#yaoi writing | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tsumukono · 2 years

Text

Mistakes can be fixed but take time

Warnings: Angst, cheating, mpreg, break up, unplanned pregnacy, getting back together, axenty, depression, protective osamu, tears

Ships: kita x atsumu , suna x kita/short/

He stood there on the Hallway from his current Boyfriend kita and was shocked what he heard. The cracking bed, the moans, the whisper of lovers. Putting the spare keys quitly on the counter he left the door open and took his quite leave, he wasen't needed anymore or welcome.

This was very obivious sign, the most of them all. The absent kita was, the long replys on textes the night he spend there with night kiss or hug or warm touch anymore, the more cold acting to him.

He kicked stone outta the way smilling bitterly, he should know that even mr. Perfect would got bored from him obivious, but what hurt him more was that he wasen't telling him the truth.

How long was that going on behind his back and then with Suna from all. One of his best friends beside Osamu he sighed feeling the rain pouring down on him.

The weather joining his mood but he was glad, it hid his tears that were falling thicc and alot. He should know.

It started all to good and it was kita asking him out, kita making the moves. He was romatic what was suprising for everyone caring, possissve what was new to protective. But he suprised kita being bottom a very subssissve bottom.

As flirty cheeky and rude he was, he was Loyal.

Suprising they worked out for five years, five years atsumu feeled truly happy loved, supported on his dream being professionell volleyball player and now he wanted to take a break, he find his boyfriend cheating and fucked by other.

Running his hand through his dyed blond hair he gave loud sobbing sound, no. He must be boring person being bottom, being allways away and talk about his volleyball but he listen to his former lover to or. Did he something wrong? No he gave him space if needed enough love, he is clingy that he know texting everyday.

He did text he would come taking long break but never got reply from him.

Getting into the train he drived back, he planned going to samu, safe place. He needed him now. He need someone pour his pain out and his twin was only one knowing his darkest secrets as other secrets he dont share, they brothers and twins after all.

The train stopped on his station he would get out, heading out he walked through busy crowed and get into the bus that would brough him to osamus orgini shop he know he works in.

Hour standing in crowed he reach his goal, getting into the shop, it was closing hour, dark outside with rain pouring down like waterfall. Pit patter let osamu look up and squishy noise of wet boots.

Seeing his brother looking at him blank, knowing with no words he was hurt and get close leading him to sit, locking the shop,shoo the rest of worker out put warm tea before him and sat down "spill the shit out and tell me who i need to burry" first thing he notice thicc tears start rolling again down his twin eyes and the splittering stuttering words leaving the lips so quitly "f-found..Suna f-fucking K-Kita....i s-stood in a-allway h-hearing t-them" samu's eyes widen. He never though that they former captian and Suna who was his best friend do that, rubbing annoyed his temple he moved sit beside tsumu and put arm over him get him close "give me ya phone" it wasent question but command and tsumu put it down, osamu looking over the message from him kita, seeing he wrote him he come today and that kita finally replied, he tipped for tsumu a message in "hope ya had fun cheating on my Brother, going buy rice elsewere. Don't message him. Don't come close to him ever again, though ya would be better how long were ya fucked by Suna month year? Ya could be at least honest told him and break up instead let him find out brutally. Tell suna he is banned from my shop couse obivious ya two a to frightend and liers to tell truth,have fun with each other bye osamu" putting the phone in his pocket he looked over tsumu "we get ya a new phone number okay?" Tsumu nodded smiled bitterly "ya know why wanted to take break now...i wanted to tell him today b-but n-now i be alone w-with it" samu grumbeld loudly "na, ya have me and the black jackals, ya know hinata and boku want be great uncels and i be best uncle that baby can have. We family i help ya, ya not alone okay?" He nodded cruling more into the embrace of his brother, needing the protection.

He got tsumu to his apparment and left. Atsumu got out from his clothes and took long shower, craweld into his bed holding his stomach, this was to be suprise to kita, that they were exepting. Everyone was happy when he found out and confirm from doctor just to be sure. Everyone though it be great mix and hope it will be talent like tsumu but calm like kita as smart but now, now he was scared. He would care for it alone, he would not tell him about his father.

Plus wasent one was two he was exepting, it runned in they family getting twins, so was his luck carring twins as his first pregnacy as dangerous.

He patted his stomach lightly "i take care...i will love ya two..it be allright" sleep wasent option the wound still fresh the pain in heart to deep, he cryed all night of his brocken heart.

After time he feel asleep crying, visible eyerings under his eyes dryed path of salty tears. He groogly got up, changed his boxers went for shower and made morning tea, he was tired his hole body sore. He was feeling empty, his heart had big hole, from the ones he trusted the most.

Bugged him samu took his phone but he promised brining him new one with new number, snatching his black card.

Samu got never reply but he saw that kita looked at the message, he was angry so he don't even had balls write back. Sighing he allready got new contrac for rice for his shops broke the one with kita, even if his rice was exellent. He was mad, mad that he hurt his twin, mad that his best friend helped hurting his brother.

He was shocked when his phone vibrate, suna's number showing up, he picked up"..." suna sighed "pick tsumus things up" he groweld "bring them to my shop ya sorry pice of shit, and then never show up again. Stealing someones lover fucking him and talk like that shows only what ya truly a suna a slut...ya sleeped with ya hole team now ya steal kita from tsumu..." he stopped the call blocking suna's number.

He was dissapointed when he though he had once crush on that guy, he shock his head. Looking at tsumus number that vibrate , the former captain wrote "osamu...i bring the things...i am truly sorry things ended like that, i underatand you don't want contrac with rice anymore. Make sure atsumu safe kita" he broke the phone and the little sim card angry at both. They talked as if it was okay what they did "jerks"

True to his words kita came with three boxes that were atsumu's things, before he could leave osamu pinned kita against the wall "was it worth it to hurt him like that, being such low level...though ya honest blunt person but ya bastard, did ya get boared, did tsumu did not give ya enough love what is it?? Or ya just like suna sleeping arround?" He lift the smaller two toned male up "answer me dammit??" Kita looked to the side "...i don't know...i just happend" samu let kita fall to the ground "this is lame even for you get out!" Taking the hint, kita left.

He lost and hurt Atsumu in worst way and Lost a friend and customer for, sleeping with Suna.

Cruled on couch he heard his apparment keys and his twin walking with three boxes in, he teared up when samu told him what happend and true to his words he buyed tsumu new phone and number.

Saddend of the reply and not understanding this he got into deeper depression, scared going out meeting accedently suna or kita. He wasent eating correctly and became thinner exept his belly, he had bad sleeping schedule, between crying, questioned things.

This went one to point were samu dragged him to the doctor and his doctor scolding him down "mr.mya ya risking your unborn babys and losing them ya half semester now, ya need to eat properly and rest, by your blood scan its the worst. I will write you down medication, therapy and you will eat, i see you next week for ultrasound of the twins" he nodded taking the recipes, samu hearing it all helping him.

He made it his mission force feed him, even after he threw up, feed him again. Drag him to therapist and went with him together out. It was though, since he still need to work, so he dragged tsumu with. Watching him, try make him go under pepole again. Bokuto and hinata were to help try cheer they team mate up, losen up again. It helped a bit but they had they lovers too and were busy.

It aas now half year, he found out and he needed go shopping, shopping things for the twins. He got few baby clothes from everyone and he moved to bigger apparment. Slowy setting the babyrooms up.

He just entered the shopping center and pushing the shopping cart. Not knowing that eyes widen start follow him, he looked over baby bottels putting them in cart looking at diaper, which one to get putting them in and looked over babyseats, he could not decide, plus he needed two that a safe. He got extra a family car so he can get arround and took it from his axenty. Still he feeled uneasy, he looked scared arround feeling uncomftable and that someone was watching him. Shuddering he left the carseats, next time it was still bit time to get them and moved to the baby clothes, buying for boy and a girl. He was expeting boy and girl, knowing the news since a week and everyone was thrilled.

He grabbed few put them in, he heard footsteps behind him and cold sweat run down his neck hearing the calm voice "ya pregnat.." with no words atsumu moved away not looking, the footsteps following "ya could tell me..." deciding he could buy things online he left the cart and moved quickly, he don't wanted to see him. He don't wanted to remind what he did and hurt him, he froze "tsumu...please" he trempeld "...it would not change fact...ya were cheating...i had no place room to stay..so i decide not tell, its not ya problem ok" he went forward leaving kita were he was standing, more ever regetting hurting the one, who truly loved him. After tsumu found out suna left him hopping someone else, he reget what he did wishing nogthing more turn time back having the blond back safley in his arms. Now seeing him pregnat and knowing was mostly his babys growing in this belly, he feeled more then ashamend. His granny would turn in here grave knowing what he did.

Only thing he can do try win this blond back, back in his arms were it is safe, try avoide his angry twin. Who made clear he wasent shy punch him, what he did when he tryed ask about atsumu.

He royaly fucked up but he will try fix things. He want his blond puppy fox back, who he knows is truly loyal.

Atsumu mean time made it home, cruling into his bed, crying. Why did he meet him again, why did looked shocked, wasent he with suna and happy.

He shocked his head decide few days at home will be safe.

Osamu knew of the meeting, he was buying stuff for tsumu, food few things he needed outside he saw suna with other men. He shocked his head, so kita got dumped, like he dumped tsumu. Going further he meet on weird fate kita, buying few things for his crops. Outside kita spoke up "...he is pregnat.." samu shrugged his shoulder "why ya care? Ya just got dumped like him and now ya reget, more he pregnat? Dont worry none of us tell ya father so can have peace" kita stared at him for bit spoke up "i want him back..." clenching his fits samu groweld "ya funny" kita glared at him "not joking mya" osamu towered over him "then why did ya cheat in first place? For fun, boared? What is it? I dont want sumu hurt again...ya did not know how much ya hurt him, needed force feed him prob need again, therapist medicine try watch him....ya did big number shinsuke...not good one, why ya think i let ya near him?" He looked at samu challeneging "he needs me..i need him...osamu, i reget what i did, if could turn time i would undone it...i...i was boared i was lonley when he was on game" osamu snorts "and best thing ya could do jump someone else pants? Instead talking with him?? He goodamm wrote ya everday, call you, videocall you everything possible and ya showed him slowy cold shoulder...the day he wanted come back he want take break first be with ya, secondly tell ya ab8out pregnacy and you were the one getting fucked...do ya know how it is in his shoes. Finding out the one ya,dating five years was cheating behind ya back getting distand..." kita's eyes watered remebering trembeling form by the shopping center "no... but" osamu spat into his words "no ya dont, now suna dumped ya,ya start think of ya action more ever seeing my brother pregnat....i like ya as captian and i had crush on suna till find out what he does...you were just toy for him like others..." kita swallowed notic sadness in samu "he used ya too..." samu winced remebering he was call with tsumu who comforted him, who brough hole team cheer him up again "ya...i know he does for fun..." kita gripped hard on samu arm "Let me try again...give me second chance with ya brother" samu got kita's arm off seeing he was honest and crying "if ya really honest ya should do small steps, the wound still deep bleeding. Can't promise anything.. its on tsumu not me ya know i just protec him obvious he needed it from ya both.." he pressed tiny pice of paper in kita's hand "try with small steps with message him...don't overhelm him, he is fragile more then you"

Samu brought the things to tsumu and honest as he was he told him about kita, what happend. At first tsumu paniced and samu had a hard time calming him down but deep down he knew, tsumu still loved kita and was longing for the two toned hair male he was just hurt scared,scared geeting more hurt dumped again, but he saw hear tsumu let him message him and it was on tsumu to reply.

Tsumu heard ping on his phone, he stared at it down, should he look or leave it, could be the others or him. Shaking hands he took the phone looked over the message, it was him, simple hello tsumu.

He stared at it down and put the phone calmy down, not feeling to answer and made cup tea.

After it was hour he looked at it again decide answer, hello kita simple answer, only few minutes later another ping.

Kita: how are you tsumu

He though and replied honest

Atsumu: scared

Kita:....sorry tsumu do ya want me stop messaging ya?

Atsumu: no....it's ok. Why

Kita: i want you back...i reget what i did

Atsumu:....dosent fix thinks shinsuke...i am still hurt was, ya cheat on me...wasen't i enough was i that bad?

He had tears running down his face, he trembeld wincing at harsh kick

Kita:...i..i have no exuse for it, neither i do not know how apoglise it. I..i was lonley...ya were often away...and boared..still love you...

Atsumu:...but if ya did ya would not do that!

Kita: i know and i reget it

Atsumu: ya broke me...

Kita:..i know..

Atsumu:.. i ..i still ya know but ya hurt me so much...ya..ya

Kita: tsumu please calm down..i know..please i want..i want my puppy back

Atsumu:...i dont know...

Kita: please

Atsumu: going to bed

Kita: rest well

He closed his phone and put it off laying down sobbing in his bed, he was confused.

Osamu came the next morning checking on tsumu and on the message, he hummend and gave tsumu comfort that it his his choice and he decide the how fast or even if it be a thing.

Tsumu nodded and open the app seeing a message

Kita: morning tsumu

He stared down at it and trempeld for bit,can he trust him, what if he pull the same again cheating again just with someone else when he is boared or lonley

Atsumu: morning kita

Kita: how are you? Did you eat breakfeast are you resting?

Atsumu: not hungry but have tea and samu forced me to eat...i am resting

Kita: ya need to eat tsumu...ya sharing ya body with ya babys....our babys

Atsumu: my babys...how should i trust ya what ya did?

Kita:...

Atsumu: scared what if ya do same what i am alone again

Kita: puppy..no...i wont...he dumped me like he dumped ya...i reget what i did puppy sorry..trully sorry reget. I want ya back tsumu love you i want ya back in my house, want part of our babys life i want you

Atsumu: i have think

Kita: i know but i want you, i want you all

Closing the app he swallowed, feeling sick and threw up. He decide not tell samu about that and clean his apparment and went on little shoping tour went home again, life got less exiting for him and getting more swollen belly made things harder.

Everyday, they wrote and everyday kita told him, he want him back, he want him.

He was conflicted, could he trust him. Could he belive his words, it was hard.

After month tsumu decide call kita, he was trembling and kita answered with calm voice" tsumu?" He swallowed and kita could hear nervous breathing "tsumu...if ya still uncomftable to hear me stop the call" he heard little sob "n-no" he sighed sitting down "puppy whats wrong?" He heard swallow was very loud "scared" kita sighed "i know sweetie, ...do ya want me come over" atsumu bit his lips "n-no yes i dont know...i w-want y-you here and t-then no" he hummend relaxed back at tsumu "how about we first call each other few time so you can think of it" he heard quite ok and kita start talking. He talked about his crops how they growing and few other things, normal it would be atsumu babbeling,babbeling of him and volleyball but hearing him low energie brocken, broke his own heart that he left him destroyed by his doing and he would try fix things, fix him and have hyper fox back.

So they phoned everyday, everytime bit longer. In morning, lunch, evening. The more they talked the less atsumu stuttered, he sounded more energic but not much. Kita wanted go to him hug him care for him but little steps, baby steps and next was video call. He was shocked, he became so thin, his hair needed cut and freshly dyed.

But they video called everday even if they silent just keeping each other company. Even were tsumu passed out sleeping in his bed, kita watched him while and had good look on the baby belly watched few moments of the moving little kicks, smilling but worried about they mother.

Atsumu kita start build up again and the next step was letting kita come over, after three months being seven months pregnat was harder to move for tsumu.

The first thing they did was a hug, kita hugged tsumu tighly but tsumu dragged out waddeling sitting down out of breath, trembeld. This was the first contac after months and kitas fingers longed touching the blond.

He stepped into the apparemt closing the door sitting down, a bit away from atsumu give him safley space, they start talking comftable. He knew he can't rush tsumu but being here alone was for him win and would keep going just have him fully back into his life.

Meeting now everyday when time it allowed for kita, he helped tsumu, he fixed the blond hair dyed it freshly helping clean apparemt. Went shopping with him, samu watched him like hawk glaring still at him. Even when kita was bold took tsumu out for simple date into resturant, he followed making sure he dont hurt tsumu. Who had hard time eat but did so bit for bit more.

Month went on and kita was allowed join the doctor visit and look at the ultrasound, seeing what he and tsumu created.

He was proud that they were healthy but worried hearing about tsumu , he was banned to be on bed rest and need to eat more his blood scan was still not best ,but upgrade to last time still not stafising for the doctor.

Walking home, kita helped tsumu though bit "ya could come to me...i could take care of you" tsumu looked at him "n-not yet" kita sighed layed down with tsumu and understood, he still working on earning his trust back. He stroked over the belly layed his hand down smilling at the little kicks "my crops a so far ok...i going try stay longer helping you" he put tsumus head on his chest kissing his forhead, stroked his hair, step for step. He came so far so he can work wait for the rest, he had him safley in his arms and he wont let anyone get between them ever again, he still reget what he did but he was glad he can at least fix it, fix being back with tsumu, he might can't fix what he did but he trys fix they realtionship. Tsumu was his and he needed him how he need tsumu.

Bed rest was boring and tsumu was more then boared, he called kita and talked with him annoyed his team pratice more. When kita was there he made sure he ate properly made him tea cuddle watch movies. Start kissing him again. To point were they sleep with each other again and he would lie wasent making him hard seeing tsumu round with they babys.

He was with samu getting tsumu few things to eat as medication when they saw suna moving to them "oya kita-chan want hangout?" He looked at him seducingly but kita grunted "no thanks i have to take care of my lover" he wanted to pass suna "tch come one ya can't say no to us" samu shoved suna out the way "he can he will and he does, how about ya stop what ya do and try get a real lover learn what love is" suna made a face shrugged his shoulder walking away.

Shaking they heads they went to tsumu, samu just checking going then and kita staying overnight, making sure he is safe sound.

In middle of the night of ninth month kita feeled tsumu shaking him panic "kita...Kita they coming!" At first he was confused but got up quickly, helped tsumu and got him to next hospital.

He was nervous in waiting room pacing with samu. Both nervous waiting for news, they waited for day, kita allready scared something bad happend worried for his Lover worried for his kids. The nurse came smilling to them, ya can look at your two childrene in here" she leaded them, were the newborn were two nurses hold kita and tsumus little girl boy, kita got watery eyes seeing them the boy had tsumus blond hair but seems hair cut like kita, the girl had his two toned silver hair and ya could tell wild hair locks. "They beautfule.... perfect angels" he hummend and samu nodded proud of the new family members. The nurse brough kita to tsumu wanting to be alone with his boyfriend first before samu joins.

Getting fast close ,he brought tsumu into hug, who was tired and lean into kita "g-glad ya here back" peppering his face with soft kisses kita hummend "me too puppy..never going let ya out of my sight or go ya enough ya exiting love you my puppy my atsumu" atsumu had tears running down kissing kita "i Love you too please dont ever do that again or i be gone for good" kita tighen his grip "never righter jump down cliff" holding him in deep embrace kita promised himself never let go of his puppy fox and keeped his promise, after two years they married and got another baby. Kita and atsumu were glad fix things and strenghen they bond more then ever, they both were proud had each other more have they little own family.

14 notes · View notes

nieves-de-sugui · 11 months

Text

A Quick History of BL

As someone who wrote a thesis on this very subject a few years ago, here is the short version of how BL has evolved throughout the years. For the new comers ❤

a minute of silence for the original form of this post that tumblr decied to not save right after I saved it

I am going to go with a chronological approach. Unfortunately, I cannot put everything in one post so if there’s any questions about this or that aspect of the history of BL that you want to know and it’s not talked about here, you are welcome to ask me directly :)

Context and influences - Japan in the 60′s

Before the US forced Japan to open its borders to the outside world in the 1800s, homosexual practices were common place between budist monks, samurais and kabuki actors. During the Edo period (1600s to 1800s) there was a very rich amount of poetry, art, books (such as Nanshoku Okagami (The Great Mirror of Male Love) by Ihara Saikaku) and codes of conduct about how to have a good master/aprentice relationship, kinda like the greeks if you know what I mean. However, with the arrival of western influences, in order to become a more “civilized” country, it was all put in the closet.

Yet, in the 60′s Japan started to pick it up again through literature about young androginous beautiful boys (aka bishounen). On one hand, in 1961, the novel Koibitotachi no Mori (A Lover’s Forest) by Mari Mori was published. It tells the story of a young and beautiful 19 year old worker and a half french half japanese aristocrat, and their tragic romance. On the other hand, Taruho Inagaki wrote Shounen ai no Bigaku (The esthetics of boy-love), an essay on aesthetic eroticism (of which he wrote a lot of). All this was know as Tanbi (lit. aesthetic) literature. It generally refered to literature with implied homosexuality and homoeroticism such as works by Oscar Wilde, Jean Cocteau, etc. And of course, Mori and Inagaki.

In chinese tanbi is read as danmei (term used to refer to BL novels in china today, ie: The Untamed it’s all connected friends).

From the birth of Shonen Ai to Yaoi - 70′s to the late 80′s

Around the beginning of the 70′s, shoujo was being revolutionized by the Year 24 Group, a generation of women manga authors (mangaka) who started to explore new themes. Among them, their interest in tanbi gave birth to a new subgenre: Shounen ai.

Their most known manga were:

Kaze to Ki no Uta (The Ballad of the Wind and Trees) by Keiko Takemiya, and Toma no Shinzo (The Heart of Thomas) by Moto Hagio

Their stories are characterized by having suffering eurpoean bishounen in boarding schools, living an idealized perfect love (meaning passionate) that, despite the tragic end of one of them, lives forever in the other.

As this genre starts getting popular, more and more fans of these stories start making their own self published manga, aka doujinshi, of the genre. It is around this time that the term Yaoi is coined. Meaning “YAma nashi, Ochi nashi, Imi nashi” (no climax, no fall, no meaning). Basically PWP fanfiction, for the most part. Doujinshis could be considered an equivalent of fanfiction in manga form. It is also here that the term Fujoshi (aka Rotten Girl, for liking rotten things) starts being used to refer to women readers of yaoi.

With this rise in popularity come the start of the commercialization of the genre. Which meant the publication of magazines dedicated solely to yaoi/shonen ai/BL. The most popular yaoi manga magazine at the time was June. The common trait of their stories being the therapeutic power of the love between the mains. The traumatized character would heal throught this newfound love.

Most of the stories at this time happened in the West (Europe or the States) as the exploration of these dark themes intertwined with homosexual romance and homoeroticism still feel safer to explore as a foreign concept. One example would be Banana Fish (1985).

Commercialization and Yaoi Ronso - 90′s

As more publishing houses pick the genre up, the term Boys Love is used to include every type of manga about homosexuality made for women.

The increasing amount of BL series sees a changes in its themes:

the start of the “gay for you” trope where one mantains their heterosexuality despite being in a homsexual relationship,

the uke/seme dynamic (mirroring hetero realtionships) also relating to physical appearence (one being more feminine, the other being more masculine),

the use of rape as an act love (sexual violence has always been present but here it becomes a staple),

anal sex as the only type of sex,

older and more masculine men start to appear

they now happen in Japan

Good examples of the presence of these themes in manga are Gravitation (1996) or Yatteranneeze (1995).

However in 1992, Masaki Sato (a gay activist/drag queen) wrote a letter in a small scale feminist magazine attacking yaoi and pointing out how it “represented a kind of misappropriation or distortion of gay life that impacted negatively upon Japanese gay men”. The female readers of yaoi responded, defending the genre as a means to escape gender roles and explore sexual themes that was never meant to represent the realities of gay men. This is know as the Yaoi Ronso (Yaoi Debates).

The debate ended with both sides understanding more of each other, with mangakas starting to include queer views in their works. It also started the academic reasearch of BL.

Yet, it is a debate that has been restarted more than once, as it is still relevant despite the evolution of the genre.

more on this on another post

Globalization and coining of BL - 2000′s

By the beginning of the 2000s BL is being sold all over the world (like all manga), and has become a stable industry. We could say it has finally become it’s own genre.

Some of the most well known manga series, to us (in the west), of the time are:

Junjou Romantica 2002 Koi Suru Boukun 2004 Love Pistols 2004 Haru wo Daiteita 1999

all of these have anime adaptations for the curious ones

We also start seeing short anime adaptations or special episodes of the most popular series, with questionable themes, such as: adoptive father x adoptive son (Papa to Kiss in the Dark 2005), father x son’s friend (Kirepapa 2008), etc...

However the themes remain more or less the same. Junjou Romantica’s love story starts with a non-con sex scene by the older one (masc, seme) to the younger one (more feminine, uke) addressed years later in the manga btw. Koi Suru Boukun’s love story is triggered by aphrodisiacs and rape. They’re still very present in the stories but slowly going away. A mangaka that represents this era could be Natsume Isaku (Candy Color Paradox 2010).

Change is slow in Japan. Even though the voices of LGBT+ people started to be taken into account in the genre it is not until later that we see it reflect in the mangas themselves. However, we can already see the start of this in Doukyusei (Classmates) (2006) by Asumiko Nakamura. Also Kinou Nani Tabeta? (2007) which is actually part of a more mature genre: Seinen.

It is my personal (subjective) theory that the BL of this era was the one that got popular outside of Japan, which is why we see lots of references to the themes, tropes and dynamics of this time in today’s BL series.

The LGBTzation of BL and the rise of webtoons - 2010′s to 2020′s

Slowly but surely LGBT characters and themes enter the scene of BL. Existing simultaneously with the previous tropes and themes, we start seeing a shift in these stories. We now see:

characters that identify as gay or some type of queer

discussions about homophobia

more mature themes about life and romance

At the same time as we get the usual love stories with the usual themes, a new trend starts to take over. And we get simultaneously, cute, sometimes questionable but light love stories:

Love Stage 2010 Ashita wa Docchi da! 2011 Kieta Hatsukoi 2019

More profound stories and darker or more complex themes:

Blue Sky Complex 2013 Saezuru Tori wa Habatakanai 2011 (mafias) Given 2013 (suicide) Hidamari ga Kikoeru 2013 (deafness)

And others that adress the queer experience in a more mature way (which might actually fall into the Seinen genre)

Itoshi no Nekokke 2010 (slice of life, queer characters) Smells like Green Spirit 2011 (two ways to deal with a homphobic society) Strange 2014 (relationships between men) Shimanami Tasogare 2015 (an LGBT group helps a closeted gay) Old Fashioned Cupcake 2019 (you know this one 😉) Bokura no Micro na Shuumatsu 2020 (the end of the world)

As queer stories are explored, BL mangakas and mangakas from other genres start to consider more stories about queer people such as the Josei Genderless Danshi ni Aisaretemasu (My Androgynous Boyfriend) (2018) by Tamekou, or the Shoujo Goukon ni Itarra Onna ga Inakatta Hanashi (The story of when I went to a mixer and there were no women) (2021) by Nana Aokawa.

Still, we can see two realities live side by side. Doukyuusei gets adapted into an impactful animated movie in 2016, meanwhile Banana Fish gets an anime adaptation that keeps the homoeroticism but not the homosexuality.

For those who might be interested. Here are some of the authors that represent the first half of this era, where they start to include newer points of view:

Scarlet Beriko, HAYAKAWA Nojiko, KURAHASHI Tomo, OGERETSU Tanaka, Harada, KII Kanna (Stranger by the Sea), etc...

And authors that while keeping classical themes break the stereotypes in a subtle manner:

CTK, ZAKK, Jyanome, Cocomi, Hidebu Takahashi, SUZUMARU Minta, etc...

Mangakas also no longer stick to one genre only. They explore whichever of them they want, from BL to Seinen to others.

ie: Tamekou,

or Asumiko Nakamura

The curious case of Webtoons

With the digitalization of mangas, throught Renta and Lehzin, it has become easier (and more expensive) to access these stories. Korea makes and appearence with their webtoons. Through the lack of piracy protections and the majority of them being digital, manhwa (korean webtoons) sees a rise in popularity. Through the digital medium the influencee can be the influencer.

However, like many other East Asian countries they have consumed BL, without hearing about the conversations about BL. So they end up mantaining the older themes and stereotypes that newer BL is trying to leave behind. Therefore, we end up with a mix of old and new, ie:

Killing Stalking 2016 Cherry Blossoms After Winter 2017 Painter of The Night 2019

Additionally, it is also thanks to the easy access to internet that Omegaverse, with its higher dramatic stakes (that parallel hetero dynamics), enters the mangasphere in 2016. It has grown in popularity ever since.

With the Thai BL Boom of 2020, Japan rediscovers its own BL market and starts investing in it more. Which is why we get live action adaptations of BL manga that was popular years ago (Candy Color Paradox was a manga from 2010), the more recent ones (The End of the World With You) or new anime adaptations (Saezuru Tori wa Habatakanai in 2020).

more on this in my japanese live action BL post

What has it become now? is it BL? ML? or Seinen? Or is it all just gay manga?

It is clear that Shoujo manga (with BL, Josei and Seinen) is exploring queer themes such as gender and sexuality more and more. Japan is interested in this conversation, not only in manga (Genderless fashion). Which brings up the current question in BL studies: Does it make sense to keep these categories?

As a response to BL, ML (Male Love), which is made by gay men for gay men, started happening (around the 70s too). And Bara (gay manga porn) in response to Yaoi. However both gay men and women read BL and ML. We also see other themes being explored through BL, such as friendship (in BL Metamorphose), food (in Kinou Nani Tabeta), male relationships of all kinds (in Strange), and different queer views on life and its challenges (in Shimanami Tasogare). More and more what is LGBT and what is BL is merging, the line is blurred.

Conclusion

BL has been in my life for longer than it hasn't. It is through shoujo and BL that I have come to understand people and romance.

It is flawed, like everything else this life, but it's flourishing in many ways.

The genre feels old and new at the same time.

We can still find shounen ai/tanbi elements in more modern manga (All About J). Or the gay for you in a new light (Itoshi no Nekkoke). Or more educational manga on queer issues (My Brother’s Husband by Gengoroh Tagame). BL has around 50 years of existence but it is also being born anew in Thailand and Korea.

BL manga will continue to evolve in acordance to Japanese tastes, as it is still a local market. Hopefully the korean webtoons that get popular will be the more daring ones in their themes. Who knows where it will go from here? The only thing we know for sure is that it will continue to change. Isn't it exciting?

A post on the evolution of live action BL in Japan is coming, to complement this post. As well as a more detailed explanation of the Yaoi Debates and gay manga.

#history of bl #bl post series #I feel like I left too much stuff out #I hope it makes sense #honestly I would really recommend reading some of those manga #they're super interesting #soon it'll be 20 years since I started reading BL #my gosh #if theres anything anyone wants to know more about #I'd love to write more :)#yaoi manga #bl manga

664 notes · View notes