Anime is known for many things nowadays, from high-octane fights to some of the most bizarre and freaky fandoms. But not of them are as contravention as Femboys, known more commonly as the Traps. Why Traps, you ask? Well, it’s pretty simple they are highly feminine boys that dress and act like girls. They do not have any trait that stands out or gives it away that they are male unless told. This has led many to develop crushes on characters only to find out said character is not what they thought. In recent years, the community has grown fond of them and even started creating some top-class memes around them.
To better understand them, below are some of the most iconic femboys in anime.
1. Ruka Urushibara (Steins; Gate)
If you have watched Steins Gate, then you have probably seen Ruka as he is one of the most prominent side characters in the series. He is also the most feminine of the boys mentioned on the list. His family runs an old Shinto shrine where he works dressed as a shrine maiden. Okabe is shown to be good friends with him and tries his best to cheer him up since he is mostly gloomy.
Ruka is also known for being the only femboy to turn into a girl, following the story’s events in which Okabe messes up the timeline. He is then transported into a timeline where Ruka is a female.
2. Astolfo (Fate/Apocrypha)
You will either know him from the spinoff of the highly famous Fate series Fate/Apocrypha, or you might have seen him in the countless memes in the anime community. He is a servant of the rider class and was a character in the Matter of France, where he was said to be one of Charlemagne’s paladins. His father is said to be Otto, the King of England, and his family to Orlando and Rinaldo while also being a descendant of Charles Martel.
He is an upbeat and optimistic person, while hiding his gender and wearing dresses might make some think he is weak, which is far from the truth as he is said to be the strongest in the rider class and has even ridden to the moon one.
3. Hideri Kanzaki (Blend S)
Hideri is a trap that resembles a real woman so much. His name also has a fitting as it means Drought. Due to his beautiful appearance as a girl, he was employed by Café Stile as a maid. Later, to everyone’s amazement, he starts singing there. He has stunning long, silver hair with bangs and striking teal eyes. He also wears matching stockings, a black headband, and ribbons to accompany his maid attire.
Being a cross-dresser at his work has led to many people confusing him for being a girl because he usually speaks in a girly voice. But, when he lets his anger flare or becomes nervous, his masculinity returns in full force.
4. Felix (Re: Zero)
Felix is one of the most memorable characters from Re: Zero, as he came at a time when femboys were accepted by the anime community. This, coupled with his character backstory and top-tier design, led many to become his fans. The fact that he has demi-human blood that gives him cat-like features is also a plus. He is shown to be a knight in the service of Crusch Karsten, with whom he shares a deep bond as she was the only one that cared for him as a child.
He is also quite powerful, as shown in the anime and light novel, where he has saved the main cast’s lives several times.
5. Haku (Naruto)
For many, Haku was their first crush, and heartbreak when many discovered she was a male. He is quite different from the others on this list as she plays a massive role in the story’s narrative, the main reason Naruto finds his ninja way. Which ultimately made Naruto into the ninja he was meant to be
He wears a green kimono and a hunter ninja mask to hide her identity and gender. He also uses the Ice Release, a unique power in Naruto. Even after being defeated by Naruto, he sacrifices himself to protect his master Zabuza, which has undoubtedly impacted many fans.
6. Shirogane Naoto (Persona 4)
He is one of the prominent investigation team members, which he joins relatively late. He is a masterful detective and was brought to the town to solve the cases of unexplainable murders. Due to being an orphan and growing up isolated, he started to hide his true gender to give off a persona of a strong-willed detective.
After playing through his story and making him accept his true self, he tells the rest of the cast that he is a girl. She afterward continues to come to terms with herself. She is what many will regard as a reverse trap.
7. Ritsu Sohma (Fruits Basket)
Ritsu inherited the monkey sign’s curse at birth. He is pretty unsure of himself since, as far back as he can remember, his parents have always had to accept responsibility for everything he has done. He believes that by simply breathing, he deprives the world of air every day.
He discovered that dressing like a girl made him feel more at ease, but it made his parents feel worse. When Tooru initially met him, she assumed he was a girl because he looked similar to one, but then he unintentionally shifted into a monkey. Tooru persuaded him that although he hasn’t yet discovered it, he does have a cause to live for. Similar to how he works with his editor, Mitsuru, Shigure enjoys playing on Ritsu’s vulnerabilities and trustworthiness. They discover they share this in common when they first meet.
8. Hitoshi Sugoroku (Nanbaka)
In Nanbaka, a young character named Hitoshi Sugoroku appears; he is employed as a guard in jail. He has a soft, collected, considerate, and compassionate nature. He strikes many as being a resourceful and helpful guy. He wears contact lenses and is a slender, light person.
His eyes are a dark red, but the lenses make them appear blue. His waist-length blonde hair is long enough to cover most of him. He’s known for wearing nail polish too. Hitoshi may be easily distinguished as a guy dressed as a girl. This is a result of his unintentionally manly attitude. He doesn’t feel humiliated, though, and he keeps going.
9. Chihiro Fujisaki (Danganronpa: The Animation)
He is one of the main characters in the show and plays a side role in the spinoffs. His official title is Ultimate Programmer. Due to the emotional trauma he suffered, he has lost much of his memory and regards himself as younger than he is. Due to this, he also dresses as a girl, which many mistook him for at the start of the show.
He is the creator of many AI in the series, who consider him their creator. These include Alter Ego, Chiaki Nanami, and Usami.
10. Saika Totsuka (Oregairu)
He is a boy who attends Sobu High School. He loves sports and spends his leisure time playing tennis. He assumes the tennis team’s leadership and inspires his group’s excellent performance. He tends to seem excessively feminine, yet occasionally his macho side emerges.
He has long hair that occasionally hides his face and is short. He was well-liked by his pals because of his grey hair and his big, bursting eyes. It’s simple for him to stand out from the crowd due to his pale skin tone. Another factor in his appeal was his kind and compassionate demeanor.
Conclusion and Final Notes
“Femboy” is a term that is sometimes used to refer to a person who is assigned male at birth but has a gender expression or identity that is traditionally associated with femininity. It is not a term that is universally accepted, and some people may find it offensive.
In the context of anime, a femboy character is a male character who is portrayed as being feminine in appearance or behavior. It is important to remember that femininity and masculinity are not inherently tied to a person’s gender, and it is important to respect people’s gender identities and expressions, regardless of whether or not they align with traditional gender roles or stereotypes.
