Bishonen Line: Difference between revisions

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A possible [[In Universe]] justification for this is that what's increasing is not only the creature's power, but also how much they ''control'' that power -- the monstrous, oft-[[Evil Is Visceral|visceral]] features are the result of power pouring out without restraint. Once the creature manages to get a grip on their abilities, they can suppress the giant-scary-monster aspect of their abilities while freely accessing the kick-ass part. In some cases, this concept will be alluded to via the creature starting to [[Glamour Failure|revert to its monstrous form]] as it is harmed and loses control over itself.

 

Not to be confused with [[Miracle Train (Anime)|Bishounen Train Lines]].

 

== General ==

** Frieza's intermediate states are larger and more monstrous than his delicate-looking final form. His second form looks to a large extent like a much bigger version of his first, plus his horns become bull-like (allowing them to gore an opponent, which he does in fact do). His third form looks like an even freakier version of the [[Alien (Film)|Queen Alien]], except in Frieza's standard two-tone purple color scheme. His final form, though, looks almost human (aside from the tail, reptilian/alien ears, and prehensile feet), and even seems downright unimpressive, even to the other characters, until he starts kicking ass. He bulks back up when powering up to 100%, though.

** Cell's initial form looks like some kind of a reptile-insect hybrid. His second form is slightly more humanoid, but bulkier and even more monstrous. His ultimate form, shorter than the last one, looks a lot like a very chiseled bishounen wearing reptile/bug armor. This might be justified because Cell transforms by absorbing the Androids, who are made from and resemble normal humans.

** Janemba of the post-Buu movie originally was a giant yellow marshmallow man, but became a sleek, muscled demon of human shape and size in his powered-up form.

** In ''[[Dragon Ball GT (Anime)|Dragon Ball GT]]'', the Super Saiyan 4 transformation initially turns Goku into a giant ''gold'' ape (the same as before but in Super Saiyan mode), but when he reaches full power, he reverts to a very buff humanoid with some fur. Arguably, SS4 could be considered the Bishounen Line of Super Saiyan transformations. Super Saiyan mostly gets spikier hair, Super Saiyan 2 gets really spiky hair and bigger muscles, SS3 gets bigger muscles, huge hair, and the face tends to get less human (emotionally, but it changes physically as well), then Super Saiyan 4 goes to the same as the normal Saiyan but with red body fur and marks under the eyes. Super Saiyan 2 also has a Bishounen Mode effect with False SS2: Vegeta and Trunks get more and more buff until they're too slow and can't quite focus their power, then {{spoiler|Gohan}} breaks through to true SS2, which is spiky hair and muscle tone instead of bulk.

** Hollows start out as 7-10 foot monsters, get bigger until they reach the size of a skyscraper (Gillian-class, Menos level), then get smaller (past Adjuchas-class, Menos level), until they are the size of normal humans. At this point, the Vasto Lorde-class Menos -- who are so powerful they are basically humans with masks -- are only speculated on (a handful of characters who ''might'' be Vasto Lordes have been introduced, but it's not been confirmed), but the Shinigami are rightfully terrified of the idea of one deciding to attack.

** As of now, we have seen {{spoiler|three}} Vasto Lorde classes in full; [[http://images.wikia.com/darknesswithinshadow/images/4/4c/Baraggan<!-- 27s_1st_Form_28Vasto_Lorde_Form%29.jpg Barragan]], [[http://images.wikia.com/bleach/en/images/4/43/Harribel_Hollow_Lorde_Form_2.png Harribel]], and [[spoiler: [[http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/Oceano_Seina/UNMASKED/unmaskedcomic7.jpg the disturbingly adorable Ulquiorra.]]]] Surprisingly, all three have been docile in their own ways; Barragan did nothing, Harrible didn't like fighting, and [[spoiler:Ulquiorra couldn't eat others.]] -->

** Averted with Yammy, who never seems to cross the Bishonen Line. He just keeps getting bigger and bigger with each power level. This is probably the reason why {{spoiler|he's so weak even if he's deemed the strongest espada #0, as Byakuya and Kenpachi were able to beat him without too much effort, both of which were given quite a bit of trouble with espada #7 and #5.}}

* ''[[Yu Yu Hakusho (Manga)|Yu Yu Hakusho]]'' has an interesting take on this trope. Most of the antagonists on the show are in a human form but the ones that are fought during the Saint Beast and Dark Tournament arc seem to follow this. During the Saint Beast arc, the four leads have to fight the Four Saint beasts and each one looks more human than the last going from Genbu (the giant talking rock), Byakko (the giant white tiger), Seiryu (the giant blue humanoid dragon) and finally their leader Suzaku the most human looking out of the four and the absolute strongest and most sadistic. Then in the Dark Tournament most of the more humaniod opponents are shown with varied levels of strength. Take the very first round against the Rokuyokai team. Roto who fought the Bishonen Kurama was the weakest and looked much less human than the stronger Rinku, Zeru and Chu who was the strongest. This is somewhat averted though with the Younger Togoro who gets less human as his power increases.<br />Also based on the [[Random Power Ranking]] of demons, we start from very animalistic and brutish E and D Class demons to the semi-humanoid C Class with all shorts of [[You Gotta Have Blue Hair|technicolor hair]] then taking a huge jump in [[Bishonen]] with the B Classes who's only differences from humanity is their height or a hair of a different color, leading to a downgrade where the A Classes look like grotesque alien freaks, and finally ending with S Classes which could be best described as humans with the occasional horn, extra ears or different hair/skin tone.

* The Akuma from ''[[D Gray Man (Manga)|D Gray Man]]'' start off looking like round things with cannons; by level two they could look like pretty much anything; by level 3, they resemble humanoid armored creatures. When they reach {{spoiler|level 4, they resemble a freaky angel-like child with three halos and fairy wings}}. Straight out of the [[Uncanny Valley]].

* The demons of ''[[Inuyasha (Manga)|Inuyasha]]'' don't transform in stages, but there is a visible progression in power; small demons, larger demons, monstrously huge demons, and then the most powerful, who can generally assume a human-like form, much as the title half-demon hero's father (as shown in the third movie), as well as his full-demon brother. Another example would be the referenced father of a monstrous-looking half-demon named Jinenji, a horse-demon, who was said to be a handsome man. Exceptions exist, but size is a general indicator of power, with the most powerful obviously able to hop the Bishonen Line at will. One character notes that while many demons are huge and horrific, the ones that take human form are often far more dangerous.

* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (Anime)|Mobile Suit Gundam 00]]''

** {{spoiler|Alvatore, the monstrous mobile armor piloted by [[Big Bad]] Alejandro Corner, has a "true form" of sorts in the Alvaaron, an angel-like mobile suit hidden in said armor.}}

* Bishojo line: When a ''[[Claymore (Anime)|Claymore]]'' overuses her Yoma power, she becomes an ugly monstrous inhuman drooling creature that likes to eat guts. Except more powerful ones, who start to maintain some degree of sentience ([[I'm a Humanitarian|though still like to eat guts]]). And the strongest (such as Abyssal Ones) having rather glamorous forms, the ability to take a completely human form and being very intelligent and manipulative.

* ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion (Anime)|Neon Genesis Evangelion]]''

** Of course the 18th Angel is {{spoiler|humanity as a whole.}} You don't get any more humanoid than that.

** ''[[Rebuild of Evangelion (Anime)|Rebuild of Evangelion]]'' subverts this with {{spoiler|Zeruel. It eats Eva-00, and mutates into a humanoid form that's even bigger than he was in its monstrous form.}}

* Rob Lucci in ''[[One Piece (Manga)|One Piece]]'' uses his devil's fruit ability to turn into a giant leopard-man, but one of his [[Charles Atlas Superpower|kung-fu techniques]] is the ability to shrink himself down to normal proportions, making him much more agile.

* In ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist (Manga)|Fullmetal Alchemist]]'', the [[Big Bad]] {{spoiler|[http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a271/SanCerulean/Homuncurus.jpg Father] first appeared in the form of Hohenheim, a handsome [http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a271/SanCerulean/462px-Father1.jpg older man]. He then reverted to a formless blob with too many eyeballs, until Chapter 104 where he finally settled for [http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a271/SanCerulean/806px-Brotherhood61.jpg a teenage Hohenheim]}}.

* An heroic example in ''[[Naruto (Manga)|Naruto]]'': Both Naruto and Killerbee are [[Sealed Inside a Person Shaped Can|Jinchuriki]], they can transform into huge demons, but their most powerful incarnation is being human-sized with just the power of the demon surrounding them.

** Another heroic example is Sage Mode. Jiraiya's imperfect Sage Mode gives him a goatey, warts, webbed fingers and other toad-like features. The only physical changes Naruto gains from perfect Sage Mode are toad-eyes.

* Shows up occasionally in the ''[[Warhammer (Tabletop Game)|Warhammer]]'' and ''[[Warhammer 40000 (Tabletop Game)|Warhammer 40000]]'' universes with certain daemons and Chaos-possessed folk, mostly involving Slaanesh.

** Generally proceeds like this: the weakest or stupidest daemons are entirely inhuman and animalistic. Daemonic foot-soldiers are bestial humanoids, but lack intelligence beyond basic tactics. Greater daemons are gigantic bestial humanoids that are basically avatars of their respective god and can lead entire armies of their ilk - depending on the god they might also be dangerously intelligent. Daemon princes are humans raised up to daemonic level - they're on par with greater daemons, but generally more humanoid and more dangerously intelligent. Finally in Warhammer 40,000 there are the Daemon Primarchs, who were demigods before they were raised to daemonhood and are now some of the most dangerous beings in existence. They can assume human or indeed any form seemingly at will, and will kill almost anything that gets in their way.

** Larger Tyranid creatures become bipedal, but never cross the [[Bishonen Line]]. The Magus of a Genestealer Cult ''does'' cross the line, appearing almost entirely humanoid but being one of the most dangerous and inhuman members of the cult.

 

* Nintendo realized in ''[[The Legend of Zelda the Wind Waker (Video Game)|The Legend of Zelda the Wind Waker]]'' that the humanoid Ganondorf was a far more compelling character and thus a better arch-enemy than his boarlike bestial form Ganon, so they saved the duel with Ganondorf for ''last'', following a battle with a giant transforming puppet version of Ganon. In ''[[Twilight Princess]]'' {{spoiler|they did it all over again, giving the big man ''two'' human phases ''after'' you'd already dealt with his bestial form.}}

** Tingle's as well. Compare [http://www.zeldawiki.org/File:MM_Tingle.png Majora's Mask], [http://www.zeldawiki.org/File:WW_Tingle.png Wind Waker], [http://www.zeldawiki.org/File:TRR_Tingle.png Rosy Rupee Land], then crosses it in[http://www.zeldawiki.org/File:Purlo.png Twilight Princess].

* ''[[Final Fantasy]]''

** In ''[[Final Fantasy VII (Video Game)|Final Fantasy VII]]'', mad scientist Hojo seems mostly normal in his weakest form, except for strange movements and a slightly greenish tint to his skin. Defeating him in this form allows you to fight Helletic Hojo, a huge and ugly mutant. When Hellectic Hojo is defeated, he becomes Lifeform Hojo N/A, an eerily-beautiful humanlike creature draped in white.

** ''[[Final Fantasy VII (Video Game)|Final Fantasy VII]]: [[Crisis Core]]'' does this too, with {{spoiler|Genesis Avatar, a hundred-foot-tall [[Neon Genesis Evangelion|Evangelion]]-esque monster knight, as the first form, and the final battle with Genesis being a straight sword duel after he's [[This Was His True Form|inexplicably reverted]] to his normal and non-decayed form.}} Gameplay-wise this may or may not be an example. The Avatar is going to be a [[Marathon Boss|long and tedious]], if not difficult, fight regardless of what you do. The human form can and will mess you up...provided you go into melee. It can be [[Weaksauce Weakness|stunlocked by magic]], making the fight something of a joke.

** ''[[Final Fantasy VII (Video Game)|Final Fantasy VII]]: [[Dirge of Cerberus]]'' is also guilty, with Nero. He transforms into the huge and malformed Arachnero, and then into the human-sized and pretty Gorgonero.

* ''[[Kingdom Hearts (Video Game)|Kingdom Hearts]]''

** The final boss of ''[[Kingdom Hearts II (Video Game)|Kingdom Hearts II]]'' first fights in his original black-cloaked form, then changes into an armored knight on a throne which is itself on the head of a robot dragon; after several fights against said dragon and knight, the final fight is against him in a recolored version of his original outfit, with an upgraded version of his original fighting style.

** Before Xemnas however, was Marluxia. The first fight is straight up against him, using his own [[Green Thumb|flower magic]] and wielding a [[Sinister Scythe]]. The second has him on a sinister, large, floating mech with [[Sinister Scythe|scythes for arms]]. The third fight takes place on top of the remains of said mech, only this time Marluxia has a creepily beautiful angel-like familiar wielding a gigantic [[Sinister Scythe|scythe]] backing him up and basically doing all the fighting for him.

** In ''[[Kingdom Heartscoded (Video Game)|Kingdom Heartscoded]]'', the digitized {{spoiler|Sora's Heartless}} first takes the form of a [[Warmup Boss|Darkside]] with glowing tattoo-like markings, but after taking a beating transforms into {{spoiler|a dark copy of Sora}}, then finally {{spoiler|''[[Dual Boss|three]]'' dark copies of Sora.}}

* In ''[[Brave Fencer Musashi (Video Game)|Brave Fencer Musashi]]'', the Wizard of Darkness is originally a massive, horned demon-man; he changes into an even more monstrous green beast, then finally into a white-skinned humanoid slightly larger than Musashi.

* Eve's final form in ''[[Parasite Eve (Video Game)|Parasite Eve]]'' is a rare ''Bishoujo Line'' example, having gone (over the entire game's course) from normal actress to 8-foot pale seductress with a serpentine lower body to taking up a good-sized room while preggers with the Ultimate Being to 20-foot floating monstrosity covered in grasping arms to [[Fan Service|functionally naked]] [[Fragile Speedster]] harpy-thing.

** Cronos, one of the potential final fighters, turns into a very nonhuman penguin when he powers up a little. Turn on the [[Ominous Latin Chanting]], however, and he can transform into a phoenix that looks like a human with a beak and feathers before he kills you.

** Uranus is an even better example, as she first turns into a fearsome chimeric beast with her normal powerup, but her strongest form looks like her normal one, just glowing.

* ''[[Shadow Hearts (Video Game)|Shadow Hearts]]''

** The original game features this. Although Yuri's fusion souls are all roughly human-sized, they generally get more bizarre or monstrous as they get more powerful, with the second-most-powerful, Amon, being a hulking, monstrous demon with a blade on one arm. However, his most powerful, the Seraphic Radiance, is just him, glowing white, with black wings and mystic-looking tattoos.

* ''[[Baten Kaitos (Video Game)|Baten Kaitos]]''

** The final boss fight is against {{spoiler|Malpercio, whose body is a hideous frankenstein made up of the body parts of various dead gods. After he's beaten, though, Melodia combines with him, turning him into a more humanoid figure with wings on his head}}.

* In ''[[Treasure of the Rudra]]'', {{spoiler|Mitra fits the theme, as she starts as a statue-like being, then a giant half-human, half-serpent monster, and then assumes a smaller, more humanoid form for the final battle.}}

* ''[[Castlevania]]''

** In ''Symphony of the Night'' and ''[[Castlevania Harmony of Despair (Video Game)|Harmony of Despair]]'', Dracula's final form is a massive dragon, but Dracula's human form is visible slouching in the center of it.

** Lampshaded in ''[[Castlevania Lords of Shadow (Video Game)|Castlevania Lords of Shadow]]'', where the bestiary mentions that vampires become more human-like as they become more powerful.

* ''[[Metroid (Video Game)|Metroid]]''

* The fianl boss of ''[[Castle Crashers (Video Game)|Castle Crashers]]'' is an evil wizard who first fights you by controlling crystals on a throne, then fights you on foot with a magic wand, then bloats up like a balloon and drops magical bombs, and finally becomes an enormous bat creature. When you defeat that, he regresses back through his balloon form to his normal form, where he summons a [[BFS|gigantic sword]] for one final battle.

* In ''[[Zone of the Enders]]'' there are gigantic battleship-sized Orbital Frames, but the most powerful Orbital Frames ever made are comparatively small and bipedal. They get more powerful when they ''lose'' a lot of their armor and look even more human-like.

* ''[[Phantasy Star IV]]''

** The Dark Force appears multiple times. First, as a monstrous head and shoulders attached to the satellite, and second in the form of a giant spider with the same head. Then it hides inside the form of a human archaeologist with dark magical powers, allowing it to hunt for the Aeroprism. When the party finds the Aeroprism, he transforms into the third Dark Force, which is a humanoid demon much smaller than either of the others.

* Many ''[[Pokémon (Franchise)|Pokémon]]'' get more humanoid as they evolve; Abra to Alakazam, Torchic to Blaziken, Mareep to Ampharos, just to name a few examples. Some subvert this, such as Togepi.

* ''MS Saga'', the failed ''[[Gundam (Anime)|Gundam]]'' RPG, exhibits this with the final boss's [[Humongous Mecha]]. He starts the fight in the [http://mahq.net/mecha/gundam/cca/nz-333.htm Alpha Azieru] from ''[[Chars Counterattack]]'' and, when that's destroyed, uses the [[Lost Technology|G-System]] to turn it into a black version of [http://mahq.net/mecha/gundam/endlesswaltz/xxxg-00w0.htm Wing Zero Custom] from ''[[Gundam Wing]]''.

* ''[[Street Fighter II (Video Game)|Street Fighter II]]'': the Sonic Boom user was Guile who has a very angular face, chiseled jaw, and huge flattop. Then ''[[Street Fighter Alpha (Video Game)|Street Fighter Alpha]]'' came and Guile was replaced with Charlie (except for SFA3 Console) who wears glasses and has a more handsome face. Then ''[[Street Fighter III (Video Game)|Street Fighter III]]'' gave us the bishonen Remy.

* The [[Big Bad]] of ''[[Noitu Love]] 2''. For phase one of the boss fight, she's a blobby sphere with legs. For phase two, she transforms into a bat-winged human, and grows so big that only her head and shoulders fit on-screen. For phase three, she loses the wings and shrinks down to only slightly larger than the protagonist.

** Around early July, {{spoiler|Teddie, after recovering from his ordeal with Shadow Rise and Shadow Teddie and poking into the real world, he talks about how he's grown on the inside. And he has, literally: when he takes off his bear costume, we see not empty space, but ''a blonde, blue-eyed bishounen.''}}

** ''Inverted'' with {{spoiler|with Izanami, who starts the fight as a woman in a strait jacket and a massive skirt, before revealing her true form, a monstrous, multi-limbed, rotting...''thing'' with what's left of Izanami's upper body from the last form on top...which is also rotting and unpleasant to look at.}}

* The final boss of ''[[Deadly Premonition (Video Game)|Deadly Premonition]]'' first mutates into a bloated version of himself, then into a giant wall-crawling lizard-thing with backwards hands, and finally into a giant version of his normal self. Subverted from the norm for this trope because {{spoiler|his normal form is a goofy-looking fat man in overalls.}}

* In ''[[Chrono Trigger (Video Game)|Chrono Trigger]]'', [[Big Bad|Lavos]] actually ''subverts'' the Bishonen Line. His colossal bug-like exterior is actually a protective shell guarding his true humanoid form, which, probably thanks to [[Akira Toriyama]], happens to look a lot like Perfect Cell (see the trope picture above). However, upon defeating this form, the Lavos ''Core'' reveals itself to be a shambling monstrosity, the end result of Lavos' attempts to achieve biological singularity. {{spoiler|And, in actuality, the core is a tiny pod floating beside said monstrosity.}}

* Reversed in ''[[Half Minute Hero]]'''s Evil Lord 30, in which the Evil Lord increases his magic power by "getting sexier", for which he must go to a beauty spa.

 

[[Category:Personal Appearance Tropes]]

[[Category:Bishonen Line]]