History Main / Bishonen

[[WMG:[[center:[[AC:This trope is [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1646922313052598000 under discussion]] in the Administrivia/TropeRepairShop.]]]]]]

A popular Asian character type, the ''bishōnen'', or "beautiful boy", is a male character that possesses [[AmbiguousGender androgynous]] or "feminine" physical traits. He is usually tall, slender with almost no fat and little to no muscle, and [[PermaShave no body or facial hair]]. Large, expressive eyes are almost a given, though TsurimeEyes are also common in more serious examples. In anime, many ''bishōnen'' have [[CrossDressingVoices female voice actors]], although those that don't will instead get [[VocalDissonance startlingly deep]], sexy voices. It is not uncommon for those at the more feminine end to [[DudeLooksLikeALady be mistaken for women by other characters]], or for savvier examples of the type to take advantage of such an assumption.

In the English fandom, the term ''bishōnen'' simply connotes "a really, really attractive male", but in its original usage, it refers to a specific type of attractiveness that is found in adolescents. The cutoff for bishōnen in the strict sense is around 20 years old. Beyond this age, the Japanese describe male attractiveness through terms like ''biseinen'' or ''bidanshi'' ("beautiful man") or ''ikemen'' (roughly "good-looking guy"). [[FanNickname The affectionate English fandom shorthand]] "bishie" bypasses the lexical issues somewhat. Examples of both ''bishōnen'' and ''biseinen'' should be placed on PrettyBoy. Likely to have drawn on a {{moe}} aesthetic when they were younger.

!Please do not add examples to work pages, this merely [[Administrivia/DefinitionOnlyPages defines the term]]. %%https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1646922313052598000

In the English fandom, the term ''bishōnen'' simply connotes "a really, really attractive male", but in its original usage, it refers to a specific type of attractiveness that is found in adolescents. The cutoff for bishōnen in the strict sense is around 20 years old. Beyond this age, the Japanese describe male attractiveness through terms like ''biseinen'' or ''bidanshi'' ("beautiful man") or ''ikemen'' (roughly "good-looking guy"). [[FanNickname The affectionate English fandom shorthand]] "bishie" bypasses the lexical issues somewhat. Examples of both ''bishōnen'' and ''biseinen'' should be placed on this page. Likely to have drawn on a {{moe}} aesthetic when they were younger.

Contrast {{Gonk}}, TheGrotesque, and PuniPlush. Also, contrast {{Hunk}} which can nonetheless cross over with this trope, such as for Vega from ''Franchise/StreetFighter''. Pretty girls are known as ''{{Bishoujo}}'' ("beautiful girl"), but the aesthetics of bishoujo are different, typically emphasizing cute, petite femininity rather than sleek androgyny. See {{Bifauxnen}} for ladies who conform a bit more closely to the ''bishōnen'' aesthetic. Not to be confused with the BishonenLine.

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[[quoteright:350:[[Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shot285.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Tamaki Suoh: [[SoBeautifulItsACurse so pretty it hurts]].]]

->''"What a pretty little girl! I do like 'em pretty! But look at this boy, he's even prettier!"''
-->-- '''Ultros''' (regarding Noel Kreiss), ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2''
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!!Example subpages:

[[index]]
* Bishonen/AnimeAndManga
* Bishonen/VideoGames
[[/index]]

!!Other examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Asian Animation]]
* In ''Animation/PleasantGoatFunClass: Travel Around the World'' episode 12, the goats are in France and meet a rooster man with rather long, feminine hair and an effeminate voice to fit the romantic theme of the country. He's even got a BishieSparkle.
* White Phoenix from ''Animation/QinsMoon'', does not help that he gets prettier each season due to ArtEvolution. It was even lampshaded during a mini-documentary. Zhang Liang and younger Wei Zhuang qualify as well.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
[[AC:''Franchise/{{Danganronpa}}'']]
* ''Roleplay/RouletteRampage Reloaded'': Deconstructed with Kiyoyuki Irino. He is portrayed as handsome and girls do find him attractive for his small frame and pretty boy looks, but he thinks that he's not in his ideal type of body. As an actor, he wants to get more masculine roles to play, but he can't do it with his type of body, so he dived head long into voice acting, which allowed him to play any type of role he wanted. Combine that with his insecurities about his more popular and masculine-looking older brother and his in-game mentor figure, Tetsuo Shingen, and you've got a boy who really needs to find some measure of inner peace.

[[AC:''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'']]
* ''Gankona, Unnachgiebig, Unità'': Both Italy and Japan are this. [[RatedMForManly Germany]] noticed this, even more, when they both wore kimonos.

[[AC:''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'']]
* In [[https://www.deviantart.com/misakiyu misakiyu]]'s illustrations of [[https://www.deviantart.com/slifofinadragon SilfofinaDragon]]'s ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'' fanfics, UsefulNotes/DateMasamune and [[UsefulNotes/SanadaYukimura Sanada]] [[MisterSeahorse Yukimura]]'s son Masa [[StrongFamilyResemblance resembles]] his mother with his father's hair color, and is shown to be quite attractive. His [[spoiler:SplitPersonality Sei and adopted nephew Nobushige also fit the bill]].

[[AC:Others]]
* ''Literature/AesirCrossWars'':
** Azrael wears {{Guyliner}}, has TaremeEyes, and an overall feminine appearance.
** Azazel to a lesser extent as well, with his glaring TsurimeEyes.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* ''Animation/LeafieAHenIntoTheWild'' features bishōnen ''ducks''. Wanderer has a mysterious allure and long, messy head feathers. Leafie is [[InterspeciesRomance smitten by him]] but it's unrequited.
* Quite a few of Miyazaki's male characters, such as Haku in ''Anime/SpiritedAway'' and Howl in ''Anime/HowlsMovingCastle''.
* Mei from ''Anime/OneStormyNight'' manages to be this even though he's a non-anthro goat. He's pretty and small, which contrasts with his burly and taller best friend Gabu.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Film/DeathNote'': Even though Rem was a female Shinigami in the manga and anime, she was made a male in-voice-only. The rest of her feminine-looking design is kept exactly the same.
* ''Film/{{Gohatto}}'': Sōzaburō is a new recruit who joins UsefulNotes/TheShinsengumi in the 1860s. He is a {{Bishonen}} straight from central casting: young, slender, smooth of chin, and very pretty, androgynously pretty, with long hair that falls over his brow. He's also an {{Uke}}. The only way that he deviates from this trope is that, in addition to being a rather feminine pretty boy, he's a badass samurai, possibly the best fighter in the regiment.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/TheBeastPlayer'': Damiya is described as tall, slender, and effeminately beautiful.
* Genji in ''Literature/CloudOfSparrows'' is described as 'too pretty for a man' -- as is the character's OlderThanPrint namesake, Hikaru Genji in the ''Literature/TaleOfGenji''.
* Most of the cast in ''Literature/HalfPrince'' falls into this category. The game world requires your character to resemble you, but lets people beautify themselves, and a lot of people look very lovely in game. Prince, who is actually a girl in real life and the only person playing an opposite gender in game, ends up being the single most bishie thing in existence. Only a few main characters don't take this route, with Wolf having a more mature look in real life and making himself uglier in the game, Gui turning out to be a bishie in real life and not altering his in game appearance. Nan Gong Zui, who makes himself look like a victim of TestosteronePoisoning in game, also turns out to have a very boyish appearance in the real world.
* Alcuin from ''Literature/KushielsLegacy'' has fine white hair and delicate features.
* ''Literature/TheMetamorphoses'': This counts for a great deal of the male cast in the work, the most well known being: Narcissus, Hermaphroditus, Hyacinth, Ganymede and Adonis, and among the Olympians: Apollo, Hermes and Dionysus
* Serph in ''Literature/QuantumDevilSagaAvatarTuner'' outright describes himself as androgynous. The narration mentions how pretty he is on a frequent basis.
* The boys in the [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ttkzjn_poster.jpg starting cast]] of ''Literature/TanteiTeamKZJikenNote'' are good-looking, but not this trope. But the characters added later mostly falls in this trope, in [[http://i.imgur.com/KbuqYQ4.jpg this cover]] we have Sunahara (lower right) and Mikado (upper left)--and the latter is officially recognized as "beautiful." The males {{spinoff}} series ''Genie Team G Jiken Note'''s [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/g_2shokai_s1.png starting cast]] mostly falls into this trope.
* ''Literature/TheToughGuideToFantasyland'': The "gay mage" tour companion is described as a long-haired "pretty boy" in beautiful clothing who's indicated to be quite androgynous or effeminate in appearance, and probably CampGay (at least [[AmbiguouslyGay implied to be]]).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Manhwa and Manhua]]
* Shichan from ''Manhwa/AflameInferno'' who models on the side.
* ''Manhwa/TheBreaker'': Hyuk So Chun.
* Yoo-min from ''Manhwa/CutieBoy''.
* Duo Xi from ''Manhua/DivineMelody''.
* Since the vast majority of the characters in ''Literature/HalfPrince'' are made in a video game they're all gorgeous (as players often make their characters so). The titular character is noted for being the best-looking character, since they turned the pretty effect as high as it could possibly go.
* Id from ''Literature/{{Id}}'' is the very definition of this trope. Men and women alike fawn over his beauty. Though more often than not, every person he's met has initially thought him a woman.
* ''Manhwa/LetDai'': Jaehee is explicitly stated in-series to be very literally a "pretty boy", and the artwork makes that abundantly clear. It's one of the reasons that so many girls tend to go after him.
* ''Manhwa/MagicalJxR'' has a lot of these.
* Dong-whi from ''Webcomic/NineteenTwentyOne''.
* Rai, Frank, Shinwoo, M-21 and Takeo from ''Webcomic/{{Noblesse}}''.
* Woojae from ''Manhwa/{{One}}'' has the nickname "Prince Charming" due to his good looks.
* Armand from ''Manhwa/{{Priest}}''.
* A HUGE number of the characters in ''Manhua/RavagesOfTime'' fall under this category. Most of the Water Mirror Eight Geniuses, Sima Yi, and the young members of the Yuan clan are all delicate-looking and gorgeous. Xiao Meng is the extreme, but well, [[DudeLooksLikeALady he's a eunuch, so that comes with the territory]].
* Kyu Ra from ''Manhwa/{{Rure}}'' [[spoiler:which fits with his "prince charming" image]].
* Junho from ''Webcomic/TheThreeTimes''.
* Twenty-Fifth Bam aka Jue Viole Grace from ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod''.
* ''Webcomic/WeakHero'':
** Gray is a beautiful young man, with silky silver hair, purple eyes, and long lashes. The story's inciting incident is Colton groping Gray to confirm that he's not actually a girl.
** Stephen can give Gray a run for his money with his gentle eyes and K-Pop-esque haircut and physique.
** Though not as pronounced as Gray, Alex is a slender boy with bright green eyes and long lashes.
** Jake Ji is quite pretty, with soft eyes and ginger hair, and compliments it with his fashionable style.
* Yoonsung from ''Webcomic/WelcomeToRoom305'' is so pretty that rumors spread that he crossdresses sometimes. People mistook his {{Half Identical Twin|s}} sister for him.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* Music/{{BigBang}}'s G-Dragon (Korean Pop Music) is noted in the fashion world for his androgyny and his proclivity to feminine styles while on-stage. He opens one of his songs with the lyric, "I'm still not inferior/[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3ULhmadHkg yes, I'm a pretty boy."]]
* ''Music/{{BORNS}}'', aka [[https://68.media.tumblr.com/2455459e74dd42af13ef6b6d9a3d07aa/tumblr_osf2g3SPvj1udp3vfo3_400.png Garrett Borns]], has been mistaken for a girl before, what with the long hair, slim build and flowery jackets. [[RealMenWearPink Not that he minds.]]
* Music/DongBangShinKi's Jaejoong can very well pass as one. Many people say he's an anime character [[http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/shaqziad1610/24146721/6014/6014_900.jpg come]] [[http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/17300000/jj-kim-jaejoong-hero-17347569-580-435.jpg to life]].
* In nine* nine, Music/{{Gackt}} is shown some pictures of himself when he was younger, to which he responds, "I was a total bishōnen back then...But now I'm a biseinen." The difference being that bishōnen technicality applies to only boys in their teens but biseinen applies to adults.
* KoreanPopMusic singer Music/{{Juniel}} talks about this trope in her song "Pretty Boy", saying how much she prefers one to a "handsome guy like a movie star".
-->''Short height with a round face\\
A cute guy who looks good in glasses\\
Eyes that disappear when he smiles\\
But a guy who has a child-like smile''
* Though most members of the K Pop group NU'EST could qualify (excluding Baekho), Ren is the most obvious example, bordering on [[DudeLooksLikeALady Dude Looks Like A Lady]] with his big eyes and long hair.
%%* Music/SHINee as a group can be described as this just after their debut when they decided to make a mini-drama [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QKtEnCS-zI looking like girls]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mythology and Religion]]
* Lord Krishna from the ''Literature/{{Mahabharata}}'' is painted as a beautiful 20-year-old with clear dark or blue skin, dressed in distinctive yellow silk, and with a peacock feather attached to his diadem. Despite his bishōnen appearance [[note]] the idea that pretty young men aren't badasses is a modern and very western idea. Back in the days before drug stores, being pretty was hard work. Men were depicted as beautiful ''to demonstrate their badassery'', probably because they were badass enough to spend all that effort on becoming beautiful. [[/note]], Krishna is TheAce - a superb intellectual, scholar, strategist, warrior, charioteer and ChickMagnet.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theatre]]
* Since the Creator/TakarazukaRevue is composed entirely of female actors playing both male and female roles, it's no surprise that male roles often look a little bishōnen. Case in point, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spFt2yf8D7U Wao Youka]] as Franchise/ThePhantomOfTheOpera, or [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfkbABgyVzk Shizuka Asato (Zunko)]] as Der Tod from Theatre/{{Elisabeth}}.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* Kristoph Gavin and his brother, Klavier Gavin, from the ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' series. Max Galactica and Matt Engarde in ''Justice For All'', as well.
** Most notably, the effeminate Max Galactica, with his flamboyance, camp, and pure fabulousness. [[FauxYay (Because you, too, have stolen one of Max Galactica's many, many hearts.)]]
* Yukito from ''VisualNovel/{{Air}}''. As well as a Silver-Haired TallDarkAndSnarky IneffectualLoner, [[CharacterizationMarchesOn he later shares some traits with]] [[Series/DoctorWho The Doctor]] himself!
* In ''VisualNovel/AkatsukiNoGoei'', Kaito claims his greatest skill is that he's really hot. He kind of has a point given that he can just sit down and read in public and girls will instantly come flirt with him.
* ''VisualNovel/AsagaoAcademyNormalBootsClub'' has Jared, AKA ProJared, according to his character description he's the most attractive person in school. He even [[BishieSparkle sparkles!]]
* Taichi in ''VisualNovel/CrossChannel'' has a rather androgynous but attractive appearance. He, on the other hand, is convinced he is horribly ugly for reasons that are never really revealed.
* Dev and Dominic from the ''VisualNovel/DeathRoom''. Evie flirts with Dev, while Dominic is very, ''very'' self-aware of his good looks.
-->'''Dominic:''' I know I’m the best-looking guy you’ve ever seen in your entire life, but don't let that intimidate you because I can guarantee that you definitely still have a chance with me.
%%* Being a BL game, [[CastFullOfPrettyBoys all of the main characters]] in ''VisualNovel/DramaticalMurder'' are bishonen. However, most of the protagonists are over 20, so they would technically be considered ''biseinen''.
%%* ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'': Gilgamesh, the ancient King of Mesopotania, is apparently a tall, white, red-eyed blonde who is commented on by one of the main heroines as "he looked like a model". It seems that A+ Charisma skill is justified. Too bad he´s a giant douche with an ego the size of the Universe until ''Fate/Hollow Ataraxia'', where he drinks a potion of youth and becomes an adorable well-mannered kid who wouldn´t hurt anyone. His child version is of course equally bishōnen.
%%* Pretty much [[CastFullOfPrettyBoys the entire cast]] of ''VisualNovel/GakuenHeaven''.
%%* ''VisualNovel/HatofulBoyfriend'' is the dating sim where almost all of the love interests are pigeons. The exceptions are a quail and a partridge. There is the option to see a pseudo-human alternate appearance at the introduction of each one, and these are all quite bishie even when that doesn't really fit the bird or the character (the middle-aged "fat bird" or "fluffy heretic" is just as svelte and pretty as the ones represented as teenage boys). The only exception is Okosan, who's only portrayed as a bird in a school uniform.
* The five male leads from ''VisualNovel/HiiroNoKakera''.
* Takuma and Hamaji from ''VisualNovel/H2OFootprintsInTheSand''.
* Kyousuke from ''VisualNovel/LittleBusters!''. Mio outright calls him a bishōnen one time. And in the Mask the Saito OVA, at one point he dramatically tears off his mask at sunset and sparkles fly as his hair shakes. (The sparkles being his tears from when he was crying because he was so touched a moment before, but still...)
* In ''VisualNovel/MajikoiLoveMeSeriously'' Touma is the most notable contender, but Cap also fits, both of them with fan clubs.
* ''VisualNovel/MonsterProm'': The Interdimensional Prince is a parody of this. He has all the traits and even the LongHairedPrettyBoy look, but he is so unfittingly sparkly to his surroundings that these traits make him seen hilarious.
* Mizuho in ''VisualNovel/OtobokuMaidensAreFallingForMe''. [[WholesomeCrossdresser Of course]]. That being said, he is ''quite'' pretty even when not dressing as a girl.
* The ''VisualNovel/ShallWeDate'' franchise has a lot of these in all of their games. It makes sense; they make otome and other female-oriented games.
%%* Heinz Heger in ''VisualNovel/ShikkokuNoSharnoth''.
* ''VisualNovel/SpiritHunterNG'':
** Without his [[PerpetualFrowner perpetual grimace]], Akira actually [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/death-mark/images/8/83/NG_-_Bathroom_Mirror_1.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20191011040915 looks quite nice]]. If he appreciates Kaoru's gothic lolita style, then she'll reply that he should try it for himself, since his face is pretty enough for him to look good in woman's clothing.
** Seiji is a doe-eyed pretty boy with a gentle smile and slim body. It makes his [[BitchInSheepsClothing cruel personality]] all the more surprising.
%%* Many male characters are this in ''VisualNovel/StarrySky''.
%%* Just about every male in ''VisualNovel/TogainuNoChi'', especially Rin and Akira.
%%* Pretty much the entire male cast of ''VisualNovel/UtaNoPrincesama''.
* All the boys qualify for this up to some extent in ''VisualNovel/War13thDay'' but especially Arsenik and Night. In-universe, the former more so than the latter.
-->'''Brooks:''' I’ve seen that tight blonde you’ve been eyeing. Now, he is ''fine''.
* ''Franchise/WhenTheyCry'':
** ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'': Keiichi is noticeably pretty, and even [[BishieSparkle sparkles]] a couple of times, as well as Satoshi, who is a more extreme example than Keiichi and is even voiced by a female.
** ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'' has the absolutely adorable Kanon, not to mention Battler. George was made to be this in the anime and the UpdatedRerelease for the [=PlayStation=] 3, but in the original sound novels, he's rather plain in comparison to Kanon and Battler. [[spoiler:Kanon is a complicated example. He is the same person as Shannon. Their true identity, Yasu, is female-identified but heavily implied to have been RaisedAsTheOppositeGender after she received injuries to her genitalia as a young child. This left her with complicated issues involving her gender]].
* ''VisualNovel/YoJinBo'': Bo is considered [[DudeLooksLikeALady so pretty he's practically female]] by the other characters; he's annoyed when [[EvenTheGuysWantHim a crossdresser hits on him]], but plays this to his advantage and says he should be allowed to guard the Princess during her bath because he "looks androgynous" with his long hair and wouldn't disturb her as much as the other guys.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* In ''Webcomic/{{Adventurers}}'', Khrima's final boss form is described as such, due to the BishonenLine.
* ''Webcomic/ErikaAndThePrincesInDistress'' : Most men seen in the comic have very pretty and effeminate looks. While part of it (notably their large, expressive eyes) is due to Yatuu's art style, it is mostly a consequence of the inversion of gender roles. Being the "weaker sex" translates to more slender and graceful physiques, and men are shown to be subject to strong standards of beauty; facial and body hair are notably considered "ugly" by most women, and thus the vats majority of male characters [[PermaShave don't sport any]].
* ''Webcomic/YokokasQuest'' has Azha, Mao, and all of Copycat's forms shown so far.
[[/folder]]

[[WMG:[[center:[[AC:This trope is [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1646922313052598000 under discussion]] in the Administrivia/TropeRepairShop.]]]]

[[WMG:[[center:[[AC:This trope is [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1646922313052598000
under discussion]] in the Administrivia/TropeRepairShop.]]]]]

under discussion]] in the Administrivia/TropeRepairShop.]]]]]]

The appearance and behavior of the archetypal ''bishōnen'' is often used to explore sexuality and gender norms. Thus, YaoiGuys have a tendency to be this.

* ''Animation/PleasantGoatAndBigBigWolf'': In ''Pleasant Goat Fun Class: Travel Around the World'' episode 12, the goats are in France and meet a rooster man with rather long, feminine hair and an effeminate voice to fit the romantic theme of the country. He's even got a BishieSparkle.

* Lord Krishna from the ''Literature/{{Mahabharata}}'' is painted as a beautiful 20-year-old with clear dark or blue skin, dressed in distinctive yellow silk, and with a peacock feather attached to his diadem. Despite his bishōnen appearance [[note]] the idea that pretty young men aren't badasses is a modern and very western idea. Back in the days before drug stores, being pretty was hard work. Men were depicted as beautiful ''to demonstrate their badassery''. [[/note]], Krishna is TheAce - a superb intellectual, scholar, strategist, warrior, charioteer and ChickMagnet.

* Lord Krishna from the ''Literature/{{Mahabharata}}'' is painted as a beautiful 20-year-old with clear dark or blue skin, dressed in distinctive yellow silk, and with a peacock feather attached to his diadem. Despite his bishōnen appearance [note] the idea that pretty young men aren't badasses is a modern and very western idea. Back in the days before drug stores, being pretty was hard work. Men were depicted as beautiful ''to demonstrate their badassery''. [/note], Krishna is TheAce - a superb intellectual, scholar, strategist, warrior, charioteer and ChickMagnet.