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NEWS: My Brother's Husband LGBT Family Manga Gets Live-Action Mini-Series


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ickybott555



Joined: 27 Jan 2010
Posts: 41
PostPosted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 5:09 am Reply with quote
They got the physical aspects down. This will be something to look forward to.
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invalidname
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Joined: 11 Aug 2004
Posts: 2444
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
PostPosted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 7:35 am Reply with quote
Makes sense as a dorama, but we don't get a lot of those simulcast in the West. Maybe it'll show up on Viki?
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Watanabefan



Joined: 02 Oct 2017
Posts: 152
PostPosted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 8:04 am Reply with quote
This is one of my favorite series I've read in years so I can't wait.
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fencer_x



Joined: 28 Jul 2011
Posts: 278
PostPosted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 8:46 am Reply with quote
On the plus side, I'm delighted to see this get something--and more a drama, since this seems really fitting (and they're able to cast a non-Japanese actor in a non-Japanese role).

On the minus side, I'm fully expecting the usual derision of this as 'yaoi' and tags as such. Many viewers and official (non-Japanese) entities alike seem to see 'story that involves two men in love' and slap the label on it like some catch-all for all LGBT-related content.
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GlassesMan



Joined: 19 Jun 2015
Posts: 217
PostPosted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 10:48 am Reply with quote
Quote:
On the minus side, I'm fully expecting the usual derision of this as 'yaoi' and tags as such. Many viewers and official (non-Japanese) entities alike seem to see 'story that involves two men in love' and slap the label on it like some catch-all for all LGBT-related content.


I did not realize that. Are yaoi/yuri limiting definitions for LGBT content?
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RestLessone



Joined: 02 Aug 2009
Posts: 1426
Location: New York
PostPosted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 11:35 am Reply with quote
GlassesMan wrote:
Quote:
On the minus side, I'm fully expecting the usual derision of this as 'yaoi' and tags as such. Many viewers and official (non-Japanese) entities alike seem to see 'story that involves two men in love' and slap the label on it like some catch-all for all LGBT-related content.


I did not realize that. Are yaoi/yuri limiting definitions for LGBT content?


Yaoi/BL and yuri are used for content involving gay characters, the former typically aimed at women and the latter typically aimed at men. There's discussion to be had about these bodies of work, but to summarize: BL/yuri should not generally be used a) to infer that Japan is accepting of queer people or b) as a window into queer experiences. Series with gay male characters aimed at gay men are referred to as gei komi or gay comics (and sometimes bara, which is a more problematic term). It should be noted that gei komi are more on the erotic/pornographic side, though.

So, the issue here is that including any and all LGBT+ content under the "yaoi" or "yuri" tag kinda diminishes what it is and who it's made for. My Brother's Husband in particular is aimed at a general audience and is made by a gay man. It feels odd to put it under the same umbrella of works that is largely made by straight women to appeal to other women. There's also the implication that featuring a queer main character automatically means that a piece of work is separate from fiction featuring straight people, rather than having queer people exist as a part of society alongside everyone else.

To summarize: BL and yuri exist as specific manga/anime genres, which target specific groups of people. They are not catch-all terms for LGBT+ content and should not be used as such.
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PsychoPearl



Joined: 27 Oct 2016
Posts: 152
PostPosted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 11:49 am Reply with quote
Hopefully this is posted online for English speakers because I really want to watch it.

Last edited by PsychoPearl on Tue Dec 05, 2017 1:51 pm; edited 1 time in total
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yuna49



Joined: 27 Aug 2008
Posts: 3804
PostPosted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 1:38 pm Reply with quote
I take it the word "husband" is used loosely. Same-sex marriage remains illegal in Japan though a few municipalities have begun issuing certificates to same-sex couples that provide some limited rights. The case of the two women who were "married" at Japanese Disneyland brought the issue some global attention via social media, and they were among the first to obtain certificates in Shibuya when they became available.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage_in_Japan

PsychoPearl wrote:
Hopefully this is posted online for English speakers because I want to watch it.

I suspect you'll be dependent on fansubbers just like I am watching the NHK's Moribito live-action series.
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samuelp
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Joined: 25 Nov 2007
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Location: San Antonio, USA
PostPosted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 1:46 pm Reply with quote
yuna49 wrote:
I take it the word "husband" is used loosely. Same-sex marriage remains illegal in Japan though a few municipalities have begun issuing certificates to same-sex couples that provide some limited rights.

If I recall, they were married and living in Canada. The story starts when he travels all the way to Japan to visit his late husband's family.

I think this is one of the few examples where it's pretty clear that the international reception and acclaim of this work is what led to this adaptation. It will definitely be quite different than the normal dramas you see on Japanese tv.
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Terrible90sDub



Joined: 14 Jul 2017
Posts: 168
PostPosted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 1:53 pm Reply with quote
I don't know how I missed this before, but it's now at the top of my list of manga I need to buy.

Re the above discussion-- Do the yaoi/yuri labels also get applied to live action shows?
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katscradle



Joined: 05 Jan 2013
Posts: 469
PostPosted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 3:16 pm Reply with quote
RestLessone wrote:
GlassesMan wrote:
Quote:
On the minus side, I'm fully expecting the usual derision of this as 'yaoi' and tags as such. Many viewers and official (non-Japanese) entities alike seem to see 'story that involves two men in love' and slap the label on it like some catch-all for all LGBT-related content.


I did not realize that. Are yaoi/yuri limiting definitions for LGBT content?


Yaoi/BL and yuri are used for content involving gay characters, the former typically aimed at women and the latter typically aimed at men. There's discussion to be had about these bodies of work, but to summarize: BL/yuri should not generally be used a) to infer that Japan is accepting of queer people or b) as a window into queer experiences. Series with gay male characters aimed at gay men are referred to as gei komi or gay comics (and sometimes bara, which is a more problematic term). It should be noted that gei komi are more on the erotic/pornographic side, though.

So, the issue here is that including any and all LGBT+ content under the "yaoi" or "yuri" tag kinda diminishes what it is and who it's made for. My Brother's Husband in particular is aimed at a general audience and is made by a gay man. It feels odd to put it under the same umbrella of works that is largely made by straight women to appeal to other women. There's also the implication that featuring a queer main character automatically means that a piece of work is separate from fiction featuring straight people, rather than having queer people exist as a part of society alongside everyone else.

To summarize: BL and yuri exist as specific manga/anime genres, which target specific groups of people. They are not catch-all terms for LGBT+ content and should not be used as such.


The point here is pretty much spot on. However, when it comes to yuri/GL that genre has a deep root in girl’s culture. There have been a number of Japanese women who pioneered lesbian themed works. Today there are bunches of female artists who create it for a predominately female audience too. Several years ago one of the top yuri magazines had a 70% female audience. The conversations about representation in yuri works is a good deal more complicated than dealing with BL, which may have as large as a 50% male audience (whom are of various sexual orientations). Even Tagame's gay comics can attract woman estimated somewhere at 50% too.

So I don’t think a duality I see people ascribe between BL and yuri as similar genres is super helpful either. Something incredibly down to earth and aimed to a wider audience like My Brother’s Husband is exactly as pointed out a step even further in the conversation about LGBTQ representation in fiction.


Anyway a live-action adaptation is lovely news!
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RestLessone



Joined: 02 Aug 2009
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Location: New York
PostPosted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 3:52 pm Reply with quote
^
Yeah, I was being a bit simplistic there. The histories of both genres are quite a bit different, especially taking into consideration the Class S aspect of yuri. Even though the Class S genre declined, the remnants are still there. Some works feature relationships that are passionate and seemingly romantic, but not necessarily considered lesbian, bisexual, or queer at all -- though I'm not sure this invokes feelings of familiarity in its readers as classical Class S would have at the time. I feel it's also worth mentioning that yuri anime -- at least the stuff currently produced -- tends to be aimed more at men. Yuri manga is much more diverse.

Additionally, as a queer Westerner, my perception is obviously going to be different than those genre's reader bases. Or, in other words, if I want to read queer fiction that I relate to, I'd go for something more in line with My Brother's Husband. I'm also curious where your numbers are from? The high female readership for a yuri magazine doesn't surprise me, but I'd like to read up about the others. I'm curious to see which gei komi tend to attract female readership.

There's so much to discuss about the genres, and it can be complicated. Regardless, I see a work like My Brother's Husband as something very clearly outside the scope of BL, which is treated as a specific classification in Japan. And, in general, yuri/yaoi/BL are very limited in application if you take the entire LGBTQ+ community into account.
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Justy93



Joined: 30 Jul 2007
Posts: 21
Location: Florida
PostPosted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 4:50 pm Reply with quote
The actor playing Mike better grow a beard
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Kadmos1



Joined: 08 May 2014
Posts: 13553
Location: In Phoenix but has an 85308 ZIP
PostPosted: Wed Dec 06, 2017 1:58 am Reply with quote
Unless a seinen mag was catering to straight, bisexual, and gay men, I don't understand the reasoning for was a bara title serialized in a seinen mag.
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#Verso.Sciolto





PostPosted: Wed Dec 06, 2017 3:51 am Reply with quote
Kadmos1 wrote:
Unless a seinen mag was catering to straight, bisexual, and gay men, I don't understand the reasoning for was a bara title serialized in a seinen mag.
Have you read the manga?

I think the headline of this article, of this announcement, on ANN holds a key element for the answer you're looking for as well.

Personally, I think Gengoroh Tagame in 『弟の夫』"My Brother's Husband" created a series appealing to readers of the magazine and we can applaud the publisher / editor for recognising that as well. In many respects I think his story Needed to be published in a Seinen magazine because Seinen readers need to read stories like this.

Just as I think NHK and its audience are the "perfect" fit for the live action adaptation.
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