Kat Tells Yaoi Like It Is

I love them so much🤭🥵

Mignon is a total puppy but once he gets some leeway, he’s a wolf with his Doc.

Doc (Young-one Oh, I think, is his name) is just so adorable! He’s the cat who’s all hiss no bite.

My answers to your three elaborations of the same question would be so completely different from each other, so let me summarize a little.

If you search for healthy storylines in BL well… Given is the best you can get. It’s my #1 favourite BL and I think nothing really compares to it in terms of realism, character development and plot. I’m up to date with the manga and I can’t wait to see the movie!

I’m on a quest to watch as much BL as I can, so I can give you a list of titles I enjoyed, they’re all problematic to a degree so…. yeah:

Doukyuusei, probably one of the most popular BL titles, it’s so sweet, I enjoyed it very much.

Hybrid Child, less problematic far more emotional than I thought when I started watching it!

Love Stage: another one which is not on the hugely problematic side, I enjoyed it even if I really couldn’t stand the kind of uke Izumi is. 

Tight-rope: not very problematic and actually very sweet for being set in the yakuza!

Hitorijime My Hero, enjoyable if you put every concept of morality you have aside

Yarichin☆Bitch-bu, honestly? a masterpiece, I enjoyed it SO MUCH and I read all the manga in one night but it’s extremely explicit and definitely problematic. But it’s so much fun and the anime has a beautiful art style!

As you can see in my list aren’t included 3 of the most popular BL of all time: Junjou Romantica, Sekaiichi Hatsukoi, and Super Lovers. I still have to watch them, the first two because I really don’t like the art style, the latter because… even I have standards and it’s not something I can see myself enjoy like… ever.

If anyone wants to contribute with some more BL, feel free to add, I’d love to know more!

I’ve heard great things about Doukyuusei, so I would recommend that as well.

I liked Tight Rope as well! The anime is just an OVA and I think it’s one of the least problematic ones for sure (the biggest problem with yaoi is consent, so based on that).

Update: just watched Yarichin Bitch Club, and oh boy. I’m not sure if I got around to reading the whole manga, since it’s wiki page isn’t complete so I’m unsure as to when it ends and what not, but I did watch the OVA. It’s...quite problematic. Very problematic. It does meet consent requirements most of the time but there’s a lot of talk of non-con, a lot of it can be thought of as dub-con and there’s a bit of blackmail involved. In saying all that, it can be fun I suppose, and if you get with the premise, one might enjoy it. I didn’t, but OP did and they’ve seen a lot more anime than I have and I’m a huge fan of their blog so I’m going to say, go for it, but cautiously.

This isn’t my main blog and it’s basically to review yaoi anime, so if anyone’s looking to check how problematic an anime before watching, I’ve watched and reviewed a few.

I don’t think I reviewed Love Stage and Junjou Romantica because I didn’t complete them.

I didn’t quite like Love Stage. For an anime that seemed to be more mainstream than most of them, it was a bit problematic for me. But that’s a personal thing because I did like some others that seem more problematic to another person. It’s worth a shot, it’s pretty popular in the yaoi scene.

Update: so I finally watched the entirety of Live Stage!! and hmm, it grew on me a bit? The problematic bit is discussed and even though it’s not seen as as much of a problem as I would, it’s still acknowledged and the guilty party is very apologetic and later, an absolutely lovely character. So changing my thoughts on Love Stage!! - it’s a bit weird, the beta couple is actually the one I’d rather see animated (they’re adorable) but I’d still recommend giving it a shot. The art is stunning - the main character is one of the prettiest anime characters ever perhaps - and it’s cute once it gets over a few bumps.

Junjou Romantica is one of those typical yaoi storylines which starts off pretty shit, but has it’s sweet moments. Also, *slight spoilers* it has three couples. The main couple is pretty problematic, especially the first time they have sex (major consent issues), but the other two, imo, are interesting. There’s an age gap, but if I remember right, it’s over the age of consent.

Now Super Lovers, I couldn’t get into it per say, but...I think, depending on personal opinions, it could be watched. Is it problematic? Yes, but most yaoi is, and a major thing to consider is what makes it so. *Slight spoilers* Anyone who’s gonna try it knows that the main pair live as brothers. There is also a substantial age difference. The younger is 16 by the time they kiss, which is technically the age of consent, and as far as I know (given that I only watched a few episodes here and there), nothing else happens for a while, if not until the end of the show. Now, it’s incestuous, but in the adoptive sense. The pair aren’t related, but their relationship does start with a sibling status quo. Take all this as you will.

I recommend Dakaichi (it has a longer name that I can’t remember). Despite the problems with how the relationship began, I enjoyed the story and the relationship seems sincere enough. It was the first yaoi anime I watched and one of the ones I’d most recommend. Perhaps it’s a bit predictable but it’s near the top of my list for sure.

A yaoi anime that takes every horrible thing form this genre and throws it all together is Koisuri Boukun or The Tyrant Falls in Love.

There doesn’t seem to be anything right with this two episode OVA.

The uke isn’t just a violent tsundere, he’s a homophobic tsundere, who’s only redeeming quality is the fact that despite his homophobia, he still wants to be in contact with his brother and kouhai/lab assistant, even if he incessantly insults their sexuality. He does have a reason though and it’s unfortunately a good enough one - he was raped in the past by a gay man. Nonetheless, he isn’t terribly likeable either, going between abusive and homophobic, and pathetic as his forgives his assailant.

His assailant/assistant is a puppy-like seme, who’s been in love with his senpai for years, ends up with an aphrodisiac (read: date rape drug) which is accidentally ingested by the object of his affections, which leads him to rape him, feels somewhat remorseful and then later blackmail his Senpai for more sex when the latter is unwilling to let him quit.

The two characters could not really get much worse and nothing of consequence is taken seriously. This isn’t even a case of ‘its non-con but maybe if you take in the atmosphere you could watch it and live with it’, nah, this is straight up rape, which is brushed aside as the victim develops some weird Stockholm syndrome (or whatever you’d call a rape victim being attached to their assailant and forgiving them). And while the anime tries to soften it somewhat by making the victim seem in denial about his sexuality, the framing of the scene is very telling - it’s painful, the uke keeps saying no, he isn’t having a good time and the seme knows this even as he keeps trying to tell himself that he ‘just can’t stop and is too in love’.

Just watched Hey, Class President! and it’s super sweet and hot! It’s an OVA, so its short with only two episodes but I’m definitely going to check the manga out now!

Trigger warning for sexual assault, though it’s thankfully not between the main pair and while the victim doesn’t appear to be terribly adversely affected (he doesn’t register his assault since he thinks he’s dreaming), we do see other characters take it seriously. I think it’s relatively well handled but I’m going to hold off judgement until I read the manga (I’ll update this post then), because things don’t get resolved in the anime.

Hi everyone, so I’ve received at least three request so far for yaoi anime, BL anime, and underrated yaoi anime. I’m going to just wrap them all up into one giant post.

Those marked with (***) prior to the title are the more graphic recommendations on the list. 

Betrayal Knows My Name (9/10): Yuki is an orphan who is constantly plagued by mysterious dreams of magical confrontations and a beautiful yet mysterious man. One day he’s saved from danger and instantly thrust into a magical world with him as the center of the heroes. In all of his past lives he was born a woman and he was known as God’s Light. His power is conveyed through touch, and with the help of mighty warriors and the mysterious man from his dreams Yuki must save the world.  Supernatural, Mystery, Action, Romance, Magical Powers

Doukyuusei (10/10): Kusakabe is your average popular kid with colored hair, guitar skills, and a sudden interest in the boy who is top of the class. As their school prepares for their choral performance Kusakabe notices Sajou struggling and with his knowledge in music aims to help him out. As the seasons change so do their feelings. ~At first the art was a little weird, but I promise that it grows on you!~ Slice of life, School life, Music

Fake (8/10): Dee and Ryo are two American cops that are finally taking a vacation. Both of them have feelings for each other, but it’s difficult for them to come to terms with their feelings. However, when they go on vacation and people start getting kidnapped and murdered it’s up to the them to get to the bottom of it before one of them becomes a victim. Comedy, Police, Mystery

***Hey, Class President! (9/10): Chiga is a simple man. He has a crush on the Class President and wants to do everything in his power to keep the Class President out of trouble. So when an opening suddenly appears on the student council board Chiga finds himself taking up the role of Vice-President. Chiga finds himself protecting the Class President from train gropers and in-home rapist all while trying to convey his own feelings. Comedy, Drama, School Life, Slice of Life, Romance

***Hyakujitsu no Bara (Maiden Rose) (9/10): Forbidden love in every sense of the term. Taki is a beautiful prince seen as God’s pure vessel that will guide them to victory in the war. However, by his side is Klaus a soldier from the enemy country. As a secret from all, Klaus and Taki have shattered Taki’s purity with their love. This war will test their love, their pride, and their resolve to stay together. Drama, Historical, Romance, Mystery, War

Hybrid Child (10/10): A story of finding your love no matter the time period. Three couples share an interlocked story about machines called Hybrid Childs that grow from the love that they are given. Learn how these machines were created and the cost of letting them grow. Romance, Sci-Fi, Historical, Drama

***Ikoku Irokoi Romantan (Roman Holiday) (9/10): At his wife’s request Ranmaru agreed to get married on an extravagant cruise ship. However, the truth is that neither of them really want the wedding and his bride isn’t too fond of marrying into Ranmaru’s yakuza clan. After being kicked out of his room on his wedding night he finds himself sharing the bed with the captain of the ship, a handsome Italian gentleman named Al. When Ranmaru disembarks in Italy it looks like that will be the end of his relationship with Al until they keep finding each other, and soon their feelings can’t be ignored. Comedy, Drama, Gangs, Romance

Junjou Romantica (10/10): One of the most famous yaoi series of all time. This tells the story of three interlocking couples. The main couple is Misaki, a college student, and Usagi, a famous author. Misaki lost his family when he was young and the only family he has is his brother who is best friends with Usagi. Together they overcome loss and become stronger together. The other couples include an inspiring medical student and a heartbroken professor, and a divorced english professor and his ex-wife’s little brother. Romance, Comedy, Slice of life, Drama

In addition, this series recently got a third season with an updated art style!

***Kirepapa (8/10): Chisato is overly protective of his adorable son. So much so that he does everything in his power to drive his son’s friends away. However, the reason so many people flock to his son is not because they want to be friends, but because of Chisato‘s beautiful looks. Chisato remains unaware of this fact. After all of these years there is only one friend that remains by his son’s side, and Chisato wants nothing more than to get rid of the pest. He’s a stay at home author and admires a famous murder mystery author. Little does he know the books are written by his son’s friend based on his feelings towards Chisato. Comedy, Drama, Romance, Mystery

I just finished watching Dakaichi and I really liked it!

...if I ignore how the main relationship began. Which just doesn’t sit right with me.

While the anime makes Junta aggressive and pushy, thankfully things don’t get as far as sex until we know Takato consents to it.

But apparently the manga straight up goes non-con or at least very very dub-con, and while someone who knows yaoi can get through the first episode of the anime knowing that this is how it goes, it still makes me uncomfortable, because it’s still problematic that Junta had to be locked in the bathroom the first night (I’d like to say I believe that had Takato actually been vehement about his refusal things wouldn’t have gone far anyway, but I’d be lying if I said I put my faith behind this theory).

I was reading reviews on it and I actually saw this YouTube channel that explains why yaoi is possibly like this-

Because of homosexuality still being illegal in Japan and most people still being quite homophobic, including all their work laws and stuff (you can get fired), and that’s why even yaoi heroes say no because that’s what they feel like they should say, even if it’s not how they actually feel;

The distinction of course that the inner workings of the characters are fully in the hands of the author, no matter what it looks like, if the author decides that the character thinks it’s wasn’t dub- or non-con, it wasn’t;

Also, when it comes to no mater what it looks like, it is fiction, so there’s that;

And finally, there’s the fact that certain problematic situations are just used to create drama and some people appreciate it. This point really irks me, that’s weird. One character being pushy and the other being a tsundere is one thing, but sexual harassment and assault another.

Which eased my mind somewhat.

But coming back to my original point, that for those of us who would actually enjoy these series and appreciate these relationships, it’s terrible having to look past things that are incredibly wrong and I won’t ever excuse in another show and especially not in real life. In fact, I don’t actually watch much yaoi at all because of how uncomfortable I get about consent issues.

I understand that perhaps characters have to be reluctant and can’t always completely admit their feelings, either due to Japanese laws or for a dramatic effect, but bring the non-con and dub-con to unsaid words and pushy but not manipulative and blackmail behaviour would be a welcome change.

Yaoi manga and anime creators know their target audience is women and gay/bi men, and we obviously accept these relationships, so for the sake of our enjoyment, I really wish they’d make the beginnings of these relationships more consensual and two-sided. Adding a completely non-con scene and later brushing past it and adding something to the characters’ past as a ret-con definitely isn’t enough.

I do think consumption of yaoi would also become more mainstream and lead to some sort of normalisation of homosexuality if only they could be watched without cringing and convincing yourself about the validity of the canon pair.

That’s all, thanks for coming to my ted talk.

(For those who don’t know, yaoi is essentially gay, or as it’s also called ‘boys love’, anime/manga. It usually involves a lot of fan service for women and gay/bi men, along with lots of kisses and, in a lot of cases, more explicit scenes. The problem with this genre as stated above is their usual problem with consent, which is almost never given completely at the start and eventually is brushed past as the characters fall in love. It’s not always terrible stories but these issues do end up making yaoi very niche.)

(Also for those who are used to watching yaoi and know how it goes, Dakaichi is fun little series that can definitely be enjoyed by yaoi fans. It’s not terribly innovative or anything, but it works on a lot of levels. Apart from the questionable beginnings, Takato and Junta do start to mutually care about each other and there are some sweet moments. There’s also something of a plot in the last few episodes, very typical stuff though. It’s also a short anime, just 13 episodes, so you’ll speed through it on an indulgent afternoon. The lead characters are said to look very similar to Makoto and Haruka from Free!, which could be a treat for some Makoharu shippers - I don’t agree though, Makoharu are so different, both physically and in terms of everything else.

Don’t forget to google it’s various titles though since different sites have the anime under different names and the name is complicated af.

For those you would like more info on the nature of the problematic material, here’s a positive take: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aWvHimKTaas and here’s a negative one: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8xCWdIIEFIQ.)