Shorttank

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Tank top, short shorts, and attitude.

Tomboyish female co-star in a Shonen (young male) oriented series. Often argues with the lead male a lot in a kind of mild Slap Slap Kiss situation, although the Will They or Won't They? debate is occasionally subverted.

The character may not even be that tomboyish by Western standards, and have extreme weaknesses for cute things and girlish trappings. The latter sometimes they avoid because they just can't seem to make it work for them; their femininity is often the butt of jokes, even if it's clear to the audience she's very cute.

Usually wears a lightly Fan Service-y, sporty outfit like shorts and a tanktop (hence the name) that preferably bares the stomach rather than a dress. If they're a bit girlier, they'll wear miniskirts once or twice as well.

She often has a soft spot in her heart for plants and animals making her a Friend to All Living Things. If the living thing is a person she'll probably become a Bully Hunter.

See also Bokukko. For the other kind of "short tank", see Cute Bruiser. For the other, other kind of tank, see Tank Goodness. Compare Tomboy Princess and Spirited Young Lady.

Examples of Shorttank include:

Anime and Manga

Comic Books

Films -- Live-Action

  • Julie from Flipped will climb a tree, raise chickens and tame her yard but also says that the boy next door is walking around with her first kiss.
  • Independent spirited Katherine "Katy" McLaughlin from Flicka doesn't want her hair too short or she'll look like a boy.

Literature

  • Kristy from Terry Pratchett's Johnny Maxwell Trilogy.
  • Pepper from Good Omens is more of a straight-up Tomboy, but also counts due to being the only female in Them.
  • Karin Murphy from The Dresden Files probably counts, although she doesn't fit the age group for this trope exactly.
  • Sally Kimball from the Encyclopedia Brown series, right down to the ambiguously romantic relationship with the protagonist.
  • Quidditch playing Ginny Weasley from Harry Potter is somewhat of a tomboy, but is about 75% girly.
  • Little League player Paula Quinn in The Dark Side of Nowhere out pitched ugly, angry, Bully Chambers but right afterwards, to erase his humiliation, asked him out on a date.
  • Annie of The Magic Treehouse is Jack's little sister who's always ready to jump into adventure.

Live-Action TV

  • Firefly gives us Kaylee. She's a distinct non-combatant, and sometimes Damsel in Distress, but she is an amazing mechanic who happens to have a love for strawberries and frilly dresses. She's often covered in grease and in work clothes, but she's still pretty cute. And has enough snark to keep up with the rest of the crew, and keep her Love Interest hot and bothered. As Simon mentions during a drunken heart-outpouring, she's very cute, especially when she's covered in engine grease.

Puppet Shows

Video Games

  • Fire Emblem
    • Dorothy from Fire Emblem 6; Rebecca from Fire Emblem 7. Curiously, both girls are archers.
    • Fury from Fire Emblem 4 is also an example.
    • Lyn, the main female character from 6, also counts.
  • Chie Satonaka of Persona 4.
  • The World Ends With You
    • Shiki fits pretty well here.
    • UG!Shiki -- that is, Eri Misaki, whose appearance Shiki borrowed for the Game. RG!Shiki has a different look.
  • Siskier of Blaze Union.
  • Several Touhou characters arguably fit this archetype, but the best-known strongest is probably Cirno, the "beloved tomboy" ice fairy.
  • Usagi of Gotcha Force.

Visual Novels

  • In the Doki Doki Survival Dating Sims, the "Umibe no Secret" lead Ayaka fits the trope to a T.

Web Original

Western Animation