Disclaimer:The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network. Spoiler Warning for discussion of the series ahead.
Chris
Nicky, I know most of the kids out there have only been back in school for a month, but it turns out that Graduation is right around the corner.
You know, Crunchyroll missed an opportunity by not licensing that old Vitamin C song to help promote this new Sasaki and Miyano movie.
Nicky
You're telling me! I couldn't be more excited about this! I was a big proponent of the Sasaki and Miyano anime when it aired. It's the exact kind of sweet and wholesome romance story that is very soothing to me. It also happens to be one of my favorite BL anime, which is a shockingly low number considering the vast amount of anime I've seen.
As you've touched on previously, explicitly confirmed queer relationships in anime can be oddly hard to come by. And while we do recently seem to be amid an uptick in shows featuring girls' love, their dudely counterparts can still seem vanishingly rare at times.
This can make shows like Sasaki and Miyano, which not only confirm their boys' same-sex romance but go on to find a modicum of mainstream success, feel all the more like minor miracles.
That's pretty funny. You should put it that way because I would consider the phenomena we call BL, short for Boy's Love, one of anime and manga's greatest influences. Even before I knew what "queer" meant, BL was everywhere. Anywhere I went, BL was on shelves, online, and in the artist alley. My fandom spaces were always full of shipping talk about which boys would kiss and discourse, such as whether we should call the genre BL or "yaoi," and so on.
This is true. Regardless of how commonly it's canonized in anime form, BL as an institution has always woven its way into fandom. Those shelves of manga dedicated to the subject you described remain there. And you bet your bottom (and top) dollar that checking out the fanfiction and fanart tags for all the most popular airing shows will be loaded down with people making their favorite boys from those series smooch.
It begs the question: What attracts fans to this ubiquitous corner of material, including hits like Sasaki and Miyano? And, perhaps more pertinently, what other ones do we think are neat?
Okay, so first of all, while it'd be fun to show everyone my dojinshi pile, our focus will be official media, not fan art or fanfiction! As I mentioned, there's a huge crowd for creating unofficial art and stories based on existing material, and even printed in the form of merchandise or small books. Those are "Special YAOI books," as Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san puts it.
Though, to be sure, plenty of BL artists, as with so many manga artists in general, got their start in the doujin world and would continue to dip in there. Go excavate CLAMP's take on JoJo's Bizarre Adventure for one hell of a trip into fandom history.
As yes, the origin of the phrase "Kakyoin, did you lay this egg?"
And yeah, there are lots of well-known artists who have been influenced by BL or participated in BL fandom before becoming pros themselves, but not all of their professional work is marketed as BL, even if they choose to carry a lot of undertones from their early days. CLAMP is a great example. Tokyo Babylon, a work based on some of their original doujinshi, was still marketed as a regular shojo title.
Ah, one that would have had a new anime out these days, were it not for the cruel (Go)hands of fate.
BL also draws a strong influence from classic shojo and josei titles that technically predate the label, the most influential being Keiko Takemiya's Kaze to Ki no Uta, and BBC even cites her as a trendsetter for sexual expression in manga. The following is a fascinating look at some of the consequences and controversies. (Do be warned.)The
I know sexual expression is a big element of the popular points of BL. Much of that mentioned manga on shelves is of the especially explicit variety that, when I was coming up in the fandom anyway, was the kind that got termed with that particular Yaoi label. That BBC article mentions the "taboo" aspects of Takemiya's work there. While there were a lot of elements to her manga that fit that description, which shocked readers' systems in 1976, the depiction of same-sex relations seems to have been the most prominent—particularly its placement in a manga primarily targeted at girls.
I should note that the premise of KazeKi is quite dark; much of Gilbert's character involves his role as a survivor after his uncle victimized him. It's very explicit about his abuse and what that treatment does to a person's mental health. Much like other LGBT+ depictions at the time, there's a strong element of tragedy. As a result, many inspired by Takemiya would also tackle dark themes.
So there's a lot of BL that is very dramatic or taboo, either in the form of kink play, and other times it is a form of societal criticism. However, what you get depends on the work, and it may not be for everyone!
A pretty good example of a modern anime adaptation from a manga that follows Takemiya's example would be Banana Fish, though technically it predates BL as a label, and like CLAMP's work, it was published in a shojo magazine. It shares a lot of the same influence and themes as many BLs. I was surprised this new version caught on, Given that the source is older and quite serious.
I remember much of the excitement from fans from back in the day when that new anime was announced. Banana Fish was a perennial favorite of classic BL fandom. And it's easy to see why it worked out well enough, being a tightly constructed thriller with a compelling central character relationship. Yeah, there was material that old fans had to give new fans a heads-up about going in, but that also marks it as an example of the kind of gamut content featuring Boys' Love can run.
It's something that's become apparent to me as my manga intake has increased with my contributions to ANN's regular Manga Preview Guides, which include several titles of the Boys' Lovin' variety. And for every cozy workplace rom-com, I'll also be surprised by something like actual-factual published Omegaverse fiction.
Even more surprising? I've Become an Omega Today wound up selling me on the steamy possibilities of that setting I'd never dared dip into.
Omegaverse is a newer trope. Still, it plays into a lot of the dynamic play between the pre-existing top and bottom archetypes, "seme and uke," with semes typically acting as the broad, masculine, and dominant types, and ukes are characterized as both physically smaller and more demure. However, just like anyone, what you want to see in a dynamic comes down to your preferences, as is true with all romance and erotica genres. Part of why I wasn't into most of BL as a teenager and younger adult was not digging the standardized power dynamics in the '90s and '00s. Also, the art styles. I don't know how so many of you lived on Junjō Romantica for so long, but I think you deserve a salute with those Yaoi Hands because the current day wouldn't exist without you.
It's so heartening that even the BL of today can still find time to give their trailblazers a shout-out.
Seriously though, it's interesting how persistent those dynamics continue to be. Even in series with virtually no inkling of sexual explicitness like Sasaki and Miyano, its titular leads still lean into the recognizable, codified seme and uke dynamic.
Granted, a lot of that likely has to do with Sasaki and Miyano being a meta-aware series where talking about BL is a huge part of its proceedings.
What I'm talking about also primarily applies to what were pretty much the mainstream longest-running titles at the time; it's not reflective of the whole genre, just of what was getting licensed and published. I'm also not trying to rag on anyone or yuck anyone's yum, as I'm sure everyone has different reasons for liking what they like. Part of my frustration stemmed from being a young burgeoning bisexual lass with very few other options for queer representation, which BL wasn't aiming for. Like how you shouldn't open the nearest bodice ripper for sex ed, most BLs aren't guidance books.
That's a point so salient it has itself been satirized in other BL books.
Now, I'm not as preeminent a BL scholar as yourself; I wouldn't awaken to my bisexuality until after my teens, so that material in the backdrop of my anime/manga fandom in the older days wasn't a special part of that. But I can appreciate the variety of content available on shelves and streaming services now. This includes sweet, simpler stories like the discussion-inciting Sasaki and Miyano, or the source of that panel I posted there, Go For It, Nakamura!!
Even though not much time has passed, today's BL landscape feels different. Not only has overall media representation gotten better, but BL has gained much more variety. If being spicy doesn't always suit your palette, it's much easier to find something of a sweeter variety. We now get many alternative titles with different art styles, stories, and characters. I remember Go For It, Nakamura! It sticks out to me, too, because the art has a very appealing retro pastiche vibe.
See, it stuck out to me because I, like Nakamura, am romantically hopeless and think octopi are cool.
Huh, maybe you were onto something about the value of feeling represented.
Though Nakamura is a great manga, its crime is that it's remarkedly short. This is true of many yuri series, too, but there are a lot of great series that, unfortunately, aren't long enough to last an entire season of anime.
To be sure, Nakamura did well enough that Syundei put out another volume. Seven Seas has seen fit to release Go For It Again, Nakamura! here in English, too, which I need to get around to.
Though short things can still be adapted into movies or OVAs, in 2016, A-1 Pictures did a beautiful adaptation of Asumiko Nakamura's Classmates (Dou kyu sei).
And heck, Shō Harusono's spin-off manga Hirano and Kagiura, about another two boys from the same high school in a sweet slow-burn romance, is getting its short film adaptation. It'll be streaming alongside Sasaki and Miyano: Graduation.
Hirano and Kagiura is another one I've checked out in manga form, and maybe it's just because I prefer sporty types, but I almost think I like it a bit better than I did Sasaki and Miyano.
While Classmates is notable for being an early example of an alternative work getting a short movie, I also really liked last year's adaptation of The Stranger by the Shore. I didn't cover it when it came out, but I was glad to see that Nick and Jean-Karlo were delighted by it as much as I was.
Beyond those kinds of smaller works, though, as we've mentioned, there is quite a variety of other BL material today. And some of them even get full-on TV anime adaptations! I was grateful to cover this subject because it finally gave me a reason to go and cross the acclaimed Given off the old seasonal backlog. And I'm so happy I did because Given, if you'll pardon the obvious expression, rocks.
It certainly does! Only after I had watched Given was I convinced that things could be different for BL anime. Something about Given just shook me. It's both a great romance and a great band story; the music is solid, and the characters and the dramatic beats keep harmony before they soar into those tremendous emotional heights.
video might be unavailable in some region*
I should have known that Given would be my jam, still coming down as I am from the high that was similarly multilayered music drama BanG Dream! It's MyGo!!!!! (with which it shares a writer, by the way). There is something special about how seamlessly this series marries its musical journey with multiple guys' love stories. Only a show like this could go from a powerhouse emotional performance by Mafuyu laying bare his past tragedy to Ritsuka turning into a blushing dope as he suddenly realizes he impulsively planted one on his crush.
It's also notably really well-directed, well-acted, and well-paced. The Given anime remains close to its source without censoring romance or sacrificing details. I find that to be a rarity.
They kept the kiss squarely on-screen. That's not always a Given (pun intended!)
Getting way too into this series in the lead-up to composing this column meant I unhinged my jaw and was all done with Given within a day. Thankfully, like Sasaki and Miyano, Given seemingly did well enough overall that it received a follow-up movie, which I cannot wait to get to after this.
Which I covered, and you can read it later! Some forewarning: the movie goes into messier territory than the series, but Steve and I felt they were well played.
Look, you've talked with me. You know I appreciate some messiness. Also, for the way many of these BL series we've talked about have centered on high school boys, I appreciated how Given allotted space for slightly older characters navigating more adult gay romances. I can relate to Haruki frustratedly trying to figure himself out in his 20s or wishing he could ever be as cool as Akihiko.
Those little insecurities make the characters of Given feel alive. I was especially impressed with how the first season handled the crux of Mayfuyu's arc, and I still fall to tears thinking about "A Winter Story," the song he sings in the ninth episode. I even had a brief lapse in sanity when I tried to cover it myself before returning to my senses. It's that kind of emotional power that I think it's possible to enjoy the story regardless of any pre-existing relationship with BL; I recommend Given on its drama alone.
It's just an extremely powerfully composed story on its own, though I don't think it would work on the same level were it about more conventional heterosexual couples. Given doesn't go all-in on the societal pressures and problems that come with being gay (and I think it's better for it). But that aspect, as mentioned earlier, of the taboo, the worry to yourself that there might be something wrong with you as you come to terms with your love, is very much a component that mixes in to make its characters' arcs compelling.
That's not something I think all BL stories need, to be sure, but it serves as one more example of why it's valuable to have more works that utilize non-normative viewpoints like this.
Regardless, all BL anime deserve to be treated with competence and care. Such has not always been the case. As it's not mainstream, BL anime tends to get hit with the wrong end of the yaoi paddle. So not only do we not get many of them, but some of the ones we get are hampered by poor production values. Such was the case with The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window anime, which I think would've been interesting if there was just a little more effort.
That's without even touching on some of the more risqué elements of BL, which can also affect the story.
It speaks to the power of quality direction that can make a difference. There are places where Given doesn't have the resources of many of its other mainstream seasonal anime brethren. But thanks to the directing job on it you mentioned earlier, by Hikaru Yamaguchi, it manages to do a lot with relatively little at times. Compare that to The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window, which infamously wound up more awkward than erotic.
Something like Otherside Picnic didn't look amazing, but as far as shows about gay ghost hunters go, the girls' side worked out better.
I'm not against series that leans heavily on erotica, but it requires some finesse. I did watch some of the Titan's Bride anime, but most of the content was coin gated since there isn't a lot of money in the direct-to-video porn market anymore. Though, I thought the Twittering Birds Never Fly movies did a decent job depicting a sex-laden world while still telling a story. I always appreciate the manga for being casual about how it depicts people and sex. Nick and Jean-Karlo went deeper on it for those of you who are over 18 and aren't at work.
As someone who appreciates trashy content, I can't criticize BL for delivering on its audience's demand for fanservice and erotic elements. Hell, the sexy side stuff was probably the part I enjoyed the most about something like Manner of Death, which otherwise quickly turned into a pretty meandering, messy attempt at a thriller.
Though asking anime to depict sex in a mature and nuanced manner is another hurdle, it would be wrong if we had to exclude all sources with erotic content in them or that all stories should be sanitized for the screen.
However, it's an issue of progress. Plenty of other BL media besides manga are ripe for adaptation and various levels of explicitness. There are visual novels, games, books, and hey, some are even getting turned into live-action! Beyond anime, Japan and other parts of Asia have greatly grown in live-action adaptations of BL and webcomics featuring love between beautiful young men. "Y," as it's called, is now one of Thailand's biggest cultural exports.
You've got the likes of Manner of Death, which I just mentioned. But Japan has been producing plenty of home-grown live-action adaptations of BL manga. The show based on Harada's One Room Angel is one of the more recent announcements. Though the presence of Kamen Rider Build's Eiji Asako (who also popped up in the recent live-action Zom 100) will always make me particularly curious about the live-action drama take on the ridiculously titled Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!. Because Build fans know this guy can handle some Heated Drama Between Men.
And wouldn't you know it, you can even stream Cherry Magic on Crunchyroll! Looks like I've got more BL homework to do!
An anime adaptation for Cherry Magic! has also been announced. I spy more than a few BL anime on the horizon, possibly because of the live-action series' success. While we've only been able to give a few recommendations today, I feel optimistic that the list of great BL anime will grow in the future.
As we've gone over, a wealth of material is out there just waiting to be mined. Hopefully, the previous success of something like Given and the Sasaki and Miyano movie proves that BL still has a long love life ahead of it.
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