Top Ten “New” Bishounens

Like Fushigi Yugi, Saiunkoku Monogatari is an anime filled with bishounens. The four portrayed here are just the tip (albeit wonderfully beautiful tips) of the iceberg of bishie-ness.

Apologies for the delay. I’ve been busy. And then I had to struggle with my listing, because I just couldn’t quite make up my mind for the top three ranking. But anyway. Here it is.

As sister post to Top Ten “Old” Bishounens, this top ten list is somewhat similar. The only difference is that the criteria has been changed to animes produced and/or finished after Fall 2005. That is my definition of “new”. Bishounens also refer generally to good looking guys, so there is no age limit and/or feministic connotations. For more details on my definitions, click on the above link for the “Old” bishounen list.

The Top Ten “New” Bishounens list is much harder to make than the “Old” Bishounens list… because to me there are a lot more bishounens in “new” animes than “old”. This is mostly due to personal preference, as I dislike old school style as a rule. As a result of this “spoilt for choice”, I have an extra category for runner-ups, those who almost but didn’t quite make it to the list. Reasons are given below.

Of course, keep in mind that these are all my opinion. Feel free to disagree with me, and I’ll reserve the right to do the same. After all, there are enough bishounens in the anime world for all of us.

I also hope to see more spots of pink in the anime blogsphere. Come on, people, I’m sure there is as much interest in bishounens — if not more — as in lolis.

Again, the names are arranged in the original Japanese manner of surname before given name, except for non-Japanese names, which is given as normal.

Runner-up Category

Train Heartnet from Black Cat (top left): His guise as Number 13, especially in the first couple of episodes, is seriously cool. I love his character design and clothes then. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it to the list because his subsequent change in clothes (donut buttons??????) and personality just don’t quite meet my standard. In other words, he turned out to be less bishie than before.

Hei from Darker than Black (top right): I love him. I really do. I like him both as the emotionless assassin BK-201, and as the hapless Chinese exchange student Li-kun. He is a great character, and he made Darker than Black an extremely enjoyable anime to watch. However, he doesn’t make it to the list because he is not, strictly speaking, a bishounen. He just isn’t pretty or handsome enough to be one; it has a lot to do with his appearance. He is normal looking as Li-kun, almost like an everyday ordinary guy. He is masked as BK-201. Simply, I love him as a character, but I cannot in good conscience put him on a bishounen list.

Dante from Devil May Cry (bottom left): Yes, I blogged this anime a couple times last season, until I dropped it out of lack of time and boredom. Dante is good looking, there’s no doubt about it; his character is fun and funny at the same time, yet he is undeniably cool. Still, he didn’t make it onto the list (although he was considered) because I was rather bored by the anime, and so didn’t watch enough to really get a feel on his personality. What I did see, though, was pretty un-complex and nothing extraordinarily captivating.

Chika from Zombie Loan (bottom right): Voiced by my favorite seiyuu, I did consider him for the list, but I guess I just didn’t find him bishie enough. Sure, he’s good looking; but there are more people better looking, and some not as good looking but less of a poser and/or have more complexities to their personalities. I’m not saying I don’t like Chika, though. I would love to know more about him, in fact. I totally dislike that crappy ending. But enough said about that.

Now that I’ve cleared up some of the runner-ups, may we proceed to the main course: the top ten new bishies.

10) Otani from Lovely Complex
(Voiced by Nagata Akira)

Lovely Complex is a fairly recent anime whose final episode has just been released in English subs a couple weeks ago. The story tells the tale of a tall girl and short boy falling in love, and the trials and tribulations they have to go through in the process. It’s comedic, and it’s fun. At times, it’s even touching and heart wrenching. It’s so good that I watched it even though I’m not a fan of either romance or comedy.

Briaric point of view:
Yes, my very first selection is breaking out of the mould, because there is no denying that Otani is short. In fact, he may even be shorter than me, which is somewhat of an accomplishment because I’m quite short myself. Usually, height is an important criterion in choosing a bishounen… but in Otani’s case, his sheer wackiness overwhelms the need for height, so much so that he has even managed to squeeze his way into my top ten list. Because short as he is, there is no denying that he is very good looking… and that’s not even taking into account the fact that he is funny, sincere, clueless, and cute.

But ok, the height thing is still an issue, so he’s number 10 instead of anything higher. Not to mention the fact that he could be so baka in matters of love.

(PS: The scene in which Otani spontaneously kissed Risa is sooooooo cool, it’s pretty much a major element that got him a place on this list.)

9 ) Ootori Kyouya from Ouran High School Host Club
(Voiced by Matsukaze Masaya)

Yet another shoujo anime, yet another comedy, yet another romance. Ouran talks about the girl Haruhi and her relationship with the Host Club at Ouran High, one of whom is Kyouya, the vice president. He is not the main hero, but there are a couple of episodes that concentrate on him. He is known as the Shadow King, because he can influence the president Tamaki whenever he wants.

Kyouya is the “brains” of the host club, and hence has the intelligence of a genius and the manipulative nature of Machiavelli. He is also the “cool” type of the host club, and is the third son of a millionaire (Billionaire? Zillionaire?).

Briaric point of view:
As I said in my “old” bishies post, there is nothing sexier than a man with brains, and one who knows how to use it. Kyouya is here because he is smarter than anyone in the anime, and among one of the smartest in the entire anime world. This is especially so in the anime, when he single-handedly saved his father’s company from bankruptcy, then gave it back to him.

Outwardly, he is self-centered and manipulative, and seemingly uncaring about anyone else. Yet not-so-inwardly, he cares for Tamaki and the other members of the host club… especially Haruhi. His confidence in himself is justified, and it makes him even more attractive than ever. Not to mention, that one scene in which he took off his glasses, he looked so amazingly good looking that I could do multiple fan-girl squeals.

However, he is number 9 because of fierce competition, and the fact that his character design is rather simplistic. Still attractive, of course. But like Kyo in Fruits Basket, he sort of loses out to the others.

(PS: Yes, Ouran is one of those animes that I could pick a lot of bishies to make a list. Tamaki is good looking, if I’m inclined to the blond ditz with a golden heart type [which I’m not], and Hikaru and Kaoru are both devilish handsome, especially Hikaru who is voiced by Suzumura Kenichi. But alas, one bishie per anime means only Kyouya is in the list, because he is my favorite.)

8 ) Fay D. Flourite from Tsubasa Chronicle
(Voiced by Namikawa Daisuke)

One of the two original characters in Tsubasa Chronicle, Fay is a powerful wizard who initially refuses to use his magical powers. Through the journey with his companions, Sakura and Syaoran and Kurogane, he nonetheless displays a lot of knowledge, power, and strength in aiding the quest of collecting Sakura’s feathers. He is a character who is always smiling, but under that sunny smile is a depth that is only hinted at by the opaqueness of his eyes.

Briaric point of view:
Why Fay and not Syaoran or Kurogane? The reason is simple. While I like Syaoran and Kurogane, neither are precisely bishounens as I understand the word. Personally, I find Syaoran’s appearance is rather “next door neighbor” type, and the only that truly set him apart is the look of determination in his eyes (which I admit is a great element). Kurogane, too, is too lanky for my taste.

Fay, on the other hand, is pretty much the “standard” bishie. Not only is he blond and smiling, he is intelligent, powerful, and complex. He has a tragic back story that has yet been explored in the anime. He also has this habit of hiding everything he feels behind that smile. It is precisely this mixture of strength and complexity, all hiding under a mask of good cheer, that makes him so interesting.

And yes, that intelligence as well as that calmness in the face of danger is attractive as hell.

7 ) Mochizuki Jirou from Black Blood Brothers
(Voiced by Sakurai Takahiro)

Black Blood Brothers is a vampire anime in the romanticized tradition of Western vampires. Dracula he is not, but if anyone’s familiar with recent supernatural fiction trends, the Romantic Vampire with a Tragic Past™ started by Anne Rice has taken over the gothic bloodthirsty original. And Jirou the Silver Blade is so much like the current Romantic Vampire, I can’t help but wonder if the author is a fan of English paranormal romance.

Anyway. Personally, I think that the story is rather cliché if you read/watch a lot of English vampire novels/movies. But it has its charms, significantly because of Jirou the bishounen.

Briaric point of view:
Jirou is interesting because he is funny and serious at the same time. Not to mention the perfect features. He is strong, he has a Tragic Past™, and his interactions with Mimiko are rather funny. And of course, purely from a prejudiced and subjective point of view, I do so love vampires.

Unfortunately, though, he has an appalling fashion sense. That obnoxiously red cloak, complete with that pointy, equally obnoxious redhat quite simply irritate me. So even with perfect features and a romanticized personality/past, he doesn’t get much beyond number 7.

I mean, seriously. Aren’t you offended by that ugly, ugly, ugly hat???

6 ) Tybalt from Romeo x Juliet
(Voiced by Okiayu Ryōtarō)

Who is he, you ask? He is a character in Romeo x Juliet the non-Shakespeare anime, a character who first appears when rescuing Juliet from being bisected (or was it beheaded?) by evil henchmen. Later, it is revealed that he is closely related to both the Capulet family and the Montague family, though in different ways.

Briaric point of view:
I’m sure anyone who watched Romeo x Juliet would know who Tybalt is. He is the man who overshadows the main character Romeo, the latter of whom remained a spineless wimp for the first 20 episodes of the anime. He overshadows Romeo, because 1) his personality is strong and cynical as opposed to Romeo’s soft-heartedness and naivety, and 2) his features are a grown-up, mature version of Romeo’s boyish looks. Quite simply, he possesses the physical attractiveness of Romeo (green eyes, black hair, refined features) but without that jarring soft-jaw, teeth-gritting weakness exhibited in the roundness of baby fat in his face.

And yes, I do not like Romeo, at least not for most of the series.

If I can only use one word to describe Tybalt, I would call him “strong”. Physically as a swordsman who first appeared wielding double swords (is there anything cooler than a man fighting competently with double swords?); mentally as a fighter who contrasts Juliet’s indecisiveness and uselessness at that time; emotionally as a man who eclipses Romeo’s immaturity and rose-tinted vision.

On one hand, he rescues Juliet but doesn’t cosset her. On the other hand, when Juliet begins to stand on her own feet, he does not overwhelm or hinder her and instead allow her to be independent and strong.

The only reason he isn’t further up the list is because he appeared only infrequently, and there just isn’t enough time to explore his personality. And because of this, it makes him a fairly two dimensional character. A wonderful and amazingly attractive character, yes, but not particularly complex.

5 ) Yagami Kazuma from Kaze no Stigma
(Voiced by Ono Daisuke)

Kaze no Stigma is the first anime that I blogged; it is also the first anime that I finished blogging. It has a special spot in my heart.

The story tells the tale of Kazuma, a man who has entered a contract with the Wind Spirit King. He arrives back in Japan after a couple years of absence and his exile from his fire-wielding family, the Kannagi. He reunites with his brother Ren and his cousin Ayano, the latter of whom he begins to build a subtle and romantic relationship with.

Briaric point of view:
I guess no one is surprised Kazuma is on this list. The only surprise would probably be that he isn’t higher up.

Now, I admit that I fangirl all over Kazuma in Kaze no Stigma. He is exceptionally good looking, and not in the boyish way a lot of anime characters are made to go for. There is a distinct masculine cast on his features, and I admit that is a very compelling factor.

But more important, Kazuma has a personality that romance fans would call the “bad boy” type. The kind of callous, alpha, sarcastic, and not-very-nice sort of character, one who could be summed up in a word: “jerk”. I love Kazuma, but I’ve got to admit that he isn’t always very nice. And therein lays a lot of the attraction.

But there are other attractions other than the bad boy aura and his exceptional face. There is his capability for devotion, for example. There are also his sarcastic comments that always make me laugh out loud, and his intelligence that makes me swoon. And then there is that strength, which is without equal in any other human being in the anime.

The reason he is not higher is because… he looks awful naked.

(Excuse me, half-naked.)

The episode with the hot spring was not only a crappy waste of time, it also ruined my appreciation for his sheer male beauty. I just don’t understand how a guy so good looking could look so ridiculous in a towel and nothing else. That “fan service” for female fans is as alluring as wet, dirty socks.

4 ) Naru a.k.a. Shibuya Kazuya from Ghost Hunt
(Voiced by Tai Yuuki)

Naru is the main male character in Ghost Hunt, and he pretty much carries the entire anime. The couple of episodes at the end were fairly lackluster without him, in my opinion.

Anyway. Ghost Hunt is a paranormal-mystery sort of anime, complete with ghosts, evil spirits, Christian exorcism, Buddhist chants, Taoist magic, Shinto prayers, and plain old psychic-ness. In progressing story arcs, we follow the point of view of Mai Taniyama, a member of Naru’s paranormal team (well, sort of), as they solve various paranormal mysteries. As each arc is told, more and more are revealed of the main characters. Naru’s past, in particular, is especially interesting.

The interesting thing about Ghost Hunt is that even without the bishies (of which there are plenty), there are enough twists and suspense that would keep you guessing and entranced until the very last moment. Let’s just say that it’s my favorite anime last year and probably this year as well, and leave it at that.

Briaric point of view:
Yes, I’m a big Naru fan. He rarely smiles, he is sarcastic, he is cold, and he has serious personality Issues. But so what? His scarcity of smiles only makes the rare smile that did appear all the more precious; his sarcasm and the reaction it causes in Mai only make the anime more entertaining. His coldness is just a side effect of his sheer intelligence and abilities; his personality Issues are quite simply the cornerstone of the anime. Come on, who wants to watch a humble Naru anyway? This is also the reason why I’ve always preferred the real Naru rather than the dream Naru, even back when I thought them to be one and the same.

And I’m repeating myself, but intelligence = sexy. To be honest, Naru isn’t as good looking as, say, Jirou. He probably isn’t as good looking as some characters in this anime. But no one else has his sheer charisma, or the way his eyes deepen with comprehension when he solves a mystery.

And then there are the times when he lets down the exterior cold mask. When he distracts Mai through entertainment, for example. When he saves her from falling or being crushed or whatever. When he smiles, for goodness sake!

He is number 4 because in terms of physical (and shallow) beauty he may not be at the top of the list yet.

(PS: yes, yes, I know. Lin-sama. Bou-san. Yasuhara-san. And just in case, John-san. I repeat, one character per anime. Anyway, Bou-san is my second favorite. Natural leadership quality plus strength plus funny. Way more attractive than anyone else except for Naru. *winks*)

Ok, from here on is the tough choice. I couldn’t really decide on my top three, so I decided to analyze it purely in terms of the “bi” (美, literally “beautiful”) criteria. As a result, the following is highly disputable… even for me.

3 ) Akidzuki Yōjirō from Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto
(Voiced by Daisuke Namikawa)

Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto (boy, that’s a mouthful) is a samurai anime with some elements of magic and the supernatural. The main character is Akidzuki, who is the Eternal Assassin, destined to seal the Head of the Conqueror, the Source of All Evil (more or less). For a time, he travels with this useless woman Yuyama, who is an actress and leader of a theatre troupe. Eventually, it is revealed that his relationship with this woman is not as simple as it seems.

The story is heavy on the historical details; not easy viewing for laymen and laywomen (like I am) of Japanese history. Nonetheless, the show managed to keep my attention by virtue of its very intriguing style, the fascinating traditional Japanese theatre, and of course, Akidzuki, the man who possess the sword Getsuruitō (which, beautifully, translate literally as the Sword of the Moon’s Tears).

Briaric point of view:
Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto is a unique type of anime; rather heavy, IMO, but worth it in the end. Mostly because of Akidzuki. For a person like me who has no interest in Japanese history, and zero (probably negative interest) in the female character, it is the male character that carries the entire show for me. In this case, it’s Akidzuki and his sword.

I must say, I love his sword. I also love its name. I think I’m going to poach it and use it somewhere.

Anyway. Akidzuki is this taciturn, quiet, very introvert man. He suffers from both his fate and his past; unlike other anime characters, though, he doesn’t fight against his fate (which is like, the norm for most Japanese animes). He accepts it, and moves on. He doesn’t do the emo thing, that which had been so irritating in Kamui from X: TV. The show certainly doesn’t go on and on and on about how free will is all.

Instead, we see Akidzuki, a man who accepts his fate but doesn’t quail under it. This shows a lot more strength than the usual fight-to-the-death-against-fate type of characters.

The thing about Akidzuki is that he doesn’t say much, but we know what is going on in his mind. Which is sort of interesting, seeing has how his face more often than not remains sharply focused and not much else. I think we know what he is thinking because of his eyes. He has these strong, clear eyes, with none of those gargantuan anime eyes.

And ok, I do so love a man with his sword. Especially such a pretty sword.

I’m not ashamed to admit that part of my fascination with him is that standard pose he has with said sword, lifting it to point straight ahead, right next to his face.

He is number 3 only because he is, strictly speaking, not as handsome as the above. In terms of likes and dislikes, though, I can say that he is probably one of my favorite characters of all time.

2 ) Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
(Voiced by Takahiro Sakurai)

Do I need to intro this anime movie? I doubt there’s any anime fan who hasn’t at least heard of this show. Even for people who don’t play the game (like me).

In a nutshell, Cloud is the main protagonist of the FFVII franchise, and in Advent Children, he 1) won against the evil incarnated of Sephiroth who just wouldn’t properly die, and 2) he found out that he isn’t as alone as he thinks.

Briaric point of view:
The ultimate bishounen, IMO. He has great fashion sense (doesn’t he just has the most wonderful jacket and clothes? No one, I repeat no one has yet to wear anything better with as much style), he has great looks (blond, yes, but don’t hold it against him. And the hair. I could swoon just from that tousled masterpiece), he has great techniques and skills (you don’t like his sword? His fighting style? His way of avoiding and parrying and attacking? That is pure entertainment to the utmost), and he has a personality that any woman just yearn to open up.

Ahem.

I don’t think anything more needed to be said. All the Tragic Past, Complex Character, blah blah blah.

The reason he isn’t number 1 is because close up, he has really bad skin. Well, a lot of pigmentation anyway.

(Yes, I’m nitpicking. I have got to find some bad stuff, otherwise how am I supposed to rank them????)

1 ) Shi Ryuuki from Saiunkoku Monogatari
(Voiced by Seki Tomokazu)

Number one new Bishounen is…. *drum roll* Ryuuki from SaiMono!

No, it isn’t Seiran. Yes, I’m biased and I chose Ryuuki. And yes, that’s my final decision.

Ryuuki is the main romance interest of the protagonist of Saiunkoku Monogatari, Kou Shuurei. He is the king of the country, and initially Shuurei met him because he was being a spoilt, useless figurehead in need of Shuurei’s teaching.

With each episode, though, we soon realize that he is not as foolish or careless as he appears to be; nor is he quite as simple. We realize that he has his own reason for playing a fool. And eventually, we realize that he is in fact a good emperor.

Shuurei and Ryuuki’s relationship is an ongoing plot thread, and one that I look forward to every week. It is, in fact, the main attraction of SaiMono for me, rather than the intricate plot or the abundance of bishies.

Briaric point of view:
First, I have to state that this decision is made with a lot of agonizing on my part. Ryuuki is neither my favorite character nor the character who lingers the most in my heart… but he is, without doubt, one of the prettiest characters in the anime world. Every feature of his face and body is done with utmost skill, and his dressing is unique, if nothing else.

Furthermore, he is a character that I can complete relate to. On one hand, he is needy and cute, especially when he talks to Shuurei. He has insecurities, and he occasionally morph into this devastatingly kawaii alter-ego.

But his main attraction to me is his kingliness. To be honest, previous story arcs have pretty much established Shuurei’s strength of character… at the cost of Ryuuki’s. The most recent arcs, though, not only have Ryuuki showing some of his kingly duties and leadership qualities, but also have him making a tough decision, one that could cause a rift between him and Shuurei. But in the end, he did it anyway, because he is the emperor, and he has to be strong.

Strength, in my opinion, is not exhibited by how powerful one’s sword stroke is; it is exhibited when one knows one’s duty and perform it to the fullest… even at the cost of one’s happiness.

Not to mention the fact that Ryuuki is a great swordsman, an intelligent man, and is capable of single-minded devotion.

The man is a keeper, Shuurei. Stop dithering and accept him already!

Afterword

This post is bloody long. So I’m keeping my afterword short. Note that all opinions are my own, so feel free to disagree as you desire.

My conclusion after the discussion of bishies in these two posts is that bishounens are determined by elements other than sheer physical beauty. Yes, it is an essential part of any bishounen; but what makes a bishie stands out from other bishies is his character, his brain, and his past.

Bishies are also intricately linked with favorite characters, which I found out when I couldn’t decide on whether I should pick my top three on the basic of favoritism or bishiness. So both lists are the result of a mixture between favorite characters and most good-looking characters.

Seeing as how none of this season’s anime interest me much, I’ll not be blogging any series. On the other hand, I’m currently thinking about other lists. Probably not bishie related this time, but I’ll get to work as soon as I have some time.

Until then, ja na!