Manda Ringo’s book The Syotaroh from 1996 begins with the results of a questionnaire that was taken by shota fans. I spent some time deciphering the question of favourite “shōnen items”, or boy attributes.
The questionnaire was taken by 82 people (63 women, 18 men, 1 okama). Ringo comments that she would have wanted to reach a hundred respondents, but that the results are interesting nevertheless.
Respondents’ list of essential boy attributes
| アイテム | Attribute | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| くつ下 | Socks | 9 |
| バッテン傷 | “X” wound? | 5 |
| キレイな足 | Beautiful legs | 5 |
| 学ラン | School uniform | 3 |
| ばんそう膏 | Plaster | 3 |
| 帽子 | Hat (cap?) | 3 |
| Tシャツ（タンクトップ） | T-shirt (tanktop) | 3 |
| ピチピチの素肌 | Bare skin | 2 |
| サラサラの髪 | Smooth hair | 2 |
| しなやかな手足 | Supple limbs | 2 |
| 細い体 | Slender body | 2 |
| はかなく燃える闘争心 | Ephemeral burning spirit (?) | 2 |
| ランドセル | School backpack | 2 |
| 笑顔 | Smiling face | 2 |
| 友達 | Friend | 2 |
| ブリーフ | Briefs | 2 |
| フード | Food | 1 |
| 赤ちん | Red chin (cheeks?) | 1 |
| セットされてない髪 | Unkempt (?) hair | 1 |
| 泥のついたスニーカー | Muddy sneakers | 1 |
| 白いブリーフ | White briefs | 1 |
| つばの浅い帽子 | Shallow brimmed hat (?) | 1 |
| 可愛い顔 | Cute face | 1 |
| ブレザー系の服 | Blazer | 1 |
| サッカーボール | A football | 1 |
| 可愛い声 | Cute voice | 1 |
| かなわない夢をみてる | Unfulfilled dreams (?) | 1 |
| 夢 | Dreams | 1 |
| 手が半分くらい隠れる袖 | Sleeves covering half the hands/arms | 1 |
| 野球帽 | Baseball cap | 1 |
| 枯れ枝(かれえだ | Dead tree branch (!) | 1 |
| 長い睫 | Long eyelashes | 1 |
| くるくる変わる表情 | Changing facial expression (?) | 1 |
| あどけなく透通る瞳 | Innocent eyes (?) | 1 |
| 開襟シャツ | Open-collared shirt | 1 |
| セーラー服 (ひだスカート) | Sailor clothes (fold skirt) (?) | 1 |
| 暗い過去 | A dark past | 1 |
| のぞき | Peeping | 1 |
| 泣き顔 | Crying face | 1 |
| でかい靴 | Big shoes | 1 |
| 昨日の給食のパン | Yesterday’s lunch bread (!) | 1 |
| バクチク入り蛙 | Firecracker frog/toad (?) | 1 |
| 蝉の抜け殻 | Cicada shell (!) | 1 |
| 男気 | Man/chivalrous spirit (?) | 1 |
| サスペンダー | Suspenders | 1 |
| 鎖骨 | Collarbone | 1 |
| 自転車 | Bicycle | 1 |
| 泥とか埃 | Mud or dust | 1 |
Ringo also comments on the “dead tree branch”: I think she gives “high points” for that as a metaphor for a penis. This makes me realise that “yesterday’s lunch bread” and “cicada shell” must have the same meaning!
School uniform, plaster, cap, backpack, and especially tanktop are all easy for me to understand as shōnen markers. Not to mention the long eyelashes, the slender body, supple limbs, bare skin, and the collarbone – that goes without saying. But it surprises me that socks made the top of the list. For me personally, I think tanktop is the ultimate shota attribute.
What are your favourite shōnen attributes? Please comment!