I find it funny you're equating masculinity with bulging muscles. Nah, dude, you have the cart before the horse, even though its only an indirect association.
I'm not merely equating masculinity with "bulging muscles". I assert that high muscle mass
is a product of masculinity--and indeed it is, because it's only males that are naturally capable of such due to their being the only ones with the male sex hormone testosterone in sufficient quantity to allow that kind of development. Physical strength is natural to men, not to women, and this is why; the
average woman would have to employ extraordinary effort--and even make use of supplementation--just to match what an average man can achieve without it. Therefore, muscularity is a masculine trait. And no--exceptions do not disprove rules.
None of this is esoteric knowledge--it's common...or should be. Or are you next going to tell me that deep voices aren't masculine? That breasts aren't feminine? How about facial hair? Shows up on some unfortunate women, but
normally grows from male faces--not masculine?
Heres an obvious example: an indecisive pansy isnt suddenly any more masculine if they start roiding up. The steroids may induce personality changes due to hormonal changes, but that has nothing to do with the muscles.
Indeed, such a pansy is no more masculine
of character if he uses drugs to gain muscle mass--but he is most definitely more masculine of form/overall physical state. The distinction is clear and indelible--and again,
this is obvious.
To bring up your own example, Kenichi gets trained by both Miu and Shigure, but that doesn't make him feminine.
Here begins not only a misinterpretation of what I said, but also--which makes it flagrant--your taking my points out of context. Nothing about what I said, when taken in its entirety, would imply that Kenichi was feminine for being trained by Miu or Shigure--and indeed, that wasn't what I was trying to say. Your misusing my example in a context of your own devising implies the contrary, however.
WTF are you even trying to imply with "kick chick" lol.
I won't begin to try guessing what you thought I was implying by saying that, because you've already demonstrated a will to misrepresent my position, and believe me: if you are, it wouldn't be the first time on these forums--or anywhere else--when the topic of difference between the sexes comes up.
In accordance--and concurrently--with the natural greater capacity for muscular growth in males, males naturally have much more upper body strength than females do, with women closing that massive gap via the difference in lower body strength. In other words, women have a
much easier time building and employing lower body strength than upper, which is what makes kicking a much more viable form of combat for a woman than anything using her natural upper body strength. And because it is more viable, a woman can become combat-effectively proficient in such combat far more easily than she can using the alternative; the alternative would effectively be a handicap for her--on top of her lesser natural suitability for physical combat.
Hence, "kick chick". This is not rocket science. (I get the idea I've had to use those exact same words on someone else regarding this very same topic...)
Its like you think men aren't allowed to kick.
Perhaps that's what you're thinking. You're free to think that--just know that it isn't what I said or meant, and therefore you cannot present it as such.
What I DID say was that the author, in the narration, made a point of having Karin specifically present the MC's lower body as a special point of combat effectiveness for the MC--and this is after the MC spent the entire chapter, even up to that point, acting effeminately (and certainly in contrast with Karin herself). This, finally, is in the knowledge of the fact that the MC is
male, and Karin is
female--with all the factual physiological consequences that entails. These, together, entail an implication that is none too kind to the MC as a male--but is miserably common throughout today's manga.