Literally means "pretty boy," as in an attractive member of the male
gender. Also spelled "bishonen," and sometimes shortened to "
bish" and "bishie/bishy." It is a Japanese word, adopted by female anime fans in the rest of the
world to denote any male anime, manga, or video game character they happen to find good looking. Strictly speaking, "bishounen" should only refer to
boys under age 20, since a "pretty man" would be "biseinen." However, most people prefer to use bishounen for
men and
boys of all ages, as it is so widely used.
Opinions on which males are bishounen and which are not vary according to personal tastes. The stereotypical bishounen generally has long hair, a
slender, graceful figure, and lacks facial hair. Bishounen tend to appear androgynous or feminine. They are also likely to have certain personality traits, like sensitivity, secretiveness, moodiness, refinement, and a dark, tormented past.
This word is a noun, but is sometimes used as an adjective, as in the sentence "That
guy is so bishounen." As an adjective, the word means "having or displaying the traits of a bishounen."
