Why Do Women Fancy Yaoi?

The “Yaoi” phenomenon has been nothing short of stunning. For those not familiar with Yaoi, it is essentially a Japanese manga (comic book) genre that deals with homosexual erotica. Now, that alone is not something that should be all too surprising. Homoerotic art has been in existence for centuries. What makes Yaoi different, however, is the fact that it is written for and marketed towards women.

How well received was Yaoi by female audiences? Yaoi’s popularity is so enormous that it has become a worldwide sensation. The genre started in Japan in the late 1970s and now boasts fans all over the globe. Yaoi manga are published in multiple languages and fan conventions draw crowds on many continents.

This leads to a pertinent question: why is Yaoi so popular with women if its romantic tales deal with two male leads?

There are a number of reasons why this is so.

First, the narrative style of Yaoi is also presented in such a manner that it does not deviate from a female fantasy perspective. That is, the style of storytelling is similar to most women’s romance novels or films. Since there is a certain recognition factor present, the female audience will not have too much of a problem crossing over to Yaoi from other genres. This is because there are more similarities in the Yaoi style to these other mediums than there are differences.

But, wouldn’t the explicit sex be enough to turn the female audience away from these works? Not if the presentation is made in a tasteful manner. It is also important to understand while many Yaoi manga do feature explicit sex, the books are not pure pornography. Yaoi tales are crafted with careful attention to the narrative. These manga do not loop together a series of explicit scenes intended to arouse a bored purveyor. Instead, Yaoi tales seek to use the medium of narrative sequential art to present a character driven tale that contains explicit sex. In other words, the story takes more precedence than the erotic aspects. As a result, the work is more appealing to an audience that is looking for more depth in its treatment of explicit subject matter.

Yaoi’s ability to exist in other genres also adds to its appeal. There are Yaoi stories that take place in the realm of science fiction, adventure, westerns, and even comedy. Such “cross genre pollination” helps expand the popularity to new audiences. This is because those who would never venture into the adults only racks may discover Yaoi on the racks of their favorite genre. From this, they may become fans.

Of course, the fact that Yaoi has garnered a great deal of critical acclaim adds to its popularity with women. When a controversial genre is honored for its artistry, it becomes a more acceptable genre. This means it is “ok” to purchase Yaoi titles since Yaoi is distinguished from pornographic books of little merit.

Yes, there is much more to Yaoi than explicit sex. If the sexual component were all the genre was comprised of, the movement would not have lasted 30+ years. And, certainly, it would not be attracting such a large female fan following.