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==Terminology==
==Terminology==
===Pronunciation===
===Pronunciation===
Properly, all three vowels should be pronounced separately, yielding a three-syllable word. However, ''yaoi'' is frequently heard as only two syllables.
Strictly speaking, all three vowels should be pronounced separately, yielding a three-syllable word. However, ''yaoi'' is frequently heard as only two syllables, where under proper pronounciation produces the phoneme 'oy' with the 「お」and 「い」 syllabaric characters.

In the [[United States]] and other non-Japanese countries, it is commonly pronounced 'yow-ee', 'yah-oy', or 'yay-oy'.
At least in the [[United States]], it is commonly mispronounced as 'yow-ee' or 'yay-oy', which do not follow any natural reading of the syllables at all.


===Etymology===
===Etymology===

Revision as of 16:01, 1 December 2006

Cover of "Fake" by Sanami Matoh as published by TokyoPop.

Yaoi is a publishing genre which originated in Japan and often encompasses manga, doujinshi, anime, and fan art. It focuses on homosexual relationships between male characters and is generally sexually explicit. For this reason, it is often informally referred to as 'gay-oi'.

Some Westerners consider yaoi to be synonymous with shōnen-ai or BL, which contains similar themes; however, shōnen-ai material is not sexually explicit. The yaoi phenomenon has spread beyond Japan: examples of what is called "American yaoi" now exist.

Content

Most yaoi is created by women, for women. At least one anthropologist has suggested that yaoi is a product of the intersection of two fairly universal cultural taboos: homosexuality and women's freedom of sexual expression.

Content ranges from ordinary romantic situations with mild adult content to subgenres containing extreme fetishism, including anthropomorphism, cosplay, nonconsensual sex or "non-con", monsters, incest, orgies, shotacon, and various other taboo depictions of male homosexuality.

Terminology

Pronunciation

Strictly speaking, all three vowels should be pronounced separately, yielding a three-syllable word. However, yaoi is frequently heard as only two syllables, where under proper pronounciation produces the phoneme 'oy' with the 「お」and 「い」 syllabaric characters.

At least in the United States, it is commonly mispronounced as 'yow-ee' or 'yay-oy', which do not follow any natural reading of the syllables at all.

Etymology

The English letters form a backronym of the Japanese phrase 「ヤマなし、オチなし、意味なし」 (yama nashi, ochi nashi, imi nashi), often translated into English as, "no climax, no punch line, no meaning," or as the catchphrase, "No peak, no point, no problem."

The term appears to have been originally used in Japan, perhaps as early as the 1970s, to describe any doujinshi that was a bizarre, playful parody; however, it has come to refer solely to sexually explicit male-male homosexual material. Yaoi is not a common term in Japanese; it is specific to the otaku subculture.

Usage

Usage of the term yaoi varies. For example, some purists insist that it should only be applied to doujinshi, while others claim it refers only to material printed by Japanese publishers who specialize in yaoi. The majority of fans, however, apply the term to any of a broad range of male-male sexually-themed manga and anime.

Though yaoi is sometimes used to refer to any male homosexual content in film and print media, particulary in works created by females, that is generally considered a misuse of the term. Professional Japanese artists, such as Kodaka Kazuma, are careful to distinguish their works as "yaoi," rather than "gay," when describing them to English-speaking audiences.

Seme and uke

The two participants in a yaoi relationship are often referred to as seme ("attacker) and uke ("receiver"). Although these terms originated in martial arts, they have apparently been used in a sexual context for centuries and do not carry any degrading connotations. Seme derives from the Japanese verb semeru (“to attack”) and uke from the Japanese verb ukeru (“to receive”). Though gay males are often referred to in English as "tops" or "bottoms," seme and uke are more nearly analogous to "pitcher" and "catcher."

The seme is often depicted as the stereotypical male of anime and manga culture: restrained, physically powerful, and/or protective. The seme usually has a stronger chin, shorter hair, and a more masculine demeanor than the uke.

The uke is usually more androgynous or effeminate in appearance and demeanor and is often smaller and sometimes unrealistically girlish in behavior. The uke generally falls in love before the seme does.

Though these stereotypes are common, not all works adhere to them. For example, some of the anthologies published by Be x Boy feature stories on themes such as "younger seme" or "reversibles." The "height rule," the implication that greater height confers greater power, is also sometimes broken.

While most earlier yaoi depicted both seme and uke partners as slightly effeminate, there has been an uprise of "muscle yaoi," in which adult men are portrayed as more masculine and strongly muscled.

Yaoi vs. BL

In Japan, male-male homosexually-themed material is categorized as either shōnen-ai/BL or yaoi. This terminology is used both by publishers and by anime voice actors. In general, yaoi refers to sexually explicit material, while shōnen-ai and BL refer to sexually implicit or non-sexual romantic male-male relationships.

Doujinshi

Typical yaoi doujinshi, or fanfiction, features male-male pairings from non-romantic, published manga and anime. Much of the material derives from male-oriented shōnen and seinen works which contained male-male relationships which are perceived by fans to imply homosexual attraction. However, yaoi fans may ship any male-male pairing from published manga and anime, even those involved in platonic friendship. Crack pairings and crossovers often feature impossible or improbable romantic couples, such as Zetsu and Sasuke from Naruto.

Though collectors often focus on doujinshi based on particular manga, any male character may become the subject of a yaoi doujinshi, even ones from non-manga titles such as Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean.

Most doujinshi is created by amateurs who often work in "circles"; for example, the group CLAMP began as an amateur doujinshi circle. However, some professional artists, such as Kodaka Kazuma and Maki Murakami, create doujinshi as well.

Yaoi fanon is common; some authors even create separate sub-universes in their stories and doujinshi. In some cases, these sub-universes, called "AU" or "Alternate Universe," gain their own fan bases in which they are more popular than the original series.

Notable titles which have been the subject of yaoi doujinshi include the following:

American yaoi

As Japanese yaoi has gained popularity in the U.S., a few American artists have begun to create gay-themed comics referred to as "American yaoi." This new genre has become a small subculture in North America.

Though American yaoi writing and art can be more commonly found on the Internet, professionally-published yaoi manga include the implicit Off*beat by Jennifer Lee Quick, published by TokyoPop; and the explicit Incubus by Yayoi Neko, published by Bang.

Publishing

The Japanese publisher Biblos and their Be X Boy magazine was once considered the major source of professionally published Japanese yaoi. However, their bankruptcy due to failure of their non-yaoi ventures has provided an opportunity for their competitors to take up a larger share of the professional yaoi and BL manga market.

Several popular Japanese yaoi and BL works have been commercially translated and imported to English-speaking countries by companies such as TokyoPop, Be Beautiful, DramaQueen, and Digital Manga Publishing.

List of professional yaoi titles

  • Ai no Kusabi was originally a novel by Rieko Yoshihara. Although the anime has never been officially translated into English, fan-subs are available within the yaoi anime community.
  • Boku no Sexual Harassment "depicts the rise of a young executive who prostitutes himself to his corporate superiors. The feeble plot is just there to string together the animated sex scenes." (Charles Solomon) This work, infamous for a corncob-porn scene, is both a novel and an anime which is available in English. Character designs are by Kazuma Kodaka.
  • Earthian, by Yun Kouga, is one of the earliest professional yaoi manga. Published in the 1980s, it is about gay angels from another planet who watch over Earth while concealing what they are. It has been adapted into an anime which is available on VHS and DVD in the U.S.
  • Enzai is an explicit BL game about a young boy from the streets who, after attempting to steal candy, is falsely accused of murder. An OVA of the same name was later released.
  • Finder Series, by Ayano Yamane, is a yaoi series based on the relationship between an aspiring young photographer and a Yakuza boss. Though the manga contains scenes of questionable consent, the partnership turns out to be more affectionate and genuine than the early scenes imply.
  • Gravitation, by Maki Murakami, is a manga and anime centered around the effects of a relationship between a famous romance novelist and a pop star.
  • Haru wo Daiteita (Embracing Love), by Youka Nitta, is a manga and anime which tells the story of two AV actors who fall in love while working together.
  • Kizuna, by Kodaka Kazuma, is a manga about homosexuality within the Yakuza. Published in the early 1990s, it is one of the earliest professional yaoi works. Parts of the first few volumes have been adapted as anime.
  • Lies & Kisses, by Masara Minase, is a beautifully drawn manga about the relationship between two long-lost step brothers. Its plot and characters are more developed than in most yaoi.
  • Love Mode is a manga about the romantic and sexual adventures of men associated with "Blue Boy," an all-male dating club.
  • Our kingdom, by Naduki Koujima, is a manga about two teenagers who fall in love while competing to become the heir to an immense fortune.
  • Papa to Kiss in the Dark, by Munakata Mira, is a two-episode anime about a high school freshman who is involved in a sexual relationship with his uncle.
  • Selfish Love, by Naduki Koujima, is a two-volume manga which depicts the story of two students at a prestigious university: one a wealthy, overconfident freshman, the other a scholarship sophomore from a poor family.
  • Sensitive Pornograph is a yaoi manga anthology which contains explicit romance stories. An anime version is available.
  • Shout Out Loud!, by Satosumi Takaguchi, is a slice of life story about a father and son and is centered in the world of anime and yaoi voice acting.
  • Under Grand Hotel - UGH, by Mika Sadahiro, tells the story of Owari Sen and Swordfish, two inmates in the Underground Hotel Prison, which is called “Under Grand Hotel” by the prisoners.
  • Wild Rock, by Kazusa Takashima, is a yaoi manga which tells the story of Yuuen, a child of the Forest Clan chief, who is given the task of seducing Emba, the son of the Lakeside Clan chief.
  • Yellow, by Makoto Tateno, is a yaoi manga which tells the story of the love and adventures of two drug and weapon snatchers.
  • Zetsuai 1989 and Bronze is the story of a musician and his fascination with a male football player. The anime and manga are considered yaoi classics.

Japanese yaoi imprints

Aqua Comics – Asuka Comics – CL DX – B's Anima Seires – Bamboo Comics – Be X Boy Comics – Boys L – Chara Comics – Chocolat Comics – D + Comics – Diamond Comics – Drap Comics – Enrous Comics – Gush Comics – Gust Comics – Hanaoto Comics – Hanawaru Comics – June Comics – Kousai Comics – Margaret Comics – Misshi Comics – OAK Comix – Paper Moon Comics – Pias Series – Princess Comics – Racish Comics – Sanwa Comics – SBK C (Shobukan Comics) – Scholar LC Rutile Series – Shubeiru Comics – Shy Comics – SUPER BBC – Wings Comics – Zero Comics

References

See also

Articles and interviews

Websites

On-line publishers

Conventions

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