Bishōnen

: 美少年 【びしょうねん】
(n.) beautiful boy.

Derived from "bi", which is short for bijin (美人), and shōnen (少年).

Refers to a particular art style commonly used in shōjo manga and anime where boys and men are drawn to be more "pretty" and elegant than handsome.

Very common in the artwork of Yuu Watase and Clamp.

Bishōnen does not refer to male erotica, for which the term shōnen-ai is reserved.

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