Forum - View topicNEWS: Yaoi Magazine's Debut Issue to Ship This Month
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CCSYueh
 Posts: 2707 Location: San Diego, CA |
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Isn't that an old joke-a woman dating a gay man because he's everything straight guys aren't? Ther perfect man in a woman's eyes is a gay man?
Realistically, if one buys sexuality is wired into one's head, one can't "turn gay" just by reading manga. If they're already lesbian, but just don't realize it, they probably wouldn't have much interest in yaoi. Unless they're bi, which is the case I've discovered with some of my teen's friends. I don't know if lesbians dislike yuri since I don't hang out in any of those communities. |
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kizzim03
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*snicker* Funny, FanFicGuru. But your “joke” reminds me of a concurring but opposite line from a play. “Why, in the Peking Opera, are women’s roles played by men?... Because only a man knows how a woman is supposed to act.” That is from M. Butterfly, a play that brings up many issues in gender placement, homosexuality, relationship roles, and negative ways of viewing Eastern culture. Recommended reading for anyone involved in the subject of yaoi and girl’s fascination with it.
I think it is true that yaoi plays on a person’s desire to be part of an equal relationship with the perfect man. Yes, often the stories and characters in yaoi or BL books are not that perfect or concerned with the actual emotional relationship, but it does leave the person to imagine emotions they would want to feel in that situation. However, as a yaoi fan, I know that half the fun is seeing a “forbidden” or unusual relationship blossom. It’s an emotional rollercoaster that many yaoi fans like to ride, just like some women like reading old Harlequin novels. Some girls might prefer yaoi over Harlequin or shoujo romance because of its masculine, and supposedly “equal”, framing. As for the lesbian factor FFG mentioned… yes, I am a fan of Revolutionary Girl Utena. And I like it for some of the same reasons that I like some BL series. Going back to the M. Butterfly quote, it can also be said that “women can play/write a man’s part better, because only a woman knows how a man is supposed to act.” Try using this in the context of Boy’s Love and Yaoi and see the weird result you will get. |
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ArielTsuki
Posts: 178 |
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I dunno, I kinda disagree with CCSYueh with most BL fans like to imagine themselves into the roles than appreciate a relationship where heteronormative roles aren't expected to play or a relationship where two people are in equal ground, or at least striving to be. To be honest, the whole seme/uke roles are one part of a bigger picture and usually only for the sexy time, if you will.
With shoujo, the main heroine rarely has a goal outside of getting with the man of her dreams and being his bride. For a while, that started to bug me, especially when most shoujo heroines were this air headed, academically stupid klutz that NEEDED someone to protect her and all that jazz. This was the reason why I dumped shoujo for a long while. BL/yaoi don't do that (at least regularly), the uke usually strives with trying to become a better person in all aspect in life, and usually trying not to become that shoujo heroine because he doesn't want to. He strives to be the equal partner to his partner. Plus there's plenty of different personalities within BL/yaoi, it doesn't get too boring as quickly. Luckily, I'm happy that shoujo is finally bring out heroines that are goal-orientated and their life is not surrounded by the guy... well, completely. Not saying that the archetype I described earilier is completely bad, but it's overused and overdone to the point that I can only enjoy such an archetype is when her stupidness usually punishes her in some fashion (a la Hatsumi Narita from Hot Gimmick). Now, with BL/yaoi leaning toward the less feminine types nowadays (although they retain the emotional openess in the males that is usually consided a feminine trait) and the growing popularity of the seme's POV in BL/yaoi manga, I can't say there's a clear feminine role for girls to fit into anymore except for a few authors are still do the femmy boy stuff. But I agree with kizzim03 that most BL fans love the forbiddingness of it all. I admit that I tend to like romances with some forbidden factor to it, and BL more than fits the bill. So is yuri and some het. But it's funny that a lot of people who are opponents of BL/yaoi come down on it but never realize it's not that different from the stuff that is made for gay males called "bara" in Japan. The only different is that replace the beautiful men with equally unrealistic beefy men. I think the core of this is that BL is a genre made from women for women than anything. |
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CCSYueh
Posts: 2707 Location: San Diego, CA |
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I was at Comic-con for Be Beatutiful's launch way back & it was Mrs O'Donnell who used the line that readers of traditional shojo can feel competative with the heroine for the boy, but in yaoi they have their choice of one or both boys. I balked at the concept, but in slightly different wording (She is Japanese. so maybe she phrased it awkwardly) I recognize my own "competition" with traditional soap opera heriones (Wanna slap them). Many shojo heroines are just as annoying-insults to the feminine gender. It is the same think ArielTsuki commented on
In that way, it can be worded as "feeling competative" (although I settle for annoying & an insult) Do I see myself IN the role of one or another of the characters? Hell, no. Do I prefer the semes who are usually a more mature look? Hell, yes. No, not always, but manga is art & the style used by You Higuri & Yamane Amano is my idea of hot guys, particularly Higuri's semes. The ukes are often the big-eyes female tyoes that do little for me, although I do appreciate the ones drawn to look more like guys (I still think Lily Hoshino's been drawing chicks all this time & the licensees are just changing the pronoun. Many of hers are too girly for my blood & I love Amano's Fei Long & other feminine-looking guys. Hotohori-yes. Nuriko, no.) So the look of the seme is a draw for me. I'll take a thin story for art that fits my taste. I love funny, so I'll take mediocre art for really funny. My daughter loves ukes, so that's a big draw for her. Doesn't mean she puts herself in their place, but it is the character art style she loves. |
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