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Ah, my little darling, it is love at first sight, is it not, no?
"Charao" (JP) is a term for a flirtatious male character whose attitude and appearance come across as very frivolous. They will flirt with girls they find attractive in a very superficial way, resorting to cheap flattery or excessive praising without much substance behind their words. They are people who just like to play around and can often be seen flirting with nearly every girl they find attractive or being in a new relationship every week. However, if a woman appears who they find truly attractive they can become completely faithful to them and will cut ties with woman who they are not serious about.
Etymology[]
Meaning of the Term[]
Charao (チャラ男) is a Japanese slang term for a "frivolous young man". This comes from a combination of the word "charai" (チャラい), meaning "flattery (to praise excessively, especially from motives of self-interest)" or "superficial (presenting only an appearance without substance or significance)", and "otoko" (男), meaning "man". The word "charai" is an adjective form of the adverb "charachara" (ちゃらちゃら), a word that expresses a feeling of frivolity or a feeling of cheapness.[1][2][3]
The term is used to refer to men who are very flirtatious (behaving amorously without serious intent), especially those whose attitude towards women are light. Someone who is just playing around.[4] It is often translated as "womanizer (a man who pursues casual relationships with multiple women)".[2]
History[]
Origin[]
The exact origin is currently unknown, but the term is said to have been in use since the 1990s. It became a popular term in 2011 due to the Japanese comedian Fujimori Shingo's performances where he played a charao character.[5][4]
Official Media[]
The archetype was used as the basis and namesake for the character Charao from the 2014 comedy manga series Please tell me! GALKO-chan (JP). Although Charao likes to flirt with cute girls, he is always there to help Galko and her friends any time they need it.[6]
It was also used for the 2023 romance visual novel Kabedon Kareshi: Manatsu no Charao (JP) released for the Nintendo Switch. The story follows the protagonist who goes to a beach resort with her college friends where she meets heir of a wealthy family, Reo Yuki. Reo is popular with girls and extremely handsome, but has a frivolous personality. He is used to flirting with girls, but in reality, he doesn't open up to anyone. He becomes interested in the protagonist who doesn't take him up on his advances at all. After going on several dates he starts to open up to her and starts to lose his frivolous personality as his feelings for her become more serious.[7]
Characteristics[]
Appearance[]
Charao are very trendy and have a weakness for trendy things and name brand items. They are generally restless and frivolous so many of them are fashion-conscious and stylish, and often wear trendy fashion and name brand items. One of the reasons they are called charao is that they tend to wear fashionable clothes even as they get older. Men who are trendy and change their tastes often tend to be frivolous in their relationship with woman.[3]
Personality[]
Charao are flirtatious male characters whose attitude and appearance come across as very frivolous. They will flirt with girls they find attractive in a very superficial way, resorting to cheap flattery or excessive praising without much substance behind their words. They are people who just like to play around and can often be seen flirting with nearly every girl they find attractive or being in a new relationship every week.[8]
General Behavior[]
Charao are very confident in themselves and aggressively pursue woman with no hesitation in their actions. They have a manly personality and are confident in themself, and are proactive in pursuing any woman they find attractive. This also tends to be in a very surface-level or light-hearted and playful way, resorting to using cheap flattery (such as blindly complimenting their appearance), being overly nice to them, or using their natural charms and good looks to win their affection. However, another characteristic is that they aren't necessarily pursuing just one woman and they will often try to woo multiple woman at the same time.[3]
Charao have a careless personality and don't think too deeply about the consequences. The will often act on the spur of the moment. Because they have a frivolous personality, they often act without thinking about the consequences and if they think something feels right at the time, they will aggressively flirt with the woman on the spot. If a woman takes him seriously after being flirted with so aggresively it is likely it will end up being a one-night stand and the woman will end up getting hurt. Charao are light-hearted and don't think too deeply about thigns, so they often act carelessly with women.[3]
Charao are also often loose-lipped and will quickly tell other people's secrets and important things that were entrusted to them. Charao are generally frivolous so they are not the kind of person suitable to talk to about important things. Because of their strong desire for self-expression, they will often use the problems others ask of them as a way to show off.[3]
Dating Behaviors[]
Charao are often popular men who are very accustomed to being around women. They are guys who are overly kind to cute girls. Another one of the reasons they tend to be popular is because they are diligent about keeping in touch. Most men will not contact woman if they don't have something to say, but a charao is very diligent about keeping in content with women, even those they are not particularly interested in.[3]
Charaoo are naturally touchy towards woman on a date. One of the reasons they are called charao is that they are good at touching women casually. Normal men worry that they might make the woman feel uncomfortable so they don't touch woman casually, however, charao are used to woman so they have naturally aquired the ability to touch women. Even though the touching is natural, there are of courses many ulterior motives.[3]
Another reason they are called charao is because when a woman they find attractive appears they show it blatantly in their behavior. They are very aggressive towards women. They are used to being around women, so they know that few women will be put off by being treated kindly. When a woman they find cute appears in front of them, they will take action right away. They are quick on their feet to try to pick up women. They are known for immediately talking to women whever they go. For a charao talking to a woman doesn't have too much of a deep meaning. Another trait of charao is the distinct lack of formality. They will speak in a casual manner even on the first meeting because they lack a sense of distance and try to quickly close the distance with women straight away.[3]
Charao behave in a very flirtatious manner and they will immediately ask woman if they have a boyfriend. Some charao assume that if a woman doesn't have a boyfriend they might be interested in having a one-night stand. They will try to ask woman for their contact information right away. They are used to being around women and can easily get women to give them their contact information without making them feel wary, whereas a normal man would have a hard time asking a woman for their contact information.[3]
Charao will always be calling women "cute" or "beautiful". They are used to women and are good at handling them. They know what makes women happy and are quick to compliment them. They will not hesitate to say things to make their object of affection happy, such as calling them "cute" or "beautiful". They can often be found saying the same rehearsed lines to multiple women. They are someone who compliments only on appearance. Charao talk to women broadly and superficially, therefore they only compliment on first impressions, such as hairstyle, clothes, and nails, rather than on inner qualities.[3]
Reasons For Being a Charao[]
The psychology behind why a man acts like a charao is generally because of the following:[3]
- They're a lonely person and always want to be connected to someone. A charao is not good at being alone. They are always looking for a connection with someone, so they call out to women one after another. There are many people who are popular because they are good at contacting women, but there is always a connection with many women because they talk to multiple women.
- They have a strong desire for self-revelation and want to show that they are a popular man. People who are said to be charao tend to have a stronger desire for approval to be recognized by those around them. In particular, there is a strong desire for them to show off that they are a popular man and they may call out to women one after another to show off that they are popular. Rather than calling out because they like the other person, they call out to women one after another out of a desire for self-revelation to show off their popularity.
- They're scared of being hurt by someone they really like. A charao has a very strong desire not to be hurt. Because they are afraid of being hurt, they often call out to people they don't care about one after another. There is also a fear that if they get serious because they have had a painful experience in the past, they will feel the same way again. Having such a timid mentality is probably the reason why they become a charao.
Seeking a True Connection[]
If there is a truly attractive person, a charao will be faithful to them. Even men who are now considered to be charao do not necessarily have no intention of being faithful. If an attractive woman who they do not want to let go appears before them, they will be willing to face her wholeheartedly, as they do not want to be disliked. In fact, even men who are considered to be charao often cut ties with woman who are just convenient playmates once the woman they are serious about appears. The reason a charao approaches so many woman is because they have not met a woman they find truly attractive.[3]
Differences From Other Archetypes[]
Charao is somewhat similar to sukebe since both types are very interested in women and are somewhat shallow, but the main difference is that charao falls under the more charming or flamboyant type of flirting while sukebe falls under the more perverted or offensive type of flirting.
Similar Japanese Archetypes[]
- Koakuma: A term for a young female character who is flirtatious and seductive. They have a very captivating personality and enjoy playing with the hearts of men.
- Western:Teasedere: A term for a character who flirts with their love interest in a non-serious way to playfully tease them and get a flustered reaction out of them. Unlike with charao, they do not try to directly attract their their love interest with their flirting, but instead try to playfully get a flustered reaction out of them because they find it cute and funny. They are also completely serious about their love unlike a charao who is superficial.
List of Characters[]
Gallery[]
.gif "Gojou Sha from Saiyuuki (1).gif (1.12 MB)") Gojou Sha from Saiyuuki .gif "Jinpachi Toudou from Yowamushi Pedal (1).gif (2.23 MB)") Jinpachi Toudou from Yowamushi Pedal .jpg "Ryou Saeba from City Hunter (1).jpg (491 KB)") Ryo Saeba from City Hunter  Arsène Lupin III from Lupin III .gif "Cobra from Space Cobra (1).gif (788 KB)") Cobra from Space Cobra  Ryo Saeba from City Hunter |
References[]
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Characteristics of a charao! How to tell he's serious or just playing around & what type of women he likes. HappyLife (2023/12/10).
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 Characteristics and psychology of a charao. How to tell if he's a charao by his clothes and LINE messages.. Smartlog (2024/06/10).
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 What is Charao. Pixiv Encyclopedia.
- ↑ The person who turned Fujimori Shingo into a "Charao" was an unexpected female comedian. Sponochi Annex (2024/07/04).
- ↑ Charao Personality Type. Boo World.
- ↑ Kabedon Kareshi: Manatsu no Charao. Nintendo (2023/03/02).
- ↑ The characteristics and psychology of a charao. How to avoid being played and how to become his favorite woman.. CanCam (2023/12/14).