Top Anime Trap of The Year?

Although the year is still far from over, I think it’s safe to say that the top trap of the year in the anime world has already been decided. Some of you may be wondering what I’m talking about when I refer to a trap. Before I explain that though, I want you to take a look at the picture to the left. The name of this character is Hideyoshi Kinoshita from the anime Baka to Test to Shokanju. By anime standards, Hideyoshi is a pretty girl, and I’m sure if you showed this picture to most people they would agree. Now what if I told you that Hideyoshi is a boy, shocked? Well, that’s what a trap usually refers to, a male character that you’d swear was a girl.

Traps have actually been in anime/games for a long time. Some older ones are Nuriko from Fushigi Yuugi and Honjo Kamatari from Rurouni Kenshin. Traps usually have a lot of different reasons for looking female. Some of them are forced to dress up as a female due to certain circumstances while others just like to cross-dress. In Hideoyoshi’s case, he just looks so much like a girl that everyone thinks he is a girl. He also happens to “accidentally” end up in girls’ clothing a lot in the anime.

Hideyoshi also appears to be much more popular than traps from other series. With Baka to Test to Shokanju only airing 11 episodes so far, Hideyoshi has already spawned a sizable line-up of related merchandise including pvc figures, printed mugs, zippo lighters, and even body pillow covers. You can also easily find fan-made images of him floating around on the internet, another indication of his popularity. With so much support, it’s hard to imagine another character becoming even more popular before the year’s end which is why Hideyoshi will probably be the most successful trap of the year.