In the world of Pokemon, Diantha (Carnet in Japanese) is not only the Pokemon Champion of the Kalos region and the final boss of Pokemon XY but also a movie star with renowned beauty. It shows in her character design, but there’s something I find interesting about Diantha’s attractiveness. As far as I can tell, rather than being the perfect woman for guys, Diantha appears to be closer to women’s general perception of the ideal feminine beauty.
I’m not especially well-read on the differences between how men and women view beauty except to know that there is at least some appreciable difference between the sexes. From my own experience talking to others about this, if you were to look at the female chefs on the Food Network and ask who is the most attractive, men often prefer Giada De Laurentiis while Claire Robinson appeals more to women. A lot of it seems to do with the men and women focusing on different features, though I can’t say for certain which is which. When I look at Diantha’s design she leans closer to Claire than she does Giada in terms of facial structure, and her pose and overall stature exude less of an alluring, sensual quality, and more a powerful, statuesque grace. It also might be the eyebrows.
Of course, tastes between individuals can vary even within the same gender, and there are also cultural differences to account for. In this sense I’d say that Diantha is more of a European ideal than an Asian one, but as with all of this it’s more my own impression than anything else. Obviously I can’t speak about how women perceive beauty firsthand, and if there’s something you think I’m overlooking or just plain wrong about, don’t hesitate to leave a comment.
Though, if we’re talking about ideal Pokemon girl for guys, I imagine it’d be either Cynthia (Shirona) or Flannery (Asuna).
OGIUE MANIAX 
As a woman, I’m not sure if my tastes in male and female beauty are standard, but I *do* know that I’m more likely to gravitate towards “masculine” femininity (tall, thin, somewhat angular bodies, shorter hair, etc), and “feminine” masculinity. Basically, androgynous physical features, which I’m sure Diantha would have if not for the pronounced eyelashes, eyeshadow, and purse.
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Since XY’s region is Europe-inspired, a European ideal would be fitting. Kalos (κάλλος) is Greek for beauty. Her title of Grand Duchess, while earned through battle rather than birth, lends her an air of nobility. In combination with being a renowned actress, she reminds me of the likes of Judi Dench.
I can’t speak for girls or even normal guys about an ideal Pokemon girl (whatever that means). All I know is that even without having actually played the latest three generations of the game, let alone watch the anime, my particular otaku sensibilities quickly lead me to… best girl.
Unrelated Postscript: The topic having reminded me of the TPP phenomenon, I just checked in on it and found it in crisis in its literal final hour. (Streamer issued an ultimatum: FireRed starts at the end of Day 18 regardless of whether Emerald is beaten.)
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I can definitely understand Diantha’s appeal to women and I’m actually kind of embarrassed as a man that I’m one of those guys that likes Cynthia. I’ll try to salvage some of my dignity and say that it helps that I thought she was a much better trainer/ more difficult champion than Diantha.
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No apologies!
Cynthia is amazing and sexy.
Own it.
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You’re onto something here. But while I agree with you on the fact that Diantha is meant to aesthetically appeal to women, but I think that it’s part of a greater appeal that includes her personality and career.
Although I wasn’t among them, I know alot of women who had dreams of becoming singers or movie stars in their youth, and who still remember those dreams fondly, even when they’ve long abandoned them for other careers. And Diantha is very much the best of those dreams. And some stars end up mired in scandal and drugs and end up looking really trashy, but Diantha doesn’t seem to be like that at all. To quote her:
“Why would I want to play the same old roles forever? Youth may be beautiful, but it’s not all there is to life. Everything changes. I want to live and change like that, too. So I look forward to playing different roles as I get older.”
She’s going for the Meryl Streep path, in other words. She may not be young forever, but she’s not compromising on the other things. She’s planning on staying like this forever: well respected, confident, desirable, magnanimous and graceful in both victory and defeat, powerful as both a trainer and a social force, and undeniably feminine.
I think in that way she’s what almost every woman wants to be.
Ah, but speaking from purely which is my favorite kind of perspective, I’m female, and it’s Flannery all the way.
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