What the Heck is Yaoi?

Yaoi is a style of graphic novel, derived from Japan, featuring stories of love between men. Oddly, these stories are written mostly by women, for women. They are distinct from comics written by gay men for gay men, and are called gei comi in a direct rip of the English. Yaoi is an acronym for the phrase "YAma nashi, Ochi nashi, Imi nashi", which means "no peak, no point, no meaning". A spurious, but funny interpretation reads, "YAmete, Oshiri (ga) Itai" which literally means "Stop, my @$$ hurts!".

Yaoi has several conventions and terms. First, it is a manga. Therefore the art tends to be styalized. The figures tend to be idealized, and somewhat effeminate.

Second, there are several terms that it helps to understand. Uke refers to the passive partner, Seme to the active partner. In the west, it is analogous to "catcher" and "pitcher" or "bottom" and "top." Ukes tend to be smaller, less muscular, younger and with much larger eyes. Semes are larger, more masculine, with stronger jawlines, smaller or narrower eyes, and tend to be older and more worldly. It is almost always the Seme who pursues the Uke who will be filled with trepidation and angst.

Yaoi as a term has fallen out of use in Japan, but gained use in the west. There, the correct term is BL or boy's love. June is a term for the sweet romantic stories, named after a famous manga magazine of the same name. This may also be calle Shonen-ai.

Lemon is a term falling out of fashion to denote explicit sexual content.

Yuri is a lesbian story. These are rarer, but do exist.

801 also means Yaoi, because of the sound of the numbers in Japanese.

While Yaoi used to be a young adult man seducing an even younger man and working past all the angst and trepidation to finally claim the prize, things are beginning to change. One, in the early days, almost no character identified themselves as gay, but spoke endlessly of the purity of their love. Now there are more and more characters who identify themselves as gay. They are usually the Seme but progress is being made.

Another innovation is the "reversal story" where the Uke is the more aggressive partner. Some things that do not seem to be changing very fast are that each partner falls into a role; there are very few versatile gay men.

Frequently the older stories were little more than tales of the introduction, seduction, and deflowering of the Uke. Now, more and more stories are exactly that; stories. There is a plot to go behind the romance and to provide obsticles other than the Uke's angst driven resistance. Also the gay sex has been getting steadily steamier, with fewer and smaller censorship patches. Japanese erotica frequently has pixelated patches that cover strategic areas. Most Yaoi dealt with this by angling things so that no penetration was depicted or by the stranger practice of simply not drawing in the penis. A depiction might have a hand wrapped around empty air!

These stories definitely follow Japanese sensibilites; there are fewer hang ups about sex, despite the stricter censorship rules. There are things here that can shock western sensibitlies. Rape is a recurrent theme, and many pairings are younger than we would consider appropriate.

Still, these stories are usually well written, and lovingly drawn. They are fresh, and innovative, and a very definite change of pace for western audiences.

Here are some links to reviews of specific Yaoi novels I have reviewed.

Yellow by Makoto Tateno. This is a very "June" story, without actual graphic sex between our heroes. A very good starter story about two Snatchers, men who steal illegal drugs, both for the police, and for the Yakuza.

http://www.epinions.com/content_442558811780

Yakuza in Love. Much more graphic. Our hero is a bodyguard to a Yakuza boss. He would like to do more than guard that body! Wonderful art, particularly the tattoos.

http://www.epinions.com/content_419300413060

Yakuza in Love 2. A continuation of the earlier story. Steamy and dangerous!

http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_Yakuza_in_Love_2_Shiuko_Kano/content_439330901636

Scandalous Seiryo University. The President of the Student Body rules with an iron fist! And he's an enormous pervert!

http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_Yakuza_in_Love_2_Shiuko_Kano/content_439330901636

Return to Scandalous Seiryo University. Yuichi and Tsuyoshi return for more college hijinx!

http://www.epinions.com/content_423654166148

Beyond Scandalous Seiryo University. Yuichi continues to be chock full of surprises!

http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_Beyond_Scandalous_Seiryo_University_3_Kazuto_Tatsukawa/content_434348461700

Thunderbolt Boys Excite! A very steamy but somewhat confusing Yaoi. The latter volumes are better written, and just as hotly drawn.

http://www.epinions.com/content_428854709892

Wild Rock Gay sex at 10,000 B.C. Very original, and rather hot.

http://www.epinions.com/review/Wild_Rock_no_author_listed/content_423293128324

Man's Best Friend A really strange, but still steamy sexy story about a boy whose dog turns into a human; a horny human!

http://www.epinions.com/content_424119864964

Shinobu Kokoro Hot Gay Ninjas! Need we say more?

http://www.epinions.com/content_423857458820

Midaresomenishi: A Legend of Samurai Love. Rough Gay Samurai Romance. Warning. There is a strong rape theme here!

http://www.epinions.com/content_423078956676

Stallion Gay Cowboys and Indians! Another story with rape, but much less disturbing than Midaresomenishi.

http://www.epinions.com/content_423067553412

The Crimson Spell Gay Romance with Wizards and Weretigers on a fantasy Quest!

http://www.epinions.com/content_422773624452

Gerard & Jaques Gay romance (and gay sex!) in the days before the French Revolution!

http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_Gerale_to_Jack_1_illustrator_Fumi_Yoshinaga/content_419510193796

Gerard & Jaques II Our French Lovers try to survive the Ghosts of their Pasts, and the French Revolution!

http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_Gerard_Jacques_2_Yoshinaga_Fumi/content_419622391428