Sengoku Paradise Anime Announced

Another historical bishonen series, but this time based on a mobile game, has been announced and it will premiere on October 3.

If done well, this would be badass!

VitaminX Addiction trailer

So, yeah, bishonen are officially the new trend for this anime season.

This anime series will premiere on August 26 already released in DVD's, in three monthly episodes.

The story is set at Seitei Gakuen, an elite private academy that teaches every level from kindergarten until college in Tokyo. A new female teacher named Yūri Minami is starting her second year of teaching here, and she is now moving up from teaching middle school students to the assignment she had sought after: grammar for high school students. Unfortunately, she gets assigned to "Class X," an infamous group of seniors; it is said that all of their previous teachers have retired due to ulcers or neurosis. Minami must try to reach out to these students and get them into college.

I was dissapointed with Uta No Prince Sama, since I thought it would have more of a plot, let's see how this turns out!

Hakuōki Hekketsu-roku will get its OVA series

According to the official website of this game adapted into a historical romance anime, the 5 OVAS dedicated to each protagonist will premiere on summer of this year.

So, if you wanted to see more bishonen, this is it!

The series will feature volumes devoted to the characters Toshizō Hijikata, Sōji Okita, Hajime Saitō, Sanosuke Harada, and Heisuke Tōdō, although the volume order has not been decided yet.

Soji Okita

Sanosuke Harada

Another interpretation of Hajime Saito?

Toshizo Hijikata

Heisuke Todo

Note that these characters are based off their historic counterparts, and also have been featured in other interpretations and series such as Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X).

Now you see why such names as Hajime Saito and Sanosuke Harada sounded familiar, eh? ;-)

Curiosities: bishonen characters in manga and anime (2)

Bishonen characters can play both good and evil roles. Captain Aizen in Bleach can be considered an example of the latter (and if you read further the manga you will 100% agree with me),

Often their 'bishonen' quality is what adds to their mystery and mysticism, making them an encompassing character.

Yet at the same time they are aware of their beauty and use it as a weapon to deceive their enemies. No wonder samurais in ancient Japan wore lipstick and makeup to stun the enemy.

But bishonen is a term applied to those characters under 18. For a beautiful male character in his twenties or thirties (Aizen is seemingly in that age group??), the correct term would be 'bidanshi', meaning 'handsome man'.

Another classic example of a 'bishonen' character would be Shun from Saint Seiya:

(nosebleeds!)

Despite people understimating him during the course of the whole series, Shun proved that he was worthy of being an Athena Saint, if not one of the strongest around, just that he doesn't really like to fight.

Given the influence of the androgynous looks from Glam rock bands of the 70's and the 80's, the 'bishonen' archetype was consolidated as a pretty guy with long hair, big eyes of an unusual color, a slender, skinny physique, and feminine features, of course.


This is further proved in the Kurama character from Yu Yu Hakusho.

Bishonen characters are never afraid of being who they are, but rather embrace it, as they are basically males who embrace their feminine side, and in contrast it makes their masculinity stand out more, in my opinion.