10 Things You Didn’t Know About Fujoshi
Fujoshi, which literally means “rotten girl,” refers to a type of anime fan who is especially interested in imagining male homoerotic subtext in her favorite media.
But while the term “fujoshi” was only coined in 2001, rotten girls and their male counterparts, “fudanshi,” have been around since the Edo period. In “The Forgotten History of Fujoshi,” Keith and Mari Minton—two self-professed fujoshi—shared some of the fascinating origins of a subculture that is typically somewhat misunderstood.
1) Fujoshi culture has its origins in the world’s first novel.
The Tale of Genji, written by Murasaki Shikibu, is the first media mention we are aware of which discusses “bishounen,” which roughly translates to “beautiful boys” and refers to an androgynous style of male beauty. This concept of male beauty that transcends barriers would eventually become one of the core concepts of modern fujoshi culture.
2) Confucius (unintentionally) made it cool to be gay.
In the Edo era, homosexual activity wasn’t even a little taboo. Monks took in chigo, pretty boy companions. All male Kabuki theater troupes would have beautiful young men play female roles—and male patrons would sometimes take them home after the show.
Gay marriage wasn’t a thing, but gay romance was and it’s all thanks to Confucius, who became famous for sayings like, “We should not be too familiar with the lower orders, or with women.” Women were meant for reproduction only, and they weren’t equals worthy of romancing.
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