Shônen for Boys and Shôjo for Girls?

The segmentation of manga readers, a product of Japanese publications, attributes shonens to boys and shojos to girls and, for older readers, seinens and joseis, respectively. But the most precise attributions tell us nothing about real appropriation, especially during adolescence, an age at which cultural practices contribute to the construction of boys and girls of a specific age and social background. Even though gender models are evolving, choices are not equivalent and certain limits remain insurmountable, especially the threat – for adolescents – of being suspected of homosexuality.