Meganekko
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Meganekko (メガネ (めがね and 眼鏡, meaning the same thing, are also used) megane for glasses and 娘 ko for girl) is Japanese slang which translates to "Glasses (-wearing) Girl". It's also often used in anime and manga fandom to refer to females who wear glasses, especially when it is considered their most attractive trait. Their usage may or may not have anything to do with a character's eyesight, and they are often a 'neutral' costume not as closely associated with more obvious fetishes such as meido or seifuku, though they are very often depicted with a pageboy. They sometimes have the connotations of geekish or bookish behavior, but in a complimentary fashion.
The most common stereotype associated with the term, especially in youth-oriented stories, is the ubiquitous 'Class Representative' (Iinchō): A well-doing, charismatic but sometimes bossy student who is respectful of authority. This usually earns them the respect of good students or contempt of slackers.
The most famous meganekko in current American fandom is probably Yomiko Readman of the Read or Die (ROD) series. However, in the 1990s, one of the most popular was arguably Tira Misu from the series Sorcerer Hunters, which was an early manga import to the US. The comedic anime series G-On Riders (a pun that also means "glasses-on") has character designs deliberately incorporating this design.
[edit] List of Meganekko characters
A few popular meganekko characters in anime and manga include:
- Taeko Minasuki from Ai Yori Aoshi;
- Rion Aida from Agent Aika;
- Ringo Noyamano from Air Gear;
- Kaede Saitou from Kidou Tenshi Angelic Layer;
- Koyomi "Yomi" Mizuhara from Azumanga Daioh;
- Ami Mizuno/Sailor Mercury from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon (Only wears them while studying, and, in Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, in civilian form when she is nervous);
- Roberta from Black Lagoon;
- Naoko Yanagisawa from Cardcaptor Sakura;
- Minami Makimura and Yuu Inagawa from Comic Party;
- Maria Imaie and Reika Aoshima from Cosplay Complex (the latter only wears her glasses when no one is around);
- February from Coyote Ragtime Show;
- Sakurako Kintoki from Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z;
- Yolei Inoue from Digimon: Digital Monsters;
- Shizuka Nagare from Doki Doki School Hours;
- Sheska from Fullmetal Alchemist;
- Kyoko Tokiwa from Full Metal Panic!;
- Yuuki, Sela, Yayoi, and almost the entire female cast of G-On Riders;
- Ikuyo Suzuki from Hanaukyo Maid Tai;
- Fumitsuki Nanakorobi, Kanna Togakushi, and Mutsuki Ichimonji from Happy Lesson (the latter only wears her glasses at home);
- Yukino Miyazawa from Kare Kano (only wears her glasses at home);
- Naru Narusegawa from Love Hina;
- Chisame Hasegawa from Negima!: Magister Negi Magi;
- Fuu Hououji from Magic Knight Rayearth;
- Hikaru Amano from Martian Successor Nadesico;
- Yuki Nagato from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (though she loses her glasses partway through the series);
- Noel from Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch (wears them while reading and making intelligent observations in the anime);
- Yayoi Kuribayshi from Mouse;
- Sora Hasegawa from Oh My Goddess;
- Kazami Mizuho from Onegai Teacher and Onegai Twins;
- Tsubaki Oribe from Onegai Twins;
- Rei Tachibana from Pani Poni Dash!;
- Yomiko Readman from Read or Die;
- Anthy Himemiya from Revolutionary Girl Utena;
- Moe Katsuragi from Risky Safety (whose name may be a reference to the term);
- Meimi Haneoka from Kaitou Saint Tail (wears them while reading);
- Ri Kohran from Sakura Taisen;
- Yuuki Tsumugi from School Rumble;
- Marie from Sister Princess;
- Remon Natsume from Strawberry Panic!;
- Tira Misu from Sorcerer Hunters;
- Tomoko Hoshina from ToHeart and ToHeart ~Remember My Memories~;
- Retasu Midorikawa/Mew Lettuce (Bridget Verdant/Mew Bridget) from Tokyo Mew Mew (Mew Mew Power — glasses disappear when transformed);
- Miyuki Takamachi from Triangle Heart and Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha (removes her glasses when fighting);
- Robin Sena from Witch Hunter Robin (primarily when using her powers);
- Hajime Yagi from World of Narue;
- Tabitha from Zero no Tsukaima.
