Bishounen for those not in the know, is a Japanese word meaning, literally, “beautiful boy.” While it used to refer primarily to an ideal of a youthful and pretty boy, it has now expanded to refer to an entire character archetype within anime and other media: a beautiful adult male with fine features, long and/or well-styled hair, and a generally refined demeanor. While they’re most often found in anime for girls and women, such as Kyou Kara Maoh and Fushigi Yuugi, there are plenty of … [Read more...]