Here are the ten most gorgeous East Asian men in the world who are famous enough to have an article in the Wikipedia and who are at least half East Asian by blood. See below for how I made the list.
1. Daniel Henney (1979- ) is an American actor who made his name on South Korean television – even though he barely knew any Korean! His father is Irish American, his mother a KAD (Korean adoptee).
2. Takeshi Kaneshiro (1973- ) is a Taiwanes actor who is one-eighth Okinawan, thus his name name. He has appeared in both Hong Kong films and on Japanese television.
4. Will Demps (1979- ) is an American football player. His father is Black American, his mother is Korean.
5. John Cho (1972- ) is an American actor. He was born in Seoul, South Korea but grew up in Los Angeles. He has appeared in the “American Pie” films, the latest “Star Trek” (2009) film as Sulu and on television in “FlashFoward” where he was Gabrielle Union’s boyfriend.
6. Rain (1982- ) is a South Korean singer and actor.
7. Ken Watanabe (1959- ) is a Japanese actor. He has appeared in some Hollywood films, like “The Last Samurai” (2003).
8. Johnny Tri Nguyen (1974- ) is an American actor. He was born in Vietnam, half Vietnamese and half Chinese by blood. His family moved to Los Angeles when he was eight.
9. Bruce Lee (1940-1973) is a world-famous American actor and martial artist. He was born in San Francisco but grew up in Hong Kong, coming back to America at age 18. He is one-fourth German and three-fourths Chinese by blood.
10. Tony Leung Ka-fai (1958- ) is a Chinese actor from Hong Kong.
Honourable mentions: Will Yun Lee, Oh Ji-ho, Piolo Pascual, Nicholas Saputra, Leehom Wang, Sam Milby, Lee Jun Ki, James Kyson Lee, Bae Yong Joon
How I made the list: I had three and a half days of open nominations on my blog followed by six days of an online poll. Commenters were allowed any number of nominations and seconds, but voters could only vote for one man. There were 87 men nominated but only 30 were seconded. All 30 made it into the poll.
There were 287 votes. All who got at least 11 votes made it into the top ten. All those who got between 4 to 10 votes made it into honourable mentions. The top ten got 75% of all votes.
The poll was done in English. You see the effects of that in who won: most of the top ten is familiar to Americans while three of the top four are only half East Asian.
Will Demps placed in the top ten both in this poll and the one on The Most Gorgeous Men in the World. Russel Wong was also in that poll but did way better this time. Oh Ji-ho, on the other hand, did way worse! He won that poll but only pulled an honourable mention here.
See also:
- The most beautiful East Asian women – not from any poll, just my opinion
- Gorgeous East Asian men:
- Gorgeous men:
- Korean adoptee
These men are gorgeous (except for a couple)!
I think what you said about popularity is very true. For instance, I don’t think Bruce Lee would have made the list if he weren’t so popular in the US, and Ken Watanabe garnered his place due to “The Last Samurai” for sure. Not that they are terrible looking, but there are hotter men.
Will Demps is just okay, IMO. Why he is on both lists is a mystery to me, but I guess the “muscular pretty boy football player” look is appealing to some.
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When I opened this, my first reaction was – Wow! These men are absolutely gorgeous! I’m thankful that these ladies on here are open to all types of men and their beauty. And were willing to share their favorites.
It’s very disappointing that Piolo did not make the list, but at least Takeshi did.
Great post! Now it’s time for Southeast Asian.;)
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meh!
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I know Island girl, I was pulling for Piolo, but I’ll take Daniel Henney over Takeshi! *winks at Natasha*
I’m not into Will Demps either, but I cosign everyone on the list besides him, Bruce Lee, and Ken Watanabe (probably because they are “old”).
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Well I like Will Demps I think he is cute. Rain I thought he would make it higher on the list oh well he is high on my list lol.
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This is a good list. I agree Bruce Lee looks okay and made it probaly because he is popular.
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If we are being truthful aren’t most people who are considered ‘beautiful/attracive’ viewed that way because they are in the public eye and/or the media holds them up as such??
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I didnt know Russell Wong was 1/2 white… Thats funny because when I say his picture in polling my first thought was he looked like a white guy I know… Interesting.
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Jasmine,
I was glad there were some older guys, since I’m old. I was going to nominate Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, but I thought he might be too old and obscure.
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Russel Wong is gorgeous! He’s number one on my list
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Dang! My man Oh Ji Ho didn’t place in the top ten! *sigh* Oh, well. He won where it counts. J/k! 😛 I think Daniel Henney is quite goodlooking, but in a way, I’m not surprised he won. Takeshi Kaneshiro is a hottie, too. Still, I’m a bit…I don’t know the right word…astonished, I guess, that a half Asian guy is the winner of this poll.
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Rain is so hot. I love his body.
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Hathor,
I’m all about some Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa!!!! *shivers* Remember how he looked in Mortal Kombat?
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Fine with the list, though I am sure people will be peeved that 3 of the top 5 are mixed.
I am still peeved about the absence of Daniel Dae Kim in the voting list, but whatever.
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Korean and Japanese men are hawt! Co-sign Hathor!
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the last guy is the cutest.
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i recant that, johnny nguyen is the hottest
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Three words: Russell Wong. Wow.
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(He’s just one of those people you can’t tear your eyes off of. I could stare at him indefinatly. Guess I couldn’t get it all in three words!)
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@Peanut
I agree with you. Johnny Tri Nguyen is very, very attractive. I had hard time choosing between Johnny Tri Nguyen and Daniel Henney. Both of them are gorgeous. I wish Johnny had received more votes. But I am glad he is in the Top 10.
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@ Natasha W:
“Will Demps is just okay, IMO. Why he is on both lists is a mystery to me, but I guess the “muscular pretty boy football player” look is appealing to some.”
From my perspective, he has just the right mix of pretty boy looks, and rugged/muscular good looks. And the black/Asian thing makes him look a bit unusual and intriguing.
Mind you, I know nothing about NFL so I’ve only seen him in pictures on this blog. But having seen “House of Flying Daggers”, I can certainly attest that your boy Takeshi has the intangible x-factor to go with that face.
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Daniel Henney is ok, but not the most gorgeous, imo. I guess I’d prefer Takeshi on the top of the list (even though I didn’t vote for him :P), but ok.
Will Demps is good looking. I didn’t really like his photo in the “most gorgeous men”, but I like this one.
I agree about Ken Watanabe and Bruce Lee.
As for Oh Ji Ho, he is good looking no doubt, but I guess he won the most gorgeous men list with the help of his fans (I mean, his fanbase was voting for him more than the general population).
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@Mira:
I was surprised to find he won The ten most gorgeous men in the world post. I was hoping he’d make it to the top ten, but he went straight to the top. I think when his fans got wind of this poll, they voted for him straightaway.
I’m very glad that Johnny Nguyen made it in the top ten. He as well as Oh Ji Ho are virtually unknown outside of Asia. It’s comforting, well, for me that they’re getting recognized. I’ve always known Asian men were handsome. Screw what Hollywood tells you.
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Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying Oh Ji Ho didn’t deserve to win that list… It was refreshing to see this kind of a list where white men didn’t dominate. Indeed, a white man with the best result got third place only, and you can argue that he (Johnny Depp) is in fact, mixed, and so is 4th place Keanu. So the white man with the best result was who? James Franco? Paul Newman?
I’m very glad that Johnny Nguyen made it in the top ten. He as well as Oh Ji Ho are virtually unknown outside of Asia.
Well, the fact I don’t know any of these men and their work (except for Bruce Lee) actually helped me decide, because I wasn’t influenced by their work. For example, I am not a football fan so I think that would influence my opinion on Will Demps. Similarly, I don’t think Keanu can act so it prevents me to see him as hot. Seeing men in this poll simply as attractive men made my opinion (gorgeousness-wise) more objective, I think. I guess it didn’t work the same for other people (that’s how more famous men got in top 10).
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The men in the top ten are kind of “well known” so to speak. The ones who’ve made an appearance in Hollywood which is pretty much all of them with the exception of Johnny Tri Nguyen and Oh Ji Ho.
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Well, I guess people vote for familiar celebrities.
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@Mira:
True. That’s why I was pleased as punch that abagond made a post like this. It’s truly wonderful to see the “beauty” of Asian being showcased like this. And not this.
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Oh, so you all dont like “old”…well , I guess that squashes my intended write in vote for Gengis Khan…..I mean , he conquered half the world and 1/4 of the Mongolian territory has his dna in their genes…that guy got around….
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I like how some ladies zero in on Will Demps. Could it be because he is half-Black?
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True. That’s why I was pleased as punch that abagond made a post like this. It’s truly wonderful to see the “beauty” of Asian being showcased like this. And not this.
True, true. Well, nothing wrong with nerds per se, but it’s really frustrating to know that’s the main stereotype about whole group of humans. Not to mention the “not enough masculine” stereotype. So while I’m not into muscular guys, I’m glad you and the other girls posted all those shirtless photos, so people can see Asian men the way Hollywood doesn’t want them to be seen. 🙂
I like how some ladies zero in on Will Demps. Could it be because he is half-Black?
What does “zero in” mean?
Will is very attractive. I just didn’t like that other photo. Couldn’t see his face. lol
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J,
“If we are being truthful aren’t most people who are considered ‘beautiful/attracive’ viewed that way because they are in the public eye and/or the media holds them up as such??”
In general, that may be true. Some celebrities are hyped and that affects perception of them. But in polls like these, with real people voting, the overall best looking are usually on top. If that weren’t the case, the original “Most Gorgeous Men” list would have featured Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Denzel Washington, etc.
Eurasian Sensation,
“And the black/Asian thing makes him look a bit unusual and intriguing.”
I agree: it’s also partly the “exotic” draw.
Mira,
“Daniel Henney is ok, but not the most gorgeous, imo. I guess I’d prefer Takeshi on the top of the list (even though I didn’t vote for him)…”
…Wha? Who did you vote for???
And of course Takeshi should be on the top of the list. In a head to head, with maybe 10 rounds of different photos, he would win. I blame myself for choosing that picture of Daniel Henney which caused him to shoot to the top.
Joe Clyde,
“I like how some ladies zero in on Will Demps. Could it be because he is half-Black?”
What do you mean “zero in?”
I don’t personally find him that good looking, half black or not. He isn’t unattractive, but hardly the most gorgeous.
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I voted for Leehom Wang. I liked several of his pictures. Not sure why. The guy isn’t “hot hot hot” per se, but I really liked his eyes.
I really thought Takeshi would end up on the top.
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With regard to:
“But in polls like these, with real people voting, the overall best looking are usually on top”.
Just to add that we have also seen here that people have voted according to ‘pre-conceived ideas’ ie I wanted to vote for a full-blooded Asian.
This is one of the problems in research, ie do votes actually represent or tap into the the ‘facts’, or something else??
Nevertheless your point is taken and understood.
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@Mira:
True. That’s why I was pleased as punch that abagond made a post like this. It’s truly wonderful to see the “beauty” of Asian being showcased like this. And not this.
Hollywood is full of bull crap. It’s up to us to show what Hollywood does not.
I like how some ladies zero in on Will Demps. Could it be because he is half-Black?
“Zero in” means directed onto a point or target. In this case, Joe Clyde was referring to Will Demps being half-Black. That’s what stood out.
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Thanks for the explanation. I thought Joe meant we didn’t like Will or something.
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I know what “zero in” means in general, but what did it mean in this context? At any rate, no one was zeroing on Will Demps (except Joe Clyde); there were just as much, if not more comments regarding Russell Wong, Bruce Lee, etc. Was that because they are [mostly] Asian?
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Yeah, Daniel Henney and Rain are fine.
But what about Se7en or new found Matsushita Yuya?
I’m actually surprised Jaejoong is not on the list really.
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Man, I just got through fanning myself. These men are hot!! I voted for Daniel H. He is a stunner. He does not look half white at all. Those Asian genes are strong!
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These men are just GORGEOUS (well some of them..) of all of them Takeshi and Johny Tri Nguyen are my favorites…gosh make me wanna move in Asia,lol
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i like burs lee
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What about Aaron Kwok? He’s super sexy, too! Or Ishii Tatsuya?
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hi..
if you search for T.O.P of Big bang..he has the the sexiest eyes for pure korean.
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Lee Min Ho and Kim Hyun Joong. Just because they are younger doesn’t mean that they aren’t gorgeous. Oh Ji Ho yum yum, Takeshi Kaneshiro OMG I wouldn’t kick Jet Li out of bed for eating rice cakes either.
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I agree with afindaya. T.O.P. is seriously one of the hottest men on earth. O_O
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Asian men are the hotness, I have always thought so. I can’t believe Chow Yun Fat was not on this list. He’s older, but he is one of the handsomest Asian guys I’ve ever laid eyes on.
I want to give my friend the link to this post. She is Vietnamese and she doesn’t think Asian men are cute.
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The list is very good, but I missed Jet Li and Chow Yun Fat.
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I’ve always felt that Asian men resemble black people. They have our nose, our lips. I think Rain is drop dead gorgeous. I remember going to see him in a movie strickly for the eye candy. When I found out he also sang and danced, I had stars in my eyes!
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I’m also sad Chow Yun Fat did not make it. He is hot…
I cannot even believe there could be someone on this planet who thinks Asian men are not attractive – the hair, eyes, cheekbones – who could resist?
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I nver pay attention these top ten lists simply because everyone has their own list or perception of who or what they find beautiful, handsome and so on. I’m surprised Jt Li isn’t on the lust though…..But like I said, everyone has their own beauty ideal, so evryone is going to have a different top 10 list, if any at all.
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@ Happiness:
I was going to say the same thing; I can’t believe that Jet Li was overlooked – I find his looks and physique very captivating. But Rain…all I can say is, WOW! 😎
All of the men on this list are appealing to me, for various reasons – but I can’t deny that they look great, too!
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I’ve seen random Asian guys who look better than some of these well known guys. None of these guys do anything for me, except Russell Wong. He put does put me on edge a little.
:-
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This guy is gorgeous….i found him on youtube
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I LOVE this list! =) and I’m so glad this list isn’t made up of a majority of white looking Eurasian men.
No person in their right mind could look at this list and say any of these men are asexual geeky nerdboys. So much for that inaccurate stereotype
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I need Bi (Rain) to come out of the military quicker.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAhBUB5CvAY&feature=player_embedded)
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2. Takeshi Kaneshiro is Taiwanese.
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Actually, Takeshi Kaneshiro is Japanese.
He was born and raised in Taipei, and his mother is Taiwanese, but he holds Japanese citizenship. It was because of this he was denied a “Golden Horse” award for the most outstanding Taiwanese achievement in film.
http://n.yam.com/cna/entertain/200810/20081031999824.html
(in Chinese)
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Bruce lee ………. Bigbiga
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I’ll take number 1, 3, and 5 for my birthday….. Will Demps for the rest of the year…..~innocent smile~
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Rain for LIFE!!!
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How in the heck did I miss this poll! Thanks Abagond, I am sitting here squirming around like a school girl. I could stand no more when I got to Rain. So I can’t vote, but I love me some Rain, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Big Tony, and little Tony Leung, Daniel Henney, Lee Hom Wang, and of course Bruve Lee.
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John Cho is what i call cute. . . the other guys are handsome, but Cho is–if i were not married and went for Asian guys–the one i would choose (assuming i had that kinda of access). Some men of color can be sooooooo handsome that he seems untouchable, whereas Cho seems like the typical boy-next-door.
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Where is Sung Kang? He is smoking hot..
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This list is wrong in alot of ways! Where the heck is Siwon? Come on now! XD lol
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No one ever mentioned Godfrey Gao.
http://www.doobybrain.com/2011/01/03/godfrey-gao-picked-to-be-first-asian-face-for-louis-vuitton-menswear/
http://asianmalecelebrities.blogspot.tw/2012/07/godfrey-gao.html
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Yes, Godfrey Gao should be on this list for sure. 😛
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Whoa, Godfrey Gao is quite handsome. He has a really masculine square chin!
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@Iris:
Before the poll was closed, I mentioned him and posted several pics of him in the “Nominations: the most gorgeous East Asian man in the world” thread, but he didn’t have enough votes to put him in the top ten.
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And if I recall the poll correctly, I don’t think anyone voted for him. Or maybe one did. 😦
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We need another poll.
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Wau so cute sexy
!’Am happy
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I have always found Asian men to be very attractive and sexy even though I am not Asian. Bruce Lee put Asian men on the map and made them cool. He was so charismatic and is loved by all races. I adore Bruce the man had such an intensity about him. Every rapper has a picture of Bruce on his wall when they feature their cribs and for them to respect a little chinese guy is a huge accolade. These Asian men are such fine male specimens and make the Ryan Reynolds of the world look like absolutely nothing. I think it is such a crime that the western world is not exposed to them at all. I’m shocked that Daniel Dae Kim was left off the list too. Rain’s body is incredible and what happened to Jang Dong Gun and the incredible Takenouchi Yutaka !!
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I think the most gorgeous Asian guy is Kim Jaejoong 🙂 seiously how could you leave him out? 😮 http://afspot.net/gallery/index.php?act=thumbs&aid=1527
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wheres my Kim Hyun Joong (fav) and KIm Bum and Jang Geun Suk and jo hyun jae and Song Seung-hun and Lee Hongki and Park jung min. The list can go on. Though I can’t disagree #1 is hot.
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hi you are my man
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i love asian & filipino guy
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Hello! Huang Xiao Ming! Where is he on the list? I’ve seen him look gorgeous in hospital, not even trying in the slightest.
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I have had a serious crush on Takeshi Kaneshiro since I first saw him.
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Takeshi Kaneshiro was to die for in “House of Flying Daggers”. I found myself mostly just watching him throughout the entire movie — though it is an excellent film!
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Takeshi Kaneshiro is half Japanese, half ethnic Chinese. He holds Japanese citizenship.
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I mentioned to Abagond in another post that Kaneshiro has a Japanese name, not because his father is 1/8 Okinawan (his father is actually from Okinawa), but because Kaneshiro is technically a Japanese national (albeit born and raised in Taiwan to a Taiwanese mother). He corrected it in another thread, but not this one.
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[…] The ten most gorgeous East Asian men in the world […]
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I would say Godfrey Gao who is a current top model is gorgeous.
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I don’t know if he counts, but Rick Yune is FINE! and his brother Karl Yune….they both can get…….THE BIZZNESS…lmao
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This is kinda funny…cuz the last school and the school and the school I’m in now were primarily East Asian, and they’re some of the most racist ppl and they don’t even hide it’ll.and here u guys are salivating over them…forget This ppl of colour thing…no one cares about blacks, so we have to care for each other 🙂
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I do think Asian men (not just East Asian) are cuter than white men…they have such cute button noses, white ppl have very unattractive features thin lips, beak nose, pale skin,
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@Mrs. Ocean Graham(Toronto Girl)
I agree that Asian males are cuter because they have cute button noses and melanin in their skin. I don’t like White people’s features at all. That is why I will never ever date a White man even if I have paid a million dollars.
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I meant I was. I still don’t like White men and never will date one.
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@Kiwi
Really? That is ironic because I am also of Jamaican descent lol. Anyways I don’t see why Asian males are seen as unattractive and effeminate? I don’t get it. I prefer Asian men to White men in a heartbeat. I find White men racist, unattractive and not my type.
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I’m asian and my first real crush and girlfriend was a black girl. I think the biggest thing preventing these unions are stereotypes and societal expectations. Most Asian dudes here are westernizedI don’t care what their parents think. Here’s what I do notice, when ever I see a AM/BW couple and both are attractive, they’re usually really, really attractive. Most asian guys I know go for slim, petite girls of any race.
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I will add that there is something to be said when what’s considered the most attractive east males in popular media are one’s that generally part white.
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I’ve read that Rain eats a traditional Korean diet- so much for the idea that carbs is an enemy of building muscle.
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@Asplund
These diets make no sense. Our muscles use carbohydrates as their primary energy source.
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The korean rapper/singer T.O.P is very handsome.
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Most handsome man in the asia
dong gun jang
woo sung jung
bin won
ok?
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[…] ten most gorgeous East Asian men in the world… The ten most gorgeous East Asian men in the world | Abagond the first one is Daniel Henney, half korean. and he look very familiar, rike got seen before in […]
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Takeshi Kaneshiro’s father is Japanese and his mother is Taiwanese.
So he’s by no means Chinese, dude.
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@ Miko
Fixed.
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@Kiwi, technically Takeshi Kaneshiro’s nationality is Japanese.
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@Kiwi,
I’m not sure if we miscommunicated, but despite being born and raised in Taiwan and having a Taiwanese mother. he has only been a Japanese national.
This issue was highlighted several years ago when he was awarded a Golden Horse award for Outstanding Young Taiwanese artist, only to be revoked and awarded to someone else after confirming that he was Japanese.
Japan does not recognize dual nationality. So he is a Japanese who was born and raised in Taiwan with a Taiwanese mother and a Japanese father of Okinawan origin.
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@Kiwi:
Yes but he is good looking!
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I’m so happy, my two beloved actors in the TOP10, Ken and Tony! The most gorgeous, the most sexy asian mens in the world! *—–*
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in fact, only daniel henney, takeshi kaneshiro and bi rain would be considered as somewhat hot and good looking in east asia, whereas the rest of them simply deemed as ugly and unattractive. i don’t mean to be offensive nor bigoted towards something, but i’m 100% certain that it will be the impression in east asia, perhaps in south asia as well due to heavy influences of k pop syndrome.of course i assume that this list has been rather illuminating its own focus towards ppl in north america, but really. the rest of them cannot be considered as “most gorgeous”(..) and shows that the person who posted this seriously lacks proper research and don’t know anything about it, even brings me the feeling of somewhat akin to racism, if i exaggerate it a bit. i mean seriously, how can john cho be cosidered as one of most gorgeous east asian?? sorry to say so but this is quite pathetic.
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The best looking ones are not Chinese at all. They are part Chinese and part another race.
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Tony- I’m assuming you are generalising about Asian’s being Chinese and no mixed Asian’s are not necessarily more attractive..Look at the actor Rob Schneider. Meanwhile Godfrey Gao is completely Asian and handsome. It is white ideology that makes some people believe Asian or black people can only be attractive if they are mixed.
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Godfrey Gao is hot! Rob Schneider is…well…not. Full Asians can be attractive as hell. Being part Asian and part whatever, most likely white as in this list, it doesn’t automatically make a person good looking.
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Where is the Asian guy in Fast and Furious? His name is Sung Kang. Girls really love him
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mike shinoda tops’em all
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[…] https://abagond.wordpress.com/2010/05/12/the-ten-most-gorgeous-east-asian-men-in-the-world/ […]
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@Poetess
“I can’t believe Chow Yun Fat was not on this list. He’s older, but he is one of the handsomest Asian guys I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
I totally agree. He and Michelle Yeoh had me swooning in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. In high school I had a huge crush on a Filipino guy who had that look.
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No Sulu?! Really?
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Where’s Tadanobu Asano???
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B D Wong is adorable!
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I agree with your choices, however I believe Hiroyuki Sanada should be in there and Byung-hun Lee!
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Daniel Henney is the most handsome and gorgeous of all them. And a very professional actor. Love him
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Bruce Lee was actually 1/4 English and 1/8 Jewish, not 1/4 German.
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