tuneout:

Something curious that I’m not sure translates well when it comes to Karamatsu’s painful fashion is his infamous sunglasses. In Western countries, sunglasses are as functional as they are cool, and lighter colored eyes are more prone to sensitivity toward the sun. Dark brown Japanese eyes are typically more resistant to the sun. For a first hand account, when I wear sunglasses in Japan, I always receive stares for doing so. You will not see a lot of sunglasses there outside from (usually) young people wanting to make a fashion statement. 

Because eye contact is so important in Japanese communication (it’s how emotions are understood), I find Karamatsu’s sunglasses especially interesting as he is someone who resists being his “true self” (i.e., when his cool guy voice cracks). Whether or not this was intentional or just him following Western fashion trends the same way he picks up English words is anyone’s guess, but I thought it might be interesting to point out the anomaly in his fashion and perhaps part of the reason why people find it so cringe-inducing.