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This Week in Anime - Why You Should Watch Bloom Into You

Ah... it's somewhat confusing to have people state that the asexual element isn't even there, while other people seeing commonality with Yuu and ace experiences.

Of course, Yuu isn't meant to be asexual or aromantic. The story is very much about her accepting attraction and blooming into a romance. I've been following the series for a bit secondhand, since it piqued my interest but I was nervous over how it would handle these elements. People made it seem like Maki was the author's way of including an actual aroace character, so I was somewhat hopeful. Now it just feels like, thematically, there's an inherent wrongness with lack of attraction; Maki becomes a voyeur, Touko has issues with her past, and Yuu desperately wants to feel love. The column says as much, I suppose--that their lack of attraction isn't innate, just a committed delusion--but I'd hoped that wasn't the case.

lossthief wrote:

I feel pretty comfortable saying that any social dynamic, regardless of what culture it comes from, that insists gay people are "just going through a phase" and thus their sexuality isn't real, is indeed some homophobic BS (your words, not Steve's just for the record). Also to bring this back around, your own comment seems to imply that Japan as a monolithic culture is inherently homophobic so, y'know, glass houses and all that.

The problem is that Class S and "homosexuality is just a phase" are two different things. I know very well that Steve is a very big yuri fan and a politically active person, but this can hardly justify calling another's cultural phenomenon "bullshit" only because Japanese culture "has the audacity to" not fit the American political agenda.

Yep, Class S elements are very often used in modern Japanese media to create qeerbaiting or fanservice to bypass the open image of lesbian relationships (CGDCT shows are especially frequent victims of this), but only an ignorant person will think that this is the whole point of genre.

I would have said nothing if it was simply the result of the innocent difference between American and Japanese cultures (especially, the difference in permissible intimacy or the idealization of friendly relationship), but I can't ignore when it becomes the cause for open attacks and homophobic accusations of any authors who "don't allow their definitely gay characters to come out of the closet".

I've often hated the idea of using yuri subtext in a lot of these CGDCT type shows.Manga Time Kiara is often notorious for this kind of thing

I've often hated the idea of using yuri subtext in a lot of those CGDCT type shows.
Manga Time Kiara is often notorious for this kind of thing

On the other hand, "Manga Time Kirara" is basically the favorite anime genre of one queer woman I know. Small sample size, but still.

Heishi wrote:

I've often hated the idea of using yuri subtext in a lot of these CGDCT type shows.Manga Time Kiara is often notorious for this kind of thing

Meh without it we would have like no yuri so you take what you can get. But the yuri definitely seems like it's becoming more obvious lately.

On the other hand, "Manga Time Kirara" is basically the favorite anime genre of one queer woman I know. Small sample size, but still.

Random Name wrote:

Heishi wrote: I've often hated the idea of using yuri subtext in a lot of these CGDCT type shows.Manga Time Kiara is often notorious for this kind of thing Meh without it we would have like no yuri so you take what you can get. But the yuri definitely seems like it's becoming more obvious lately.

This is due to the fact that because of the "2-3 MTK's show in each season system", even the youngest or the most generic titles get adapted. It is enough to compare the originality and development of New Game and GochiUsa and some Slow Start.

Sorry I don't understand your point.

Hellsoldier wrote:

About Class S, I have an ambivalent worldview: There was a time for it, lesbian and bisexual girls in Japan would read these stories and know what they were about, and the rest would have a different interpetation. That time is up, and even in Japan they are aware of that, because LGBT is now a politicaly addressed topic. As for Bloom Into You, it's being one of the best, if of the best anime of the season. It is wonderful.

Yes, given the time and feminist views of most of the authors, Class S played a partial role of lesbian representation in Japanese literature of that time, not to mention that its creator, Nobuhiko Yoshiya, was an open lesbian.

But at some point she decided to change the "ideology" of the genre and its gradually turned from a half-romantic into a kind of idealization of female friendship and "innocent femininity" in general.

Roughly speaking, Maria-sama Mitteru and Oniisama E represent its original form in the example of a "platonic romance" and questionable sexuality, while Hibike and Amanchu can be attributed to the idealization of friendship and modern attitude.

Which reminds me that I still need to finish Oniisama E and actually start watching Maria-sama. Thank You! Also, I couldn't remember her name.

So, I'm actually one of those people who get frustrated when anime/manga tiptoe around the subject of same-sex romance, and love it when the subject is brought forth more directly. Apart from a couple of yuri titles, I can only think of a couple other titles, like say Cardcaptor Sakura, and how there's an adult lesbian couple in Magical Girl Raising Project.

Times are changing, and acknowledged same-sex couples and LGBT characters in general are becoming more and more visible in Japan... But I think it will take time before the Class S inheritance fades to black.