Literature Review

Introduction.

With the advancement in technology and the availability of the internet in most parts of the

world, different forms of writing platforms have emerged. People can now upload their literary

work on the internet, all the while maintaining their animosity. This has greatly helped in the

advancement of the newly emerged genre, Boys Love. The genre emerged in the 1970s in Japan

and has been continuously gaining momentum in other parts of the world (Madill, 2020). With

popularity, the genre also attracted different speculation and stereotypes. The genre and the

stereotypes attached to it in regard to the country, the Republic of China and how unfounded

these stereotypes are with reference to two primary sources will be discussed in the research

paper. Even though the genre is being read worldwide with an especially large fan base of

women, it is still considered taboo or criminal to write or read the genre in some countries. The

writers and the readers have to remain anonymous and even hide this interest from their family

and friends for their own safety. They do not have the right to express their interest properly and

this attitude towards the genre should be changed. This Literature Review will look at the

background and different sub-genres of Boys Love. It will also look at how the genre was

received by the LGBT+ community in its earlier stages and also the censorship placed on the

genre in China till date. Furthermore, some stereotypes and stigmas attached with Boys Love

will also be shown.

Background of the genre, Boys Love.

The genre, Boys Love focuses on male/male relationships or homoerotic relationships between

men and is majorly marketed for women. The female fans of the genre are called “fujoshi” and

the male fans are termed “fudanshi” and it literally translates to rotten girls and rotten boys

respectively. The terms were coined by the fans themselves and the term “fujoshi” can also be a

homophone for another Japanese term which means respectable women. Before the prevalence

of the genre, Shojo (girls) manga, written by men for the female demographic, were popular.

However, in the early 1970s, a group of young female mangakas (professional manga artist)

transformed the Shojo manga to the now known genre “Boy’s Love”. The upbeat sexually

explicit aspect of the genre made it known globally, as a result of which Slash Fiction was

introduced in the Anglophone as its counterpart (Madill, 2020). Boys Love could be considered

the first genre that women wrote with a female demographic in mind that contained sexually

explicit scenes. The genre can be considered a revolution in literature as it was not only first

started by females but also a step into the acceptance and recognition of the LGBTQ+

community. It became a source of expression not only for homosexuals but also for women.

Sub-genres of the Boys Love.

Boys Love has three genres, namely; Yaoi, Shounen ai, and Bara. Yaoi depicts sexually explicit

relationships between men and is often used synonymously to Boys Love. The term “Yaoi” is an

acronym of the Japanese phrase “Yama nashi, ochi nashi, imi nashi” which means, “No climax,

no point, no meaning.” (Bollmann, 2010). This phrase was used to degrade the genre as having

‘no engaging plot with interesting characters’. Shounen ai is another sub-genre of Boys Love and

depicts a romantic relationship between men. When the genre first came into being, the setting

was mainly in European boarding schools and then, later on, changed the setting to modern
Japan. A major milestone in the advancement of the genre came when it gained popularity in the

Western nations in the 2000s and people saw that it can be commercialized (Bollmann, 2010).

The third sub-genre, Bara, depicts relationship between muscular men and is mostly written by

men for homosexuals. The major difference between Bara and the other two sub-genres are the

presence of androgynous and attractive looking male characters in Shounen ai and Yaoi; and the

depiction of realistic homosexual men in Bara (Baudinette, 2016). Generally, the two male leads

in the Boys Love mangas are categorized as ‘seme’, the top or ‘uke’, the bottom. The ‘seme’

mostly has masculine characteristics and the ‘uke’ is portrayed as having feminine or

androgynous features. However, this portrayal of characters may not always apply to all mangas

(Sihombing, 2011).

Reception of Boys Love in China.

Media censorship in Mainland China, especially on LGBTQ+ content, has always been strict. In

2007, the depiction of homosexuality in any form of media was considered to be “obscene” and

“unhealthy sexual content”, and was to be completely deleted or restricted from showing to the

public (Ng & Li, 2020). Even though there are some LGBT books such as Guardian or Mo Dao

Zu Shi being adapted to web dramas, the romance scenes are cut and it is portrayed as

‘bromance’ rather than romance. Moreover, Boys Love writers were arrested and sentenced to

ten years in prison in 2011 in mainland China (Ng & Li, 2020). The ‘Anti-BL’ activities in China

were mainly due to the depiction of homoeroticism and homosexuality which the government

deemed immoral for the younger generation (Zhang, 2016). Even to date, most of the writers

from China remain anonymous for their own safety. The political state of the country a writer

writes in factors in how they portray the male leads and the society they live in.
Stereotypes and Stigmas attached with the genre.

Apart from the censorship placed on homosexual content by the government, there are also many

stigmas attached to the genre. When the genre first came into being, it was heavily criticized by

the LGBT+ community for falsely portraying gay men and fetishizing them. However, in the

2000s, many LGBT+ people found solace in the genre when they could not express themselves

or be themselves in the society (Baudinette, 2017). Baudinette (2017) interviewed six Japanese

gay men and all of them expressed that they came to terms with their sexuality because of the

Boys Love genre and the magazines that portrayed homosexuality. Moreover, they also admitted

that it was a form of sexual gratification for them. When the genre first came into being, the

distinction between the two male leads was apparent. One was the seme and had masculine

features and characteristics, whereas the other one had feminine features and characteristics

(Sunjaya & Meilinda, 2014). Yet, it does not apply to all mangas. Another common

misconception regarding the genre is the themes it presents. The theme “rape as a representation

of love” is considered to be one of the most common themes of the genre. Some even argue that

the genre does not deal with the reality of the life of homosexuals in a homophobic society

(Zsila, 2017). The genre, Yaoi, is accused of romanticizing rape and other such severe social

issues. In the present the genre is widely accepted by the LGBTQ+ community and is also being

appreciated for challenging the heteronormative society. Moreover, for the fans, Boys Love

provides a space where they can challenge the gender hierarchy and is also one of the main

reasons they love reading it (Zhang. 2016).

The readers of this genre also face criticism. Tanaka and Ishida (2015) conducted a survey on the

fans of this genre as well as people who did not read this genre and concluded that there are

majority of people who have already formed a prejudice on the readers of Boys Love. Their

research also concluded that a majority of Fujoshis also write Boys Love in Japan. However, in

China most Fujoshis are not writers due to the lack of leisure time and due to different

censorship imposed on the genre (Zhang, 2016).

Conclusion.

To conclude, Boys Love as a genre appeared in the 1970s in Japan and were written by women

for the female demographic. The genre has three sub-genres; which are, Yaoi which depicts

sexually explicit scenes between two men, Shounen ai which focuses on the romantic

relationship between the two male leads and Bara which portrays the realistic situation of

homosexuals and are usually written by gay men for the male demographic. The writers of the

genre not only face scrutiny from their friends and family but also face restriction due to state-

mandated censorship on LGBTQ+ contents. The genre also used to face backlash from the gay

community for falsely portraying gay men and relationship in the homophobic society. However,

these accusations were during the initial stage of the genre and most are not applicable to the

works in the genre today. Even though the stigmas and stereotypes attached with the genre are

still prevalent, it is not necessarily true in this day. The findings by Zhang (2016), Tanaka (2015)

and Baudinette (2017) show that the genre, Boys Love, has become a safe space not only for

women who wants to challenge heteronormativity and gender roles in society but also for

homosexual men who wants to explore their sexuality.

References

Baudinette, T. (2016). An evaluation of the physicality in the Bara manga of Bádi

magazine. Manga vision: cultural and communicative perspectives (pp. 107-124).

Monash University Publishing.

Baudinette, T. (2017). Japanese gay men’s attitudes towards ‘gay manga’ and the problem of

genre. East Asian Journal of Popular Culture, 3(1), 59-72.

Bollmann, T. (2010). He-romance for her–Yaoi, BL and Shounen-ai. Eiji Niskanen (a cura di),

Imaginary Japan: Japanese Fantasy in Contemporary Popular Culture, Turku,

International Institute for Popular Culture, pp. 42-46.

Madill, A. (2020). The Yaoi/Boy’s Love/Danmei audience. The International Encyclopedia of

Gender, Media, and Communication, pp. 1-5.

Ng, E., & Li, X. (2020). A queer “socialist brotherhood”: the Guardian web series, boys’ love

fandom, and the Chinese state. Feminist Media Studies, 20(4), 479-495.

Sihombing, F. (2011). On the iconic difference between couple characters in Boys Love manga.

Image & Narrative, 12(1), 150-166.

Sunjaya, C. S., & Meilinda, M. (2014). Male character's gender roles and gender development

in Yaoi manga Aozora No Sunda Iro Wa. Kata Kita, Journal of Language, Literature

and teaching, 2(1), 148778.

Tanaka, H., & Ishida, S. (2015). Enjoying manga as Fujoshi: exploring its innovation and

potential for social change from a gender perspective. International Journal of Behavioral

Science, 10(1), pp. 77-85.

Zhang, C. (2016). Loving boys twice as much: Chinese women’s paradoxical fandom of “Boys’

Love” fiction. Women's Studies in Communication, 39(3), pp. 249-267.

Zsila, Á. (2017). The boys’ love phenomenon: A literature review. Journal of Popular Romance

Studies. 6(1).
Project Proposal

Research Question

Does the novel, Mo Dao Zu Shi, and the manga, Here U Are, showcase the stereotypes and

stigmas attached with the genre Boys Love?

1. How unfounded are these stereotypes with reference to mainland China?

Overview of the project

The genre Boys Love originated in the 1970s in Japan and were written by females for female. It

depicts the relationship, both sexually and romantically, between two men. It has been around

three years since I started reading this genre and has been drawn to it to date. The genre not only

has interesting plots and storyline that explores various social issues, but it also has a mixture of

other genres like tragedy, comedy, and fantasy. Another aspect that makes the genre interesting

is the fact that the love between the two males overpowers the opposition they face from society.

The LGBTQ+ community is still facing oppression from the people even to this day and being a

homosexual is illegal in more than 50 countries. Amid these harsh realities, the contents of Boys

Love acts as a form of escapism. Moreover, it also provides a safe space for people to explore

their sexuality without people forming a prejudice about you. Hence, I believe that this genre is

interesting and important. The genre is not a make-believe fantasy that is devoid of the realities

of life. Some characters of the genre define themselves as belonging to specific gender and

sexuality and the presence of the fear of rejection from their family and friends, for being who

they are, is also present.

Even though the genre garnered attention and popularity over the years, there is a lack of safe

space for the readers and the writers of the genre to express themselves freely. This fact is proven

by the anonymity of the writers and assuming a pseudonym or a pen name for their works.

People should care about the topic because the genre of Boys Love is a unique and distinctive

form of literature and it deals with issues regarding homosexuality and homophobia.

Heteronormativity has become a large part of life and this leads to homophobia; thinking that

other sexuality, with the exception of heterosexuality, is a choice and homophobia is acceptable.

Boys Love helps break this mindset and try to show that every love is equal and everyone, no

matter their sexuality, deserves to be treated with respect. Writers of this genre should be able to

write and express themselves freely without fearing the state or their family. Readers should be

able to proudly read the genre in public and talk about their interests freely. Ultimately, it all

comes down to the basic human right to express themselves freely and be who they want to be.

Moreover, it serves as a fresh break from the regular ‘boy meets girl’ concept found in most

hetero romance books and webtoons or web novels.

While reading some sources regarding the genre, I realized that there has been an intensive and

in-depth study of the genre as well as its sub-genre. However, there is not much research or

paper written on the stigmas attached to the genre. I have chosen mainland China as my country

of study regarding the genre because even though the genre originated in Japan and has been

popularized in Japan, it is gaining momentum and popularity in China despite the strict state-

mandated censorship on LGBTQ+ contents in most media platforms. I will be using my primary

source, a novel and a manga, which are written by Chinese writers, to prove if the stereotypes

attached to the genre is true or not, and how unfounded these stereotypes are. Through my

proposed project, I want people to be more aware and appreciate the genre as a part of literature.
Moreover, it should be able to give an insight to the genre. The depth the genre carries and the

intriguing message it conveys regarding same-sex love and the intolerance of society regarding

this matter should be reached to many people. My research paper should be able to showcase the

positive aspect of the genre and why people should not form prejudice regarding it without even

having read it.

While researching for the research topic, I read many journal articles, and dissertation written for

Ph.D. When looking for sources, it was important to read many papers and articles and compare

which one was the most relevant. The sources should not have repetitive information and each

source should bring out different topics and arguments. After evaluating all the papers I read, I

wrote eight annotated bibliography. Furthermore, I have decided to use one novel, Mo Dao Zu

Shi, and one manga, Here U Are, as my primary source. The authors for the primary source that I

have chosen are anonymous. The novel falls under the sub-genre of Yaoi and the manga falls

under the sub-genre of Shounen ai. I have also written a literature review which has helped me

analyze the sources I have used in the annotated bibliography.

In my critical thesis paper, after the introduction, I plan on giving a background of the genre and

explain its three sub-genres. I will also discuss the history and the state-mandated rules regarding

homosexuality in mainland China. Then, I will go on to analyze the different stigmas and

stereotypes attached to the genre in regard to mainland China with the help of two primary

source.
 Name: Deki Tshering

Action Plan for using feedback

Module: ENP 101

Assessment Type: Literature Review and Project Proposal (Critical Thesis)

Main points made by tutor Positive or constructive?

1. Re-form the research question (Project Constructive

Proposal)

2. Be more reflective in the conclusion Constructive

(Literature Review)

3. Explain the contribution of my research Constructive

paper to literature (Project Proposal)

How will I address constructive feedback?

Things to do My response
Tried to re-frame the research question that
Change the research question. will address my knowledge gap better by
including the primary source in the question. I
also made a sub-question that included my
primary country of study, mainland China,
which will narrow down my knowledge gap to
a specific nation.

I tried to reflect my literature review in the

Rewrite the conclusion. conclusion without summarizing the points I
mentioned in the body paragraphs.

I tried to explain how my research paper will

Be more explicit in explaining how my give an insight into the genre of Boys Love as
research paper will help in the field of a part of literature. I also tried to explain how
literature. it will benefit those who are trying to
understand the genre
 Source: Hepplestone,S., Parkin, H., Irwin,B., Holden,G., Thorpe, L., and Burn, C. ( 2010) “ Feedback: A Student
guide to using feedback” Sheffield Hallam University
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