THE YAOI OBSESSION: BL WORLD AND FUJOSHI CULTURE - Paper overview

Aug 26, 2026

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Yaoi obsession and the broader BL world are analyzed through the lens of Fujoshi and Fudanshi fandom culture, focusing on how these communities emerged, why they became widely popular, and what social stigma they face. The discussion explains key definitions and common misconceptions about Yaoi, Boys’ Love, manga versus anime, and the shifting boundaries between genres. It also highlights how internet accessibility, female-targeted distribution, and social-media fan accounts contribute to both visibility and continued marginalization in parts of Asia.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time17 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

What are Yaoi & BL and why are they famous?

Internet-driven popularity

Definitions and misconceptions

Are Yaoi and BL different?

Fujoshis and Fudandhis

Meaning and fandom practices

THE YAOI OBSESSION: BL WORLD AND FUJOSHI CULTURE 1 Mayukha Chihnitha Kali 1 Law Student 1 NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad ABSTRACT People, who are into Japanese manga, would instantaneously understand that the term ‘Yaoi’ has something to do with the Japanese literature. Yaoi is fiction-manga, which narrates the stories of two (sometimes more), men in love. It is sometimes classified as Boys ’ Love (BL), which is not completely correct. The fandom of this genre are called Fujoshis and Fudanshis. The Fujoshis mostly use the accounts, which do not reveal their identity. This is because of the stigma that Fujoshis face from the fans of Non-Yaoi, Shoujo and Shonen manga. In spite of its popularity, Yaoi is still considered restricted literature by some Asian countries and the websites are inaccessible. Yet the websites that capitalize on this genre make huge money due to rapidly spreading Fujoshi culture. This paper shall explain the evolution of Yaoi and the cause of its huge popularity in Manga realm and the stigma associated with it, by looking into the situation of the Fujoshi culture, which is rampant on social media. This paper gives a fair idea about this genre of manga to the people who are not aware of the existence this Yaoi and BL. This discusses the stigma associated to Yaoi and Fujoshis. Most of the information in this paper come from personal experience, personal study of fan accounts on social media and discussions with my fellow Fujoshis and Fudanshis, their blog posts and rare research done on this topic. Keywords: Yaoi, Boys’Love (BL), Manga, Fujoshi, fandom, genre WHAT ARE YAOI & BL AND WHY ARE THEY FAMOUS? The fame this genre got in last seven years is because of the internet and the content being made available to the female audience all over the world. Though the audience did not find this acceptable, found it weird that they like such literature, they developed keen interest in this genre. I, being on of such people who did not accept that I like such stories, am now addicted (that is the proper word, I guess) to Yaoi and BL. Yaoi is not targeted at the homosexual audience. It is said that Shoujo is targeted at female audience mainly, but that is a misapprehension. This | IJCRT2005266 | International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts (IJCRT) [www.ijcrt.org](www.ijcrt.org) | 2026 | | --- | --- | --- | misconception comes from the idea that girls enjoy soft romance and boys don’t. In fact, this fallacy persists and most of the male audience do not reveal their identity on their social media accounts or do not openly admit that they read Yaoi. This stigma is also in female readers because they fear shame and insults. Until recently, I was not very comfortable with admitting that I read Yaoi and watch BL. During its initial times, Yaoi was particularly controversial because, in a male dominated manga world with masculine discourses and themes, for the first time, female authors were writing about the topics and fantasies that are forbidden in the self-styled modern society. Till initial 2000s, Yaoi was considered a sub-genre under Shounen-ai. However, due to its huge popularity after 2003, it was categorized asa separate genre in Manga. While Yaoi is targeted at the readers looking for some sexually explicit scenes, portraying various kinds of kinks, Shounen-ai is written for the readers who look for interesting story with intricate characterizations.1 Shounen-ai is for the people who would want to read good story with gay romance, mostly restricted to subtle kisses. The Yaoi manga is spun around the two male protagonists. Yaoi is basically, the stories told through drawings. This is a genre of manga, graphic novels or just cartoons, to understand it very easily. Not to be confused with anime. To oversimplify, for better understanding, anime is animated shows or films and manga is, as mentioned earlier, graphic novels or comic books.2 Boys’Love (BL) is often used synonymously

FAQs

What is Yaoi, and how does it relate to Boys’ Love (BL)?

Yaoi is fiction-manga centered on stories of two (sometimes more) men in love. It is sometimes linked with BL, though the paper notes that the classification is not completely correct and that BL has evolved beyond manga and anime.

Why did Yaoi and BL become famous in the last seven years?

The paper attributes the rise to internet availability and the wider distribution of content to female audiences worldwide, which increased interest even among readers who initially found it unfamiliar or “weird.”

Who are Fujoshis and Fudanshis, and what do they do?

Fujoshis refer to female fans who engage in self-mockery through the term’s meaning, create ‘ships,’ and write fan fictions. Fudanshi is the male counterpart, used less often due to the fandom’s female majority.

Aug 26, 2026

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