High school student Asuka Masumune is a martial arts expert (nationally ranked in kendo, judo, and karate) with a slightly embarrassing secret: he's an "otomen," or a guy who likes girly things like cooking, sewing, and shojo manga. His life changes, however, when he befriends Juta, a womanizing classmate, and falls in love with Ryo, a girl whose own "womanly" skills leave much to be desired. Before he can confess his love, however, Asuka must come to terms with his dueling masculine and feminine natures.
Both Asuka's mother and Ryo's father have complicated ideas about gender that conflict with their children's. Asuka's fears about being seen as feminine and weak aren't just internal; the adults in the series respond negatively to his otomen interests as well. Juta and Ryo are much more accepting of his adorable bento lunches. While the premise seems silly, Asuka's worries about being accepted are genuine and relatable.
Another great element of Otomen is the way that it parodies shojo manga. One of Asuka's classmates is secretly the author of Love Chick, a popular shojo manga series, and has based his main female character almost entirely on Asuka. The fictional manga-ka is suffering writer's block, however, and tries to find inspiration by recreating manga plots in Asuka's real life. It's both a fun read and a subtle commentary on shojo manga itself.
Fans of shojo manga, especially Ouran High School Host Club, will enjoy Otomen's humor, satire, and sparkle.
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