houxli replied to your post: The trans representation in Stop!! Hibari-kun! is...
Hibari is implied trans, but what the characters are seeing her as is âotokonoko,â or a male crossdresser, like Kuranosuke from Jellyfish princess. Itâs not a phenomena that have a direct parallel to Westerners (Christian-centric culture as a whole). The characters see it as âHibari is taking it too far,â which as you stated is a suck-y portrayal.
Actually Otokonoko is a more recent term originating in the 2000s which is associated more with crossdressing men in entertainment industries. However the term is also often used to include trans women, as Japanese trans women have often worked in entertainment industries as its one of the few places where they could find some acceptance. While the manga Stop!! Hibari-kun! could be considered an otokonoko manga, it wouldnât really be accurate to call Hibari the character an otokonoko. The term Josou would be more accurate which is a more general term to refer to crossdressing men and trans women.