Did you know that April 6th is National Twinkie Day? Well, now you do!! Perhaps only Americans will understand the nostalgic, sickly-sweet sensation that is a Hostess Twinkie (everyone else we tried to explain the iconic junkfood to seemed baffled yet fascinated at the concept).
While many would argue that aside from the hit of dopamine thanks to the intense sugar content of the phallic snack, it has little to offer, I’d disagree — it is rumored to have been partly responsible for the slang term “twink” that is well-known in LGBTQ+ circles, and even mainstream pop culture today. (Why Twinkies, you ask? Well, uhm, you might have to do some of your own research to get to the bottom of that one 
)
Because of that association, we decided to use this opportunity to show our love for the twinks that are so prevalent in — and do so much for — Boys Love.
In celebration of twinks, BLog authors and pretty boi connoisseurs Ames and Sou sat down for a nice, long chat (via DM) about twinks in BL. What is a twink? What kinds of twinks are we most drawn to personally? And, what is the appeal of twinks in the broader BL culture?? Read on for our extremely big-brained, candid, and (mostly) unfiltered fujin thoughts.
Conversation timestamps have been kept intact so that you can see for yourself just how much (or how little) time we spent poring over our thoughtful discussion of this dazzling aspect of BL
[12:07] sou
Ames… I think it’s time we talk about an important issue affecting the BL community
[12:07] ames
yeah?
[12:07] sou
TWINKS
(Via The “Growth” Progress Of The Sexy Helper Dog” by Chiku Nii)
[12:08] ames
what’s a twink, sou?
[12:08] ames
never heard of such a thing
[12:09] sou
well, for one, it would describe all of your favorite characters 
i see you and your preferences
[12:10] ames
so you admit that the boys I like are twinks? but, not the ones YOU like? *sou: 
*
[12:10] sou
now hold on just a second
[12:11] sou
there’s no simple way to describe twinks
[12:17] sou
this morning in a meeting with our boss, for instance, we were explaining our idea for this very post, and upon hearing the word “twink” they were utterly confused. ames had to describe the concept in Japanese as ジャニーズ系 (“Johnny’s Kei”) in reference to the male idol conglomerate — famous for their groups of youthful, attractive men. It’s probably the most succinct way to convey the concept of a “pretty boy” for the average normie-coded Japanese person.
[12:24] ames
Yeah, they had no idea what we were talking about lol. They were like “that’s called a ‘twink’??” I think the thing is, in Japan “twinkish” body types are kind of the norm, since that’s just the beauty standard for men. Big, buff guys are a lot less common, and you usually have to seek THOSE out in Japanese much more so than the other way around.
[12:26] sou
And that reflects in BL manga, as well — walk into the BL section of any bookstore here and you’ll be surrounded by images of slim, delicate-looking bishonen men.
[12:27] sou
This can be frustrating for fans who prefer bigger, hunkier, or hairier body types. But for folks like ames and me…
[12:27] ames
“and me”
[12:28] ames
what *sou: 
*
[12:36] ames
but yeah, there’s a reason i often go for japanese bl in particular. i’m not big on big buff, burly dudes (since i’m personally not interested in men irl, so dudes — fictional or otherwise — that look super man-coded aren’t really my type), and japanese bl usually has the type of characters i find particularly appealing (visually, of course — since there are plenty of ‘non-twink’ characters i love based more off their personality).
[12:42] sou
Regardless of one’s IRL preferences (and hey, fantasy vs. reality, amirite??), needless to say there’s a whole spectrum of body types when it comes to fictional characters, and everyone has their own tastes. We just happen to be very lucky in that Japanese BL more often than not caters to our NEED for 2D men on the, er, “smol” side.
[12:42] ames
still side-eyeing what you think of as “smol” but
[12:42] ames
i guess i’ll start by asking, what is your ideal twink?
[12:43] ames
because the thing is, even within the definition of a twink, there are entirely different types
[13:01] sou
well, this may sound blasphemous to a shortie lover like you, but I define my ideal BL “type” as a “grande twink.” Yes, that refers to the popular café beverage size — not too small, but not too much — just the riiight amount of man.
[13:01] sou
For example, the character taking up the most space in my mind rent-free as of late is Wataru of Nobiru Hoshi-sensei’s “I Want to Spoil You” — he’s slim but has enough muscle definition to really make me appreciate when his body receives the “kind punishment” it deserves 
I’d also consider Takara from Kannu Ogi’s “You’ll Be My Wife” a member of this category, as he’s on the dainty side, but still has some meat on his bones (i.e. his thighs ). Also, he looks so fine in that little see-thru lingerie piece 
…Basically, if they’re juuuust “built” enough to show some cleavage, it’s a bullseye for me 
[13:03] ames
see, i don’t even disagree with you on these two. they’re both very quintessential twink, though i wouldn’t call them “grande” necessarily. *sou: 
*
[13:03] ames
but i know you’re hiding the other BUFF “twinks” we battle over
[13:03] sou
……
(intense side-eye)
[13:03] ames
where are they, sou?
[13:04] sou
LET ME EXPLAIN
[13:05] sou
To me, “twink” is not simply a body type, but a state of mind… also, I admit I certainly enjoy characters who might more closely fit its sister (brother?) category.
Ames, we cannot forget about the Twunks
(Via “Reunited By Chance” by Sakae Hiraku)
For me, a “twunk” — that is, a mix between “twink” and a “hunk” — is a twink who is buffer than average, but still has a very pretty face. If you’re not quite sure what that would look like, you need look no further than the men of Satomichi’s “Sacrificed to the Shark Clan,” who are buff as hell but not so “manly” in the face as to be totally off-putting to those who prefer their guys on the feminine side.
Plus, fine, I’ll admit it. I find immense satisfaction in seeing a well-built dude be absolutely DOMINATED. “My Gentlewolf (Husband) Won’t Get In Bed With Me -A Frustrating Married Life With A Beast Man” is a perfect example of this — a cute, hunky guy, who would probably be cast as a top in any other BL, takes his rightful place beneath an even bigger, stronger man (wolf…? wolf-man). It’s exciting to see all his bulges get the love and attention they deserve 
Plus… BL ahegao. Just sayin’.
But, let’s not get it twisted — a character’s designation as “twink” or “twunk” doesn’t mean they ALWAYS have to bottom (though admittedly that’s overwhelmingly the case). Both Kazuki and Seiji of “You Know You’re Cuter!” are well-built manual laborers, but of the two I’d say Seiji leans more toward “twunk” than “himbo” due to his slightly slimmer build and pretty face — and guess which one of them tops (hint hint: the “pretty top” fans will be very pleased with the answer 
). By the way, they both look damn good in a bunny suit.
[13:28] sou
So, Ames, you’ve kept our readers waiting long enough… what’s YOUR favorite kind of twink?
[13:38] ames
For a lot of my favorites, they’re really not that different from your first post. I talk about them at length in my Cat Day post, but I think characters like Riya from “Red-Light Trouble,” Haru from “Kabukicho Cat Honey,” and Jun from “Private Live Streaming” all have that slim but TONED body type. I would consider them plenty twink-y, if not tipping a biiiiit toward the “Just Normal Dudes” side of the twink spectrum.
[13:40] ames
I think where we really, really differ in terms of MY preferences, is I like pretty, effeminate guys
[13:40] ames
which are small and slim, sure
[13:41] ames
but do we agree that they’re twinks?
[13:41] ames
For instance, I do think a character like Haruka from “Do You Like Virtual Cuties I.R.L.?” is a twink, but
[13:45] ames
what about a character like Tsubasa from “My 11th Lover” ? Is he a twink?
[13:50] sou
Sure, Haruka’s twinky enough. And Tsubasa’s sooo femme and dainty to the point I had to double-check the genre of the manga. I do like that he’s in his thirties, though — twinks are everlasting!!
[13:51] sou
On that note: I said earlier that “twink” is a state of mind, and I think it’s important to mention the emotional appeal that twinks have, which goes beyond their physical traits. Of course, their personalities can range from bratty and slutty to sweet and innocent. But they almost always evoke a sense of protectiveness and a stronge urge to shower them with affection.
[13:51] sou
For example, Sougo Uno of “What Happens When a Handsome Gangster Starts Keeping a Straight Man on a Short Leash” is a once-divorced man well into his 20s who jumps up and down like a bunny rabbit at the mere mention of going grocery shopping together with his boyfriend/husband. His naivety and kind heart are like an oasis for both the characters in the story and the reader. The fact that his relatively short stature is emphasized by the burly dudes surrounding him in his found yakuza family only adds to his title as “precious bby who must be protected at all costs.” Twink attachment is REAL, and it’s the reason I continue to enjoy this series chapter after chapter — even when the story is mostly just Sougo going about his life — cooking, playing sports with his family, snuggling with Ryo… my fluff-addicted brain can’t get enough 
[13:59] ames
I suppose that’s true. I feel like everyone probably has their own reasons for liking twinks (or buff dudes, if that’s their preference), but I can’t deny one of the things I love about them is the smallness and cuteness juxtaposed with what you would usually expect from male characters. It automatically makes them endearing — the epitome of “gap moe.”
[14:01] ames
So I guess in a sense, even if the characters we think are twinks differ wildly
[14:01] ames
our reasons for loving them isn’t that different
[14:03] ames
Plus, I feel like even if we define them differently, our preference in characters is surprisingly similar
[14:03] ames
even if you think all the characters I love have dumb hair
[14:04] sou
and you think my “twunks” are simply manly himbo meatheads
[14:04] ames
exactly
[14:04] ames
but we do fully agree on… certain characters, do we not?
[14:04] ames
though I wouldn’t call Kaveh a twink
[14:05] sou
I would call him twink personified, but that doesn’t matter
[14:05] sou
at the end of the day, we both love him equally
[14:05] sou
tho i have never played genshin [note: sou is a fake gamer]
[14:05] ames
i was GONNA SAY lol
[14:05] ames
but that’s okay
[14:06] ames
gatekeeping is for losers, so we’ll just say we love kaveh equally
that cleaveeee ©Hoyoverse[14:07] sou
In conclusion… Twinks good and we love and appreciate them in this (publishing) house (that is Renta!).
[14:09] ames
all twinks are good twinks, no matter how you define them
[14:12] sou
and like Twinkies, they’re a sweet treat good for your soul — but unlike the former, they’re good for your heart as well! *ames: 
*
Do YOU like twinks (or twunks)?? Who are your favorite twinkish characters? What “types” of boys do YOU like to see in your BL? We’d love to know, so comment below!!
rentaBLog 