Basic Trope: In a Japanese workplace, a young woman whose only real purpose is to look pretty and maybe answer the phones, with the expectation that within a few short years, she'll leave to get married and be replaced by someone else.
- Straight: Hanako takes a job in a male-dominated office as a secretary or receptionist. She makes enough to get by, but she doesn't have much opportunity for career advancement. Within 3 years, Hanako gets engaged and leaves just a few months before her wedding.
- Exaggerated:
- Part of the job description literally is conformity to Japan's current beauty standards. Hanako is not allowed to gain weight or cut her hair beyond a light trim, and must wear makeup (but not too much makeup) and a skirt, and smile and not complain if groped. She also must quit before she turns 25. Oh, and she's required to be a virgin.
- As soon as Hanako gets engaged, or turns 25, whichever comes first, she is fired. Or, at the very least, she is "promoted" to a job with a bullshit title and no real responsibilities, in the hope that she'll leave the company.
- Downplayed: Hanako becomes a Miko. She doesn't work in an office per se, but she does work at a shrine part-time during school. It's generally understood that once she graduates college, she will either become a priestess in her own right, or simply get married and lead a normal life.
- Justified: Hanako's culture is very patriarchal, and values women for youth, beauty, and innocence (real or perceived) more than the actual work they do. The nature of the job reflects that.
- Inverted: Hanako runs a successful business.
- Gender Inverted: Hanamaru takes a job in a female-dominated office as a secretary or receptionist. He makes enough to get by, but doesn't have much opportunity for career advancement. Within 3 years, Hanamaru gets engaged and leaves just a few months before his wedding.
- Subverted:
- Hanako is seen at a board meeting, suggesting that she has an important role to play in the company.
- Hanako is well into her 30's.
- Hanako is married.
- Hanako works at a very female-dominated company.
- Double Subverted:
- All she's doing is writing down the minutes; she is not allowed to participate in the meeting otherwise, and she is not an executive.
- She's unmarried, although still attractive. Her boss is torn between keeping her (because she does excellent work) and letting her go (because she's "old.")
- Since she is the prettiest (and youngest) woman there, her colleagues constantly underestimate her intelligence, and value her primarily as the "face" of the office. Some are also jealous of her, and it's understood that she'll most likely leave when she gets married or gets pregnant.
- She stays until she finds out she's pregnant.
- Parodied:
- Hanako is a complete Gonk.
- Hanako is played by a Drag Queen.
- As soon as Hanako is "too old" for this line of work, she must commit Seppuku.
- Hanako is literally the office flower: a plant.
- Hanako is greeted as something along the lines of "Hey, Toots!" with a smack on the ass...in an office full of women.
- Zig-Zagged: The company goes through many secretaries over the years, some attractive young women, some older women, some Hollywood Homely women, some attractive young men, etc.
- Averted:
- Hanako has a "real" job.
- Hanako is unemployed.
- Enforced: "We need some Fanservice up in here!"
- Lampshaded: "That’s Hanako. She’s basically just here to look pretty and answer the phones until she gets married."
- Invoked: After graduating college, Hanako is looking for a job.
- Exploited:
- When she leaves (voluntarily or otherwise), Hanako negotiates a sweet severance package.
- Hanako uses her good looks and charm to get better working conditions, either for herself, or for others in the company.
- Sleeping Their Way to the Top.
- Defied:
- Hanako leaves. She wants something with growth opportunities, and something where she's not treated like a piece of meat.
- Hanako takes a more hands-on job.
- Hanako decides to run a business.
- Strict laws prevent this sort of discrimination, and forbid the firing or other removal of employees simply because they get married or engaged, or hit a milestone birthday, or become pregnant.
- Discussed: ???
- Conversed: ???
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