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Girls who like boys who do boys
Gay porn comics beloved of Japanese girls are heading West, says Sean Thomas
They call it 'Yaoi'. The derivation of the word is obscure. Some think it's just the Japanese way of saying 'gay'. Others claim the word is an acronym, derived from: 'yama nashi, ochi nashi, imi nashi' (which loosely translates as 'no story, just the good bits').
Whatever the etymology, the meaning is clear. Yaoi is the name of a bizarre sex phenomenon sweeping Asia: girls who are devoted to comics and pornography which focus on love, sex and romance - between men.
Of course, it's well known that men like the idea of sex between women. Lesbian erotica - for men - is arguably the most popular genre in the porn industry. But hitherto it was generally presumed that women were not interested in boys getting hot with other boys. The craze for Yaoi suggests this isn't true.
Yaoi began with Manga comics called shonen-ai, which depict, in a rather softcore way, intimacy between young men and originally aimed at gay men. But then the Japanese publishers noticed that many of their readers were heterosexual - and female.
Since then Yaoi, also known as BL (for Boy Love), has developed as a genre: with stories, comics and pornography specifically marketed at girls. Commonly these books and movies are written, shot and devised by women artists.
The stories have a formula. They usually feature a dominant male character - tall and masculine - who deflowers a smaller, more androgynous teen. Sometimes the stories are seriously explicit; these comics also attract a gay male readership, a rich irony.
What do girls see in Yaoi? Theories range from the obvious - "it's nice to look at cute boys together" - to the more complex and psychological: Yaoi is a way for women to explore and enjoy male sexuality, in a non-threatening way. But no one really knows.
What is not in doubt is the genre's success. Yaoi magazines sell right across Asia, in their millions. They have become hugely popular in Korea, Taiwan and now Thailand (causing consternation among local politicians). In the last couple of years, Yaoi has spread to America; a Yaoi convention was recently held in California.
And now Yaoi is coming to the UK. An English language Yaoi magazine has just launched on Amazon; there is even a website: yaoi.co.uk. Will it take off in Europe? If the next boy band in the pop charts is suspiciously gay, you'll know the answer is Yes. ·
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This article has a few things wrong with it. :) First, "a yaoi convention was recently held" ? You need to do your research. Yaoicon is not recent, it's been going strong for near ten years. The newest 'yaoi' con was Yaoi Jamboree, held in Arizona. There are two new cons centering around Yaoi in Canada this year, Yaoifest in Alberta and Yaoithon in Quebec. I wont even mention the 10+ 'slash' cons that are organized and carried out annually in the US. It's widely held that the latest BL market mini-boom is in Germany and Spain.
Another miscalculation you made was about 'why' women read yaoi. "Yaoi is a way for women to explore and enjoy male sexuality, in a non-threatening way." I've never heard of this-- I think what you're trying to say [and it's been states elsewhere] is that yaoi is a way for some women to explore their own sexuality in erotica--in a non-threatening way. :)
As for the first commenter-- BL is rarely shelved in major bookstores anymore. [As far as I know--there are only 2 pro yuri titles out there from Seven Seas--they're rarely seen] and while I agree that the way book stores handle 'yaoi manga' is poor [they don't separate manga by genre like they should, they shelf them alphabetically] BL books have been hard hit by bookstore manga buyers frugal purchasing. Yes, there are some stores that still carry large quantities of BL, but they are the exception--not the norm. No senators kid is going to bring home gay porn because it's not that accessible. Also, young teen girls are not the market that has made BL in the USA successful--just look at the primary make-up of the fandom: college age and older-women. :)
DMP releases mostly young-adult BL titles, and those sell to the appropriate age groups--but the hardcore stuff still remains available online through publisher sites, specialty retailers like everythingyaoi.com and Amazon.com
I hope BL does well in the UK, as it has in the US and Europe, but keep in mind-- it's not like mainstream manga. It's fans aren't the sort to expect the 'whole market' to understand the niche and make room for it. It's a quiet little scene, and we like it that way. :)
Heh. Excuse me, have you seen the boys of Tokyo Hotel? And did you notice how popular they are? I think it's safe to assume that Yaoi has indeed started to set foot in Europe. Sure, it's a little harder to find comics, movies etc. over here (at least in Germany it is) but that's what the internet is for.
As for yaoi and yuri being shrink-wrapped with other comics in the US? I've browsed and bought Yaoi across the states from North (NY) to South (AL) and I've never seen the explicit mangas sold as a combo with anything. In fact they're always clearly labeled and in their own section.
So if that senator's daughter ever gets caught? She totally doesn't have an excuse.
It's true that Yaoi is manga with boy-love in it and some are more explicit than others but the fact is these things in America have the +18 label on them. Now a lot of book stores don't check for ID. Yaoi and Yuri (girls-love manga) are seen shrink-wrapped right alongside the other titles because a lot of people make the general assumption that all these comics are for kids. Something is going to happen and I can see it happening soon. Some senator's daughter is going to be caught with a yaoi manga and that day will not be a bright one.