Westerners, upon viewing popular male Japanese musical artists such as Gackt, T.M.Revolution, and Psycho le Cemu, are often struck most by one aspect of these artists' appearance -- Their apparent femininity. Yet Gackt and T.M.Revolution are unquestionably heartthrobs in Japan, attracting mostly female audiences. These men are considered "dream guys" to these women, a model of the ultimate man. However, these men are often perceived to have feminine characteristics by Western audiences, in some cases causing laughter or disgust. Why then are these seemingly feminine men worshipped by teenage girls in Japan? Clearly Japan's music industry, and indeed their very culture, has different standards of masculinity or what makes a man a man, than these Western countries. Bands like Psycho le Cemu and Shazna are allowed to experiment with the boundaries of masculinity while still selling records.
Malice Mizer. Mana is second from left.
Easily one of the most popular male idols in Japan,......
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