Meaning
What does Gravure Idol mean?
A gravure idol or gradol for short is a young, female Japanese model, appearing mainly in mens magazines, as playfully sexual and suggestive.
They’re usually young in appearance, resembling teenagers of girls in their early twenties.
Origin
What's the origin of Gravure Idol?
Their name comes from a kind of printing in Japan, rotogravure, which is used to produce magazines and newspapers.
These kinds of magazines, with these models started to appear shortly after the invention of the rotogravure technique, giving them the name; Gravure idol. Women have been used for advertisement for centuries, all over the world, Japan included.
Spread & Usage
How did Gravure Idol spread?
Gradols have become a big thing with the growing popularity of Japanese culture and artworks. We can often find some kinds of magazines in a weeb’s closet, with cute, smiling gravure idols winking at us sportively.
Many gravure idols also perform as AV idols, short for Adult Video, so that sexually attractive smile actually reflects something, beyond the acted out innocence of the model.
External resources
- Urban Dictionary – Gravur Idol