Line #30 Main/OtokonokoGenre


1	[[quoteright:339:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/IAmAnOtokonokoComposite_9010.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:339:An author and [[WholesomeCrossdresser his]] manga.]]
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4	"Otokonoko", also known as "Otoko no Musume", is a Japanese genre of romantic and/or erotic stories for men, focusing on AttractiveBentGender male {{Crossdresser}}s. The name is a pun.[[labelnote:Details]]The word "otokonoko" normally means "boy" (literally "male child"), but swapping the "ko" meaning "child" for a different "ko" meaning "girl" gives a compound that Japanese sites like to translate as "male maiden".[[/labelnote]] It is sometimes called '"josou" ("women's clothes"), a more generic term for male crossdressers. Western fandom uses the terms "trap"[[note]]This word is offensive when directed at transgender people.[[/note]], "femboy", and -- less often -- "tomgirl" (as the opposite of {{Tomboy}}).
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6	Otokonoko features both girl-on-crossdresser and guy-on-crossdresser stories (it's one of the few places where you will find M/F stories and M/M stories side-by-side in the same magazine). The target audience is men who crossdress (or are interested), and men who have a fetish for crossdressers, and the art styles and tropes are typically those of male-oriented romance/{{ecchi}}/{{hentai}} material. There is also a significant PeripheryDemographic of female readers. (Although guy-on-guy otokonoko is often mistaken for YaoiGenre, and some Shoujo, Josei, boys love works, and {{otome game}}s do include characters that identify as otokonoko, anything targeted to women is ''not'' the otokonoko genre.)
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8	Although cute crossdressers in romantic situations have been an occasional theme in {{shonen}} and {{seinen}} since the '80s, otokonoko did not start as an identified genre until about 2004. Most works created before this are not usually considered part of the genre, although some have been grandfathered in.
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10	An otokonoko character must be anatomically male (no {{Hermaphrodite}}s or {{Gender Bender}}s) but look convincingly like an attractive girl. Most identify as male, but even when the character identifies as female, few works try to deal with actual UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} issues in anything like a realistic way. Since otokonoko is mainly an {{otaku}} thing, otokonoko are quite likely to wear SailorFuku, {{Meido}}, {{Miko}}, CatGirl or {{Naughty Nurse Outfit}}s as well as "ordinary" female clothes.
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12	Some non-fiction magazines exist to provide advice and help with crossdressing for men who identify as otokonoko in RealLife and who crossdress to achieve the look (or want to).
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14	Most otokonoko is technically {{seinen}}, although some is {{shounen}}. ''Works aimed at a female audience are never this, so don't list {{shoujo}}, {{josei}} or [[BoysLoveGenre boys' love]].''
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16	If you are looking for people who are otokonoko, you may be looking for DudeLooksLikeALady.
17	----
18	!Examples:
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20	[[AC: The following works either technically aren't Otokonoko or precede the establishment of Otokonoko as a genre, but have been influential in its development:]]
21	* ''Manga/MariaHolic'' - The inspiration for dozens of "boy crossdresses to infiltrate an all-girl's school, gets involved in pseudo-lesbian sexual hijinks" stories, although it's not the first to do this. It's not quite an example of the genre (in ways, it's almost a parody of it, actually).
22	* ''Franchise/TheIdolMaster'' - It has two iconic otokonoko characters, [[VideoGame/TheIdolmasterDearlyStars Ryo Akizuki]] and [[VideoGame/TheIdolmasterSideM Saki Mizushima]], the latter whom is voiced by an actual otokonoko. However, they are but two characters in a huge franchise; ''[=SideM=]'' is mainly aimed at women (though Saki is very popular with men), and Ryo stopped crossdressing in the TrueEnding of ''Dearly Stars'' and his subsequent appearances in ''[=SideM=]''. The two are total opposites when it comes to why they came to do it: Ryo was forced into it at first but came to love the people he knew while on the job, and Saki adores the practice, but was inspired to start crossdressing in the open after Ryo confessed the truth to his fans.
23	* ''VisualNovel/{{Happiness}}!'' - Jun is pretty much the type-model for the "guy meets cute girl, finds out girl isn't a girl, decides he doesn't care" plot. Doesn't quite fit into the genre, as Jun is only one of a number of possible {{Love Interest}}s in the game and is mostly a side-character in the anime adaptations. On the other hand, Jun is also heavily implied to be transgender and can be romanced as a boy or, via magic, a girl.
24	* ''Manga/NoBra'' - Like ''Happiness!'', a model for the "guy meets cute girl, finds out girl isn't a girl, decides he doesn't care" storyline. Predates the genre, sometimes grandfathered in as it otherwise fits quite well (though it's implied that Yuki is transgender).
25	* ''Literature/BakaAndTestSummonTheBeasts'' - Hideyoshi is an icon for the subculture. Doesn't quite fit into the genre, as it doesn't focus on Hideyoshi's love life (he's only a side character).
26	* If you were to explain otokonoko to someone, Bridget from ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' would probably be the first character to come to mind for many (at least in regards to her ''XX'' appearance), but she's not the focus of the series and the series predates the genre by a few years. And when Bridget appears in ''VideoGame/GuiltyGearStrive'' after a long absence, [[LGBTAwakening she's a genuine transgender woman]], making her no longer even relevant to the concept.
27	* ''Manga/WanderingSon'' - The three "crossdressers" are all UsefulNotes/{{transgender}}, but the series is often mistaken for at Otokonoko series. ''Waai'' did run some articles and ads for the anime adaptation.
28	* ''Manga/StopHibarikun'' - Hibari is well-known as a classic in the genre, but predates it by at least twenty years, being from TheEighties. From a modern perspective, the protagonist also seems much more like a transgender girl than a crossdressing boy, though the author has referred to Hibari as a boy (and an ''otokonoko'' specifically).
29	* ''Manga/PrincessJellyfish'' - Kuranosuke is an icon, well known for being both incredibly fashionable and a rare adult crossdresser, and the series does focus on the SiblingTriangle. But it doesn't quite fit the genre, being a manga {{josei}} (aimed at young adult women).
30	* ''Manga/WJuliet'' - It is about a boy pretending to be a girl at school so his father will let him become an actor. However, his female LoveInterest is the lead, and the manga is {{shoujo}}.
31	* ''Manga/UsotsukiLily'' - A parody on the genre aimed at the {{shoujo}} crowd.
32	* ''Manga/LoveMeForWhoIAm'' - The series is about male assigned at birth people working in dresses at a cafe, and the characters do call themselves "otokonoko" sometimes, but the protagonist is explicitly non-binary and at least two other characters are trans girls.
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34	[[foldercontrol]]
35
36	%%The following examples are in alphabetical order per section. Please place new examples in the appropriate spot.
37
38	[[index]]
39	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
40	* There are a couple of magazines that focus specifically on otokonoko manga:
41	** ''[=WAaI!=] boys in skirts'' (more clean) (suspended indefinitely as of early 2014)
42	*** ''[=WAaI!=] Mahalo'' - A spinoff magazine focusing on manga. Cancelled after about 6 issues.
43	** ''Oto★Nyan'' (more raunchy) (on a most likely permanent hiatus as of summer 2013)
44	** ''Otoko no Ko Comic Anthology'' (filthy)
45	** ''Otokonoko HEAVEN'' (even more filthy)
46	* ''Amahara-kun +'': A sociopathic tomgirl tries to convert other boys into tomgirls by whatever means necessary, and often ends up helping them in some way.
47	* ''Manga/BokuToBoku'': A girl who looks like a boy befriends a crossdresser.
48	* ''Manga/BokuraNoHentai'' is light on the {{Fanservice}}, but it's {{seinen}} and therefore fits the "targeted towards men" part. Notably, one of the three main characters is explicitly UsefulNotes/{{transgender}}, while the other two are boys who are crossdressing for personal reasons. The series comes off as a GenreDeconstruction as with its cute art style and "Middle school crossdressers" premise it seems to be normal game, but the cast has a serious case of DysfunctionJunction and the series handles its topics seriously.
49	* ''Manga/BrockenBlood'': a borderline example, started off as a gag comedy with a crossdressed [[MagicalGirl Magical Boy]] but has increased the crossdressing-fanservice levels to appeal to otokonoko fans.
50	* ''Manga/CrossplayLoveOtakuXPunk'' is a romcom about two crossdressing boys, a gloomy otaku and a delinquent, who hate each other's male identities, but are attracted to the other's fem alter ego, without knowing they're not a girl. Hilarity ensues.
51	* ''Manga/ExcuseMeDentistItsTouchingMe'' follows a yakuza member who falls for his attractive female dentist, not realizing that she's actually a crossdresser and a member of a rival yakuza group.
52	* ''Manga/HandsomeGirlAndCrossdressingBoy'' is about a WholesomeCrossdresser guy who starts going out with an assertive {{Bifauxnen}}.
53	* ''Manga/HikarutoHikari'': A young boy is made to crossdress by his childhood friend for a singing contest, and discovers that he is far more confident in himself as his new alter-ego.
54	* ''Manga/{{Himegoto}}'' by Norio Tsukudani, a rare 4-koma work (at least the first few chapters). The first in the genre to get an anime, though it was badly received.
55	** ''Manga/HimegotoPlus'': A spinoff focusing on the main character's little brother.
56	* ''Manga/ImARoyalTutorInMySistersDress'' revolves around a boy impersonating his older sister in order for the both of them to avoid execution.
57	* ''Manga/IThinkITurnedMyChildhoodFriendIntoAGirl'': A guy's childhood friend lets him practice makeup on him, and discovers that he likes presenting femininely. The guy finds himself attracted to his friend's new feminine appearance.
58	* ''Magazine/JosouShounen'', An ongoing (as of 2014) manga anthology featuring cross-dressing boys. The majority of the stories have romantic elements to them. Some more notable recurring series include the following-
59	** ''Manga/HatsuKokuhaku'': A boy is [[DraggedIntoDrag roped into cross-dressing]] in order to get closer to a classmate he likes... initially, anyway.
60	** ''Manga/ZenryokuOtome'': A cross-dressing boy becomes infatuated with the person who saved him from a perverted train passenger.
61	** ''Manga/HarunoToNatsukawa'': A student's male friend takes his entrance into high school as an opportunity to make his cross-dressing debut. Hijinks ensue as the friend attempts to get closer to the student.
62	* ''Manga/MayoElleOtokonoko'': would be yet another "boy crossdresses to infiltrate an all-girl's school, gets involved in pseudo-lesbian sexual hijinks" story, except that [[FlockOfWolves most of the "girls" aren't...]]
63	* ''Manga/MyCuteCrossdresser'': a guy who likes doing makeup convinces a classmate to crossdress so he can use him for practice, gets turned on by the result. One of the first in the genre to be officially published in English.
64	* ''Manga/OnnanokoTokidokiOtokonoko'': yet another "guy meets cute girl, finds out girl isn't a girl, decides he doesn't care" story.
65	* ''Manga/OokamiShounenWaKyouMoUsoOKasaneru'' is about a NiceGuy with the FaceOfAThug. Being rejected by the girl he loves he runs to his CoolBigSis for help. She drugs his coffee and makes him look like a girl. Now he saves the girl he loves from some real thugs and LoveInterest reveals she has a crippling fear of boys. After a while he finds out that he actually likes being dressed like that more as he can be himself without people fearing him.
66	* ''Manga/PastFuture'': A boy starts crossdressing to try and bond with his disapproving and distant sister.
67	* ''Manga/PorteTricolore'': A short-lived SliceOfLife series set in a magical world where only tomgirls can use magic. Notable for implying that most of the cast is actually intersex in some way.
68	* ''Manga/PrunusGirl'': yet another "guy meets cute girl, finds out girl isn't a girl, decides he doesn't care" story.
69	* ''[[Manga/ReversibleSchoolLife Reversible!]]'': An all boys school that at first glance seems to be coed due to the eccentric dress code, and the relationships that develop there.
70	* ''Manga/SazanamiCherry'': A boy confesses his attraction to a girl but it turns out the girl is a crossdressing boy. In this case, Ren has an AmbiguousGenderIdentity and is implied that he's actually a trans girl who hasn't began identifying as so yet.
71	* ''Manga/TheSecretDevilChan'': Guy wishes for a HotAsHell devil to take his virginity, gets a cutie, freaks when he realizes he forgot to specify ''female'' cutie.
72	* ''Manga/SenseiAnone'': A hapless male high-school teacher gets pursued by an also male student who wears girls' clothes.
73	[[/folder]]
74
75	[[folder:Literature]]
76	* ''Literature/OtokoNoKoWaMeidoFukuGaOsuki'': Four cute girls open and run a maid cafe (spoiler: they're not girls)
77	[[/folder]]
78
79	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
80	* ''VisualNovel/OtobokuMaidensAreFallingForMe'': Possibly the original "boy crossdresses to infiltrate an all-girl's school, gets involved in pseudo-lesbian sexual hijinks" story; released at a point where the genre didn't have a name and consequently advertised as "[[YuriGenre Girls Love]]" even though the main character is male.
81	%%Removed from index formatting because Hentai works don't usually get links, but not linking it would add the first link in the bullet point to the Otokonoko Index%% [[/index]]
82	* ''Josou Jinja'' and its sequels are fairly generic otokonoko gay {{Hentai}} KineticNovel, mainly notable for the first installment of the series being the first visual novel in the genre to be not only released in English but also given a widespread release on Platform/{{Steam}} and Website/GOGDotCom (under the name ''Trap Shrine''). [[index]]
83	* ''Otome * Domain'' features an otokonoko protagonist who is admitted to an all-girls' school by a rich young lady, who also offers him a place to stay. The only caveat: He must pose as a girl.
84	[[/folder]]
85
86	[[folder:Real Life]]
87	* ''Magazine/OtokoNoKoClub'' is a nonfiction magazine aimed at otokonoko which provides tips and techniques for crossdressing.
88	* ''[[Manga/WagahaiWaOtokonokoDearu Wagahai wa "Otokonoko" dearu!]]'' (''I am an Otokonoko!''): [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-11-18/ex-johnny-jr-idol-makes-cross-dressing-essay-manga A manga how-to guide]] for otokonoko hopefuls written by Nanami Igarashi, son of {{shojo}} manga artist Creator/YumikoIgarashi and voice actor Creator/KazuhikoInoue and himself an otokonoko.
89	[[/folder]]
90	[[/index]]

Context Main / OtokonokoGenre