Whoever you may be, it’s natural to be drawn to someone who is attractive and charismatic, whether they are real or fictional. In anime, boys and men who are gorgeous and charming are called bishounen and bidanshi. Simply put, bishounen means “beautiful boy” while bidanshi means “beautiful man”. Mostly, these types of characters get a lot of attention from both genders. Every time these characters show up, females begin to blush and swoon while males envy them, or perhaps even idolize them.
However, until now, most of the English speaking anime community is still vague about the difference between bishounen and bidanshi. The result is: the community usually calls any handsome male character bishounen even though there are some male characters that should be categorized as bidanshi. Though some, who do know the difference between bishounen and bidanshi, instead uses the word “bishie” in order to generalize any good looking male characters out there to avoid confusion. So for this list, whether they are categorized as bishounen or bidanshi, as long as they are overly blessed with pretty faces and are charming, they will be here. We will showcase bishounen characters that are currently loved by fans out there. Well then dear readers, go ahead and scroll down to see if your favorite bishounen is on the list~
10. Kazama Jin from Days
- Episodes: 24
- Aired: Jul. 2016 - Dec. 2016
First on our list is Kazama Jin! Besides him having the same name as Tekken’s Kazama Jin, who is, by the way, a bishie too; Jin is popular among his friends and classmates because of his openness to other people. He is considered a genius in both soccer and academics and treasures his friendship with Tsukushi. Jin can also be frank when needed and is a very considerate person overall. During his younger years, his mother left him alone to fend for himself, hence the reason why he thinks maturely most of the time. Kazama Jin is a pretty boy whose prominent feature is his long blond silky hair and is one of the most complex bishounen out there.
9. Hayama Akira from Shokugeki no Souma (Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma)
- Episodes: 24
- Aired: Apr. 2015 - Sept. 2015
A bishounen who can cook is definitely an A+. Akira was an orphaned child and was abandoned by his parents without giving him a name. At a certain point, he met Jun Shiomi, a Totsuki Culinary Academy professor, who was planning to buy spices in the marketplace. Hayama, who had a keen sense of smell, told her that the spices were no good. Amazed by his ability, Jun adopted him and took him home to Japan. Akira became a part of Hayama Seminar and met Professor Hayama who gave him his full name. Akira began to learn different spices and aromas under Jun and became her assistant in spice research.
Akira is an attractive boy who is very talented, practical, mature and trustworthy. He has a darker skin tone and has long silver hair that perfectly matches with his green colored eyes. He is proud of his abilities and is mostly calm when he faces off with his rivals. Although Akira may come off as too arrogant and smug, he still has a softer side to him as shown when he is with Jun.
8. Lagusa Angelo from 91 Days
- Episodes: 12
- Aired: Jul. 2015 - Oct. 2015
Angelo was an orphan who had a deep grudge against the Vanetti family for killing his parents and brother on his birthday. After seven years have come to pass, he receives a letter where it is stated that he will help Angelo in his quest for revenge, along with the names of the people who killed his family. He returns to the town of Lawless and manages to earn the trust of the Vanetti Family.
Angelo has a small stature with black hair and brown sharp eyes. He mostly appears emotionless and rarely shows other emotions. He is also intelligent, able to perceive his enemies’ actions and create a strategy to his advantage. He is a good fighter, able to easily use guns and knives. Although he mostly appears cold, he has a soft spot for children and maybe sweet things. Angelo is one of the most striking bishies out there. Everything about him is sad and tragic but nonetheless compelling and impressive.
7. Mikazuki Munechika from Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru
- Episodes: 12
- Aired: Oct 2016 - Dec. 2016
Our next bishie is a grandpa and even though he is very old, his looks truly do not disappoint~ Mikazuki Munechika aka Jiji (old man) is one of the Tenga Goken (five greatest swords of Japan) who is renowned for being the most beautiful sword because of the crescent moon pattern on his blade. He was made during the Heian period by the hands of Sanjo Munechika, an expert craftsman of swordsmithing. By his looks alone, anyone could tell that Mikazuki is absolutely a beautiful man. Everything about this old man speaks elegance and grace.
There is a reason why he calls himself an old man, as he was born near the end of the 11th century. Even though he is indeed old, Mikazuki is also regarded as one of the strongest swords and the rarest one in the game to acquire. He is mostly carefree and laid-back but nonetheless wise and perceptive. In Hanamaru, you would mostly see him sipping his tea and laughing while saying “Brilliant, Brilliant”. Maybe it’s because of his good looks that they made him the mascot of the Touken Ranbu game and franchise. There are a lot of bishounen characters in Hanamaru; but Jiji takes the cake, don’t you think?
6. Tachibana Makoto from Free! (Free!- Iwatobi Swim Club)
- Episodes: 12
- Aired: Jul. 2013 - Sept. 2013
Next on our list is our gentle giant Makoto! Makoto is a good looking teenager who is tall, has nice green eyes and has some of the best back muscles out there. But what really makes Makoto a perfect bishounen is that he is caring, gentle, sensible, and too adorable for his own good. Just one smile from this boy can make your day a whole lot better, that’s how handsome he is.
Haruka is a dear friend of Makoto, who likes to go for a swim every time he sees water near him. They have been friends since childhood and were always together, thus the reason they know each other pretty well, to the point that they can communicate with their eyes alone. Makoto is usually the one who speaks on behalf of Haruka and also the one who takes care of the whole team’s crazy antics and their ridiculous shenanigans. While most of his teammates rely on him when it comes to serious matters, he is actually a scaredy-cat when it comes to things that are unknown like ghosts and monsters. Makoto is a good bishounen package if you want one. He would truly support you and be there immediately if you are in need.
5. Tomoe from Kamisama Hajimemashita (Kamisama Kiss)
- Episodes: 13
- Aired: Oct. 2012 - Dec. 2012
A sexy bishie who likes to tease and annoy you? Well, we’ve got Tomoe for that! Tomoe is a fox demon who is serving in the Mikage shrine. Currently, he is Nanami Momozono’s familiar after his original master, Mikage, went away; leaving the shrine in his care for 20 long years. As Tomoe is originally a demon, he is devious, sly, and a bit unsympathetic. He detests weak beings and is sometimes indifferent to things that do not concern him. But after being with Mikage and especially with Nanami, he begins to soften up more and becomes considerate about humans in general. Tomoe is a loyal man, which was shown when he did not leave the Mikage shrine after Mikage disappeared. He is very prideful and quick-tempered, but despite that, he cares a lot about those people he considers close to him; most especially with Nanami and Mikage as he is very protective of those two.
Tomoe is attractive whether he has long hair or the shorter version, and he knows how to use his charms in order to get what he wants. In the beginning, before becoming Mikage’s familiar, he was with Akura-Ou doing mischievous things in different places. But an incident occurred and he met “Yukiji” in the process. He became infatuated with her, trying to woo her to be his. However, Yukiji’s body was weak and before long, she died. Because of his extreme grief, he was cursed and was ready to die until he met Mikage and became his familiar. Tomoe is a mix of the bad boy type while being sweet at the same time, a nice bishounen character to admire and love~
4. Son Hak from Akatsuki no Yona (Yona of the Dawn)
- Episodes: 24
- Aired: Oct 2014 - Mar. 2015
If your type of bishounen is someone who is manly and strong, then look no further as Hak is this type of bishounen! Hak was a former chief and general of the wind tribe. He is the childhood friend of Yona and Soo-Won and they would often play together when they were young. He is famous for being the strongest warrior in the entire Kouka empire, earning him the title of “Thunder Beast”. He is a tall man with black messy hair and dark blue eyes. He is certainly handsome and would be often subjected to the attracted gazes of women around him, much to Yona’s dismay. Just like Tomoe, Hak enjoys teasing and bullying those who are close to him, most particularly, Yona. However, during difficult times, he becomes intensely serious and more focused.
Hak was adopted by Mundok of the wind tribe and was trained until became the strongest warrior. During the times when Mundok would go to the palace, he would take Hak with him, thus the reason why Hak became playmates with Yona and Soo-Won. During the whole course, Hak became Yona’s exclusive bodyguard and became a general once he turned 18. After the murder of Emperor II, Hak took it upon himself to protect Yona despite the dire circumstances of the situation. Hak is a very loyal and reliable bishounen that anyone can be fond of.
3. Dazai Osamu from Bungou Stray Dogs (Bungo Stray Dogs)
- Episodes: 12
- Aired: Apr. 2016 - Jun. 2016
Despite his unpredictable ways and his suicidal tendencies, Dazai Osamu is a bishie that you would totally fall in love with. Dazai, for the most part, is clad in brown and white, which suit him quite well. You will also notice that he is mostly covered in bandages, either because of his constant suicide attempts or something more, but the bandages add to his overall attractiveness.
If there is one word to describe Dazai, then it would be “enigmatic”. In the past, he was more serious and brutal, but presently, he is mostly funny and shows great care and attention towards his teammates. Dazai still retains his darker personality from the times when he was in the Port Mafia, as he is still good at manipulating situations. He is sometimes aloof to other people and would even use any harsh means to make someone cooperate with him or to further his plans. Simply put, Dazai is absolutely a dangerous man if you are his enemy; but if you are someone that is close to him, then I guess you should be relieved because Dazai is someone who would go to great lengths to protect the people that are dear to him.
2. Nikiforov Victor from Yuri!!! On Ice
- Episodes: 12
- Aired: Oct. 2016 - Dec. 2016
Who wouldn’t fall in love with this amazing person? He’s sweet, carefree, fun to be with and has a good sense of fashion! After watching Katsuki Yuuri imitate his free skate performance, Victor went straight ahead to Japan and declared himself Yuuri’s coach. During the whole course of the show, Yuuri and Victor become closer as they aim for the gold medal during the Grand Prix Finals.
Victor hails from Russia and is well-known for being a living legend due to his great performances in the figure ice skating community. As a figure skater, he choreographs his own skating routine, aiming to surprise his audiences. He is very serious when it comes to ice skating and is mostly calm and composed, even during critical times. He is also flirty sometimes, but bold at the same time. During his younger years, he had long hair to give a touch of both femininity and masculinity to his routines during performances, but it was cut soon after once he entered adulthood. Victor is obviously well liked by both genders because of his approachable attitude and his alluring look. No wonder fans of the show are also swayed by him along with Yuuri.
1. Yato from Noragami
- Episodes: 12
- Aired: Jan. 2014 _ Mar. 2014
Although Yato has sweaty hands and wears a simple jersey, boots, and a “fluffy fluff scarf”, make no mistake that he is also one of the most attractive male characters out there. Yato is a god who is trying to build his own shrine by being a “delivery god” together with his current regalia Yukine. As a “delivery god”, he and Yukine do all sorts of things, ranging from cleansing phantoms, to babysitting, household chores and more. Yato’s most prominent feature would probably be his expressive beautiful blue eyes. They sparkle every time he’s happy or they brighten and turn cat-like if he’s serious or mad.
Yato is known for being childish, playful, bright, and unpredictable at times but beneath all that, he hides a dark past that still haunts him presently. Yato was originally known as the “god of calamity” who was born to steal and not to give. He was extremely merciless, cruel and has no qualms about killing innocent people. Until he meets Sakura. Sakura was the one who taught him what is really right from wrong. She was the one who told Yato to aim to become the “god of fortune” so people will remember him. Unfortunately, the one who created Yato, his “father” knew about his relationship with Sakura and did something to her that would spark a change in Yato. Currently, he is fighting his inner demons and moving forward with the help of Yukine and Hiyori. Yato is indeed good looking and a very interesting character overall, hence the reason why so many fans love this sweet, charming bishie!
Final Thoughts
There is an endless number of bishounen characters out there in the anime world. Even though we would like to list all of them, they are just far too many. But if you want to see more bishounen characters, there are various anime that center on these tropes, like K Project, Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru, Haikyuu!!, Yuri!!! On Ice, Hakuouki and a whole lot more!
Although all of the characters here are handsome and endearing, each has their own shine to make them stand out from other bishounen out there. They do attract us with their awesome faces, but at the end of the day, what fans are really drawn to is what they are as a character.
With that, what do you think of this list? Hopefully, your favorite bishounen character is here. Are there more bishounen characters that you think should be in here? Tell us why in the comment section below! Stay tuned to Honey’s Anime for more anime-related topics. Bye~ Now signing off!
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