is a Japanese term for men who have a culturally feminine gender expression. This includes, among others, males with feminine appearances, or those cross-dressing. "" is a play on the word ("boy", from the characters for 'male' and 'child'), which is also pronounced ; in the slang term, the kanji for "child" () is substituted with "daughter"/"girl" ().
The term originated in Japanese manga and Internet culture in the 1990s, but the concept reflects a broad range of earlier traditions and examples of male cross-dressing in Japan, such as in kabuki theater. Its popularity increased around 2009, with the rise of dedicated maid cafés, fashion stores, cosmetic products, and a range of popular media in the culture. It is often combined with the cosplay of female fictional characters by men (crossplay).
By extension, is also a genre of media and fiction about feminine-looking or feminine-dressing men, and often contains erotic or romantic elements. It is mainly aimed at male audience but also appears in a lot of manga. characters have also begun to appear in mainstream Japanese popular entertainment such as manga, anime, and video games.
See also Effeminacy Femboy Genderless fashion in Japan Köçek Onnagata
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