![1boy absurdres androgynous bishounen blue_eyes bridal_gauntlets chinese_armor chinese_clothes closed_mouth commentary_request cowboy_shot csyko eyebrows_visible_through_hair fate/grand_order fate_(series) flower from_side gao_changgong_(fate) hair_between_eyes highres holding holding_mask holding_sheath holding_sword holding_weapon horned_mask leaning_forward looking_at_viewer male_focus mask mask_removed md5_mismatch pink_flower plum_blossoms pom_pom_(clothes) sheath sheathed short_hair solo sword tassel tree tree_branch weapon white_hair rating:s score:5 post #3349855](/cdn_image/preview/ed/2b/ed2bb081a47a6f7fdba161f44d3a6ab7.jpg)
Bishōnen (美少年, also transliterated bishounen), is a Japanese term literally meaning "beautiful youth (boy)". The equivalent English concept is "pretty boy".
The term describes an aesthetic that can be found in disparate areas in Asia: a young man whose beauty (and sexual appeal) transcends the boundary of gender or sexual orientation.
Bishōnen are usually drawn delicately, with long limbs, silky or flowing hair, and slender eyes with long eyelashes that can sometimes extend beyond the face. The character's "sex appeal" is highlighted through introducing the character by using an "eroticized" full page spread.
Bishōnen characters are fairly common in manga and anime; a heavy number of male characters show subtle signs of the bishōnen style, such as slender eyes or a feminine face.
There also exists an older variant: ''biseinen'', who have the same pseudo androgynous beauty, but are older than the "shonen" category (that is, older than 18).
The following tags are aliased to this tag: bishounens and bishonen (learn more).