Crossing gender norms and the continuing rise of “otoko no ko”
Otoko no ko (男の娘) is a Japanese play-on-words for men who identify as men but wear women’s clothing. The term has really caught on in the past few years with some otoko no ko even becoming idol representatives. Some of our favorite Internet stars, including Sailor Suit Old Man and Ladybeard, have already captured our hearts, grizzly facial hair and all.
The newest otoko no ko making waves certainly looks even more like a girl, but still proudly identifies as a man. There is nothing wrong with that! Sofmap, a Japanese retailer of used and new electronics, doesn’t think so either. This beauty has already headlined the first ever Sofmap otoko no ko event that was held in Akihabara last month. So who is he?
Kaoru Oshima may only be 25 years old, but he already has an enormous fan base and is constantly connecting with them through blog posts and pictures on Twitter. He is eager to share his interests so that people can get to know him better. What sort of tidbits can we find out about him? Well, he finds Eric Clapton cool, likes dishes with meat in them and doesn’t particularly enjoy avocados or eggplants.
▼Or shirts!
▼Without makeup
男の娘のすっぴんを公開しちゃうマン http://t.co/BNPJ14pUHa
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大島薫 (@Oshima_Kaoru) February 01, 2015
▼Preparing for another event in Akihabara
もうすぐプレジャ秋葉原店さんでイベントだよー！ http://t.co/cgNBxilrMy
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大島薫 (@Oshima_Kaoru) February 21, 2015
Most recently he was invited to attend the first Sofmap otoko no ko event that was held in Akihabara last month. On the sixth floor of the Akihabara Sofmap store, this special event attracted many fans and helped introduce Kaoru to loads of new people.
男の子だけどソフマップさんでイベントしました。これでボクもアイドルだ！！ http://t.co/yqcaEbE7Lo
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大島薫 (@Oshima_Kaoru) February 28, 2015
【イベントレポート】モバイル館29日15時、大島薫クンです！ソフマップ初の「男の娘」イベント！ http://t.co/dav35aEwYl
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アキバソフマップ1号店6階 (@AkibaSofmap_idl) March 01, 2015
Kaoru shares all kinds of photos on his official Facebook and Twitter pages, and when the topic of muscles repeatedly came up, he shared some pictures of when he dressed as a boy showing off his substantial six-pack. Unsurprisingly, while thousands of fans found his traditionally male look attractive, they were unanimously in support of his other image.
筋肉を見てくだされ がトレンド入りしていると聞いたので、女装男子がバカみたいに筋トレしていた頃と、現在の筋肉を見てくだされ http://t.co/Wcmp6IU2C6
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大島薫 (@Oshima_Kaoru) January 28, 2015
For those readers looking for more information on this rising star, be careful with his Facebook page, a quick perusal will surely land you in “not safe for work” territory.
RocketNews24 fully supports the idea that hobbies and beauty come in many packages, so we are patiently awaiting the Akihabara event that celebrates women who identify as women, men who identify as women, women who identify as men and people who don’t identify as anything! Bring it on, we will be here to bring you the news.
Source: Hachima Kiko
Additional Information: Kaoru Oshima Official Blog
Images: Facebook
