A Beginner’s Guide to Yaoi

Hello readers!

I’m Shrutianime (you can call me Shruti) and I just got accepted as a writer for The Otaku’s Blog. A big hug to the staff here! Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu~ There are surprisingly very few posts on Yaoi and as a 120% Fujoshi I thought I’d start off with a simple guide to  Yaoi for beginners.

Even the most deep rooted Japanophiles and anime fans are occasionally hesitant to try out new genres and themes. Even I find it difficult at times to adjust to different genres and sub-genres, art styles, plot lines and new mangaka.

About 60% of the anime community I mingle in has a prejudice against Yaoi. Understandable, especially when you look at it from a deeper perspective. Where I come from, anything even remotely sexual is looked down upon and everyone shies away from it. Thankfully things are changing and everyone’s views are turning more liberal and open. 

When I first came across Yaoi and Shonen Ai, I had absolutely no clue as to what it was and how to start. It does get mind boggling when you are new to graphically explicit homosexual scenes. Luckily a couple of Fujoshi friends of mine popped in to help with the jargon and suggested a few manga for those interested in this genre but clueless about the basics. I really appreciated it and thought that others would need help too.

The Vocabulary:

The Yaoi/Shonen Ai realm has a lot of Japanese terms which are usually used as-is (just how we like it). When you begin to read without a basic understanding of the Yaoi Dictionary, the stories (especially those short one-shots) just fall apart and you simply lose interest (even if it is smexy). Here are a few basic words with their meanings which will help you complete the journey to becoming a Fujoshi (or even a Fanboy) in no time.

• Yaoi/Boy’s Love/Shonen Ai: These terms imply Homosexual love between males. While Yaoi is considered to be more sexually explicit, Shonen Ai tends to be more platonic and often has deeper plots. Fans in Japan use the term BL meaning Boy’s Love whereas international fans prefer to use Yaoi.
• Fujoshi: This literally means Rotten Girl. Female fans of Yaoi are referred to as Fujoshi. (points to self)
• Seme: A martial arts term brought into the Yaoi vocabulary. It points to the “attacker” or the more dominant person in the coupling. Also referred to as the “top” or the “male” of the relationship. Usually they are more masculine. Another word used is “Tachi”.
• Uke: The opposite of Seme, Uke specifies the “docile” person, the “bottom” or “female” of the relationship. Typically shown as feminine and graceful males to distinguish them from the Seme. Parallel to “Tachi” is “Neko”.
• Bara: This is a homosexual genre aimed towards male readers unlike Yaoi whose target readership is female. The men in these are invariably muscular and “manly” and appeal to male readers who dislike the feminine Bishonen portrayed in BL manga.

Manga Suggestions:

I can guess with my experience that while a few people like  excessively angst filled plots, others like lighter ones. Yaoi is often angsty and at times, pretty pointless. But a few great mangaka out there provide lighter and simple plots along with fairly decent events spicing up the story. For appetizers I suggest the following (in no specific order).

Junjou Romantica

• Junjou Romantica (Nakamura Shungiku): Why yes, it is a very standard suggestion, but for a good enough reason. The characters are not hollow and the comedy is well executed. Because of a relatively lighter story, beginners find this series very comfortable to deal with. Plus, there are loads of teddies!!
• Sekaiichi Hatsukoi (Nakamura Shungiku): Based parallel to Junjou Romantica, those who cannot get enough of teddies in Junjou, can look forward to bunnies here instead. Even the anime is a good watch as the Seiyuu do great justice to the characters.
• Komatta Toki Ni Wa Hoshi Ni Kike (Abe Miyuki): Even the mangaka herself laments about the unnaturally long name of the series. But no complaints there. It is more of a Shonen Ai genre as of now. A school based storyline with a few clichés but the personalities of the lead characters turn up the spice factor and help you overlook them.

Komatta Toki ni wa Hoshi ni Kike

• Himegoto Asobi (Yaya Sakuragi): Sakuragi sensei’s artwork is amazing as usual. This is a newer ongoing offering and seems interesting. This manga traces a gradually developing relationship between a  easy going shop owner and a serious paediatrician.
• Doushitemo Furetakunai (Yoneda Kou): This one is on the more angsty side and is set in a workplace. Two men reconcile with their past and get together. The series has a set of Drama CDs as well, which can be heard while you read the manga. Gives a sort of animeXmanga mash-up feel.

Merry Checker

• Merry Checker (Suzuki Tsuta): An ongoing series. Two bloggers with clashing personalities come across each other during a meet. Both turn out to be completely different from their online avatars and end up staying the night together. Sweet story with humour.

I hope you all try these out. If these series caught your interest and this post helped, I would be glad to offer more suggestions depending on your specifications. Happy reading to all!