SHOJO MANGA: Aspects on Cute and Beauty and Ideal Men

SHOJO MANGA

Aspects on Cute and Beauty and Ideal Men

In Japan where reading manga is considered one of the mainstream cultures, manga reflects the cultural ideal and social norms in the society along with reproducing them. Genres of manga are classified according to the genders and ages of the readers into four categories including, Shojo (aims for girls), Josei (aims for adult females), Shonen (aims for boys), Seinen (aims for adult males), and Kodomomuke (cartoon for kids). Though manga readers can choose to consume the genre according to their personal preferences rather than by the suggestive prescriptions, each genre renders themes and portrays the distinct stereotypes towards gender roles prescribed for males and females in Japanese society. In general, almost all boys’ manga have a common theme of competitive fighting, superhero, adventure, etc. while girls’ manga mostly dominates love as the main subject.

Shojo manga in comparison with Shonen manga

This article is going to emphasize on the genre called Shojo and its stereotypes in the aspect of beauty, cute, and ideal men through its general characteristics, and how it may contribute to the society. Shojo manga aims at girls between the ages of ten and eighteen. It tends to focus on romance and interpersonal relationships—though this does not mean they are necessarily without action or adventure. It commonly have female as the leading character, with an exception for its sub-genre male homosexual love manga (Yaoi).

CUTE AND BEAUTY ASPECTS

The visual representation of Shojo characters tends to project the sense of cuteness and beauty through its drawing style. This includes, for example, how the character looks, hair, eyes etc. The size of the eyes is kept exaggerated to be bigger than reality because it is easier to narrate the character’s feeling and becomes the visual iconography of being ‘cute’.

The aspect of cute works relatively with the aspect of innocent and purity, therefore, the cute character normally have bigger eyes than the mature and beautiful ones. In fact, the human figures drawings is not the only component where the aspect of cute and beauty are implemented but actually everything is meant to look pretty. Techniques such as adding love flowers, love bubbles, and other pattern details can be seen throughout this kind of manga, aiming to create a nice pretty drawing along with conveying the mood of the characters and enhancing the readers’ emotions and empathy to the story.

Furthermore, girls characters in Shojo manga mostly behave cutely and girly, recognized by the acts of being shy and timid, in need for the protection. The leading and protective role are assigned to the male characters. With a classic conventional story line where at the end, the guys like this kind of personality and they end up loving each other. It gives an understanding to an immature readers that by behaving like the manga characters will make them succeed in winning the heart over their love ones. This becomes one of the influential factors in the male dominated society like Japan. Examples of this kind of the story line can be seen in Kimi ni Todoke, Itzura na Kiss, Kokoro Button, Ouran High School Host Club, etc.

Shojo manga eyes details

The cute characters normally have bigger eyes than the mature and beautiful ones

Everything is meant to look pretty in Shojo manga

Girl characters commonly behave shyly and timidly

On the other hand, in the Shonen manga where the concept of cute and beauty is based on men’s perceptions, girl characters tend be designed with the focus on the body rather than the facial and hair details. They may features such as big hips and boobs and mostly portrayed a little bit on the sexy side rather than being cute.

Girl character portrayed in Shonen Manga

THE IDEAL MEN

While Shonen manga adores the sense of muscularity in men body with simple detailed face and brave and adventurous personalities, Shojo manga prefers a nice looking face with less details on the body part. Similar to the Shonen men characters where the size of the eyes does not have to be big, but this does not mean the reduction over the drawing details. Shojo’s ideal men does have to be brave though not in a sense of fighting against the evil but more on to protecting the female character. By that, there is no requirements over the exaggeration over the masculine features but just being taller and bigger than the girl character.

With Shojo's narrative style using delicate and detailed drawings, readers tend to be empathized in the girl character. The emotions and empathy received through the girl character are created as well as in the readers' minds. This includes the impression and belief of the ideal of the man. The male that is kind, mature, protective, and most of the time take a lead in decision and acts.

Shojo men donnot require exaggerated masculine traits but rather pretty faces