bishōjo

thumb|200px|Moe (slang)|Moe-style illustration of an original character

In Japanese popular culture, a , also romanized as bishojo or bishoujo, is a character who is typically an attractive young girl or woman. characters are ubiquitous in media including manga, anime, and computerized games (especially in the bishojo game genre), and also appear in advertising and as mascots, such as for maid cafés. An attraction to characters is a key element of otaku (manga and anime fan) culture.