Boys Love (BL)

I have loved Asian Media, and I love LGBT+ content, and when you mix these things together, I'm pretty much in paradise. Which is why I love Boys Love Media. Some of you might not know what Boys Love (BL) is, the name might give it away. Mainly it's a romance story between two men, which is meant to be mainly aimed at women. However, the gays found out and now we kinda love it. If you’re not familiar with it you might have seen a little series (look below), yeah that's BL.

Now just to make it clear, I am not talking about Yaoi. Which is a very similar kind of thing, but that mostly based on sex though. BL is more about the romance between two characters. Which I find comforting, it’s like classic romance novels, but you know gay. So much so, that sex doesnt really come up a lot in BL. It's mentioned, but it isn't the main focus. It is more about the two getting together, and maybe continuing the relationship goes. I mean what’s not to like, seeing two cute guys have a relationship. So much so I tried my hand at write a BL novel which you can read here.

As a fan of manga I had read a couple of stories in the past, but I didnt really get into it until a few years ago. If you see some of my Instagram posts would have seen talk about Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! Which like many manga has a ridiculous premise, but it is funny as hell. As I have now read a couple of the translated volumes and watched the tv show a couple times. I only watched the series as it stared an actor from Kamen Rider (coming season 7).

The story is, Adachi is virgin and after his 30th birthday gains the power to read minds, and finds out one of his co-workers is in love with him. Simple enough, the two end up dating, after there is some apprehension about being in a same sex couple. They get together in the end, and the mind reading helps with the comedy. While there is another couple in the story, who aren't as interesting. Overall I loved the series and its getting, or got a movie, I’m sure but will track it down.

Whereas a series and its prequal series is a little more Yaoi, but it is very much still boys love. This manga also has a ridiculous premise. Pornographer or The Novelist, depending on the translation. Is a story where Kuzumi knocks over a writer and injures him, and way to make amends helps him out to write his stories. Which happen to be erotic stories, and eventually Kuzumi starts getting turned on by the stories and the man. Then we have the back and forward romance.

Whereas the is prequal series is a little more explicit. Titled Mood Indigo, it tells the story of the novelist and his friend and how they started a sexual relationship, and how that went. And this is more explicit because there are a lot of sex scenes, include an old man watching a bj and taking a bottle up the ass. But it is a very emotional story to, which is a nice balance. While this also has a movie which I can watch yet, as there arent any translations.

I’m a fan of satire, so thats where I love, A Man Who Defies the World of BL. Which as you can guess is as silly as it sounds. The Japanese ones can be really silly at times, but Mobui (Japanese for side character) one day realises he  is living a boys love manga, and tries his hardest to keep is status a Mobui, so he doesn’t suddenly get into a relationship with another guy.

I love this series because in season one there is like a coupling of like 24 different guys. Who are all hot btw. But it also points out a lot of the silly things that happen in BL stories. From the fact that, girls dont factor into the story. How every guy seems be super attractive, and how getting caught in the rain can cause romance. Some people have seen this series as being homophobic, but I think it’s more just generally taking the piss, out the troupes we accept in BL. Which is why I love the series.

When I look to Korean BL there are so many, some I enjoy more than others. Their stories arent as outlandish as the Japanese ones. It’s usually high school students falling in love with each other or co-workers. One thing I’ve even notices, that a lot of them use the same actors, in various different roles. So much so we get cameos for fans like me. While the stories seem to be very sweet, and wholesome.

One of the many criticism of the BL genre happens to be that is isnt really based in a real world. Which I completely understand. You know in a real world there might be consequences to characters dating other men, which one or two series do try to address. Such as, Light On Me, where one the boys involve denies his feelings when classmates find out. At the end of the day it’s all make believe, and not everything has to be realistic. Sometimes it’s nice to get some form of realism.

Which is why, What Did You Eat Yesterday? I consider BL, but the men are mid 40s and living together, so might not be considered. That series deals with some of the issues of dating another man while living in Modern Japan. It does deal with the fact gay marriage isnt legal, and someone has to adopt there long term boyfriend. While dealing with not being out to co-workers, and how parents deal with the idea of two men. Which is dealt with interestingly as the parents think one of the men has to wear a dress. While dealing with gender roles, and people who can pass for straight and those who dont.

While in My Love Mix Up, when a boy is discussing his relationship with a teacher, its all jokes and everything is all friendly. However, when the teacher finds out the relationship is between him another male student. The teacher reacts bad to it, and suddenly thinks bad of the boy. Things works themselves out by the end of the episode, but it was still nice to highlight.

My biggest annoyance with BL is that there is not a lot of kissing. Which I understand is a trope of a lot Asian Dramas. But in a lot of series we get one kiss between the main couple in the last episode, or at the end of the movie. Or if we going to get a kiss, we cut away before it happens. You know a lot of the old school tricks to avoid having queer content on TV. Which is a shame, because we get a lot more of that in the manga. But I know it’s all done to not get complaints.

I’m not going to lie to myself, I am aware of all the criticisms, and that is aimed mostly aimed at women. But I get it! Who doesnt want to watch two guys to pretend to be gay. I mean, I dig it, and enjoy the romance element of it all. Porn is fake so what wrong with something a little more chaste?

Would I recommend BL to people, yes I would if you would like to watch gay romance. You do have to get a basic understand of the culture of Japan, Korea, Thailand and China to understand some of the comedy, and situations. But if you’re totally down with all of that give it ago. If some of the series I have listed have got you interested, look at the different series I’ve watched. If you have any recommendation do drop me a comment.

I’ll see you in the next one. Happy Pride Month!

XO FabEs