A concept found in the martial art of kendō. The term is used by fans of Boys Love and yaoi to indicate a active or dominant character who pursues another, often passive character type referred to as uke. This is very similar to the traditional inserter / insertee roles of shudō in the Edo Period. The term is also subdivided into specific types by adding adjectives to form descriptive phrases such as kichiku seme (cruel seme) and oresama seme (narcissistic seme). The term is not used to describe actual gay relationships, the equivalent term for real people would be tachi.
