
[[Image: oscar10.jpg|thumb|100px|right|Lady Oscar of the manga ''The Rose of Versailles'' is a classic example of a bifauxnen.]] Bifauxnen, a portmanteau of the French language ''faux'' (false) and the Japanese ''bishonen'' (beautiful boy), is a term used amongst American anime and manga fandom to refer to an androgynous ''female'' character who resembles a handsome young boy, especially in Shojo and josei stories. They feature predominantly in shōjo works, and are one of the popular fetishes of certain Japanese fangirls, especially in fandom. Bifauxnen are also sometimes popular with male fandom because they are typically depicted as strong, independantly-minded women. A very rough Western equivalent to the designation may be found in the lesbian slang 'glam butch', particular because most are predominantly Bisexuality or Homosexuality themselves. Thus they are classically seme in relationships due to greater personal confidence, aggresive behavior, or simply sempai than their typically moé bishojo counterparts. Bifauxnen usually embody a fetishized version of various sterotypical lesbian traits, such as a 'rough' or masculine manner of speech (frank opinions, and use of the pronouns ''boku'' and ''ore''). Most are crossdressers; crisp, well-kept suits and uniforms are common, especially the classical Victorian fashion type in older stories which emulate the male dandy. These outfits sometimes obscure their gender, although the reasons may differ. Some characters have simple fashion preferences, are emulating idol figures, or are deliberaly in disguise. Although some shonen and seinen with ensemble casts have a designated tomboy whose behavior is more roughnecked than the others' or seems outright bisexual, the use of bifauxnen is much rarer compared to moé style characters. However, sometimes boyish women are used because writers wish to keep a cast strictly female to maximize marketablility and these characters can assume traditionally 'male' roles when the story requires it. Shōnen style bifauxnen typically swing between sterotyped gender behavior, or wear masculine style clothing over fanservice. Many have also rejected traditional femininity due to issues with men in their personal life or because they find it limiting. Many dislike men on a general level, although this may not extend to their sexuality or relationships with individual friends. ==Origin of term== [[Image:UtenaTenjou.jpg|thumb|right|Utena Tenjou]] Typically women are referred to in animanga fandom as ''bijin'' (lit. ''beautiful person'' but in practice ''beautiful woman'') if they are past their teens or ''bishōjo'' if they are younger. These terms are connected with traditional concepts of distinctly feminine beauty. ''Bokukko'' is a term popularized in dating sims, but this usually only refers to token tomboy. Bifauxnen are contrasted with the other popular yuri archetype, the ''onee-sama'' (classically feminine, beautiful, intelligent, and graceful). The latter has become more well known in recent years, and bifauxnen are used less extensively in shōjo, although Utena Tenjou has become a recent poster child for the type. ''Bifauxnen'' was created partly from the lack of a consistently positive word for a sterotypically 'masculine-acting' female character. For example, ''Butch and femme'' is highly loaded slang, especially outside the LGBT community since it is still generally used as an insult. By contrast, shōjo manga and anime traditionally portrays both sexes as equally beautiful; describing a character having the traits of another sex is often a compliment. Bifauxnen are often popular even among straight characters because they embody many attractive traits found in males but have a degree of personal understanding of other women. In the past, bifauxnen were generally depicted as role models or unencumbered secondary characters to the main cast, who were generally written as average girls the audience identified with. They are less common now, and thus usually easy to identify. ==Other examples== [[image:Bssm8.png|right|thumb|Haruka Tenoh]] * Utena Tenjou (Revolutionary Girl Utena) * Haruka Tenoh (Sailor Moon) * Forte Stollen (Galaxy Angel) * Lucrezia Noin (Gundam Wing) Some fans feel ''bishie'' succinctly includes bifauxnen and bishōnen, but it is still mostly used (by fangirls) to refer to male characters. ''Bishie'' has also been used, tongue-in-cheek, to refer to female characters who are not really androgynous, but display stereotyped characteristics of melodramatic shōjo-style bishōnen. These include moody behavior, mysterious pasts, and excessive angst. The hypothetical equivalent ''bifauxjo'' is likely not used because they are so common in anime and manga and they usually are just called bishōnen, although ''okama'' (a stereotype of a young, crossdressing, usually gay male) has sometimes been used for such characters. ==See also== *Genderfuck *Drag king *Takarazuka Revue *oneesama, an opposite aesthetic Anime Portmanteaus
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Words begining with Bifauxnen:
Bifauxnen
Bifauxnen
[[Image: oscar10.jpg|thumb|100px|right|Lady Oscar of the manga ''The Rose of Versailles'' is a classic example of a bifauxnen.]] Bifauxnen, a portmanteau of the French language ''faux'' (false) and the Japanese ''bishonen'' (beautiful boy), is a term used amongst American anime and manga fandom to refer to an androgynous ''female'' character who resembles a handsome young boy, especially in Shojo and josei stories. They feature predominantly in shōjo works, and are one of the popular fetishes of certain Japanese fangirls, especially in fandom. Bifauxnen are also sometimes popular with male fandom because they are typically depicted as strong, independantly-minded women. A very rough Western equivalent to the designation may be found in the lesbian slang 'glam butch', particular because most are predominantly Bisexuality or Homosexuality themselves. Thus they are classically seme in relationships due to greater personal confidence, aggresive behavior, or simply sempai than their typically moé bishojo counterparts. Bifauxnen usually embody a fetishized version of various sterotypical lesbian traits, such as a 'rough' or masculine manner of speech (frank opinions, and use of the pronouns ''boku'' and ''ore''). Most are crossdressers; crisp, well-kept suits and uniforms are common, especially the classical Victorian fashion type in older stories which emulate the male dandy. These outfits sometimes obscure their gender, although the reasons may differ. Some characters have simple fashion preferences, are emulating idol figures, or are deliberaly in disguise. Although some shonen and seinen with ensemble casts have a designated tomboy whose behavior is more roughnecked than the others' or seems outright bisexual, the use of bifauxnen is much rarer compared to moé style characters. However, sometimes boyish women are used because writers wish to keep a cast strictly female to maximize marketablility and these characters can assume traditionally 'male' roles when the story requires it. Shōnen style bifauxnen typically swing between sterotyped gender behavior, or wear masculine style clothing over fanservice. Many have also rejected traditional femininity due to issues with men in their personal life or because they find it limiting. Many dislike men on a general level, although this may not extend to their sexuality or relationships with individual friends. ==Origin of term== [[Image:UtenaTenjou.jpg|thumb|right|Utena Tenjou]] Typically women are referred to in animanga fandom as ''bijin'' (lit. ''beautiful person'' but in practice ''beautiful woman'') if they are past their teens or ''bishōjo'' if they are younger. These terms are connected with traditional concepts of distinctly feminine beauty. ''Bokukko'' is a term popularized in dating sims, but this usually only refers to token tomboy. Bifauxnen are contrasted with the other popular yuri archetype, the ''onee-sama'' (classically feminine, beautiful, intelligent, and graceful). The latter has become more well known in recent years, and bifauxnen are used less extensively in shōjo, although Utena Tenjou has become a recent poster child for the type. ''Bifauxnen'' was created partly from the lack of a consistently positive word for a sterotypically 'masculine-acting' female character. For example, ''Butch and femme'' is highly loaded slang, especially outside the LGBT community since it is still generally used as an insult. By contrast, shōjo manga and anime traditionally portrays both sexes as equally beautiful; describing a character having the traits of another sex is often a compliment. Bifauxnen are often popular even among straight characters because they embody many attractive traits found in males but have a degree of personal understanding of other women. In the past, bifauxnen were generally depicted as role models or unencumbered secondary characters to the main cast, who were generally written as average girls the audience identified with. They are less common now, and thus usually easy to identify. ==Other examples== [[image:Bssm8.png|right|thumb|Haruka Tenoh]] * Utena Tenjou (Revolutionary Girl Utena) * Haruka Tenoh (Sailor Moon) * Forte Stollen (Galaxy Angel) * Lucrezia Noin (Gundam Wing) Some fans feel ''bishie'' succinctly includes bifauxnen and bishōnen, but it is still mostly used (by fangirls) to refer to male characters. ''Bishie'' has also been used, tongue-in-cheek, to refer to female characters who are not really androgynous, but display stereotyped characteristics of melodramatic shōjo-style bishōnen. These include moody behavior, mysterious pasts, and excessive angst. The hypothetical equivalent ''bifauxjo'' is likely not used because they are so common in anime and manga and they usually are just called bishōnen, although ''okama'' (a stereotype of a young, crossdressing, usually gay male) has sometimes been used for such characters. ==See also== *Genderfuck *Drag king *Takarazuka Revue *oneesama, an opposite aesthetic Anime Portmanteaus
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BA | BC | BD | BE | BF | BG | BH | BI | BJ | BK | BL | BM | BN | BO | BP | BR | BS | BT | BU | BW | BX | BY | BZ |Words begining with Bifauxnen:
Bifauxnen
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