negative comments like that attention is only going to encourage them, and hating on women should not be encouraged. The fashion industry is a major offender in that respect, and people who write about it have a responsibility to try and encourage progress, not this nitpicky garbage.

This is one thing I hate about Japanese fashion–even though it tries to be creative, there’s a huge emphasis on conformity that is not healthy.

I understand that you didn’t make the comments and you’re just reporting, but I thought this was an important point to make

I think she’s cute but is far to young to be featured in Popteen. Technically she’s not even a teen yet

I also agree that she doesn’t really fit into Popteen. Maybe it’s bias but when I look at her style in the monthly profile it doesn’t seem gyaru to me at all. More like Seventeen material in my opinion… Maybe it’s due to her age that she dresses more simple?

She’s cute though… But more like childish cute than the gyaru cute that the older models have. Sigh* I miss my old Popteen :(

I don’t like heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer )x
Maybe because the life style that teenagers have in my country :/ (i’m 15 years old / mexican)…
I found a 12 year old girl using high heels just for everyday casual / dyed hair / with falsies is kind of a crime x)
Maybe i sound like a granny, but that’s what i can say ’bout that. Hahaha

About her, i just don’t think she’s beautiful :/…but not ugly neither.
I like her eyes, they are big & have a beautiful color imo. That’s the only thing i like about her..
I feel weird picking up about a 12 year-old girl body @____@ jeje.

Maybe in ‘Real Life’ (i mean, haute couture modeling) she will become a GREAT model; but looking at her in popteen is just like a eskimo in the middle of the desert for me :| hahaha.

In the modeling industry, its sort of typical to have such young girls modeling.

If we look at seventeen or teenvogue, the models for some of the shoots look about that age.

Although I don’t follow up with popteen or popsister, I can see why people are sort of frustrated or confused. When I began following up on carolina, I felt that she’d fit in with Cutie magazine or fruits. She seems a bit more couture than popteen, not saying that popteen can’t be couture at all. It could be that after all these years of watching America’s next top model, that I’m beginning to consider some of the guidelines Tyra mentions to the contestants. I mean, to them, 21 is a bit older to be considered for a model nowadays.

I agree with many others here that she is very pretty, but too young and not (yet?) a great fit for Popteen.

Carolina’s mother is model Kumi Morishita (they belong to the same modeling agency, Okazaki); in the recent issue, Carolina talks about how she really wanted to be in Popteen for a long time. I’m sure her mother has good connections with people at the agency, magazines, etc…
Her father is a “celebrity” Italian chef who appeared on Iron Chef; he runs his own restaurant in an elite part of Tokyo.
I can imagine that from the viewpoint of many Popteen readers, she is living in another world (going to international school, decked out in brand names, and wearing lots of makeup, fake eyelashes and nails, getting her hair dyed- these things are banned by most middle schools).

When the OL magazine Steady first debuted, I was suprised to see TONS of comments on the official editors’ blog by readers requesting the mag to stop using half-looking models because apparently the girls felt they couldn’t relate to them or use them as examples for makeup and coordinates. (The magazine listened to these readers and now it is just like another With/More/etc. -_-;
Japanese girls use magazines to copy the looks of the models, and I’m not sure how many girls Carolina will appeal to in that sense…

My only guess is that the magazine thinks she will be the next Jessica Michibata, or maybe wants their own Marie (half model who became famous for being super rich). In any case, it will be interesting to see how Popteen changes as Popsister hopefully grows.

I dont really mind, I’m pretty young myself (not quite 12 though..) Although her fashion and modelling doesnt really seem too special. I prefer the older models because they fit Popteen… They really stand out, which is why they are models I guess… I know there is another young model… she’s 13 I believe? Anyway she is a good model and I like her/support her but Rina not so much…

I think she’s pretty but I feel very uncomfortable looking at her. Maybe it’s because I know her age and don’t think she should grow up that fast. She doesn’t even fit in with the other models in Popteen. She just doesn’t look gyaru enough yet. She would be better in younger magazines.

Wow, 12 years old. I feel that if she poses more her age, then it would be fine because it would be nice to incorporate her into the age spectrum for a teen magazine. It’ll be more natural. But that is weird how there is a 21 year old next to a 12 year old. I feel like Popteen should slowly transition to the younger age spectrums 12-18, which is probably what they’re doing.

I think she’s cute! and maybe having those older models for this magazine has been a bit dull and adding a much more younger, fresh faced model could be an inspiration. It just gets too serious when people are so concerned about the rights and wrongs. It’s a damn fashion magazine! and yes, devoted readers will always be uncomfortable with changes.

i think she’s quite pretty too
but maybe a bit young, i think modelling has a lot of adult situations that ruins your childhood pretty fast
so yeah..but otherwise, more power to her if she’s able to get pages and campaigns

how very interesting. im not much of a reader of popteen, but i can certainly see how she stands out in it.. her look certainly doesn’t scream gyaru to me. the fact that she is 12 years old with all these older models especially in the same page with 21 year old erika seems very odd. i kind of feel bad about all the negativity that is being said about her though.. hopefully she will model for other magazines that suit her better..

Hmm..hopefully Carolina won’t end up with harmful diet pills in her back to when she gets older… I think she’s to young to be featured in such magazines @_@
Thanks for this interesting post! ^-^

Jenny im not sure if you see my tweets i’d @reply you before well just want to sayy i absolutely ADORE YOU!and everytime i see ur new post im thrilled ;D!

you make a cute and much classier version of magibon! (do you know magibon?o.O)

OKAY ME ADORE YOU JENNY!
and you look really young!how old are you?20?

xx

hmmm i dont agree with pushing kids to grow up so quickly so i dont like carolina in popteen ^^
plus ive always thought popteen was a magazine aimed at highschool girls and shes too young for that age group. i think she’ll be better off in magazines that aims at primary-middle school girls~

I’m somewhat biased towards models my own age, but I don’t mind the occasional 16 or 17 yo cropping up somewhere because they all start somewhere, no? But I have to agree that 12 is a bit much. The thing with the measurements made my creepy radar go off especially because she’s just a skinny little kid!! I also wonder which ‘direction’ they might be going with Popteen now since I think Carolina’s ‘look’ fits in better with ViVi. Almost all of their models are mixed & as far as I know, none of Popteen’s models currently are.
She is a pretty girl though, so I wish her much luck in the modeling world & hope she doesn’t take the criticism too hard ;o; I really think she should have started in Seventeen before moving up to Popteen, but oh well~
You also made a good point about Wei Son, Eri & Yui being in Popsister though… Wei Son in the youngest one at 20! But at least there aren’t any 16 yo’s (yet )

well in regards to all the “shark teeth” comments; she’s still 12!!! i’m sure no one in the world had perfect teeth at 12 years old.. by the time she hits 17 or even before then, her teeth would have leveled out. LOL.

and secondly, kumicky probably just looks angry because she fears Carolina might steal her spotlight, LOLOLLL.

maybe her parents wanted her featured as a sort of birthday present perhaps?
so yeah, just me two cents into this very heated pseudo-argument hahahah.

Absolutely disgusting. Young girls her age should be out playing; not slapping on false eyelashes, teetering over high-heels, or publicly sharing the measurements of her chest. I am both alarmed and offended. Popteen should know better class and taste.

Hmm, well I’m Kumicky’s age (19 yrs old), and I’m not “too” bothered by her age..
My real concern is if she fits the “gyaru” image - which she doesn’t quite seem to.
I think she would however, look great in a magazine like ViVi,
which features predominately mixed models… Maybe in a few years…
Her being mixed does make her stand out,
and I can see why many full-Japanese readers would feel they can’t relate…
(I feel the same way sometimes when I see mixed or non-asian models)
Because they have features that are unattainable by the average Japanese/Asian…

But I feel that the whole disliking her based on how “rich and spoiled” they think she is, is silly…
Since she’s a model, and her personal life shouldn’t interfere with her life too much…
I just hope she acts like a normal 12 yr old, on top of this modeling, if that’s what makes her happy right?
The measurements on the other hand, a bit over the line. -o-;;

Carolina doesn’t really fit in Popteen for me. It feels awkward. ;A;

Carolina is adorable and in a few years, I’m sure she’ll blossom into a beautiful teen. She does have a look that seems to suit CUTiE, Zipper, Mini, et al rather than Popteen but Popteen booked *her* so everyone up in arms about how she’s “trying too hard” should take that into consideration. She is trying to suit the style of Popteen but it’s obvious the gyaru style doesn’t suit her. Blame the model bookers/magazine editors and not the model. That being said, the comments about her mixed ethnicity are kind of surprising as I don’t think anyone had trouble with Rola being in Popteen.

As for the comment about her body, Carolina is 12! She is still growing and maturing, lest we forget what it was like for us at that age. And for what it’s worth, I love her full brows and they complement her face wonderfully. I wish many girls weren’t so anxious to tame them into tiny little things! It ages your face so quickly but I suppose that might be goal… Oh well.

Wow, if i were that age, there is no way I’d be able to withstand criticism, at 12 I was the kind of kid that would tear up with that stuff!

Her legs are like a little foal - kind of scary skinny :/ I think she is pretty though, reminds me a bit of my youngest sister. The bowling cards are super cute

But yes, the measurement thing is really inappropriate! eek!

this post is really interesting.. hahaha
Actually she doesn’t look like her age when she has alot of make up on and I wont know until I read this post that.. she is actually…….. erm 12? But in certain pictures, she does really look young but not THAT childish as I expected. Well maybe it’s because she’s not a pure Asian or something. Hmm

When I saw that she’s only 12 I was like O_O! Her age doesn’t really bother me, the only thing I don’t like is that she acts like a 18 or 20 year old. Those nails and lashes don’t really fit a 12 year old in my opinion.

It also made me laugh when I saw that it says in the second picture that she’s 161 cm while in the July issue of Popteen it says that she’s 163 cm. So she grew 2 cm in two months!

I think Yui already graduated from Popteen in the issue with Kumikki and Hello Kitty on the cover. :(
I think all that makeup will damage poor Carolina’s skin when she grows older…

What a cute girl! But she’s so young! I’m not sure if this is the right magazine for her. Maybe if they waited for her to grow a bit… when she turns 15 or something. I have to agree with you, it’s freaky to see a 21 and a 12 year old on the same page.
I don’t get why everyone is complaining about her legs… last time I checked, it was nice to have long legs. If it’s because they’re thin… well, she IS 12. Her body still has to develop.
Poor her… she’s way too young to be dealing with such negativity. o.o

OMG! she is stunning… then again all the models are

I know what you mean. I think 12 is a little bit young because if she gets a lot of negetive comments that could really kill her self astem :S

Oh well I can’t wait to see more scans

I think she’s a pretty model but doesn’t fit the style of popteen and is too young
I’m also 13 and half asian/german
I like reading the magazine and seeing all the pretty clothes and makeup but all I wear is mascara and lip gloss
But things are different now and kids are trying to be more mature and grow up too fast

i don’t mind her at all. i just think she shouldn’t be putting on so much makeup seeing that she’s only 12 years old. she looks older than me, and i’m 4 years older than her.

I think she is pretty but I honestly thought Popteen was for teens like idk maybe 16 or up ( istillthink16iswaytooyounghtough) not for preteens. I like her and all but I find it a bit awkaward to find a 12 yr old as my fashion guru or icon. But i must say my respects to her because at such a young age she has to deal with criticisms not only of her peers but the whole popteen readers. Im also bias toward this i prefer to see older models in the issues, but imagine if all the older ones went to popteen then nothing but carolina models would be left for popteen :( lol. Woo U bloged for 3 nights in a row

I don’t think they should have used a 12 year old. To m that’s not being a teenager at all. That’s still being a child. I would prefer if the introduced Rina when she turned 16. I think that’s a more appropriate age for a job in the modeling world and what not. That’s just me. : p

I adore this post!! Serious journalism!!! At least the likes of which are cute-centric lol. I think the new model is gorgeous. I think its hard for me to stomach all of these biracial asian models when they are such a minority in their country. its not right! its making asian women malcontent!

if they want to feature a younger model it truly doesn’t bother me. there certainly is a prepubescent readership to popteen and now they will have someone to look to. i think she should truly be represented as a better role model. no false eyelashes for 12 year olds!!!!!

It seems to me that the Japanese get WAY more into their magazines than we Americans do. I don’t know many models names at all & rarely do I buy a magazine because one might be in it.

It does seem a bit odd to have models with such a large age gap in the same magazine, though. Once you’re in your 20s, you can hardly remember what it was like to be a pre-teen anyways! Doesn’t really matter to me either way though *shrugs*

I mentioned this before, but I’m not a fan of Carolina…she does seem just too young, her legs are like deathly thin and she’s just not…well, that cute to be blunt.

Hooo—I didn’t realize PopTEEN had such old models! Having just turned 21 I can NOT imagine working alongside a 12 year old! @_@;

And yeah, I thought that, too, about Kumicky’s awkward smile! lol

Been a lurker of your blog mainly for magazine scans, but I love reading your blog entires! So nice to meet you! Sorry for the sudden comment, but this is pretty interesting!

I think she’s really pretty! Although I don’t follow Popteen/sister (I was extremely close to buying it last time I was at the book store!), I also agree she doesn’t fit into the gyaru look. She’s too young for all that makeup. I don’t even wear that much makeup now and I’m 18. D: However, I will say she does make the clothes look good and she kind of reminds me of my cousin, who even at 12-14, can pull off just about any style of clothing, without looking too mature or overdone for her age. I guess it’s because they have similar height/proportions! But 12 really seems too young, overall.

But two things that struck to me:

1) The shark teeth: Honestly, the biggest thing that turned me off and really is a shame considering how pretty she is. I understand she’s still growing and crooked teeth is a bit more accepted there…I just found it odd seeing as I actually got my braces off at that age, if not when I was 13! Then again, I started going to an orthodontist when I was in 5th grade. Even so, my teeth weren’t that bad. I just had a huge overbite. She probably can get them fixed at this age. o_o

2) Her “long legs”: I’m 4″11 and have the same exact leg measurement, so that’s why it surprises me! (She’s about 5″2-53, I think). II’m pretty sure they appear longer because she’s really skinny for her height. I stopped growing (yeah, I’m going to be this short forever :’D) and am trying to return to that weight…I gained some pounds from high school and used to be that skinny.

Wow, she’s pretty TALL for a 12 year old! Omg, she’s almost as tall as me and she’s STILL GROWING! *jealous*

She kind of looks a bit older than 12 years old…maybe at 15 the most. But I agree! It is a bit weird to be seeing her with other popteen models who is much more older than her. Perhaps she should be featured in a much younger fashion magazine that’s for like pre-teens or something. But then again, I think it might be due to the fact that the world’s different now than it was in the past. Nowadays, you see really young girls wearing brand name clothes and carrying coach bags and all, they sort of put on this “grown up” image. I even see really young girls on the street sometimes wearing CRAZY amount of makeup and dressing all mature and somewhat slutty-ish sexy. I think now teenagers are actually growing much faster than we were in the past. It’s like of like having cellphones and iPods. Back then I didn’t even have my own very first cellphone until I was 16 and I didn’t even own my very first electronic music player until I was 18/19….like back in the time when mp3 players were still a big hit. I guess as the generation grows, things are definitely changing. Now that we’re in 2010 and approaching soon to 2011, everything is changing. We, as the part of the “older” generation might find all this change a bit strange and hard to accept, but who knows. Maybe to these little teenagers it’s the current hit and popular thing now.

I remember having a dicussion with a friend a few years back about how kids are spoiled nowadays because people have higher education now and they make more money. Therefore, they have parents who can afford to buy them more expensive things. Life wasn’t the same for us back then. Our parents were poor so most likely we couldn’t afford to buy brand name clothes and nice bags. In fact, I remember you mentioned in your blog that you grew up wearing the same clothes throughout high school and had very limited clothing. I’m pretty sure people from the generation in the 80’s has gone through the same thing as well. (I surely did!) So it makes sense why we want to relive in the moment of the past and buy clothes that makes us look more youthful because we never had the chance to wear such things when we were a teenager. Isn’t that what all these Japanese fashion magazines and 20 year old models all about? To give the older people a chance to relive their youth through fashion? While we might think it’s strange for young teenagers for trying too hard to look all grown up, they might also find it strange that WE’RE trying too hard to look young! How do we know what’s appropriate for age dressing? I think the world, or rather society, is giving us a mixed message. I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I study early childhood education, but I certianly do thinks kids are growing up way too fast nowdays. It may and may not be a good thing. Personally, it’s a bit depressing for me as I think kids don’t get to fully enjoy themselves being as kids anymore. They’re sort of pushed to pre-mature at a way too young age!!

Did my long comment just get deleted?!

I surely think it did! Good thing I copied it before posting my commment.

Wow, she’s pretty TALL for a 12 year old! Omg, she’s almost as tall as me and she’s STILL GROWING! *jealous*

She kind of looks a bit older than 12 years old…maybe at 15 the most. But I agree! It is a bit weird to be seeing her with other popteen models who is much more older than her. Perhaps she should be featured in a much younger fashion magazine that’s for like pre-teens or something. But then again, I think it might be due to the fact that the world’s different now than it was in the past. Nowadays, you see really young girls wearing brand name clothes and carrying coach bags and all, they sort of put on this “grown up” image. I even see really young girls on the street sometimes wearing CRAZY amount of makeup and dressing all mature and somewhat slutty-ish sexy. I think now teenagers are actually growing much faster than we were in the past. It’s like of like having cellphones and iPods. Back then I didn’t even have my own very first cellphone until I was 16 and I didn’t even own my very first electronic music player until I was 18/19….like back in the time when mp3 players were still a big hit. I guess as the generation grows, things are definitely changing. Now that we’re in 2010 and approaching soon to 2011, everything is changing. We, as the part of the “older” generation might find all this change a bit strange and hard to accept, but who knows. Maybe to these little teenagers it’s the current hit and popular thing now.

Wow, she’s pretty TALL for a 12 year old! Omg, she’s almost as tall as me and she’s STILL GROWING! *jealous*

She kind of looks a bit older than 12 years old…maybe at 15 the most. But I agree! It is a bit weird to be seeing her with other popteen models who is much more older than her. Perhaps she should be featured in a much younger fashion magazine that’s for like pre-teens or something. But then again, I think it might be due to the fact that the world’s different now than it was in the past. Nowadays, you see really young girls wearing brand name clothes and carrying coach bags and all, they sort of put on this “grown up” image. I even see really young girls on the street sometimes wearing CRAZY amount of makeup and dressing all mature and somewhat slutty-ish sexy. I think now teenagers are actually growing much faster than we were in the past. It’s like of like having cellphones and iPods. Back then I didn’t even have my own very first cellphone until I was 16 and I didn’t even own my very first electronic music player until I was 18-19….like back in the time when mp3 players were still a big hit. I guess as the generation grows, things are definitely changing. Now that we’re in 2010 and approaching soon to 2011, everything is changing. We, as the part of the “older” generation might find all this change a bit strange and hard to accept, but who knows. Maybe to these little teenagers it’s the current hit and popular thing now.

I remember having a dicussion with a friend a few years back about how kids are spoiled nowadays because people have higher education now and they make more money. Therefore, they have parents who can afford to buy them more expensive things. Life wasn’t the same for us back then. Our parents were poor so most likely we couldn’t afford to buy brand name clothes and nice bags. In fact, I remember you mentioned in your blog that you grew up wearing the same clothes throughout high school and had very limited clothing. I’m pretty sure people from the generation in the 80’s has gone through the same thing as well. (I surely did!) So it makes sense why we want to relive in the moment of the past and buy clothes that makes us look more youthful because we never had the chance to wear such things when we were a teenager. Isn’t that what all these Japanese fashion magazines and 20 year old models all about? To give the older people a chance to relive their youth through fashion? While we might think it’s strange for young teenagers for trying too hard to look all grown up, they might also find it strange that WE’RE trying too hard to look young! How do we know what’s appropriate for age dressing? I think the world, or rather society, is giving us a mixed message. I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I study early childhood education, but I certianly do thinks kids are growing up way too fast nowdays. It may and may not be a good thing. Personally, it’s a bit depressing for me as I think kids don’t get to fully enjoy themselves being as kids anymore. They’re sort of pushed to pre-mature at a way too young age!!

I dunno…I think that Japan is too obsessed with outer-beauty in my opinion. I mean, showing a “Hydroxycut” bottle in a magazine with a 12-year old girl in it can’t be good for little girls’ self esteem : (

I was just wondering… why are extremely long legs disgusting? Maybe it’s different in Japan, I’m not sure, but aren’t long legs and being tall something almost essential for being a model? When I looked at the pictures, at first I was thinking “Wooowww… she has really great legs!” But being 12 years old and being a Popteen model is a little strange… unless they change all the models to being in that age category, and it just so happens that Carolina’s the first one to be there.

But a lot of people said she looks older for her age. The key word here being “looks” older. If they didn’t post her age, would anyone know? Would anyone then care?

I feel sorry for her and to be so young and have so much negativity surround you, I can only imagine what she’s going to be like when she’s 20! She’s cute, tall, young, and diverse. I can see why some people would be angry because it’s like saying “hey you old 21 year old women! Look like this”. It’s strange because I wouldn’t have known she was 12, I would have guessed she was in her teens and she just had a baby face. I think because of her age so many people are getting upset and possibly jealous. It can also be a cultural thing, the average age for a model in the US/Europe is 14~15. Maybe this is a way for popteen to get more teen/preteen readers and then move all the older models to popsister???? All that matters is that she stops growing now or she’ll be taller than me

Ah, so many comments already but…
Age, race, age, height, whatever.
Carolina just doesn’t seem to be gyaru!?!?!?!? Her look screams something else.
She looks like she’d be perfect for the other magazines (in a few years…
PopTeen just seems like the most random choice!

Why did they just introduce her? Isn’t it strange to suddenly one new model? If PopTeen wants to include the younger readers why didn’t they get in more youngsters!?

I read through a lot of the comments and… I’m sorry but I think they’re kind of harsh! -_-

Yes, she is very young.
Yes, she’s a haffu model.
Yes, her teeth are slightly crooked.
Yes, she’s about 5′2″ and ~88 lbs.

Well… Really, who cares?

About her teeth… She can’t have braces unless all of her baby teeth have fallen out. And by Japanese standards, it’s completely fine to have crooked teeth. Lots of popstars, actors and actresses have crooked teeth so it’s not really a big deal.

And about her skin care regimen… Well, she IS going through puberty. We all remember what puberty was like, don’t we? Acne? Any of that ring a bell? Unfortunately, many Japanese people tend to have very oily skin. Don’t rag on her for taking care of her skin properly.

The impression I’m getting is quite different from a lot of other people’s opinions… I think that maybe Popteen wants to widen their audience. BECAUSE she’s barely 13 years old, she represents all the girls throughout Japan who are her age and are interested in the gyaru style. I mean, becoming a “gyaru” doesn’t happen overnight, does it? You don’t wake up, think “Let’s be a gyaru today!”, walk to your closet that is magically full of gyaru-style clothes and go to your vanity to put on gyaru-style make-up do you? This sort of thing takes time. She can reach out to young readers because she can relate to them. Unlike the other models who were 12 or 13 years ago, she’s experiencing the things they are RIGHT NOW. That’s important.

It’s not about comparing her to other models, IMO. But showing the growing process. Her weaknesses as a model are also what makes her a HUGE asset to the magazine.

And she’s totally beautiful. Seriously. I wish I had a face like that!

omg this is soo young!! OO
does she not have to go to school?
by the way isn’t it amazing that a half-japanese girl could become popteen-model??
anywhere she looks cute and nice^^

But for the preteens like me it’s actually good I can have a
model my age too look up too instead following models in their
twenties. Just saying

Maybe teen girls wanna look like woman. So Erika and others is such a fashion ‘reference’ and Carolina would be what they really will look like. At truly, I don’t know. I think this would be same style for girls since 12 to 30! It’s same trends, etc. But really, a 12 year old girl will never use a diet pill like a 21. And, look at her legs, it’s TOO MUCH thin! Just like a kid! She shouldn’t want to look like a normal popteen model. I think she can be in this mag ’cause she is teen, but it should be in a special page for young teens.. Like a mag section. She can’t be mixed to others.

I was thinking of acctualy discontinuing buying Popteen because I wasn’t fond of any models -none of them really inspired me. And when Rina Carolina came, it made think again! I think I will continue purchasing it because she is in it! She’s super adorable!~ But than again, I understand the whole bias thing, as a mixed person, I think thats the number one thing that attracts me to her so much - is that we have something in common.

It’s odd how although she is a spoiled girl she only has 12$ in her wallet while the others have 50 and 100?
Whatever, I like her and think she should be with the magazine but maybe when she gets older. 12 is too young.

Yes she definitely is pretty..but even if it’s popteen she’s not a teen, 12 is a preteen. Maybe Japan is taking a cue from Miley Cyrus and the sexualization of young girls. I mean wow, in the first picture with that much makeup she looks about 20.

She’s so thin O _ O ‘”’
Like, not just model-thin, but something-is-seriously-wrong thin. (Actually, model-thin is probably already something-is-seriously-wrong thin, but~ xD I digress~)
Yeah… I think that it’s fine for Popteen to want to incorporate younger models to help them connect with their younger audience, but not if they style them this way~ And they shouldn’t be sharing her measurements… it’s one thing when grown women do that, but for a young girl? That’s not healthy for her OR for younger readers. D:
And 12? So young for false lashes and super-tall heels TT o TT
Let her wait a couple of years… for now she can do more toned-down versions, no? Something like Nicola, yeah~

I read popteen to look at how TEENS dress. Twelve doesn’t even have the word teen in it :|
Her look doesn’t fit in and she is definitely too young to take all the critisism.
I’m getting distressed at all the changes in popteen in general. Especially inviting the little otaku girl in too. GREEN HAIR. That..is just distressing. All her cosplay and punk stuff belongs in a magazine like KERA.

All in all, hating how Popteen is going. If you look at all the personal profile and then look at their make up, you can see a HUGE difference between the newbies and the staples. (ex. skill in putting on fake eyelashes/the tugs on their eyelids). They need to be picking up girls because they are skilled at their fashion, not because of how young they are.

also, wtf there is a boy in my magazine. 8| He’s cute, but he’s a 15 year old boy in popteen….what?!

Wowww! She is sooo thin!!! I support her Shes sooo pretty
punks should stop being envious about her long legs >:0

I’m not really liking this idea how she’s in this magazine. Sure she is young, but I thought that popteen was girls from 16-20 or something.

I think she’s very pretty, but I don’t know if she really fits Popteen’s image because of her age. Popteen is a magazine that promotes both gyaru fashion and, to a certain extent, a lifestyle that goes along with the fashion. At twelve, she seems a bit young to be doing the same things that the older gal models are doing.

That said, I think she would be a great addition to the magazine if she was presented in an age-appropriate way- with more toned-down makeup, dressed in clothing that’s an age-appropriate take on current trends (because, let’s face it, there aren’t many places kids that age are going to get away with wearing some of the more mature trends), and doing age-appropriate things. That could really help Popteen gain a younger audience while maintaining their current readership. While her nails and false lashes are a bit much for someone that age, I think that the hair and makeup styling they’ve done for her thus far are pretty spot-on in terms of trends that would be workable for younger girls and I think that, if they continue to promote her as a child or young teen that she could be really successful with Popteen.

That does seem kind of weird that they’re going for EVERY age group, though. Haha.

-_______-;;

If you compare her to models like Rinka and Lena Fujii, their height and weight aren’t all that different; considering that Rinka and Lena are both way more filled out that Rina Carolina is…? Isn’t that kind of hypocritical then if models you admire have the same body as this new model?

Besides, Asians naturally have smaller frames than people of Caucasian descent. Take into account that she’s turning thirteen… She’s actually quite average. She just so happens to be a model as well.

Modeling isn’t a full-time job either. Popstars, actors and actresses are much busier than models are and they go to school at the same time.

Seriously, this is not a big deal!

I feel bad for her… Even if it doesn’t bother her at all… I mean, she has people on one side telling her she’s fine the way she is and people telling her things like “you’re too skinny and too young”… She must have some guts to put up with this sort of thing because honestly, if I were her, I’d cry myself to sleep hearing this kind of talk. :/

oh my gosh this whole string of commenting is too much. i can’t believe how much controversy this poor girl is getting. i’m sure its a million times worse in Japan. i wish i could protect her from all of this. please stop saying she is spoiled! just because you have wealthy parents doesn’t guarantee a spoiled child.

i think she is too young for popteen !! i agreed with what you’ve said , she should go to Nicola or something like that , it suits her more , beside she’s only in yr 7 (or 8) . i think popteen is more addressing to senior school student ( like 15 to 20+) .
honestly , the fake eyelashes on her looks really bad , in her age , with her cute childlike face , she shouldnt use fake eyelashes and strong makeup .
if she is older , it would be more acceptable for popteen readers !!
in my opinion , it will be much more suitable for her to go to a younger magazine !!!!!!

Don’t get me wrong, Carolina is a cuttle little girl but that’s just it, she’s a cute LITTLE GIRL. She’s growing all the time and she will look different in 9 years to how she does now, which would be weird (or cool?!) if she stayed with Popteen. I know they want to reach out to a younger, different demographic but I just think 12 is too young.

And I may be showing my age here, but if that was my daughter I would not be letting her wear false eyelashes, especially big ones like in the last picture.
Why can’t they just let her be a little girl. Maybe even include that in the magazine - it would be a nice change and I’m sure the younger readers would appreciate it - because I’m pretty certain that they majority of Japanese parents aren’t going to let their pre-pubescent daughters wear that much make-up D:

/rant haha

She is a beautiful young girl, but honestly, she is just waaaaaaay too young for this. I know Popteen is for “teens” but I say at least wait till she is about 16.

Its ridiculous for a 12 year old to be wearing such clothes, high heels, makeup, even falsies! Its even more irritating how shes trying to act like a woman when shes clearly still a child. I would not blame the other models for not liking her being in Popteen with them.

I know they use a lot of young models like this in Europe (I don’t like that either) but the difference I see from Popteen and Vogue is that in Vogue (and such magazines) you see the models in photoshoots, that’s it. However in Popteen it is more personal with interviews with the models, you get to see what is in their bags, they talk about their skin regime, their likes and dislikes, etc. I know for sure the majority of teens do not want to see or read about a 12 year old’s opinion. I know when me and my friends were that age, we were more interested in older girls like Kumicky, not a preteen.

Obviously its not really this girl’s fault, its her parent’s fault. Shes growing up way too fast and they are allowing/or encouraging it.

In Japan, there is nothing strange with so young models at all, ever heard of jonny’s junior boys?
A 12 year old can be superstar and none thinks its anything weird with that.

She is really pretty but too young and dosn’t fit into Popteen that well. I don’t think 12 years old is old enough to be wearing false lashes and being featured on the same page as a young woman taking diet pills and collagen supplements. I am a japanese girl and I do not like the idea of such a young girl in Popteen.

I don’t like her. Not only is she too young but isn’t Popteen supposed to be about reader-models? She really does seem like a spoiled rich girl, and it seems unfair to give the job to someone whose mom (was it?) was a model and has a lot of money the spot. besides, it seems like she’s modeled a lot before. I mean, most of the other gal models were just normal girls when they debuted and it gives a sort relate-able factor to the magazine.

I’m a year older than Rina Carolina and we’ve got almost the exact same measurements… same height (although did they measure her in heels?), weight… However I have a bigger hip and bust measurement.

Yeah I didn’t really have a point there. Just sayin’.

But I think it’s not a bad thing that they have Rina Carolina. They might reach younger readers with her because maybe more people can relate.

her ‘look’ doesn’t fit well in ‘Popteen’ but she i reckon she’d be a hit in ‘Seventeen’ playing with the more ‘innocent’ look… her weight won’t be a problem seeing as some of the models in Seventeen are taller AND weigh less than her. i don’t see how Popteen finds it appropriate to do that to a growing girl… maybe they wanted to snag her first? she is terribly cute.

Being 12 or 13, whatever…
I dont think thats a point for being a model…
People there in jp might just jealous her, ‘cuz of her beauty, figure, background etc.
As a result, they don’t praise her at all , instead of critizing…
As far as I concern, its better of her to join Vivi!
She wont have to tolerate those at all, there r more half-blooded modles, ex: Lena, Marie , jun(oh~ I love her so much;-S it’s pity that she leaves it), Sara Mary and so on.
Especially Marie, she has a lavish background too, but seldom people talk about it.
Is that just because she is older than her? I don’t think so… Maybe just because that’s popteen, its audience are chasing for NATURAL beauty, big eyes, blonde, high-standing noses…
But, here, Rina Carolina has all of them what people r jealous for…
And they r right! There r soooo many modles r teens in us, uk and eu!
That’s not a big deal for being a 12-year-old model…

popteen is generally aimed at highschoolers. and usually in our teens we want to look older, so putting in a 12 yr old is kinda silly. she does indeed have naturel beauty but should wait another 3-4 years. and by then plucking her eyebrows will be normal. im guessing that since popsister is around they are slowly trying to fix the age groups between the 2 mags. one for preteens and highschoolers that are young at heart and the other for mature teens and college/university students. just a theory.

I don’t think she’s such a good idea for Popteen. She’s twelve, for God’s sake; she shouldn’t be adorned in such mature things as cosmetics and celebrity lifestyle.