LLLLLLLllllllladies.
"Chicks like dudes who look like chicks."
Words of wisdom from a director I once had. I think this is especially true in anime, where rose-fondling bishies prance around pastel colored landscapes as sakura blossoms blow in the breeze. And the girls go wild. I could spend this post theorizing over why this is, but I'm honestly completely at a loss. Maybe we are all secretly lesbians, who knows? In any case, She-males are here to stay, so I thought it would be helpful to give you guys a list of typical bishies in anime/manga, so you knew your options. I'll be using the picture above for reference. You lucky ducks.
TYPICAL BISHIE TYPES IN ANIME/MANGA
1. The Surprise (Above Pic: Front and Center with the L'oreal hair)
You can watch an entire anime series/read the whole manga thinking this character is a female, only to later be shocked and amazed when you research the series on wikipedia and discover the opposite. These types are defined by feminine clothing and hairstyle and tend to "tee hee" a lot when they laugh. Sometimes even the other characters don't know the real gender. Sometimes the surprises themselves don't know. Super Surprise! Tee hee!
2. The I'm Trying so Hard Not to be Gay Right Now (Pic: Front and Second from the right with the half-ponytail)
The unfortunate one who everyone is secretly rooting for, but gets pushed aside for the obnoxiously cute schoolgirl. They may even give him a female love interest to throw you off, but in the end you know the bromance was always meant to be.
3. The "Nerd" (Front and far right with glasses)
Or rather, Calvin Klein's underwear model brand of nerd. The smart and usually sensitive one, although this type can also take the "evil genius" twist. He's whatever you want him to be, because he's an underwear nerd.
4. The I Would Be a Girl but I Have a Penis( Front, second from the left and blonde)
He's the damsel in distress of the series. The sweet little innocent "save me" girl but without the boobs. Usually gets allotted into the main character slot because D'AWWWWWWWW! he's just too cute. Put him on Animal Planet already! ]
5. The Rival (Front , far left and blue/white hair)
This guy says "Oh yeah, I'm gonna whoop your ass, Potter!", but we know that deep down he's a good person who will inevitably join forces with the hero to fight for the greater good, which can be anything from beating the demon king to getting laid. Depends on your priorities. Or at least, that's what we wish would happen. A lot of times this type continues to be the eternal prick. Smexy.
6. The Pirate (Back, far left and pirate hair)
The reckless endangerment advocate of our little bishie boy band. Usually fills the comic relief/womanizer/alcoholic role and never fails to get the hero into terrible trouble. Adventure is always calling his name. AARRRRRR!
7. The Bestie (Back, center and blonde)
Older, usually the mentor. Mature and most often the Mr. Bingly to the Mr.Darcy, the Ron to the Harry, the Sam to the Frodo etc of the series. He is almost good enough to be the hero, and may even get his own story line here and there, but never quite makes the cut. He lacks a certain something, which brings us to. . .
8. The "Heathcliffe" (back right and brunette)
The whole plot focuses on him, and he spends a good amount of time brooding about it. Why? Because in addition to liking guys who look like girls, females tend to like a project. Something we can fix. And what better than a world weary hero who has a dark side, but a good heart underneath it all? It's all worth it for that one smile. Unlike real life, this can work in the world of anime, which is why I think we have so many she-male heroes with whiny dispositions. This is prime boyfriend material, ladies. Get in line.
And there you have it: your basic dating options in the world of effeminate bishounen. I could have gone into more specifics, but then we would have to cover the extensive world of "The One With the Most Stupid Hairstyle", "The One Who Isn't Much Good at Anything But Still Smoking Hot", "The One With a Thing for His Sister" etc. I don't have all night. Perhaps some other time. Until then, I hope you enjoyed the article and feel a bit more prepared to
have fun otaku-ing! :)
