If you’ve watched enough anime or have played enough games, there’s no doubt that you’ve encountered an ikemen character but never knew what they were called. The one guy that’s always beautiful, manly, and well-built body. That guy who, no matter what, always has at least one scene showing off his physique during one of your first encounters with him. 

Fans from around the world have come to appreciate the characteristics which reflect what it means to be an ikemen character. Everyone has their preferences or definition of what makes an ikemen who they are. It could be his exquisite fashion sense, the shape of his eyes, or it’s the aura he gives off that could leave you swooning over him. No matter how you describe an ikemen, there’s no denying that they are meant to be the attractive characters in any series. There’s no surprise how many shows and video games revolve around this concept either. The most popular genres with ikemen characters are sports, historical, and recently idols.

There’s no better way to see ikemen characters in all their glory than to watch any number of idol anime that have been released over the years. Uta no☆Prince Sama, Ensemble Stars!, and IDOLiSH7 are just a few of the idol-themed animes that have been released. Most of these shows are adaptations from music games or otome games, which are games targeted towards women. Of course, the characters are not the only highlight in idol anime, music, and dance choreography are wonderful and should not be underestimated. One of the most popular songs on youtube is ‘WE ARE ST☆RISH!!’ by the sub-unit ‘ST☆RISH’ from Uta no☆Prince Sama. 

If idols aren’t your thing, what about characters from Japanese history? Anime and video games have taken inspiration from many time periods, but the common trait about most is their relationship with samurai. 

Whether it’s time traveling into the Bakumatsu period in Touken Ranbu, watching the over-the-top action of legendary samurai from the Sengoku period in Sengoku Basara, or being thrust back in time to that same period where you can date one of these samurai in the mobile game Sengoku Ikemen, there will always be beautiful men waiting to fight on the battlefield. The personalities of the characters vary, which means there’s an ikemen for everyone! Do you like buttons and phone charms? You might like this Touken Ranbu set from our new seller, 110!

Let’s take a step back and forget the time traveling. Many of you have probably watched a sport at least once in your life. If there’s one thing, you can count on when it comes to ikemen and sports: it’s the attention to detail when it comes to the character designs. From rippling muscles and toned bodies of characters from swimming anime Free! Iwatobi Swim Club, or the grace and smooth movements of Yuri from figure skating anime Yuri!!! On Ice. Behind the plot of these shows is the main point of the anime: to introduce you to what ikemen is all about.

While the main point is for the viewers to appreciate ikemen, anime does a great job of highlighting sports that have not been featured in shows in the past as much. Yuri!!! On Ice, Free!, and volleyball anime Haikyuu!! all take the time to explain the terminology used in their respective sports, educating viewers while entertaining them at the same time. If you’ve never played volleyball or followed the sport, odds are you wouldn’t know what Yu Nishinoya’s position as ‘libero’ was.

You may not have known what they were called, but you have seen ikemen characters in anime and games — the beautiful, stylish, and well-built man known for his looks first and everything else second. If you look past their good looks, you might be able to pick up a new interest like history from the Sengoku period or pick up a hobby like bike riding!

If your hobby is collecting, why not take a look at our new store: 110! There’s a fantastic collection of keychains, buttons, and character cards! There are sets like Daiki Aomine from Kuroko’s Basketball, Syo Kurusu from Uta no☆Prince Sama, or even this one from otome video game Hakuouki. As a bonus when you order from 110, there won’t be any fees for any of our products, and you get 3% cashback on every purchase.

Shop Ikemen Goods on ZenPlus

 Discover more anime goods by clicking the banner below.

Follow us & Share The Love #ZenPlus.