What is your first thought that comes to your mind when you think of the word “yaoi”? Add the word to anime, and it becomes yaoi anime. Is your impression of yaoi anime simply something so sick that nothing of a decent plot will come through it?
Watching Fuyu No Semi, an OVA that I found, makes me realize this dilemma.
Plot
I will say it outright. I dislike any form of yaoi to a great extent, be it in anime, a joke or anything related with yaoi and Boy’s Love (BL) . I might be ridiculed as myopic or homophobic, but to me, Boy’s Love is something that really disturbs me to a great extent. There was once that I saw this show called “Angel’s feather”. It looked rather decent until the fifth minute when two guys started to kiss each other. It totally spooked me out and I cursed for a good twenty minutes on the filth caused to my eyes.
Then, this series came. Without knowing anything about Fuyu No Semi, I watched the first ten minutes without realizing anything special with it. The plot revolves around two men who were fighting on different factions during the Meiji Restoration. The first episode starts off with a nice navy battle, with the “rebels” disguising themselves as an American fleet with their flag until they moved close to replace it with a Japanese fleet. It attacked another fleet by ramming into them straight on, only to realize that the aftermath of that rebel battle was a failure.
We then realize that the two commanders of the opposing factions were in fact friends in the past. The story was then dragged back to eight years ago. The two had a very close relationship after an attempt by the rebels to burn down the mayor’s house succeeded. As two of the rebels tried to stop their accomplices from doing such a rash thing, they found the house to be already burning too quickly to be helped. They were then saved somewhat by a government official. Eventually, the person who saved them and one of the rebels who were saved finally became friends after some occurrences.
Yaoi, Boy’s Love and plot
Honestly, I will never know that it is in fact a BL series until someone in the IRC channel happily told me that it’s one. I guess it is very surprising because I did not get any single BL vibes from this series. It seems to me to be a very well constructed episode, with nice decent battle scenes, above average graphical quality and a pretty decent and compelling series. However, after twenty minutes into the run of this show, I immediately realized that I am watching a BL show.
That, to me, is the main problem. If you pass a BL show to a girl, they will probably not feel that much. For a guy, the stereotypical themes of a man and man relationship is still considered to be rather problematic in the eastern hemisphere. I usually distort into Higurashi proportions when I know at the start that it is a BL series. In fact, I will not have survived the thirty minutes that I have spent on this show if I had knew ahead of time that it’s BL.
The thing is that, without the knowledge of this series being BL, I have found a series that is in fact pretty good. It’s one of the decent historical anime that I have watched and the first episode intrigues me as sorts because the characters are rather interesting, and they both have rather interesting differences that does add a little dimension to the story. The action scenes, not actually great, are decent enough for a historical show.
That to me is the biggest irony. Here, we have a show that I most likely will not watch, yet have great production values. I do wonder if everyone has the same concept. I probably will be turned off if the BL or yaoi feelings get a bit too much (which is not too much of the case here for now). How much can you tolerate before saying no to it? I believe that it’s perhaps the societal and religious aspect of our environment toward same-sex relationships, especially if they are of the same gender.
You generally see more male anime fans who will be agreeable with yuri (I am one until it gets too much) compared to BL, which is a total no-no. On the other flip side of the coin, you also have females who are often happy to see some BL or even yaoi in anime, even as a fantasy but not accepting of yuri by all means. I am not saying that we should be accepting it but if the relationship is extremely subtly portrayed, are we able to look away from it to have a good anime.
The perfect example is Simoun, one of the best constructed series in 2006. It has quite a bit of yuri overtones and I have failed to convert any females to watch this series simply because there is a bit of yuri in its themes. Most of you will agree that the show is definitely not focused on yuri but instead on the war, moral implications and lives of these maidens who are both sacred maidens of worship and weapons of war.
Will you not watch a show simply because the genre says it’s BL? Even if you are told that the BL vibes are minimal?
To reverse the question, if it’s merely yuri, will you still watch it if you are a female?
I don’t have an answer when it gets to the borderline.
P/S: All thanks to kuromitsu for correcting my terms.
50 Comments
I’ll watch a yuri if it’s not a piece of garbage. I mean, come on, some of my best friends like girls. Why shouldn’t we see it, then?
This article made me really, really sad.
You’re above this, impz.
My stance on yaoi is as follows.
..) I accept that yaoi exists and that there are people who enjoy yaoi. I only ask that you do not force me to watch yaoi.
..) If there is no explicit sex scene, I will give it some thought.
..) I can survive yaoi kisses, but if it gets too gratuitous, my tolerance will rapidly decline.
~~~~ ~~~~
Do I like yaoi? No. Will I watch a show if it has good story content even if it has mild yaoi content? Maybe.
Cheers.
Oho~ I feel a rant coming on…
But first: I know what you mean but I can’t help pointing out – you’re using the wrong terms.
Accusing yaoi of having no point? Yaoi is the acronym of “yama nashi, ochi nashi, imi nashi” – “no peak, no point, no meaning.” Just hot sex. (This is why it’s considered rude to refer to a professional BL mangaka’s work as “yaoi.”) The name of the genre of published, professional male/male stuff is Boy’s Love or BL for short.
Anyway, I’ve seen few BL anime that had a good plot or was actually any good at all. The sole exception is Mirage of Blaze which, sadly, is a short adaptation of a long series of novels so it ends just when the meat of the story would start. I actually avoid BL anime where the main point is that it’s “OMG BL” because it’s a good indicator that it’ll be shit. However, I don’t mind at all if it only has “vibes” – if the “OMG BL” is not the focus then it may even be good.
Still, there’s more to BL than just hot boys being angsty and having sex, even though it IS usually the point. There are many BL manga with decent or even downright great plot and characterization, even though I admit that those are not the strengths of the genre – but hey, who reads loli/moe manga for plot and characterization? Who reads harem anime for deep storylines? (And no, Kanon and KimiNozo are not “deep”, they’re just painfully melodramatic.) In any case, I prefer classic shounen ai – Thomas no shinzou, Kaze to ki no uta and the like. Those are among the most beautiful things ever written.
As for yuri… I define yuri as “by women for women” but mostly “NOT hot girl-on-girl action” (yuri IS a subgenre of shoujo, after all), so there are few anime that fall into the genre. One thing is sure: Oniisama he is one of the best anime ever. It has great characterization, a very nice plot and brings some immense emotional punches. And then there’s Utena which is not quite yuri but rather meta-shoujo, but while it’s usually underrated, I also consider it one of the best shows ever made. Then there’s MariMite and Strawberry Panic and the like that are nice but didn’t blow me away… mainly because they’re very light compared to Oniisama he which is the definite yuri anime/manga for me. (Even though technically it’s just shoujo.)
At any rate, if you’re prejudiced against something then it’s natural that you won’t find any merit in them. *shrug* You’re prejudiced against BL (which is your prerogative, I’m not condemning you for it) so you naturally don’t recognize any good qualities a BL show may have. (Even though as I said, there are very few BL anime which aren’t shit. Manga is a different matter.) And while I like yuri, I can understand why some women are prejudiced against it – and if it’s okay for guys to be disgusted with male/male stuff, regardless of its good qualities then then it should be okay for girls to be disgusted with female/female stuff regardless of its good qualities.
Still, I say that GENRE doesn’t make a show bad by default. Both BL and yuri genres are broad. It’s just that in case of BL, people don’t adapt the good stuff into anime.
@Sana: Ok, I am curious about it. I do have a lot of female friends that rejects any notion about yuri, yet is less skeptical of yaoi…Which confuses me to no end since I thought females will be acceptable of most things of the same gender.
@loli: Whatcha mean @_@? I honestly didn’t know that I was watching a yaoi series and I just wanted to know if I am the only person thinking of it this way. I mean, I love the show and will probably continue to watch it as long as the yaoi vibes are not extensive, but ….I do wonder if it’s right.
@Skane: Ya, I think I have the same notion as you, albeit less tolerable in the sense that i will get disturbed by men kissing each other, unless it’s some manly kiss (in which, they will hug, not kiss, and a bear hug).
However, I do wonder whether it is my homophobic self that deters such a low sense of tolerance. In a globalized society where homosexuality is slowly getting more accepted, I just am not able to move on and accept that they exist, even if I see it. I think in this case for fuyu no semi, the story content is pretty good and the yaoi content is definitely mild for the first episode.
I guess it gets problematic when the question is phrased differently.
“Do you watch yaoi?” and “Will you watch yaoi?”
@kuromitsu: Thanks for the correction in my terms. To be honest, I am not well-acquainted with anime terms as I am a relative new anime watcher. Hence, I think a bit of correction is probably required. In my definition of yaoi then, it will probably be BL and I will do a correction ahead of time before people misunderstand my notions about it.
I do agree that shounen ai is something that disturbs me constantly, and I do not know why I have such a resistance toward it, even when there’s a good story behind them. It’s the matter of taste and I do want to hear views from those who are male and actually watch BL. Of course, I do not expect to be crazily liking it but it will be refreshing to know of such a notion.
Thanks for the detailed information, now to correct my writing
To be fair, Impz, I won’t watch neither yaoi nor yuri myself. I somehow tolerate them if I’ve been following the story for a long time and it happens on the minor characters. But when the main character gets that…ugh.
I don’t watch/read either yaoi or yuri. I don’t like it. This DOES NOT mean I have anything against it. If you like it, then I think that’s excellent, go for it, and keep on rockin’ in the free world. I fight for your right to consume shounen-ai. ^_^
I think, for me, it’s that I like to identify with a female protagonist — being female myself — and if she’s gay and that’s the point of the story, then I can’t really do that, and if the protagonist is a gay man, then I *really* can’t do that. ^_^ Note that this is when the yaoi/yuri activity is the MAIN plot point. I watch/read lots of things where there are supporting characters who are gay/gay-curious and pursue interests as such. No big deal. It’s part of life.
But the truth is that I don’t really care about it, and if it’s the point of the story I will choose not to watch it like I choose not to watch mecha or lolis or excessively emo, angsty crap. Good lord, Bokura ga Ita nearly killed me — I couldn’t watch it after the 9th episode. If I wanted to agonize that much I would just live real life and save myself the download time. ^_^
*pops by* i find it funny that most guys are so unsure of their own sexuality that they can’t even accept jokes about it
Actually, a lot of yaoi fans do accept yuri. For example, the BL/shoujo series Loveless had a lesbian couple (with kisses and hinting at sex and everything) and I haven’t seen anyone who have been grossed out by that.
remember that yaoi is one of the few “genres” of porn/fanservice that is targeted at women by women (for the most part). Why can’t we keep it? lol xD
Hmm my friend is heavily into yaoi and BL though she doesn’t seem to be much into Yuri.
My hubby just bought Kashimashi which is sort of yuri and so far I think its a pretty interesting story.
I guess for me as long as there is a good story I don’t particularly care if the two romantic leads are of the same sex.
Some of the really graphic stuff however does scare me a bit. But then I’m sort of shy about that kind of thing anyway. I blush like a tomato when there is a sex scene in a movie.
I like romance, so the more fluffy light stuff is more my thing. I just love it when people are in love, and to me I’ll sigh with happiness whether its two boys in love, two girls in love or a boy in love with a girl.
Love is love and if you have it you are lucky to find it wherever you find it.
being female and gay myself, i like yuri for the most part as long as it’s not too cheezy. (girl love girl was an exception, i could never get it out of my head that one girl used to be a boy.) however, most yuri series out there are servicing to a male audience, involving characters falling over just to show their panties or giant-breast-running, which is just ugh.
as for BL, i can tolerate the kind that doesn’t BL just for the sake of BL = “more than just hot boys being angsty and having sex”. if it fits well into the plot and is done subtly and realistically, i might even enjoy it.
but yes, i do shy away from the genre in general.
I’m a girl that has interest in boys and girls. From my personal viewing perspective, I’m drawn to shows that feature certain types of girls (i.e. most of the time tomboy-ish). Should that just so happen to result in her being “curious” or a lesbian hardly bothers me unless like noblsheep pointed out above me “as long as it’s not too cheezy.” Yaoi for me is pretty much the same way – and as long as it’s more than just plotless crap. I don’t immediately associate Yaoi as plotless and I give it a chance, but the idea of the Mr Super Cool seme and the inexperienced weak uke don’t make the best pair in my mind when it comes to men somehow (more so the weak uke). Although if you want to cross the X/1999 characters in a fic, I guess in looks they’re all Super Cool or something. XD
Of course I’m sure there’s some quality Yaoi/shounen-ai out there, like Gravitation, which I’ve read the manga of… I just don’t care to search for most of it.
On a side note, I don’t get what the whole Yaoi craze is about at conventions… the fanboys and fangirls carrying the paddles declaring Yaoi to be the the best thing since sliced break bothers the hell out of me. But then it brings up another thought – why is Yaoi so big that it gets booths of it at (big) cons, but there are so little Yuri animes that are publicized or even *out* there for those that just skim the surface?
In this society (I’m in the USA), IMO it’s more common (if you’re going to see two genders act in something together) to see two girls messing around in playful ways rather than see two males showing affection for each other in any way. In Japan, is the concept of two males secretly(or not so) getting together just that much more thrilling than two girls getting together? The amount of Yuri anime that’s out more in the public eye is increasing, but it’s way behind the Yaoi, I think.
>tenkaichi
As for the “yaoi craze” – how is it different from fanboys acting as if moe chara were the best thing since sliced bread? Or fanboys fapping like mad at maid costumes and being proud of it? Or fanboys taking (usually very nice, may I add) pictures of their scantily-clad figures of anime girls, including pantyshots and cleveage shots? There’s no difference. Fanboys of male-targeted stuff are not any less obnoxious than fangirls of female-targeted stuff, they’re just obnoxious in different ways. Usually.
As for yuri, the answer is obvious – it may be hard to believe but yuri was originally written for girls, mostly straight girls at that. Thus, there’s always been less of it than male/male stuff, because straight girls are obviously more interested in men. (Y’know – one hot guy is good, two hot guys are even better.) The yuri market is very small, even though it’s been trying to target men who like f/f stylish and not necessarily “lesbo porn.”
Most anime/manga with f/f relationships target guys and as such they’re usually not something that women can identify with or really get into. They’re male fantasies, not female ones. I’m not saying there are no women who appreciate them, but most of them don’t. (I’m a bi girl who loves yuri, but I’m not interested in huge breasts or “oops, my breasts just fell out of my dress” clothes. I’m also not into hijinks like female chara grabbing each others’ breasts, dress-ripping, pantyshots, etc.)
You know what they say — as long as the balls aren’t touching.
I’m a guy, and as long as the show interests me, I wouldn’t mind one way or the other (though I do have a huge love for teh yuri
). I try not to get up in stuff like that, and let the show decide whether or not it’s worth watching. The fact that people won’t bother to watch shows after they hear certain buzzwords that seem to be incompatible with their mindset depresses me, but it’s understandable.
In real life I don’t mind BL or GL at all..I’ve got loved ones who are into those relationships. I simply do not like to watch the genre. I just don’t find it interesting is all…On the other hand, it’s all up to the person who watches it. In my opinion as long as you like the story whatever else’s opinion doesn’t matter at all.. ^-^
i’m a huge fan of anime… i also happen to be gay. although everyone probably thinks i’m up all night staring at yaoi, i actually prefer shonen/action oriented anime and manga like one piece, naruto, d. gray-man, deathnote, gantz, berserk, dragonball and tsubasa. miyazaki goes without saying.
although everyone has a right to their preferences and opinions, i find it sad that people today are still saying things like:
“…until the fifth minute when two guys started to kiss each other. It totally spooked me out and I cursed for a good twenty minutes on the filth caused to my eyes.”
and then go on into that stereotypical male response of saying that girl on girl action is “cool”.
on the other hand, i have found very few bishounen titles that are actually well written or well animated. it’s kind of a soft genre when it comes to anime because the main focus is on the romance, which is usually pretty flimsy and based on very japanese male on male stereotypes. ie. the young student and the teacher, the shy studious type and the athlete, etc. i also dislike the necessary dichotomy of submissive/dominant. i find very little in these titles for me, and i am one of the people that people like Impz think are getting their rocks off on these types of shows.
it’s also important to remember that this genre is mostly aimed towards high school girls and women.
yaoi is all about sex though, and that is probably just as popular with guys who are into that sort of thing.
what i’m trying to say, however convoluted, is this: a lot of this stuff IS crap, but if it bothers you, no one is forcing you to watch it. the title you are writing about seems better than most, but as far good bishounen, i suggest people turn to manga, and prepare themselves for a whole lotta mushy romantic and dramatic scenes. there are stories that have male on male elements but are not entirely about a “gay lifestyle” as well, like berserk.
but this kind of rhetoric, of feeling physically ill and angry because you happen to see two guys kissing–that is your issue, not society’s. find out why it angers you and learn from it, rather than spouting the kind of nonsense that leads to violence against people who are just trying to live their lives.
although, once again, you’re entitled to write whatever you want. if it was just anime you were talking about, i wouldn’t even be writing this comment–but you broke into a discussion about homosexuality in general. i’m just asking you to have a little more compassion.
@pirateprince: Arr, I do not mean to offend for sure if you feel that I am a bit myopic (which I admit I am). I guess my culture is very intolerant of homosexuals, and it’s a little different here compared to the United States, where it’s pretty equal no matter what. I mean, it’s probably better for me to admit about my own qualms rather than sticking to a politically correct view that will not hurt everyone, but the very fact that I elicit comments from different people such as you gives me additional knowledge in which to understand more. To add on, it is perhaps a bit problematic to discuss about societal approaches, since it at least deems an entry and this is perhaps the wrong place to discuss the subject in detail, well an article for it, but comments are cool.
In a way, that was a hidden purpose of my entry, to learn out of the brackets and see what others feel. Arr, compassion wise, I will hardly be the person who will be doing anything. I have gay friends and I enjoy hanging out with them even though they know that I am homophobic. I do sincerely apologize for my insensitive writing
@Miu: Agreed, I generally do not like yuri or yaoi or BL by any context, especially if I knew that it exists in a show. That is perhaps why I put off watching Simoun, one of the most excellent series.
@theBigN: I am perhaps one of those idiots who will go O_O. I do not think that there’s anything wrong because everyone has their prejudice, but it is important to admit to it and try to be tolerable. I mean, the article is about the furthest I will go in anything defamatory and it’s pretty mild i guess.
A good summary of the various commentors seem to think that it is not a determinant of what they will be watching, as long as the show is good. It makes me feel better that there are so many people, even people who find that my myopic view of such a genre is offensive. It is perhaps interesting as always for a diversion, that an anime blog does allow me to see a different perspective, and I wonder if there will be a time where I will be more tolerant of it.
Cheers =/
My problem with the aforementioned “Angel’s Feather” isn’t the kissing or the heavy-handed-ness of the sexual themes; it was the totally stereotypical YET incoherent plot, the sudden rear of homosexuality without a convincing cast, the ugly character design, the I-don’t-know-what’s-going-on-because-the-director-probably-don’t-know-what’s-going-also, the corny music, the unlovable and rather baka characters, and the kissing etc. for the sake of fan service. So yeah, even if you aren’t disgusted by the kissing, Impz, you aren’t missing anything from that OVA.
I’m pretty sure I’m completely heterosexual, which means that I’m only interested in watching male-female relationships. On the other hand, I don’t mind homosexuality if it is well done. I watched Loveless on an experiment on seeing whether I will accept shounen-ai. But the problem with that anime is that I hated how the older guy keeps saying “I love you” when there is no basis for love that I can see. Later on, yes, I understand the reference to “I love you”. But I hated the fact that he bantered the three words like they are changes to be disposed of. So my issue with it isn’t the fact that there’s two guys (a man and a child… x_x” but that’s another issue altogether) in love with each other; even two heterosexual people together saying all those stuff makes me cringe.
On the other hand, if we do take that out of the picture, yes, Loveless is actually quite well done. There are a lot more layers to it than a typical shounen action show, say Bleach, which is fun and action filled, by rather lacking of any deep meanings IMO. So yeah, to not watch the show just because it’s shounen-ai will be missing out on a pretty good anime.
Regarding yuri… I’ve never watched it before, so I can’t say anything. Given a chance I will watch it, although I admit to not being interested in gratifying fan service, which seems to be the trend of yaoi and yuri these days. Therefore, you can’t really blame people for having this fixed perception on yaoi and yuri (and hence to BL, because not all people differentiate between the two of them), because the anime industry is FULL of stupidly, cornily, distastefully, cheesily done BL/yaoi/yuri animes. The gems are buried, and what already wary-of-homosexuality audience would want to dig among the mud to get them out?
Impz, if you like reading, I would recommend Mercedes Lackey’s The Last Herald Mage trilogy. I think it will help you see homosexuals as individuals first before being homosexuals.
I’m heterosexual and into some yaoi or yuri, a lot of yaoi manga has great storylines and characters but yaoi has very poor anime. Yuri is opposite with great anime storylines but rather poor manga, atleast that’s what I’ve seen.
I don’t mind people who really like yaoi at all since I like some of the manga myself, I do feel I like a good story in a yaoi than a moe show anyday. It’s weird to me how many anime male fans can be very into moe and loli and are very critical of yaoi and yuri which are definetely more normal genres and one people look down less upon. I will admit both fans can be annoying but the intensity of moe fans seem to annoy me more than yaoi fangirls.
I can understand your viewpoint Impz, you’re just from a very different culture that doesn’t accept homosexual culture, but I’m glad you realized just because a show has yuri or yaoi elements, it doesn’t mean its a bad story. I won’t try to change your mind or anything, in the end its your decision to make, just sorta keep an open mind when it comes to these sort of things
I have never understood why homophobic think like they do. Gays are same kind of people like you and me with only difference that they don’t happen to like girls. Really, one friend of mine is gay and great person. So what if he likes men? It’s not like he will rape me because of that so it’s simply impossible to realize why I wouldn’t enjoy his company as a friend.
I would watch a lot more shounen ai, but there is just one little problem. They make like 4 BL shows per year and most of those also suck so I don’t have anything to watch. And I’m talking about proper romance series, not some half assed fanservice meant to please yaoi fangirls.
@Anga: Well, I guess my phrase Homophobic will be slightly inappropriate. I will say that I am fine with gays, as long as they do not show any overt tendencies, be it in real life or in anime. I guess most of the BL shows just suck and they really try to please yaoi fangirls for it. It’s a tad depressing but Fuyu no semi seems to at least break the flow with a pretty decent 1st episode actually. I enjoyed watching it and will watch the 2nd episode when it comes out.
@Chris: Ya, I know my prejudice toward such shows. As many have mentioned, the very few BL shows that came out are really plain fanservice and it has left a rather bad taste in my mouth because I really do not like bad plots. Add that to my own view point and you have an even slanted picture of what’s happening. Still, a show that has constructed well will probably bypass it and I am happy that you took note of the fact in the context of where I am brought up in.
@Briar: “Impz, if you like reading, I would recommend Mercedes Lackey’s The Last Herald Mage trilogy. I think it will help you see homosexuals as individuals first before being homosexuals.
”
Cheers, I might try it out but I don’t know. Sigh ;_;
Hmmm, I really didn’t want to make a comment but I can’t seem to just ignore the, what seemed to me, somewhat-hostile/badgering comments of other commentators toward the author of this entry.
Please forgive me for sounding imposingly righteous in this comment since I mean no offense in posting this up^^ I just really think that the author did not deserve to receive some comments that, in my impression, were rude. This entry consisted of his feelings toward the subject and he stated his opinions, and his alone, on the matter, in what seemed to me, a considerate approach that deserved to be responded in the same way.
I actually find it very admirable for the author of the entry, who claims to be myopic and homophobic, to tackle, write and publish an entry that deals with a controversial issue then at the same time be open and welcoming to others’ opinions.
What I am trying to point out is that, as a fellow commentator, please be more frothy and polite when stating your responses that oppose the views of the author, especially when the author seems to genuinely want to be more accepting and more understanding of something he has a dislike for in which his culture seems to have greatly influenced him pessimistically.
Because fact is, such manner of commenting leads to miscommunication which then leads into huge misunderstandings and more hateful feelings toward certain controversial issues.
Personally, I had the impression that the author is more uncomfortable than odious about such things. He would’ve probably taken immediate and great offense for all the yaoi jokes I’ve made about him if he really has such a great dislike to yaoi and everything about it.^^
And while I’m at it, I sincerely apologize to the author of this entry for all the yaoi jokes that I made about him which might’ve affronted him. My intentions with those jokes were not to upset you. Hope we’re cool with that. ^^(How about I make it up with a song?….Maybe not. Just be content with a simple apology darn it! lol)
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and this article happens to be the author’s own opinion which deserves respect. After all, he wasn’t forcing anyone to have the same view as he does neither did he mention that he wants the death of certain groups of people out of dislike.
In which case, I’m glad he isn’t like the usual pompous and ignorant anime blogger bigots who are biased on whatever it is they’re biased with (If only killing such prejudiced people were not illegal…sighs ^^). I will not hold the author in such a high esteem as I currently do and I would probably be one of the people who will gladly go to Singapore only to castrate and then shoot him if he is no different than most of the closed-minded hateful prejudiced people in the world.
I know the author has apologized for offending some of his commentators, but I thought I should type up a comment to remind commentators, alike myself, that we’re all here to share/agree/oppose one another’s outlooks with fun and courtesy. ^^
(I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I got carried away with my comment again. ^^ But this might be good practice in enhancing my ambassador-of-peace skills lol.)
Anyway, I absolutely concur with Kuromitsu’s comment (8:18 am and 2:20 pm) and Miu’s comment (5:24 pm). And my opinion of the subject of the article is exactly the same as DJ’s comment (10:17 am). Their comments give more elaboration to my own standing when it comes to watching BL/GL animes. ^^
@13sugars: ;_; Ermm, I actually wasn’t offended and felt that they were rude. I thought I went over the line myself and said some things that are misinterpreted actually ^^;; Hence, I do not think that anyone needs to apologise for anything, since I personally felt that the “insults” (I presume a few comments) are in fact simply comments that people feel extremely strong for and hence will be triggered to say so. To someone who might be the target reader for this, my words can somehow be seen as offensive and in a way, I just wanted to listen to people. Fuyu No Semi is a good series btw (for once) and I will recommend others to read it.
>>“I will not hold the author in such a high esteem as I currently do and I would probably be one of the people who will gladly go to Singapore only to castrate and then shoot him if he is no different than most of the closed-minded hateful prejudiced people in the world.”
I knew she was violent! I knew it!!!!! *makes sure he locks his door everyday when he sleeps*
Then I guess a retraction is in order. I withdraw my somewhat reprimanding comment with all due apology to the other commentators whose comments I’ve mistaken for rude responses.
@13sugars: *pets* I like to hear about your views on watching yuri actually, since I wonder sometimes about your views on it.
Sucky anime is sucky anime no matter whether it’s yaoi or yuri, and the reverse is also true. Soukyuu no Fafner is as shounen-ai as it gets for a mainstream mecha show, and I don’t think it detracts from the series. If anything, the relatively realistic implementation help the case more than anything. (You do have the het option, and the show never states things right out, though it’s heavily, heavily implied) On the other hand, Gakuen Heaven? SUCKS.
Of course, I’m less likely to be convinced to yuri-flavoured anime than yaoi-flavoured, but the reason isn’t what you suggested. I really don’t have much issue with yuri, except that…1) for romance shows like Strawberry Panic : Yuri romances are mostly geared towards stuff that males find cute, and yaoi romances are mostly geared towards stuff that females find cute, and while the two aren’t mutually exclusive, they’re not really the same. (Not that I watch many yaoi romances, there aren’t any good ones as far as I know) 2) For shows about something else like Simoun : Yuri shows generally have a lot more ‘revealing’ fanservice than yaoi shows. It’s not that BL has no fanservice, FAR from it, but it’s generally of a less titillating nature. And with the saturation of the harem genre, I am likely to be very, very sick of rampant female fanservice unless I have something to latch on from the get-go. Simoun’s fanservice is on the premise, and I imagine that’s a lot of the turnoff.
I think that people who like one genre and hate the other is because they feel it like a threat to their sexuality.I explain,fanboys who love seeing woman on woman action and think that is cool is because they think it will reinforce their “masculinity”,the same with fangirls.But they feel like watching the other genre is a threat to their sexuality because of the fear of being identified as gay/bisexual.
I don’t think because the anime/manga genre is BL or GL,it will be a crap.
It depends of the story and the viewer.
I THINK THAT PEOPLE WHO THINK LIKE MOST OF THE COMMENTORS ARE JUST HOMOPHOBIC.
YOU ALL HAVE THE FEAR OF BEING IDENTIFIED AS GAY BECAUSE OF THE HETERONORMATIVE SOCIETY.
THE AUTHOR OF THIS CRAP AND ALL THE HOMOPHOBICS COMMENTATORS ARE JUST A PIECE OF USELESS SHIT.IF I WERE THE HOST OF THIS BLOG,I HAD ELIMINATE IT.
Perhaps my earlier comment would’ve been best posted in this comment. Oh well. ^^
~Impz~ As I’ve mentioned before, I have the exact same view as DJ does when it comes to animes whether it is yaoi or yuri. I couldn’t have said it any better. ^^
“I guess for me as long as there is a good story I don’t particularly care if the two romantic leads are of the same sex.
Some of the really graphic stuff however does scare me a bit. But then I’m sort of shy about that kind of thing anyway. I blush like a tomato when there is a sex scene in a movie.
I like romance, so the more fluffy light stuff is more my thing. I just love it when people are in love, and to me I’ll sigh with happiness whether its two boys in love, two girls in love or a boy in love with a girl.
I’m a girl. I like my het. I like my yaoi. I like my yuri. I like to think that everyone’s equal. Which means that the animes are equal too.
I don’t watch an anime for ZOMG HAWT MANSMEX, I watch anime because it’s enjoyable. Be it the plot, the characters, the humor, or just the charm. If the anime is good, I’ll watch it no matter if it’s het, yaoi, or yuri. If it’s bad, then I won’t watch it no matter if it’s het, yaoi, or yuri.
Girls like gay guys and boys like lesbians. That’s how it works. If you think about it, straight peeople are attracted to the opposite sex. Therefore, what could be possibly hotter than watching two members of the opposite sex being together instead of one from the sex you are attracted to and another that you’re not?
Many men think that it’s disgusting that women get off of yaoi. I personally think that they should call off their own desire for yuri before demanding that of women, thanks.
I don’t care what someone’s gender is, what their skin colour is, what deformaties they have, or what language they speak. People are people. Therefore, it seems rather foolish and idiotic to hate someone for what they like. If a friend said that they liked a band that you didn’t, they’re still your friend. However, if your friend said that they liked their own gender, you’ll be surprised how little people actually remain friends with that person.
Homophobic people call homosexual people “sick” and “disgusting” and “unnatural”. All I ask is them to pause and think what it would be like to be called revolting and be outcasted for something they can’t change.
…AND ALL THAT ASIDE. IT’S ANIME. C’mon. Can’t we all just watch the pretty and be satisfied? xD
Ebod says: “Girls like gay guys and boys like lesbians. That’s how it works. If you think about it, straight peeople are attracted to the opposite sex. Therefore, what could be possibly hotter than watching two members of the opposite sex being together instead of one from the sex you are attracted to and another that you’re not?”
I must respectfully disagree. Not all girls like gay guys, and not all guys like gay girls. I for one have as much interest in two guys making out as watching two gals make out… that is, none.
I do agree with your comment on how guys feeling disgusted with girls moe-ing over yaoi should re-examine their moe-ing over yuri, though.
Me, I look for more in my animes than eye candy. Sure, eye candy is an important component (I really don’t like watching ugly animes… so yeah, although Le Chevalier D’Eon has a great storyline, it will never be one of my top animes because of its… well… ugly character design), but it isn’t the only criterion. A couple of months ago I watched this yaoi (I’m pretty sure it’s yaoi, not BL, although I could be wrong, not being well versed in the subject) anime called “Papa to Kiss in the Dark”, which is seriously disturbing, and not in the good sense of the word. Even if we remove the thrice taboo of phedophile, incest, and homosexuality, the story doesn’t make any sort of sense. Not to mention the characters are just plain annoying. But yeah, the character design and all that is pretty good. It’s not too bad as eye candy. But that was a plain waste of an hour of my time.
The best animes are like the best literature; they make you think, they make you feel, and most importantly, you enjoy them totally. It’s all subjective, but I find that the presence of all three criteria is the best meter for great anime, as opposed to only good anime.
And probably off topic, so I’m going to shut up now.
he looks similar to Bou-san!
I’m in Viet Nam so most girls don’t like (scare of) yaoi. Those who likes yaoi often like hard yaoi ~_~. Mediums like me are really rare XD. I watched a lot of yaoi but no many animes because yaoi animes are quite stupid (i don’t know why T_T). Even shounen-ai animes make me feel uncomfortable. I think boy love animes still have a bit long way go, may be 2 or 3 years more. Now simply isn’t the time
I’m in Viet Nam so most girls don’t like (scare of) yaoi. Those who likes yaoi often like hard yaoi ~_~. Mediums like me are really rare XD. I watched a lot of yaoi but no many animes because yaoi animes are quite stupid (i don’t know why T_T). Even shounen-ai animes make me feel uncomfortable. I think boy love animes still have a bit long way go, may be 2 or 3 years more. Now simply isn’t the time.
Sorry about all the English mistakes i made
hi…
my first encounter with yaoi and yuri was shocking… it took some getting used to but when i started to feel comfortable with it, the foolish youth that i am, i started to go on a marathon of yaoi reading..(becoz at the time it was easy to look for free online yaoi manga, now all required downloading…and yuri is very HARD to find, still is..)Plus, at the time, i think a forbidden relationship is refreshing and different from the love relationship that we were normally presented with…
But as i grew up, my selection of stories consist of an engaging plot and interesting characters..(that goes for all, not only yaoi and yuri)
But what disappointed me the most was that most mangakas didn’t utilize the advantage they have with the characters.. most ukes (receiver) were made in feminine fashion ( such as in image, personality etc)… i think if they want to make yaoi..why don’t make as if two typical heroes in shoujo manga end up with each other.. confused?
i mean most heroes in shoujo manga are either calm, collected, reserved, rebellious, unconsciously sweet, mysterious and bla bla bla…
why did they have to make the uke blush non-stop, always in self-doubt and all the drama attached to it (like a GIRL??!!!)
and another thing…japan should get out of the stereotype heroins who are gentle, soft, weak, always needed to be saved, delicate(i’m rambling again)..USELESS!! most of the tough girls are side characters…come on! we girls always look for main characters that we can take example of… why don’t
they portray more confident girls, with exceptional abilities and outstanding personalities…
nonetheless, one of the advantages of yaoi (to me) is that both side can be hit black and blue by their nemesis without worrying about each other and concentrate on the fight and i still think its cool, while if a girl is punched by a man i still think it is cruel and inhuman.. because to me a woman has to conceive a child, if her insides are meshed into jelly, how could she stand to support a new life in there?
not to forget, why is the uke set? if its a girl its understandable, but if its both male why only one of them had to play the ‘wife’? why don’t take turns?..sorry for the sarscasm…it’s just i think that both shoujo and yaoi manga have to improve their qualities…
phew, that’s a load off my chest..
Actually, reviving the topic a little after reading the comments (the flames and the educated writing), I realize that my vision of yaoi shows has been somewhat changed, especially after reading Ebon and me’s comments on it.
Thanks for bringing a different insight into this genre.
Hi, I want to tell you my story with yaoi. A yar ago a so a picture of Gravitation anime on internet. I was a litel shoct, I didn’t knou what to think, and then I start luking to faind what it’s min “yaoi”. Then I faind a manga very intrusting: Harudaki. Kato and Iwaki are greit. In that manga Yuko Nitta is showing their filings,A litel bay litel I start to acsept man relationship. After a time a faind Harudaki OVA 1 adn 2. I laked. I dont know how to explain that, bot I understad ther filings. It think that in this moment the world is to advanst, and this caid of relationship is acsepted more ofen. 6 months ago I faund about one of my fried that hi were in love wiht a man. I that moment I suport him, not critisaid him. Hi start to cry and swar to me that he love him. Hi didn’t kwou how that hapend and hi didn’t knou what to do. Hi liks women, but is someting about that gay that hi likes. Now they are togever, and very happy. Separait they were unhappy,misarebol. About yuri, I dont knou if a am redy to acsept it. I watch a yuri OVA, it’s not the same, maibe becouse I’m a wamen to, I don’t knou. I beter prefer a yaoi OVA, but not hard yaoi. Abut your question: if I watch a OVA wife my frieds, and accidently it’s a yuri I will watch it, but with restrain. If you have question contact me, I will aneweryou. BY by. P.S. Sorry for my eng, I’m stil stading this language.
” There’s no good plot in yaoi or yuri shows”
Wrong on that because….
“…Or is there?”
…There are some good plots in yaoi/yuri anime.
‘Ai no Kusabi’ is pretty much a good example of a yaoi anime. Basically, the story is a Romeo & Juliet type, kinda like ‘Fuyu no Semi’ only the settings are very different, only the star-crossed lovers are all male, and plus AnK was made in the early 90s. You can find some better details here than having me explain it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ai_no_Kusabi
Anyway ‘Ai no Kusabi’ was not ALL about sex. Sure, there were only 3 sex scenes and one of them was the steamiest of them all, not explicit but still sexy nonetheless. But the plot was very impressive and very sad and I REALLY look foward to the releases of the novels, hopefully this year.
So, really, if you don’t like anime/manga with anything yaoi in it, don’t watch/read it! And you can look up on the title of what you want check out to see if there are any male/male pairs at all. Simple as that. I mean, what’s wrong with a little male/male kissing? That’s something I don’t see every day in real life.
Sorry if my comment’s too long, but had to say something in yaoi anime (and manga)’s defenses. “Fuyu no Semi” does have a good plot, though it’s the art that somewhat irks me, but that doesn’t stop me from watching it! ^_^
I wonder how you managed to get the vid in the first place.
There’s no BL sontent until you get to OAV 2 & 3. I guess there’s no need to tell you NOT to watch it >_>;
I’d like to see a more or less realistic approach of the Sengoku period. Pedastry and master/servant relationship were pretty common then. Wished anime developers would take advantage of that and make a non-explicit, thought-provoking anime for a change.
Ai no Kusabi is cool. Like watching a yaoi version of Akira.
Meh, to each his/her own. Why argue? There’s no point.
You people are out of your fucking minds!!! Yaoi is the best!! Hell yeah I love it!! You people are saying “eww! That’s yuckie!!!”, or “I can survive the kissing scenes, but that’s it…” Oh yeah??? Well I can survive the whole Damn Video of Sensitive Pornograph an still want more!!!! Damn pansies…
i will still watch yuri eventhough i’m female and i can tolerate yaoi anime. BUT as long it is anime.
I will go ahead and call you homophobic, only because your initial reaction is ridiculously huge. (oops… I just noticed this post hasn’t seen any action for a while… I’ll go on anyways)
I would compare your reaction to it as being something similar to Maude Flander’s reaction to seeing Homer Simpson naked. “Oh, my eyes have been soiled!”. Of course she would probably not curse and swear afterwards.
I may even compare your reaction to mine. And by mine I mean the reaction I have when I see a show or a commercial or an ad campaign or even out in public when a man and woman are kissing or making out.
I do this weird sort of shudder and roll my eyes while turning my head away or changing the channel. I’ve only noticed that I do this recently and… it really is so automatic that it seems perfectly normal to me. I’m a lesbian and I don’t like seeing a man with a woman, it’s just a fact. I’m sure I’m one of very few lesbians who feel this way, I’ve always been a bit weird.
I don’t mind seeing gay men together at all, though. Actually, I really like it.
So having said that, of course I cannot bad-mouth your reaction to seeing gay anime, especially without realising that it is gay anime. The only thing is that I hope you still recognize that homos like me are peeps too and should be able to kiss and make out with whoever we want. And if you happen to see it again in the future, just avert your eyes.
I will end with thanking you very much for this blog because now I know what that series is called and can finally watch it!! Whoo!
Thanks! (hearts!)
I don’t know if anyone said this before, but Fuyu no semi is the movie that is produced by two gay anime guys. Haru Wo Daiteita is the real anime, and the two guys in it are ‘filming’ the movie which is titled Fuyu No Semi. So if no one can feel the BL vibe in this, well, there’s a little problem. And Yaoi is the BEST =^.^= Well for my opinion, i respect all opinions ^^
I feel that I must state my opinion on the topic of yaoi (or yuri). I am very much a willing (straight?) female participant when it comes to not only watching but I also enjoy viewing boy on boy scenes, especially when they are anime. I DO NOT ENJOY REAL LIVE PEOPLE DOING IT ON FILM. (I just had to add that.) Anime is totally and will always be the greatest love of my life (for pleasureble viweing that is.)
There is absolutely nothing wrong with gays, bisexuals or lesian relationships. I’m all for it. And to say that same sex relationships is wrong or goes against God’s idea of the world is so utterly rediculous I just have to laugh..HA! If God didn’t intend for there to be same sex lovers than he never would have allowed any of us to find pleasure in it.
God I love this OVA so much. It’s so good. I’m glad you decided to look into it. Watch Ai no Kusabi next. You’ll baw forever.
I personally don’t mind lesbians as long as they have good chemistry and actually have a relationship instead of just fanservice. I especially love the lesbians in Loveless because they actually like each other. I almost shipped Rosalie and Oscar from Rose of Versailles; they just had that thing going on, ya know?
I’m a bl fan, but I have nothing against people that don’t like the genre. There are some great bls out there – Thomas no Shinzou is in my opinion one of the greatest and most literary romance-drama mangas ever made – but the majority of bl is bad enough to scare anyone off. But disliking bl because seeing guys kiss “seriously disturbs you”? That’s not something I can respect. Or maybe I could, but not in someone who spends time and word after misused word writing a terribly-written and useless blog post about it. I don’t have much against your opinion. I do, however, have a lot against your writing style. If you’re going to have a blog, please stop “cursing the filth that has been caused in your eyes”, learn a little about mixed metaphors, and take a writing class.
I’m a girl, and yes I do like yaoi/bl.
I first when I found out this genre exsisted, I was disgusted. Yes.
Everytime I thought of something or someone being gay, I didn’t mind. I believe in all love.
But when I thought of watching it or reading it… With sexual details? UGH.
All I could think of was hairy legs for some reason. I wanted to barf. Then I found junjou romantica without knowing what it’s contents was. My friend said, it’s on YouTube and i’d like it. I gave it a shot. The beginning was pretty funny ( for those who saw it. ) so I thought I’d continue.. Then, about 5 minutes in I think, the guy was molesting the other guy. And I wasn’t turned away by it. My interested, piqued, I kept watching. I loved it. I was also a bit disgusted with myself but I got used to it. And thanks to yaoi I hate anime girls (unless is a good shoujo, otherwise they all seem like whores, which is why I don’t like yuri).
There wasn’t alot of bl/yaoi anime so I switched to manga. I fell in freaking love. And I realized I was a pervert too. *cough, I like reading about sm sometimes.*
But I don’t like all yaoi. As someone said (yaoi has no point or meaning etc.) I only read the ones that have at least a decent story and a happy ending. I love shounen and action too, but I’m also a romance freak. I shiver at a good, “Im madly in love with you and will shove you balls down your throat if you cheat.” scene. ( I’m a freak for jealously and obsession)
Reading what I wrote over, I smacked myself in the face for bring so weird. But there’s nothing I can do about it
Ok, this is weird because I’m a girl and I prefer yuri to yaoi. And I’m a straight girl. To me, and no offense to anyone who likes yaoi, girl love is more beautiful. It’s just my opinion. The emotional displays between two women, the confusion and the feelings they feel within themselves and towards each other, the angst… and finally when they get together, it’s just so beautiful. I don’t know how to put it into words to describe how beautiful it is.
Anyway, I’ve given it a try by watching some AMV posted on youtube about yaoi and boy-boy kissing in animes, but I still prefer yuri. I didn’t get the same feeling I get for yaoi when watching yuri. Yaoi doesn’t grab my attention. It’s not to say that I’m against gays but all for lesbians. In fact, I’m all for gays and lesbians, but I just prefer girl-girl love story to boy-boy love story. Maybe it’s a fact that girls are more emotional in general, and that’s why girl-girl love story works so well for me. Ok, there may be some really great yaoi animes that has two leading guys being very emotional/confused etc… but it just feels weird for me to see guys getting all teary-eyed and emotional, you know? Maybe I’m just so used to reality that men don’t express their feelings freely in public. But yeah, I know, it’s only an anime, so anything can happen in animes… well, i still prefer yuri
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