is a Japanese term for men who have a culturally feminine gender expression.[1] This includes, among others, males with feminine appearances, or those cross-dressing. is a play on the word Japanese: 男の子 ("boy", from the characters for 'male' and 'child'), which is also pronounced ; in the slang term, the kanji for "child" (Japanese: 子) is substituted with "daughter"/"girl" (Japanese: 娘).
The term originated in Japanese manga[2] and Internet culture in the 2000s, but the concept reflects a broad range of earlier traditions and examples of male cross-dressing in Japan, such as in kabuki theater. Its popularity increased around 2009, with the rise of dedicated maid cafés, fashion stores, cosmetic products, and a range of popular media in the culture.[3] It is often combined with the cosplay of female fictional characters by men (crossplay).
By extension, is also a genre of media and fiction about feminine-looking or feminine-dressing men, and often contains erotic or romantic elements. It is mainly aimed at male audience but also appears in a lot of manga. characters have also begun to appear in mainstream Japanese popular entertainment such as manga, anime, and video games.