The term is a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsJapanization of "men". This term has been used to reference good looking men featured in

Japanese pop culture Japanese popular culture includes Japanese cinema, cuisine, television programs, anime, manga, video games, music, and doujinshi, all of which retain older artistic and literary traditions; many of their themes and styles of presentation can be tra ...

. Ikemen are typically characterized as being sharply dressed individuals with slanted, intelligent eyes, husky voices, slender wrists and fingers, a manly build, an unruffled appearance, pale skin, and clean smelling with an air of mystery around them. Ikemen are typically reserved with the ability to become passionate in their interests with the impression that they are literary geniuses.

History

It is believed that the concept of ikemen and older,

masculine Masculinity (also called manhood or manliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as socially constructed, and there is also evidence that some behaviors con ...

men may have stemmed from a stylized transformation of the aesthetic of a beautiful boy-like nobleman during the

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...

kabuki is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. Kabuki is thought to ...

plays.

In media

The concept of ikemen has been developed for various Japanese dramas such as ''

Ikemen desu ne is a 2011 Japanese television series and a remake of the 2009 South Korean series ''You're Beautiful''. Plot Miko is a 20-year-old girl. She is pure but prone to make mistakes. Since her father, who was a composer, died, grew up at an orphanage ...

(''美男ですね'')'' and Korean dramas such as ''

Winter Sonata ''Winter Sonata'' () is a 2002 South Korean television drama series, starring Bae Yong-joon and Choi Ji-woo. It is the second part of the season-themed tetralogy '' Endless Love'' drama series directed by Yoon Seok-ho. Filming primarily took pl ...

'' (겨울연가), and ''

Stairway to Heaven "Stairway to Heaven" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in late 1971. It was composed by the band's guitarist Jimmy Page and lead singer Robert Plant for their untitled fourth studio album (often titled ''Led Zeppelin IV'') ...

(''천국의 계단'')''. Unlike popular men in American culture who are popular due to their outstanding physical and personal attributes, ikemen often focus on “feminine” qualities that balance out masculine qualities of a good looking man. Ikemen in Korean and Japanese dramas are showcased as having patience, gentleness, and the ability to self-sacrifice for the woman they love while being able to express a wide range of human emotion. These traits are seen as desirable, as Japanese culture finds clever, self-centered, and larger than life figures to be both intimidating and appealing. Ikemen characters are seen in various genres of anime and manga, especially in dating simulations and visual novels for women (also known as

otome game An , is a story-based video game that is targeted towards women. Generally one of the goals, besides the main idea/goal, is to develop a romantic relationship between the female player/main character and one of the second-lead male characters. His ...

s). Men in visual novels such as '' Hakouki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom'' (薄桜鬼〜新選組奇譚〜) and manga such as '' Ikemen Paradise'' (花ざかりの君たちへイケメン♂パラダイス) often are portrayed as mysterious, strong, damaged, and passionate men who often have a throng of female admirers. Professional wrestler

Jiro Kuroshio is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by the ring name . He is perhaps best known for his work in the Wrestle-1 promotion, where he was a former two-time UWA World Trios Championship holder before leaving the promotion in January ...

portrays an Ikemen character, reflected in his ring attire, hair, wrestling style and mannerisms. He has also adopted "Ikemen" as part of his

ring name A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projecting ...

References

{{reflist, 30em Male beauty Japanese popular culture Japanese words and phrases LGBT and society Terms for men Male stock characters in anime and manga

History

In media

See also

References