View source for Bishonen Jump Syndrome

{{Useful Notes}}
'''Bishonen Jump Syndrome''', also known as Shoujo Jump Syndrome, is a specific trend in [[Shonen]] (boy's) [[Manga]] (and [[Anime]]), aimed at attracting a female [[Periphery Demographic]] through gratuitously [[Bishounen]] character design.

The [[Manga]] anthology magazine ''Weekly Shonen Jump'' (on which the US magazine [[Shonen Jump]] is based) has long been the best-selling manga magazine in Japan. Although it is targeted to boys, it has a large female [[Periphery Demographic]]. Sometime in the mid-1990s, Shonen Jump realized the sales potential of this demographic, and began to deliberately court female readers via [[Mr. Fanservice]]. Specifically, they took standard [[Shounen]] all-male teams and simply made them into a [[Cast Full of Pretty Boys]] (an idea promptly picked up by [[Shoujo]] as too good to waste on the guys). Traces of [[Ho Yay]] are often also added [[Shipping Goggles|(if not,]] [[Yaoi Fangirl|the fangirls]] [[Shipping Goggles|will see it anyway).]]

Among the first series to show this effect were ''[[Yu Yu Hakusho]]'' and ''[[Rurouni Kenshin]]'' (albeit with the latter it was a deliberate choice by the ''mangaka''); compare the art in these to ''[[Slam Dunk]]'' or ''[[Great Teacher Onizuka]]'', which have old-school character designs. ''[[Katekyo Hitman Reborn]]'' is probably the most blatant example that's currently serializing.

The fangirl-bait worked, sales went up, and the idea was promptly copied by other shonen magazines, to the extent that it is now more-or-less standard procedure. It is nonetheless often ridiculed by readers who prefer the older tough-looking art styles, who deride ''Shonen Jump'' as "Bishonen Jump" or "Shoujo Jump".

For more information, see [http://www.punkednoodle.com/champloo/2008/01/12/a-history-of-the-fujoshi-love-affair-with-jump/ this essay] or [http://comipress.com/article/2006/08/24/624 this essay] (the latter was originally in Japanese and is awkwardly translated but informative).

{{reflist}}
[[Category:Index Syndrome]]
[[Category:Useful Notes/Japan]]
[[Category:Audience Reactions]]
[[Category:Creativity Leash]]
[[Category:Bishonen Jump Syndrome]]