Analyzing the Reasons Causing the Trend of Yaoi in Japan

Abstract

Today, it is not uncommon to see Japanese women discussing romance between two men. Yaoi are works of male-male romance created by and for women. There are multiple reasons contributing to females' fervor in yaoi. This paper will first analyze micro and psychological factors. This paper finds that in yaoi, females can seek comforts due to its power balance and weakening of male characters to satisfy women's unequal experiences. Besides, females tend to idealize the male-male relationship as the perfect paradigm for a heterosexual model. Additionally, most women find yaoi as a medium to project sexual fantasies that cannot be satisfied in real life due to yaoi's creativity and less moral regulations. The broader context of the 1990s account for this phenomenon as well. The first reason is women's increasing desire to find true love and romance through yaoi. The second factor is the bursting of the bubble economy in early 1992 and its various impacts on female and younger male generation. Japan's traditional appreciation for Yūgen also contributes to Japanese' accepting attitude toward bishōnen and gender blurring in yaoi. Lastly, the Sexual Revolution and appearance of AIDS contribute to women's exploration of sexual desires in yaoi. The paper ends with an evaluation of yaoi's negative effects on women in general. Due to projections of female attributes to the submissive male character in a relationship, female stereotypes are continued through yaoi. Further, some yaoi fans are unduly submerged in it, isolating them from the real society. Finally, yaoi culture itself is still not accepted by the broader community and thus leading to abuses of yaoi fans.