My Eyes! They Burn! (Reflections on yaoi)

I was unfortunate enough to come across what looked like an innocent romance manga, but when I opened it it turned out to be yaoi. My word, quite the shock to the system.

I am not against gay people at all, I merely wish to browse manga shelves safely, without being confronted with such… what’s the word for it… enthusiasm… in male sexuality. Granted, if I saw the whole thing in context it probably would have made a lot more sense and turn out to be a perfectly reasonable story about boys in love, but guy on guy action without the context of plot can be disturbing to somebody who thought he was picking up a shojo manga. What makes it all so confusing is that the spines can be pink and flowery on yaoi manga, leading one to believe that it is shojo. However, the publishers of yaoi have at least attempted to warn you of the content inside. What’s not so obvious is the labeling “a yaoi manga” which is in small print on the spine.

I am not a man who is calling for censorship. I merely request yaoi manga volumes to be more obvious in what they contain, so that someone like me who thinks he’s reading shojo manga isn’t traumatised again.

Now we come to the next point: Is it possible for men to like yaoi without being gay? I say “yes”. I am a straight man who can admit there’s something in it beyond the guy on guy action that gives it appeal, it’s just that when you’re flicking through a volume in the manga section of the bookstore among other straight men, it can be embarrassing to be spotted reading yaoi on a page that’s particularly raunchy. It is likely that I might want to read about gay relationships without being labeled a pervert or deviant in front of a lot of people. So what we need to realise about yaoi is that it’s “ok” for straight men to read it, and not feel like you’re being turned gay by a manga volume.

Is yaoi suitable for children? Some of it is certainly not, but I predict that some of my gay friends would be very interested in these volumes as birthday gifts (the ones I know could use a good laugh) and as an introduction to manga I can give them so they know the medium can deliver just as much manly fanservice and pretty boys as it does schoolgirls with magical powers.

Yaoi is not for everybody, least not the easily offended. But it is a cultural artform that is very popular with women these days, and hopefully gay men embrace it and find something worthwhile in it. But the Queer Eye for the Straight Guy that yaoi delivers may sadly be overlooked by insecure lad culture, and as long as straight men feel ashamed of gay men this problem will continue. I for one will certainly check it out again, but some strong drink may be required before I am ready to further explore this brave new world of boys-love manga.