Masculine/Feminine Duos?

Tomboy and Girly Girl



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When the main characters in a show are both female, or if there are only Two Girls to a Team, it almost always leads to a case of this trope. The "Girly Girl" will highly care about her appearance, pursue "girly" interests, and is often (though not always) The Load. The Tomboy, who is often The Big Guy, will be into sports, mechanics, or the like. She couldn't care less about her hair or makeup, but is often an Unkempt Beauty anyway.

The two ladies will have some sort of relationship with each other, whether they're best friends or on the same team. If they're together for reasons outside their control (i.e., part of a team), they might initially dislike or confuse each other with their ways, until the inevitable situation forces them to put aside their differences and forge a common bond (note: if there are more than two girls in the group, these two must have some kind of connection over the others).

Important Note: While this is usually a straight forward story, examples can still get subjective in regards to whether or not one of the girls is tomboyish enough, the other is girly enough, or whether they're different enough. Keep a few points in mind;

• 1. The two girls do not have to be polar opposites of each other to fit this type.

• 2. The tomboy does not have to be a total man-beast with no feminine interests.

• 3. The girly girl does not have to be a total priss with no masculine interests.

• 4. If you post an example that may not be so obvious, be sure to explain how one is a tomboy and how the other is a girly girl.

Sensitive Guy and Manly Man



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What makes Odd Couples odd is that they pit together people with conflicting personalities in hopes that hilarity will ensue. A common variant is to have two male characters that are at the opposite ends of masculinity.

One guy will be your everyday Macho Man. He's rough, aggressive, and strong (or at least that's how he sees himself). He loves sports, cars, power tools, and general physical activity. The other guy in contrast will be much "softer". He loves poetry, literature, art, and is generally more In Touch With His Feminine Side.

Occasionally these personality traits extend to their looks. The Macho Man will be tall and well-muscled. The Sensitive Guy will be more slender. Anime usually gives him a bishounen look while Western production might go for a more nerdy one. If the characters are attractive, the manly guy will often be a muscle bound and the sensitive one will often be a Pretty Boy.

They may have an Odd Friendship or will be Those Two Guys in an ensemble cast. More frequently they are rivals or even enemies, especially in schoolyard settings. This is because the Manly Man may see the Sensitive Guy as a "wimp" for not displaying stereotypical masculine behavior. Similarly, the Sensitive Guy may resent the Manly Man for perpetuating those stereotypes in the first place. This is very apparent if the two are caught in a Love Triangle as the female will theoretically choose which of them she sees fulfilling the role of "man" best.

This of course is a relative not an absolute contrast. The "sensitive guy" need not be a Coward, nor need the "manly man" be a Jerk. And of course on a Tough Crew, to some degree everyone will be a "manly man". And as you want the characters to be likable, you do want most of them to have some characteristics of a "sensitive guy". And so on. The point of the trope is in the contrast between the pair. Often also used as a way to indicate that works relying on Mars and Venus Gender Contrast still have room for at least more than one stereotype per gender.

Important Note: While this is usually a straight forward trope, examples can still get subjective in regards to whether or not one of the guys is sensitive enough, the other is manly enough, or whether they're different enough. Keep a few points in mind when reading:

• 1. The two guys do not have to be physically stronger or weaker than the other to fit this type.

• 2. This applies to personalities as much as physical strength or appearance. Two guys can be strong and if one acts sensitive and the other acts manly, then they fit.

• 3. The sensitive guy does not have to possess more feminine traits than masculine traits.

I like this dynamic duo. The images that you picked we spot on.

These characters play off each other strengths as well as weaknesses.

I like that this can be both female as well as males.

I like this article and give you creit forfor pointing this out.

A fun read