Yaoi

Intersections: Yaoi Ronsō: Discussing Depictions of M...http://intersections.anu.edu.au/issue12/lunsing.html Intersections: Gender, History and Culture in the Asian Context Issue 12 January 2006 Yaoi Ronsō: Discussing Depictions of Male Homosexuality in Japanese Girls' Comics, Gay Comics and Gay Pornography Wim Lunsing Introduction 1. A number of papers in English have discussed the genre of shōjo manga [Japanese girls' comics] known as BLB (boy loves boy) manga in which gay male characters figure prominently and which were first published in the 1970s. However, little attention has been paid to developments in the 1980s, let alone the 1990s, resulting in an outdated depiction of the genre, with, for instance, a stress on the foreignness or otherworldliness of the situations described.[1] McLelland[2] takes the discussion further to include newer manga situated in the present but insists that the depictions are equally not representative of actual gay existence, as they are over-romantic. The same point is made about Japanese films and television shows depicting homosexuality, which, like the manga, are mostly aimed at a female audience.[3] Answers to questions such as who reads the genre and why have been sought in women's resistance to patriarchy,[4] ignoring the fact that there are also many gay male readers. The genre is commonly treated in isolation from other phenomena, such as gay manga, i.e. manga made by gay men for gay men, and pornography. 2. So far in English scholarship, the yaoi ronsō [yaoi dispute], a discussion concentrating on the politics of depictions of men having sex with men in shōjo manga, is, apart from some remarks in my earlier work,[5] to my knowledge never mentioned. Although the actual meaning of yaoi is limited to manga in which the depiction of sex is pivotal, in this discussion, as well as in many other contexts, the term is used to include all BLB manga. This paper intends to make a beginning in filling these gaps by concentrating on the following questions: What is the meaning of the changes in BLB shōjo manga towards more realistic and contemporary Japanese situations and how do they relate to gay manga and gay pornography in connection with the yaoi dispute? 3. My research has hardly ever focused on manga as such but as an anthropologist conducting fieldwork on issues of sexuality, gender and later also employment, spanning the years from 1991 until 2003 and being based in Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo, the topic regularly came up in discussions and activities I engaged in with informants. Being an anthropologist, I regard these discussions as highly valuable data, as, unlike data acquired from interviews and written sources, these data are acquired without any manipulation by the researcher or an author and they offer insights into how actual people relate to the 1 of 16 H.24/03/27 16:49 The main character. maintain that women harm gay men with these depictions. rape and drug abuse and in the end Gilbert dies. gay Japanese thinkers found value in the concept of performativity on their own terms. like the civil servant. Takemiya said that it was not about gay men but that she used boys' love [shōnenai] to liberate girls' sexuality. son of a gypsy woman.24/03/27 16:49 .anu. like when Shōtoku impregnates the mentally challenged woman he married (Figure 1).[14] This story is set in nineteenth century France. Gilbert. The virtuous Serge. When sex plays a role at all. for instance. provided inside information on the pornography industry.[10] One is Hiizuredokoro no tenshi [The angel who came from the sun] by Yamagishi Ryōko.Intersections: Yaoi Ronsō: Discussing Depictions of M. On the one hand this phenomenon can be regarded as underpinning Fushimi's argument that women and gay men are allies but others. aided by his command of supernatural powers. whose thinking not only combines women and gay men as allies against heterosexism but also explicitly includes any type of non-standard sexuality and gender in his very own queer theory. which means to be anally penetrated. as well as the gay manga authors Hirosegawa Susumu and Tagame Gengorō. ura [back] versus omote [front]. he could be the prototype of the bishōnen.html topic. it is heterosexual sex. As a fieldworker.[15] Gilbert lives to have sex. the beautiful androgynous youth. run over by a carriage. I have usually found myself well accepted as a participant in various contexts.[8] it is no surprise that.[12] In the manga. mostly in a boarding school in the countryside.. tries to encourage him to study but fails.. an imperial prince from the Nara period (600-700) who is generally credited with promoting the introduction of Buddhism to Japan. Developments in the genre of BLB shōjo manga 5. Two famous early examples of shōjo manga featuring male homosexuality confirm the idea that the stories were often set in contexts alien to contemporary Japan. Foremost among them is the well-known gay writer Fushimi Noriaki. makes his way through school without studying or attending classes by having sex with the teachers and anyone else he is able to seduce. named after the year they were born.[7] 4. in which I became deeply submerged and consequently my personal experiences also became part of the research data. among which is his ability to appear as a woman. Both were drawn by members of the Group of 24. which forms a major trope throughout Japanese cultural history (Figure 2).[11]—a seven-volume series loosely based on the life of Shōtoku Taishi. Like Shōtoku Taishi. 6.[16] 2 of 16 H. and uchi [inside] versus soto [outside]. When taking account of the fact that Japanese people are familiar with the idea that particular situations demand particular performances. Shōwa 24 (1949). He leads the pro-Buddhist army against the indigenous Shintō faction. but same-sex love also plays a major role throughout. A second example is that of Kaze to ki no uta [The poem of the wind and the trees][13] by Takemiya Keiko.[6] As part of my research on non-standard employment I interviewed a number of people working in the sex industry. The story includes incest.au/issue12/lunsing.[9] This chapter focuses on a discussion concerning a form of resistance against heterosexism by women who use depictions of male homosexuality to liberate themselves. who for instance. only Shōtoku's unrequited love for another prince indicates homosexuality. which finds explicit expression in cultural tropes like honne [real feelings] versus tatemae [public face]. Commenting on Kaze to ki no uta years later. http://intersections. gay writer and drag queen Satō Masaki.edu. html Figure 1. A famous example is the story of Tomoi.[19] The story of the young Japanese man Tomoi is set in Tokyo and New York during the initial stages of the AIDS epidemic and in Afghanistan during the Russian invasion.au/issue12/lunsing. written by Akisato Wakuni.24/03/27 16:49 .. However.Intersections: Yaoi Ronsō: Discussing Depictions of M.edu. already in the 1980s examples of stories set in contemporary times and in Japan itself appear. Yamagishi Ryōko. Apart from this unusual combination of settings. social realism is a main hallmark. Why Emishi! I am telling you that if you and I come together there is nothing in the world we cannot do' 'Nothing we cannot do…!?' Part of the crucial scene in which Shotoku begs for Emishi's hand but is turned down. a' (laughter by Gilbert). Figure 2.[17] 'Emishi. http://intersections... Emishi. One of the most explicitly gay sections of the series..anu. he even sports a moustache (Figure 3). 7. Takemiya Keiko. In this scene Gilbert seduces Serge. published in two volumes entitled Nemureru mori no binan and Tomoi respectively. Tomoi looks nothing like the androgynous heroes of Yamagishi and Takemiya.[18] 'Gil…' 'Stop this half-heartedness' 'a. 3 of 16 H. based on an investigation by the yaoi specialist 4 of 16 H.[21] 'What… are you thinking' 'stop' 'quick'. Tomoi's first name)' 'Father' 'You will want to have an arranged marriage' (repeated 3 times).. my ass hurts]. but not in the overly-romantic way she perceives to have been common until then.' The genre supposedly consists only of sex scenes. 8. no meaning. parental pressure to marry is applied.[23] 9. Takaguchi.Intersections: Yaoi Ronsō: Discussing Depictions of M. Figure 4. Satō Masaki.24/03/27 16:49 . that about 100. As part of Akisato's social realism.000 people are fans of the genre.. oshiri ga itai [stop. hence also the joking interpretation of the meaning of yaoi as yamete. Yaoi stands for yama nashi.[22] The author Takaguchi Satosumi stressed that she wanted to write about boys' love. which often are characterised to some extent by violence. based on figures of fan circles' membership and comic fair participants. ochi nashi. no plot. which means 'no climax [as in the climax of a story]. mentions a figure of 200.[20] Tomoi's thoughts: 'Marriage. if it were with a man I would not mind marrying' Spoken words: 'Hisatsugu (i. most of them young women.000 people as forming the core of the readership. http://intersections. She wanted social realism. This story even contains an episode in which the boys are confronted with prejudice against themselves for having a gay relationship (Figure 4). Simultaneously another development took place in the genre: the production of what came to be called yaoi. This more realistic type can also be exemplified by the short series entitled Rakkii Kun or Kōun Danshi [Lucky/fortunate boys] about the love of two high-school boys brought together when their parents marry each other. Akisato.[24] The feminist manga specialist Tanigawa Tamae estimated..000[26] and the lesbian Mizoguchi Akiko even gives the figure of 500..[25] Yaoi critic.edu.e.anu. imi nashi.au/issue12/lunsing.html Figure 3. which probably refers to Jean Genet [June in Japanese sounding similar to the Japanese way of rendering Genet).. He pulls down the teacher's pants. Sasaguri. the magazine June. Sumiya really gets into it and Sakurai gets more than he had bargained for after pleading for leniency. after which the student remarks that he wants to do it one more time and the teacher agrees but asks to be untied 5 of 16 H. Wakasugi (sounding like 'too young' but here written with the characters for 'young Japanese cedar'). Next he makes him sit on his desk and pulls out a vibrator from his bag. Most of the characters in the stories are beautiful men but.edu. Then the student turns the teacher around to bend over the desk and penetrates him from behind. In Volume 17 the development of the story entitled 'Ryōjoku no kauntodaun' [The countdown of violation} is as follows: Sumiya. even though Sumiya insists that this was his own responsibility. in his apartment.[29] This story is simple. However. undresses himself and makes the teacher fellate him. which he uses to tie down the teacher who is weakly protesting. the characters are not necessarily particularly feminine. 11.[27] The discrepancy in the figures may partly be explained by the fact that the term yaoi is used with varying meanings. In fact.html Kurihara Chiyo of the number of magazines published. Sakurai asks another staff member to prepare him and he is tied up. Phonetically sounding like 'absolute freezing point' the characters used mean 'absolute beautiful fellows' but also play on the word dorei. The teacher again protests but the student's pants are put into his mouth to shut him up and the vibrator is inserted until the teacher reaches a climax. A more typical example of yaoi in its more limited meaning is found in the magazine Zettai Reido. put in a bag and delivered to Sumiya's quarters with the message that Sumiya is to punish him. This time they both ejaculate. The high school graduate. entitled Sotsugyōsei [The graduate].[28] 12. one will find that they can hardly be described as concentrating on sex only and lacking plots. pays a private visit to his former swimming coach. if one looks at the contents.24/03/27 16:49 . Generally. highly androgynous. However. in the main. feels partly responsible for letting this happen. He feels he must repay a debt and Sumiya replies jokingly that he will rape him. Her stories are set in an SM club. which makes Sumiya gag him and proceed with his sexual torture. http://intersections. The same volume also contains a story drawn by Horii Jingoro. unlike those created by the group of 24. They usually have long hair and the way they dress and the depiction of their bodies are. Sumiya finds that Sakurai wronged him mostly by assuming responsibility for the brand.anu. Sumiya tortures Sakurai not because of the pain inflicted on himself but because Sakurai wants to take over his responsibility. manga appearing in June have much in common with the earlier works of Yamagishi. In practice.. Takemiya and the like as well as the later social realism of Takaguchi and Akisato. Most feminine in their looks are probably the characters in the work of Tori Maia.Intersections: Yaoi Ronsō: Discussing Depictions of M. a staff member. Story-lines are not absent. Without much ado the coach undresses to his swimming pants and the student dives into a closet to uncover ropes. the master of the house. Zettai Reido is a magazine consisting of explicit sadomasochist manga. which means slave. received a brand on his penis during the sex-play of the previous night and Sakurai. 10. the term yaoi is most commonly used inclusively to refer to all BLB manga. but in general serve the depiction of sexual activity rather than having much import in their own right. is presented as exemplary of yaoi. After a careful beginning.au/issue12/lunsing. where customers can go and hire one of the staff who live in the building (and who also have relationships with each other). which has evidently led to the high figures of yaoi fans. it would be this.au/issue12/lunsing.[31] 'Tremendous . Wakasugi penetrates his former teacher. There is no explanation for what occurs other than that there is a history of sexual relations between the teacher and the student. a gay activist/civil servant/drag queen. harshly attacked yaoi—using the term in a personifying manner: he attacked women who draw and read yaoi—with the phrase: 'yaoi nan tte shinde shimaeba ii' [that yaoi may die].anu. more' 'Master' and sounds of pleasure. Basically it is all about sex. Figure 6. a feminist magazine devoted to the discussion of female sexuality by women. Horii Jingorou.' 'Does it hurt? I think you can have more... Tori Maya.edu. extremely hot!!' 'More. plot or meaning.. he accused yaoi of creating and having a skewed image of gay men as beautiful and handsome and regarding gay men who do not fit that image and tend 6 of 16 H.' 'Do you feel responsible and so on? Or is your consciousness still dim?' 'I will make it clear in a moment. End of story.Intersections: Yaoi Ronsō: Discussing Depictions of M. If there is any story that fits the explanation of yaoi manga as being without climax. 13. Satō Masaki. He compared them to the 'dirty old men' [hentai jijii] who watch pornography including women engaging in sexual activities with each other. master. Yaoi Ronsō 14. He felt that his human rights as a gay man were harmed by women drawing and enjoying yaoi manga.' Sumiya torturing his master.[30] 'You are quite submissive. In addition.html first. He did this in the minikomishi [small-scale non-commercial magazine] Choisir. In 1992.' '[So clear] that your idiotic sense of responsibility will be destroyed. letting me do to you what I will without complaining.. http://intersections.24/03/27 16:49 . Figure 5. was probably not agreeable to gay men. though she dislikes the term.[34] She admitted that what she wanted to draw and read in yaoi. what does Satō want 'us' to draw?[35] 17.Intersections: Yaoi Ronsō: Discussing Depictions of M. She claimed that she did not particularly like the depictions of beautiful gay men but rather liked particular characters in the manga as well as particular real life women. but to think of raping them. She recounted the fact that when she was in high school she felt that she was an 'absurdly sick being' [tonde mo nai kimochiwarui sonzai]. He read it with great pleasure until in the end. In addition.' He also made no distinction between yaoi and the women who like to court gay men as friends.[32] 15. a media wave of interest in gay issues sparked by women's magazine Crea. To her. the interesting point of yaoi manga was that they inevitably concerned men/boys who had individuality [kosei].edu.html to 'hide in the dark' as 'garbage' [gomi]. He wrote that he was very impressed by the skill Takaguchi Satosumi showed in her story Kōun Danshi [Rakkii Kun]. in the case of yaoi.[36] Later. She agreed. in which case she could not help. discussed above. as long as yaoi remained small scale and something for personal pleasure.24/03/27 16:49 . who also objectify handsome gay men. Women who enjoy yaoi responded to this attack. he attacked them for creating the 'gay boom'. according to him. Takamatsu Hisako. but then. did nothing for gay men at large. when. when imagining sex. however. Satō dismissed this question as too stupid for consideration. Whereas in straight material the woman was always the object and the man the viewer—in yaoi this role division did not exist. The message that the story in the end conveyed to Satō was that gay men cannot be happy.au/issue12/lunsing. he gave an indication of how he would like to see gay men depicted.[33] 16. she wondered. Nevertheless. rather than the subgenre of yaoi with its focus on explicit sex.[37] Later he admitted to liking BLB manga but he remained insistent that yaoi are homophobic and debase the tradition of BLB manga. to his distress. http://intersections.. The reason why she wrote and read yaoi had nothing to do with an interest in gay men but with the fact that she could not cope with heterosexual depictions. however. he did not find any harm in it. The problems arose once 7 of 16 H. as a reader of yaoi. Good manga must not 'incite an escape from reality' but 'make reality easier to live in. in which the woman always ended up being the underdog. calling herself yaoi according to Satō's definition. she accepted Satō's broader usage for the sake of the argument. which. first pointed out that Satō's usage of the term was not correct. she was similar to dirty old men looking at pornography featuring women. for a character to look at another's body meant also to have his own body looked at. as he included all BLB manga.. She felt shocked that Satō even read yaoi as something related to himself as a gay man. However. unlike in heterosexual stories. Yanagita Akiko made a slightly different argument. She felt that her interest in yaoi did not relate to gay men in particular but to people in general. a mere characteristic of the entire genre of shōjo manga. The fact that the boys/men in yaoi are depicted as beautiful she related to the fact that women in shōjo manga are also depicted as beautiful.anu. one of the characters died—an extremely common way to end any sort of Japanese story—and the remaining character decided that he should marry and start a family. that. She pointed out that for her boys' love manga were liberating in the sense that. which Satō read as a denial of the validity of gay lifestyles. called okoge [fag hags]. He never asked women to draw manga featuring male homosexuality in the first place and suggested that yaoi think for themselves. nor with depictions of woman-woman relations because of her own confusion in relation to her feelings for women. 24/03/27 16:49 .anu. 18. he discovers that the customer has his penis exposed and apparently was masturbating while gazing at him.[38]—as. slender and mostly having little facial and body hair. He is ordered to return the next day 'or else' but the threat seems superfluous. undeniably. In March 2002. when I interviewed him. http://intersections. Tanigawa Tamae.Intersections: Yaoi Ronsō: Discussing Depictions of M. indeed. hence the feminine features. the illustration itself cannot be shown here. Above. disagreeing with my suggestion that his work was mainly sexual. 8 of 16 H.au/issue12/lunsing. Shōjo manga in a different light: gay manga and pornography 19. and that most of the yaoi authors were lesbian women.[40] (Although freely available in Japan. When an attendant has a closer look. however. Their inability to enjoy existing depictions of heterosexual activity combined with unease about female-female sexuality suggests. which prevented them from loving themselves as women. He thought that lesbian women do not really care much about what genitals people have. he also draws manga that contain no sex at all. that female yaoi fans had the larger problem when it came to dealing with their own sexuality. as the contents might contravene the server's anti-pornography regulations. it has. The variety of settings in which sex takes place is broad in Hirosegawa's work and the sex is usually characterised by sadomasochism and often rape. She regarded yaoi authors and readers as victims of patriarchy.' The customer is forced to undress and is tied up in a dressing room. those containing sex are of more interest. as the customer can hardly wait to see what they will do to him the next day. The attendant accuses the masturbating man of shoplifting and threatens to expose him at his workplace unless he 'cooperates. is part of the storyline. being handsome.[39] I believe that the admittance of being guilty of hurting gay men by Takamatsu and Yanagita is too easy and that they fell into the trap of siding with the supposedly weaker group of gay men instead of properly analysing their motives. who. True enough. Japan's two most popular gay manga authors also began their manga careers by publishing in the context of shōjo manga. A typical example is the story entitled Bāgensēru [Bargain sale]: a customer in a clothing shop behaves oddly. After closing hours. 20. Being gay himself. She maintained that for gay men it was perfectly possible to put the images they want out in the media and that yaoi manga do nothing to prevent them from doing that. Hirosegawa Susumu is a prolific manga author. insisted that much of his work did not focus on sex but rather on stories. look essentially different from the more masculine men in yaoi manga. However. for the purpose of this essay..) When I discussed this type of work with Hirosegawa. in which the victim comes to enjoy being raped. he can more easily imagine what excites them.. he felt that it was easier to write for gay men than for women. since. I briefly introduced a manga written by a male author but published in the context of yaoi. counterattacked Satō for using his position as a gay man to attack a group such as yaoi who are much weaker. criticising the women who agreed with Satō that they were like dirty old men. He also insisted that yaoi manga often lack realism. they are not recognised in their own right. unlike gay men. The men Hirosegawa draws do not.html the genre entered into the mainstream. Tokyo's largest book store Kinokuniya had a BLB manga fair on its ground floor. It was all in his imagination. He was clear that he did not personally have sex like that protrayed in his stories. all the attendants gather to have a thorough gang-rape session abusing the customer.edu. as the female authors do not know how men feel. He has no luck and is always returned to the brothel that bought him and there subjected to additional torture and humiliation before made to work again..html 21. http://intersections. When his work was published in the then new gay magazine G-men in 1995. his favourite in which real pain is inflicted and a softer form in which the masochist is tied up and then has his genitals played with to his pleasure. soon to evolve to chubby and outright fat.anu. trendy gay men had overwhelmingly tried to look handsome. I also found an example of this in a gay manga by a gay author. As of the year 2002 he had published six volumes.au/issue12/lunsing. He differentiates between two types of SM commonly practiced in Japan. but thinks they are simple emanations of the SM-shumiō [hobby] of Tagame. unfortunately the illustrations cannot be shown here due to their violent nature. without suffering much pain. the owner of a brothel. The hero. stubble. The men he depicts differ greatly from Hirosegawa's. He also bottoms but finds that he is not so good at enduring pain himself. such as scat-scenes and decapitation. After all. first published in the gay magazine Badi which was established a few years before G-men.Intersections: Yaoi Ronsō: Discussing Depictions of M. falls in the hands of a troupe of bandits who also abuse him. shunned by the majority of gay men. Shirogane no hana [The silver flower]. They are extremely masculine. The story continues with him being abused incessantly and punished and humiliated when not complying with clients' desires. although he tries not to include too many features that parts of the readership find disgusting. Shirogane. muscular and hairy. he said. Tagame's longest story to date.. To pay this off. he agrees to work for a man who will take over his debt. Almost everyone was clean shaven and hair was commonly worn in a fashionable and tidy cut. When I interviewed him.24/03/27 16:49 . Tagame feels that BLB manga belong to a world he does not understand as an outsider and they lack reality. Until then. After G-men was published. However. 23. He is not interested too much in what the readership wants to read. a major shift occurred in the gay entertainment area of Shinjuku Ni-chōme in Tokyo.edu. It is hard to counter his argument. broad shouldered. not unlike the heroes in BLB manga. beards and moustaches became all the rage. Fat men mostly hung out in special bars for them. became highly fashionable. the readership wants sexual excitement. slender and slick. as the stories are not very elaborate. After a fire 9 of 16 H.[42] Like Hirosegawa. although the style and themes of the drawings can be related to 1950s and 1960s Japanese illustrations like those of Mishima Gō and Ōkawa Tatsuji. He gave the example of a story in which a boy's anus becomes wet when he gets excited. most of which previously appeared in gay magazines. as if it were a vagina.[41] 22. is set in the Edo period (1603-1868). for instance. was a wealthy businessman but in the first few pages he runs into severe debt. Tagame almost exclusively draws stories of sexual abuse. (Again. This man resells the debt to an old enemy. He tries to escape several times but. 24. Shirogane is tied up and raped several times before being made to work as a prostitute for a clientele that cannot afford female prostitutes. The manga he draws are what he likes to see.) As such they have more in common with western gay comics like those by Tom of Finland than with Japanese-style manga. Extremely short became the most common hair style and the broad muscular body. Hirosegawa has called Tagame's manga SM gekijō [SM theater] and does not recognise them as manga. Tagame Gengorō. he said that he himself gets excited by faces wrought with pain and enjoys making people suffer in sadomasochistic play. is probably the most influential gay manga author in Japan at present. To make this point. though not for exactly the same reasons. Mizoguchi introduces various quotes). If BLB manga are homophobic because they show characters who say they are straight. While the argument may hold in some cases.[43] 25. and bondage. it certainly fails in others and therefore lacks the power to convince. have feelings of love towards any man. for instance. supposedly. women. in this context. Hiizuredokoro no Tenshi to 10 of 16 H. The story. Gay manga are not essentially different from BLB manga. candles and whipping are commonplace. he is set free only to find his body aching for abuse.[44] She interprets this as homophobia. in particular in the newer manga like Tomoi and New York.html destroys the pleasure quarters. misogyny. New York[46] and even more commonly in the case of Zettai Reido. http://intersections. Tanigawa Tamae uses quotes from. Other video companies may focus less on SM but nevertheless. However. Irokawa Nao. hardly be called a misogynist. Homophobia. one of the largest Japanese gay pornography manufacturers. rape and violence 26.au/issue12/lunsing. an enema is almost standard.Intersections: Yaoi Ronsō: Discussing Depictions of M. who. Thus. how come gay manga are not? Obviously. gay manga made by gay men for gay men may lack the aspect of voyeurism by a group outside the gay scene. He began the yaoi dispute on the instigation of a female friend. The camera pays much attention to the model's facial expressions. as the characters are phobic towards a gay identity. then what does that make gay manga and pornography? If yaoi manga are criticised for giving false presentations of gay men. discussions of BLB manga tend to focus on particular features of some manga. one of the more exciting aspects seems to be that the models are straight men—and talking with such models. In particular Ejiki [prey] videos and Gareon videos can be characterised as prolonged torture sessions of the models. he dies in loneliness. divided over three volumes. editor of Choisir.edu. or at least multiple men. She found that the characters in BLB manga. Tagame's work has its counterpart in gay pornography. Otherwise. however. Similarly. they maintain that they are essentially straight but just developed erotic and loving feelings for one particular man. 28. for instance in the case of the Spike series produced by Field.. I learned that usually they actually are straight..[45] I wonder. Satō can. Like in the case of Shirogane. various artefacts are inserted in the anus. to what extent they are representative of characters in BLB manga in general. 27.anu. the depiction of rape is a common feature throughout. however. In the end. Many characters are explicitly gay. often maintain that they are straight [nonke]. In Japan.24/03/27 16:49 . The women engaging in the discussion wanted to search their souls and Satō's writings served as a welcome incentive. while falling in love with a man. It rather seems that gay men like Satō have difficulty with the idea that women may look at them as sex objects. comprises almost 900 pages. which is a pinnacle of excitement. poetically covered by snow flakes. women who enjoy yaoi manga often also read gay magazines and thus are also familiar with gay manga and pornography. they distance themselves from gay men. Satō's opinion that they are homophobic is shared by Mizoguchi Akiko. though they do not necessarily acquire an American-style gay identity. A relatively new development in this genre is that of having athlete models eventually letting themselves be fucked. initially BLB manga were an important innovation in the otherwise asexual genre of shōjo manga. possibly thanks to their involvement with yaoi. but has been pointed out in the case of straight sex in manga also. Gay manga also have similar characteristics. and becomes nothing but feeling. To me. as for me. which in itself need not to be a problem. It mattered less that the stories concerned boys than that they concerned sex. While Satō felt that the stories were impeding a positive validation of gay lifestyles. while BLB manga are drawn mostly by women. the homophobia that Mizoguchi describes is commonplace[51] and. which becomes most explicit when the object of excitement looses control of his bodily functions. The fact that some stories may include homophobia did not prevent them from reading them with pleasure.au/issue12/lunsing. the gay informants could relate their situation and feelings to the manga. in which men are forced to be sex toys for the satisfaction of others. On the other hand. moreover. but other Japanese depictions of sex also often focus on someone loosing control and giving in to corporeal lust when being manhandled by someone in one way or other. it was utterly compelling. interviews and participant observation. too. To me it seems that more have an actual interest in cute men/boys. As Satō[53] agrees. applies only to a minority. when men regard themselves as gay it is not uncommon for them not to encompass homosexuality as their mainstay of identity. 29. their own sexuality..Intersections: Yaoi Ronsō: Discussing Depictions of M. or even to begin considering. ignoring the fact that there are also many characters that are not. Misogyny is common. manga containing straight sex are mostly drawn by men.html prove that the characters in BLB manga are often explicitly misogynous. Sex and pain go hand in hand. Love between boys was a means for women to reconsider.[50] However. some women to whom I spoke could hardly stop talking about the 'cute' boys in such depictions. Tanigawa interprets this misogyny as indicative of the authors' and readers' hate of themselves as women. to a similar extent as the work of Tagame Gengorō. Satō's accusation that female BLB fans are homophobic is of a complex nature.edu. asking me things like whether I thought they looked boyish themselves.. other gay men evaluated them in a more positive manner.[47] This may have been the case at least initially. as well as the development of manga in which women love women[48] suggests that there is a least a considerable number of women who overcame this hate. In today's Japan. Even if the stories were set in alien contexts. Hirosegawa's view of BLB manga as drawn by and for lesbian women.24/03/27 16:49 . as are depictions of violence in combination with sex. Bondage is one obvious way to further excitement. I felt they were right. A third feature is that sex often takes the form of rape. regardless of what sexual identity they may have. Even the romantic Kaze to ki no uta. 30. They evidently identified strongly with the characters. http://intersections. as discussed by Mizoguchi. the mainstay of excitement can be summed up by the term iyarashisa [distastefulness].[52] I found that many of my gay informants were not only familiar with BLB manga but read them voraciously from the moment they came on the market in the mid-1970s. was often pointed out as a must-read by gay friends. Based on personal contacts. 11 of 16 H. the three issues above seem to contradict the idea that BLB manga exist in a world of fantasy.[49] This is not particular to male-male sex in manga. and as such they can be discussed in the orthodox feminist framework of men's misogyny. I believe that there are several ways in which women read BLB manga. in which the main protagonist Gilbert is nothing but a sex toy who gets raped over and over again and in which homosexuality is definitely not placed in a positive light. but a decline of such manifestations of misogyny in recent manga.anu. As in pornography. which implied that she was feminising me. It happened to me in a club in Kyoto that a woman started grinding her crotch against my buttocks. 34. In both gay and BLB manga. I feel. BLB manga relate quite well to my reality. She was obviously mimicking the active male part in the sexual role division. Like Japanese gay friends. are not generally present in BLB manga. limiting the audience to those who regard themselves as gay men inevitably limits the opportunities for young and possibly isolated gay men to find gay characters with whom to identify. Thus. This can be regarded as a positively queer influence on male sexuality. However.. There is an overlap between the okoge [fag hag] and the female yaoi reader. however. the recent popularity of BLB manga in China and Korea shows that their impact is not limited to audiences who grew up in a Japanese 12 of 16 H. they exist elsewhere. who simply enjoy what they read. the men depicted are not necessarily gay as in having a gay identity. the reason why BLB manga were criticised by a gay man cannot only lie in their depictions of gay men since. http://intersections. like female readers of BLB manga or okoge. Both Hirosegawa and Tagame insisted that many readers of BLB manga hold positive views of gay men and are also interested in meeting those who do not look like bishōnen. However. viewed only by an inner circle of gay men. In fact. Satō wishes to see.. Even at the age of forty-one gay men occasionally called me bishōnen when I had long hair. that no matter where people live. I found it quite interesting. However. Being objectified entails an extent of interest in oneself and if one does not have a sexist view regarding sex differences.24/03/27 16:49 . The implication that gay sex is objectified for the purpose of the sexual liberation of women surely is a queer use of male homosexuality par excellence.edu. Another aspect is the objectification of the male. even if they are not necessarily the same. gay manga should equally have been the focus of critique. I had long hair and was wearing tight cut-off jeans under a half-length top and thus quite fitted the imagery presented of the boyish sex object depicted in yaoi. in that case. the cute long-haired style works in gay contexts also. which is a reason why it can be seen as fortunate that BLB manga are popular and easily available. nevertheless. I also have experienced that okoge and BLB manga readers alike can be a nuisance in their desire to become one's friends. The iyarashii [disgusting] sex in BLB manga can be liberating for gay men's sexuality in a manner similar to gay manga. for instance rugged or fat bears. and I do not really know in general what is problematic about being objectified or feminised. Her boyfriend made it quite clear that he did not like what she was doing but she continued regardless. Satō feels uneasy about women watching what he regards as depictions of gay men—he wants such depictions to have limited access. is shared by many. Moreover. like gay men may do when dancing in clubs. up to the point of stalking. which obviously is not everyone's but. 32. At the time. being feminised is not something negative.html 31. 33. He wants depictions of homosexuality to remain in a closet.Intersections: Yaoi Ronsō: Discussing Depictions of M. The positive depictions 'making reality easier to live in'. BLB manga cannot be said to be more abusive. In the yaoi ronsō women who depicted and looked at men having sex with men were criticised for discriminating against gay men. Discussions taking place on BLB manga are irrelevant to the majority of the readers. compared to gay manga drawn by gay men for gay men. extremities do occur and extremities are no basis for judging entire categories of people.anu. as it was so utterly queer for me as a white man to be feminised by a Japanese woman. at least in the case where the male looks somehow like the characters in BLB manga.au/issue12/lunsing. It is to be hoped that BLB manga will remain beyond the scrutiny of the new Japanese law against child pornography and that Korean government efforts to ban the genre will be thwarted. Sneja Gunew and Anna Yeatman. Male Homosexuality in Modern Japan. [2] McLelland. [6] My position in the field is discussed in detail in Wim Lunsing. vol.' in Feminism and the Politics of Difference ed. 13 of 16 H. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1988. vol. and in Lunsing. http://intersections. ed. 16. Critiques such as those of Satō and Mizoguchi entail the risk of leading to the establishment of norms on how male homosexuality must be depicted. 186-204. McLelland. Many Japanese gay men appear to use depictions of gay men that are not (meant to be) positive and supportive. 3 (1997):267-93. 'The (temporary?) queering of Japanese TV. 177-96. London: Kegan Paul International. 38. [4] Aoyama.edu. this would be utterly un-queer and contrary to the performative acts in which identity and activity are not related in a linear manner—a characteristic of Japanese sexualities. Tanigawa Tamae.' in The Copenhagen Journal of Asian Studies. Beyond Common Sense. London: RoutledgeCurzon. pp.' in The Journal of Homosexuality. 2000. nos 3/4 (2000):83-110. 1999. pp. in Joseigaku Nenpo [Chronicle of Women's Studies]. 38. and in Lunsing. nos 3/4 (2000):31-82. 'Life on Mars: love and sex in fieldwork on sexuality and gender in contemporary Japan. Leonards: Allen & Unwin. Sexuality and the Anthropologist.. ed. [7] Interviewees relevant to this paper included straight and gay men and women and were recruited through a variety of organisations as well as personal networks. 'Male homosexuality as treated by Japanese women writers.' in The Journal of Homosexuality. Gavan McCormack and Yoshio Sugimoto. Jonathan Hall. [5] Lunsing (2001). McLelland. since they are a form of art and art should be free. October (1995):36-51. by seeing them as performances that can in turn enhance their own lives.' in The Japanese Trajectory: Modernization and Beyond. St. and the cinema. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press.' in Sex. stale representation of male homosexuality. 'Josei no shonenai shoko nit tsuite III: "yaoi ronso" ara' [On the yearning of women for boys' love III: from the 'yaoi ronso']. 'Little girls were little boys: displaced femininity in the representation of girls' comics. 4. Male Homosexuality in Modern Japan.24/03/27 16:49 . Male Homosexuality in Modern Japan. 1993. by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science for a project on sexual activity and discourses thereof in Japan and the Japan Foundation for a project on individual ways of dealing with the changed employment situation in relation to the economic crisis in Japan. vol. 15 (2001):81-113. 'Male homosexuality as treated by Japanese women writers'. Male Homosexuality in Modern Japan: Cultural Myths and Social Realities. [1] Tomoko Aoyama. interviews have always been open-ended and unstructured. vol. McLelland. Beyond Common Sense. In total. '"Gay boom in Japan:" Changing views of homosexuality?' in Thamyris. Endnotes Acknowledgements: Research on which this paper is based was partly conducted while I was funded by the Japanese Department of Education for a project on sexuality and gender in Japan. vol.au/issue12/lunsing. which would result in a normalised. national competition. [3] Wim Lunsing.anu.. over 200 informants were interviewed and thousands of other informants have participated in other ways in my research over the years. 'Japan's progressive sex: male homosexuality. 161-74. 'Between margin and centre: researching "non-standard" Japanese. Matsui Midori. Obviously. Fran Markowitz and Michael Ashkenazi.Intersections: Yaoi Ronsō: Discussing Depictions of M.html cultural context. no. Mark J. pp. Stephen Miller. 1991.html [8] The scope of this paper precludes a thorough discussion of these concepts. Tokyo: Heibonsha. 1977 (1946). [23] Fujimoto Yukari. Tokyo: Gakuyō Shobō. Kōun danshi/Rakkii kun [Fortunate Boys].' 14 of 16 H. p.. as the added French title on one of the (Japanese) editions I have reads 'Le poème du vent et des arbres. 170. 331. 161-69. 8. Kaze to ki no uta. [11] In the text. [9] Fushimi Noriaki. Princeton: Princeton University Press. (eds). [20] Akisato Wakuni. [12] Yamagishi Ryōko. 2. vol. Society.anu. 1992. 1. first the family name and then the given name.' while in the same edition the awkward English translation 'Poem of wind & tree' is given. Kaze to ki no uta/Le poème du vent et des arbres [The poem of the wind and the trees]. Tokyo: Kadokawa Shoten (16th-18th print. 1994. I stick with 'poem'. 1990. [22] Takaguchi Satosumi. vol. http://intersections. Puraibēto gei raifu: Posuto renairon. Tokyo: Hakusensha. Yamagishi Ryōko zenshū [collected work of Yamagishi Ryōko] nos 1-8. Japanese Sense of Self. Hiizuredokoro no tenshi [The Angel who came from the Sun]. Tokyo: Gakuyō Shobō. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. Situated Meanings: Inside and Outside in Japanese Self. [18] Takemiya Keiko.). (1977):125 (copied from vol. (1991. [10] Other major members of this group are Moto Hagio and Ōshima Yumiko. 2000. Shōgakukan Sōsho. [15] Saeki Junko. Hiizuredokoro no tenshi. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Intersections: Yaoi Ronsō: Discussing Depictions of M. 44. 1991. 1976. shū [The Soul of Girls' Comics: A Complete Guide and Collection of Interviews of Girls' Comics Reflecting the Present]. 1998. in Kuia Sutadiizu '96 [Queer Studies 1996]. [17] Yamagishi Ryōko. Japanese names are given in Japanese order.e. p. p. and Language. 1991-1992. originally published from 1980). [16] Satō Masaki. ed. [Private Gay Life: Post-love Theory]. Some works discussing them extensively are: Jane Bachnik and Charles Quinn Jr. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.edu. Gender and Discourses of Identity in a Japanese Workplace. Nemureru mori no binan [The Sleeping Male Beauty in the Woods]. Shōjo manga damashi: ima o utsusu shōjo manga kanzen gaido & intaby&$363.24/03/27 16:49 . 1991.. Kōdansha. Watakushi no ibasho wa doko ni aru no? Shōjo manga ga utsusu kokoro no katachi [Where is my Place?: The Shape of the Heart Reflected in Shōjo Manga]. Shōgakukan. 1996. 311 in a bound edition. Tokyo: Nanatsumori Shokan. Crafting Selves: Power. 'Shōjo manga to homofobia' [Girls'comics and homophobia]. 1992 (1987). 39. Ruth Benedict. p. Takie Sugiyama Lebra. Nancy Rosenberger (ed. Fujimoto Yukari. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. [24] Fujimoto. Akisato Wakuni.' [25] Tanigawa 'Josei no shōnenai shōkō ni tsuite III. [14] Takemiya Keiko. 1992.au/issue12/lunsing. pp. Dorinne Kondo. [19] Akisato Wakuni. first published from 1976). [13] Though often translated as 'Song of the wind and the trees'. p. published by Shogakukan Sosho in 1991). i. vol. 1. Tomoi. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of Japanese Culture. Tokyo: Kadokawa Shoten. 1986. Tokyo: Shōgakukan. Tokyo: Shōgakukan. [21] Takaguchi Satosumi. Tokyo: Shōgakukan. Bishōnen tsukushi. which are central to the anthropology of Japan. Japanese Patterns of Behavior. Kuia Sutadiizu Henshū Iinkai. 'Shōjo manga damashi. Tomoi. Rakkii kun. It must be noted that this was quite early. Nihon no gei erotikku āto Vol. 17. at which time the effect the boom came to have on younger generations of gay men. [35] Yanagita Akiko. apart from their plots being very dark. 'Josei no shōnenai shōkō nit tsuite II: shikisha no kenkai to. (April 2000):193-211. pp.' paper presented as ICAS (International Convention of Asia Scholars) III. 'Shōjo manga kara ushinawaretsutsu aru mono' [Things that are lost from shōjo manga].' [39] Tanigawa Tamae.). vol.. 2001. Tokyo: Potto Shuppan. Joseigaku Nenpō [Chronicle of Women's Studies]. May 1992). 21. 'Beautiful. [29] Horii Jingorō.html [26] Satō 'Shōjo manga to homofobia. in Yaoi Ronsō [The Yaoi Controversy I]. 17. 1994.anu. (first published in Choisir. http://intersections. (1994. 'Ryōjoku no kauntodaun' [The countdown of violation]. in Yaoi Ronsō I [The Yaoi Controversy I]. [28] Tori Maia. in Queer Japan Vol. [41] Even rent-boy clubs specialising in fat rent boys developed. 1-2. in Yaoi Ronsō I. 'Shōjo manga ni daietto o 2: Takaguchi Satosumi 'Kōun Danshi' [A diet for shōjo manga 2: 'Fortunate Boys' by Takaguchi Satosumi].' in Zettai Reido. [The Yaoi Controversy I]. 1994.24/03/27 16:49 . Tokyo: Choisir. 'Shōjo manga to homofobia. 'Yaoi nan tte shinde shimaeba ii' [That yaoi may die]. rape out of love. 36-37. 2003. 1994. Tokyo: Hirosegawa Kojinshū (private publication). 134. See also Lunsing '"Gay boom" in Japan. and queer lesbians: analyzing recent yaoi texts]. (December 2000). James Welker. August 2003. [42] See Tagame Gengorō (ed. 105. 1: Artist from the time of the birth of the gay magazines. vol. first published in Choisir vol. 20. [34] This would give an additional reason to why she did not like to read lesbian manga. miete kuru koto' [To those who engage in the 'ally-enemy' discussion: what you try to see. [36] Satō Masaki. 'Homofobikku na homo. 'Ryōjoku no kauntodaun. [38] Satō.' [40] Hirosegawa. in Zettai Reido [Absolute Beautiful Fellows]. [37] Satō Masaki.' p. who as a result found easy access to the gay scene. Tanigawa. pp. in Yaoi Ronsō I [The Yaoi Controversy I]. Borrowed and Bent: Boys' Love as Girls' Love in Shōjo Manga. Tokyo: Choisir.. as James Welker maintains. p. Tokyo: Choisir. [30] Tori Maya.Intersections: Yaoi Ronsō: Discussing Depictions of M. Singapore. pp. 20.' on the gay boom. in Zettai Reido [Absolute Beautiful Fellows]. 'Bēgensēru' [Bargain sale]. [32] Satō Masaki.au/issue12/lunsing. 'Sotsugyōsei' [The graduate]. in Yaoi Ronsō II [The Yaoi Controversy II]. '"Mikata-teki" ron no karegata e: miyoo to suru koto. pp. was unclear. feminizumu ni aru kanōsei' [On the yearning of women for boys' love II: Opinions of intellectuals and possibilities in feminism]. pp. 1-34. you get to see]. (December 2000):91-106. May 1992):1-3. Satō]. in Bāgensēru [Bargain sale]. Susumu. (October 1993):66-79.edu. [31] Horii Jingoro. 13-16. 15 of 16 H. 17. vol. 1: Gei zasshi sōseiki no sakkatachi/Gay erotic art in Japan Vol. Tokyo: Choisir. 4-6. ai yue no reipu. 'Josei no shōnenai shōkō nit tsuite. 'Satō san e no tegami' [A letter to Mr. 'Sotsugyosei. vol. 2: Hentai suru sarariiman [Salarymen Engaging in Perversions]. vol. so shite kuia na rezubian: saikin no yaoi tekisuto o bunseki suru' [Homophobic homos. 1994.' [27] Mizoguchi Akiko. [33] Takamatsu Hisako. Tokyo: Choisir. 'Shōjo manga to homofobia. vol. Tokyo: G-project.Intersections: Yaoi Ronsō: Discussing Depictions of M. [45] Mizoguchi. 2. Adult Manga: Culture and Power in Contemporary Japan.' This paper was originally published in Intersections: Gender. vol. 'Shifting speakers: negotiating reference in relation to sexuality and gender.24/03/27 16:49 . 'Homofobikku na homo. Berkeley: University of California Press. 'Josei no shōnenai shōkō nit tsuite II.' As it is gay slang. usage of the term suggests that the user is gay. Permitted and Prohibited Desires: Mothers. Comics and Censorship in Japan. 'Homofobikku na homo. Tokyo: G-project. 1. Sharon Kinsella.' [50] For example. Male Homosexuality in Modern Japan. or Explorer 2 or above.' [46] See McLelland. 2002. A 'real' nonke is unlikely to be familiar with the term.' [52] Allison. 'Homofobikku na homo.au/issue12/lunsing. vol. 2002. History and Culture in the Asian Context. Male Homosexuality in Modern Japan. Tagame Gengorō. McLelland. Shirogane no hana: danjorō kugai sōshi [The Silver Flower: A Book on the Bitter World of a Male Prostitute]. [53] Satō. Shirogane no hana: danjorō kugai sōshi [The Silver Flower: A Book on the Bitter World of a Male Prostitute]. 2000. © Copyright 16 of 16 H.anu. Anne Allison. with the assistance of Murdoch University. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. From February 2008. Tokyo: G-project. [44] 'Nonke' is gay slang for 'straight.' [48] Mizoguchi.au/issue12 /lunsing.' meaning 'feeling.edu.' [49] Mizoguchi. [47] Tanigawa.html.html [43] Tagame Gengorō. Tagame Gengorō. [51] Lunsing and Maree. http://intersections..' a combination of the Anglo-Japanese 'non-' and the Japanese 'ke. This page has been optimised for 800x600 and is best viewed in either Netscape 2 or above. 2000. Shirogane no hana: danjorō kugai sōshi [The Silver Flower: A Book on the Bitter World of a Male Prostitute]..anu.edu. 2001. 3.' which is an alternative pronunciation for the character usually pronounced 'ki. Permitted and Prohibited Desires. HTML last modified: 18 March 2008 1413 by Carolyn Brewer. this paper has been republished in Intersections: Gender and Sexuality in Asia and the Pacific from the following URL: intersections.