So. What are your thoughts on yaoi?
By neuromantica
@neuromantica (70)
Philippines
6 responses
@sioniann (29)
• Ireland
5 Feb 07
There's something really fascinating in reading about two boys come of age and have sexuality be an issue or source of tension between them. I've often wondered how many of the pairings I ship would still be otps for me if they involved a guy and a girl rather than two guys.
I know I'm not into yaoi solely because it's m/m (although I do like the symmetry of yaoi) -- I'm drawn to the characters first and foremost -- but the fact that it is yaoi and, counterpoint to today's social standards, "subversive", it adds another layer of complexity to the story. I like seeing how boys react and deal with being attracted to someone (or a gender in general) that they didn't expect to like or aren't "supposed" to like, according to society.
@neuromantica (70)
• Philippines
5 Feb 07
*applauds* Well said! I'm more drawn to it because I find it aesthetically pleasing, and I can't really explain why, but it does sort of *ping!* differently for me if I'm reading boy/boy as opposed to het.
By the way, do you rely on fanon for a subtext-rich series or do you read BL manga for it? Just curious.
@sioniann (29)
• Ireland
14 Feb 07
The only BL series I've read/watched was Gakuen Heaven, and its anime incarnation was really more shounen-ai, I'd say. I'm really involved/interested in the fanfiction/fanart/doujinshi aspects of the series I follow, so I think for me it's all about finding something with interesting characters and some moment(s) of subtext to build off of. I've read fanfiction for pairings that had little to no canon foundation and I really think it's all about how the author handles them.
I find that I'm not really drawn to BL as a genre though, because I kind of prefer my imagination to any explicitly drawn relationship...
@scizophomiya (59)
• Japan
14 May 07
Ummm..
I ever like yaoi, a really really yaoi freaks that makes me me still a yaoi minded until know. But because i'm kinda afraid, and makes me feel it blocking my relationship wit God, I dumped it!!!
The beginning it's only curious, and then try to find it in the net. But the other reason is, i like to be a mangaka, and I love nice artworks, so i bacome to like it. And yaoi is not like gay, its only "i love that person, and accidentally a male, if that person is female, i think that i will love her too"
Yaoi is one of shoujo manga's kind, it's only to satified girl's fantasy how the relationship between man and man. And now, the j-idol's fans, sometimes makes a fanfic pairing the males idol. I'm not too keen on it now, but i still a yaoi-minded^^
@theonlooker (84)
• Singapore
11 May 07
i don't hate it, but i'm not fond of it either. but if it has a decent plot and artwork, i may read a yaoi manga on occasionally.
