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"Monster Danshi" (JP) is a term for a beautiful young male character who shares traits with a monster. They can be considered a cross between a monster and a bishounen or ikemen human, since they have aspects of monsters and a beautiful human face.
This is the male version of monster musume.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Monster danshi (モンスター男子) comes from the English word "monster" (モンスター) and the Japanese word "danshi" (男子), which means "boy".
Origin
Monster danshi was created on the Japanese internet in 2018 under the concept of a "male monster girl".[1]
The earliest known use of the term in official media comes from the 2019 harem romance manga series Ikimono-gakari (JP). The story follows Eru Yamada, a 15-year-old high school girl, who joins a club at school where she discovers that one of the club members is a vampire. Not only that, but there's also a werewolf and a zombie! The story follows Yamada's romance journey of meeting and interacting with "ikemen monsters".[2]
Localization
This archetype is also unofficially known as "monster boy" in the Western community, as a counterpart to the term "monster girl". However, unlike its female counterpart it has never been mentioned in an official source, likely due to this archetype not being very common.
History
In comparison to its female counterpart, the archetype of monster danshi is far more uncommon.
Characteristics
Monster danshi are attractive young male characters who share traits with monsters. They can be described as a bishounen or ikemen mixed with a monster, in contrast with a monster musume being a mix of a bishoujo and a monster. This is usually in the form of being half-human/half-monster, such as having a human upper torso and monster legs, or being entirely human and having wings or horns.
It is a form of moe anthropomorphism, which takes monsters and turns them into cute moe human boys.
As this is a variation of a "male monster girl", which is an archetype about making traditionally male monsters into "beautiful girls", male monsters that don't have a beautiful appearance do not fall under this archetype. Male monster characters tend to be terrifying, intimidating, or hideous, and as such it's more uncommon for male characters to fall under this trope.
Personality
The personality traits of monster danshi can differ widely depending on the species the character is based on.
The more simple creatures are typically depicted as having traits of deredere or dandere, while in contrast characters who are based on darker creatures may share traits of S dere, kamidere or onidere.
Differences From Other Archetypes
While monster danshi are similar to kemonomimi, the difference is that monster danshi have elements of fictitious or mythological creatures, while kemonomimi are based on real animals. Kemonomimi are also mostly human in appearance aside from their ears and tails, while monster danshi often have over half of their body as monster parts.
In comparison with kaijin (strange and monstrous humanoid characters), monster danshi have a cute appearance that is designed to attract the viewer and make them feel strong amounts of affection. Monster danshi also have human faces and other human traits, while kaijin are often completely monster in appearance. Due to the nature of most male monster characters, it is far more likely for male monsters to fall under kaijin instead of monster danshi.
Sub-Types
For a full list of potential monster variations see the list on monster musume.
Danshi
Monster danshi is a kind of monster boy that shares traits with a bishounen (a beautiful boy) or an ikemen (a handsome boy).
Otokonoko
Monster otokonoko (JP) is a kind of monster boy that looks identical to a monster girl from the surface. As opposed to being a cross between a bishonen and a monster, it uses the archetype of otokonoko, or a young male character that looks like a woman, as base.[3]
Similar Archetypes
- Bishounen A term for a young male character with a beautiful face.
- Gijinka: A term for a turning a non-human object into a cute human character.
- Kaijin: A term for a strange and monstrous humanoid character.
- Kemonomimi: A term for a character that has animal ears.
- Igyoto: A term for a character with an oddly shaped head and a human body.
- Otokonoko: A term for a young male character that looks like a woman.
- Maou: A term for a character who is a demon king.
- Monster Musume: A term for a beautiful female character who shares traits with a monster.
- Shindere: A term for a character who has died and become lovestruck after returning to life. This is very often in the form of returning as a ghost.
- Zondere: A term for a zombie character that is lovestruck.
List of Characters
Gallery
 Mihai Florescu from Kemono Jihen  Ki-Ja from Akatsuki No Yona  Noe Archiviste from Vanitas No Carte  Alice Asmodeus from Mairimashita! Iruma-kun  Gasper Vladi from High School D×D  Tsukasa Yugi from Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun |
References
- ↑ What is Monster Danshi. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2018/05/16). “This term refers to the young boy version of a male monster girl. The main usage is "the male version of a monster musume". The difference from other non-human attributes is that "the face and upper body are close to the human form," which is also the case with Monster Musume. Characters such as "otokonoko" are also included in the monster danshi category, and the tag "monster otokonoko" is also used.”
- ↑ Ikimono-gakari. Comic Days (Kodansha) (2019/10/29). “Monster danshi, here they come! Eru Yamada (15). She is a member of "The Ikimono-gakari", which is a group that keeps any kind of animal. But the new member of the club is a vampire! And what's more, the sensei's true identity is also......? Eru is very upset by the monsters that appear one after another! "Can I just have a little nibble?" Vampire, wolf man, invisible man, and...... Ikemen monsters, and the heart pounding MAX LOVE!!!”
- ↑ What is Monster Otokonoko. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2022/08/15). “Monster otokonoko are the monster, demon, and fantasy creature versions of male daughters. The name is "monster musume + otokonoko".”
| v • eHybrid Archetypes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Animal |
Juujin ♡ Kemono ♡ Kemonomimi ♡ Tsuno Musume | |
| Machine | ||
| Monster |
Monster Musume (Danshi) | |
| Other | ||