#bl theory Tumblr posts

[lurkingteapot]

I've been going through my collection of old (pre-2016 for the most part) academic papers on BL and thought, hey, why not re-read some of them and sum them up so folks can see whether they want to check them out in full?

Today's offering:

Beautiful, Borrowed, and Bent: “Boys’ Love” as Girls’ Love in Shōjo Manga by James Welker, originally presented at the Third International Convention of Asia Scholars, August 19–22, 2003, Singapore, and published in Signs, Vol. 31, No. 3, New Feminist Theories of Visual Culture (Spring 2006), pp. 841-870, UChicago Press. [Jstor]

Welker starts off with a brief explanation of what the BL genre is, what terminology he uses ("BL" as an umbrella term that includes the earlier names of tanbi, shōnen ai, yaoi, and the long-form 'boys' love'):

“Boys’ love” manga emerged as a subgenre of shōjo manga (girls’ comics) around 1970 just as women artists were taking over the shōjo market.(*) It quickly became among the most popular shōjo manga genres, and its creators became some of the best-loved artists in the industry. (* First published in the monthly Bessatsu shōjo komikku in December 1970, Keiko Takemiya’s “In the Sunroom” (Sanrūmu nite [1970] 1976) was probably the first boys’ love narrative. See Aoyama 1988, 188.) - Welker 2006:841

He goes on to challenge the common perception of BL as a genre "by straight women for straight women":

[T]he genre is widely considered to offer a liberatory sphere within which presumably heteronormative readers can experiment with romance and sexuality through identification with the beautiful boy characters. […] Members of the Japanese lesbian community have, however, pointed to boys’ love and other gender-bending manga as strong influences on them in their formative years […] Clearly boys’ love manga can be viewed through a different lens from that which most critics and scholars have been using, and hence the full potential of boys’ love is largely overlooked: that of liberating readers not just from patriarchy but from gender dualism and heteronormativity. - Welker 2006:842-843

He introduces the texts he will analyse (Takemiya Keiko's Song of Wind and Trees 風と木の詩 kaze to ki no uta, 1976-1984 and Hagio Motō's Heart of Thomas トーマの心臓 tōma no shinzō, 1974), and concludes the essay's intro section as follows:

This reading will employ lesbian critical theory, visual theory, and reader responses to these and similar texts to show how 1970s boys’ love manga is not merely queer on its surface but how it opened up space for some readers to experiment with marginalized gender and sexual practices and played a role in identity formation. - Welker 2006:843

Welker goes into the questions of applicability of theories that weren't originally developed for this specific context – visual theories were largely developed through film analysis; European and North American models of gender and feminist theory, while also having informed academic discourse in Japan, in their origin operate on culturally specific assumptions and need to be applied with care.

He talks about the tradition of androgynous and cross-dressing heroines of early shōjo manga and their connection to the earliest BL manga, the dilemma of the "beautiful boy" characters' gender and sex and how to read these – are they boys? idealised self-images of girls drawn onto boys' bodies? neither male nor female? sexless altogether?, and the way Japanese readers in the 1970s, already culturally familiar with gender performance through kabuki or the all-female Takarazuka Revue and similar troupes, received the gender-bending nature of BL stories. He also comments on the role fan interaction via magazines, and the way readers were learning about queer life in Japan:

By the early to mid-1980s, the magazines’ readers were learning in real terms about the world of Shinjuku ni-chōme, Tokyo’s well-known gay district, described as a world full of “beautiful boys like those in the world of shōjo manga” (Aran 1983, 15), as well as various aspects of lesbian life in Japan (Gekkō 1985). In spite of the connections drawn on the pages of these magazines, the possibility that these narratives might be seen to actually depict homosexuality remains broadly denied. To allow that the narratives might truly be about homosexuality—between these girls-cum-beautiful boys—would be an apparently unthinkable invitation to read the narratives as lesbian. - Welker 2006:857

Welker briefly explores how the example texts of Song of Wind and Trees and Heart of Thomas "serve many of the functions lesbian critics and theorists have outlined as roles of lesbian texts" (Welker 2006:858), then goes on to analyse the flower imagery of roses and lilies that is very prevalent in both titles, the intertextuality of these stories with European and French literature (and how the readers were expected to catch on to this intertextuality). On the transgressive and queering nature of writing and reading BL, he says:

[T]hrough acculturation to gender performance in Takarazuka and kabuki and by such cross-dressing manga icons as Sapphire and Oscar, as well as the deliberate ambiguity of the beautiful boy, the reader is encouraged to see not just a girl but herself within the world of boys’ love and, ultimately, is encouraged to explore homoerotic desire, either as a beautiful boy or as herself, either alone or with others, either as her fantasy or as her reality. […] Regardless of whether boys’ love manga were created merely to offer heterosexual readers a temporary respite from patriarchal restrictions on their desire, some readers found in identifying with the beautiful boy a way through the looking glass to a world outside the patriarchy. And regardless of whether he is read as a boy or a girl, the beautiful boy can be read as a lesbian. […] For readers whose experience of sexuality and gender contravenes heteronormativity, works like Song and Thomas offer narrative safe havens where they can experiment with identity, find affirmation, and develop the strength necessary to find others like themselves and a sense of belonging. - Welker 2006:865-866

I've been out of academia so long that I've lost any sense of what a good proportion of direct quotes to original text is, or whether it's even appropriate to quote as much as I did here. This is emphatically NOT an academic article in and of itself -- I'm posting on bloody tumblr. If anyone wants to add to this, I'll be thrilled.

One of the most commonly voiced criticisms of BL is that it's about, but not (or did not in significant part used to be) by or for gay men. This article does not address this point further—Welker does go into this in his more recent articles, iirc; if you've got beef with this aspect, @ him not me. I do however think it's worth noting that this 17-year-old article already recognises that the genre is queer, and has been since its inception.

[stoopidstapler]

SO IVE BEEN GOIN INSANE SINCE THIS TRAILER DROPPED. JUST. SIMON. SIMON. SIMON.

[divineandmajesticinone]

4 MINUTES (2024) I 1.01 "I'm sorry. My dad wants me to go home now. For dinner."

[dykealloy]

“we sent yuan away so his feelings could subside” you sent him to gay rizz bootcamp is what you did

[wanderlust-in-my-soul]

Wound care - a good reason to get close to one another and express that you care (Part 3/?)

Semantic Error

About Youth

Fish Upon The Sky

21 Day Theory

Bed Friend

Some More

KinnPorsche

Bad Buddy

My Ride

Senpai, This Can't Be Love

Part of my favorite bl-tropes collection, as always in no particular order.

[gunsupperlip]

This scene is so iconic and silly, I love it

Our drama queen Third <3

[pharawee]

—I SAW YOU IN MY DREAM · Episode 9

[allovelyhappily]

cr. off/gun ig story

[lurkingshan]

What are your favorite examples of deep unbridled yearning in a bl? I think my is I told the sunset about you the way they used the coconut smell to showcase one the leads feelings for the other was so unique and sensual. He starts out hating coconut and how it smells but slowly as he falls in love he becomes obsessed with it since it's the other MLs unique scent and he uses it on everything, so we get a scene of him inhaling a paper written by the MLs coconut pen and then another one just devouring a coconut like it's the best thing in earth. I don't think I have ever seen such a depiction of attraction/love/lust that's so different but also visceral and beautiful and it really stuck with me. It's very different but it's one of the rare romance things that I'll never forget akin to the hand flex from pride and prejudice.

So you want to talk about yearning.

*Lan Wangji has entered the chat*

There’s a lot of good yearning in the romance genre, and plenty of bls feature it. The example you gave from ITSAY is definitely one of the standouts in terms of how visceral it felt. I will never forget Teh shoving his whole face into that coconut, or all the super charged scenes where he and Oh-aew stare at and touch each other and keep testing boundaries until they break.

There are definitely other expressions of yearning that stick out for me for one reason or another, and not all in this same tone.

The Untamed

Let’s get this out of the way upfront, because no one can step to this man on yearning. He adopted a whole child and named him after his yearning for his lost love. What I love about the presentation of Lan Wangji's particular flavor of yearning is how steady and matter of fact it is. He is always yearning for Wei Wuxian and it's just a part of who he is, whether his love is alive or dead. And while I love that Teh is such a big mess of emotions, I also like this more understated flavor of yearning where nothing is ever said out loud but Lan Wangji's feelings are clear in how he chooses to live his life. He's the poster boy for "actions speak louder than words."

Eternal Yesterday

I'm not sure if you've seen this one, but it's one of the most poignant and devastating depictions of yearning I have ever seen. Mitsuru yearned for Koichi so hard that he kept his body alive for precious extra days and his memory alive forever. Brb gonna go cry.

Utsukushii Kare 2

This is probably one of the more unique expressions of the emotion (on brand for this series), since this sequel season has Kiyoi yearning for the man who is already his boyfriend to love him for real instead of idolizing and holding him from a distance. It's one of my favorite explorations of how lonely we can feel even while in a relationship.

I Cannot Reach You

This show wins for best visual effects to convey yearning, with a beautiful bokeh effect taking over the screen in moments when the characters were extra in their feelings over each other.

Unknown

Wei Yuan's yearning was more of the desperate and hopeless variety, especially in his teens years when he knew his feelings for his adoptive older brother were impossible. I liked that his feelings were expressed via caretaking; he didn't think he could have the relationship he really wanted with Wei Qian, so he made it his mission to take care of him and help shoulder his burdens instead.

I Feel You Linger in the Air

This story stands out in my memory for its dedication to anticipatory yearning. That is, knowing a separation is coming against your will and yearning desperately for the person who is still in front of you. Yai and Jom did not want to let each other go despite knowing they could not stay together, and that yearning was so strong it ultimately connected them through time.

Theory of Love

And on the comedic end of the spectrum, I absolutely cannot end this list without giving a shoutout to one of the funniest manifestations of yearning that has ever graced my screen. Every time his feelings for Khai got overwhelming, Third ran to the bathroom for a Sadness Shower, and if the water wasn't working he was happy to improvise (and now I am cackling).

[chicademartinica]

THE WAY THE SHOW ATTACKED ME WITH THE CHINESE COLORS SYMBOLISM

In Chinese tradition Blue is for Spring, yellow is for late summer. We are approaching the end of the season/year/(show ?) so Blue uniforms are turning Yellow. The title and the ending poem tells us we are in midsummer. « Youth » is almost over. (The teachers were also talking about youth) But check that yellow line straight to Tian ?

In the show Tian is Blue and Wang is Yellow (Wang being an homophone of the color in Mandarin). Tian is basking in golden love all episode and the color transfer is so good

But also bright and vibrant GREEN IS HERE (blue +yellow). Rebirth and also…jealousy.

Bonus : a lil pride flag on a green table.

So now let’s get ourselves some RED

[sherokutakari]

Okay okay okay but like

Everyone out here talking about Crowley's hinted at memory problems. How he remembers Heaven and making the stars, but not working with Saraqael. How he remembers going into battle, but not with Furfur. How he doesn't seem to remember Aziraphale in Eden, even though it turns out they met at the Pillars of Creation. How he knows what it's like, looking where the furniture isn't. Memory fussing. Clearly something Heaven Does.

But no one is talking about that Heaven's memory wiping was only mentioned once directly. And only in reference to Gabriel, who was explicitly not being cast down to Hell, but demoted.

Like some Cherub-turned-Principality, which could be either a promotion or demotion, depending on what Angelic Hierarchy you subscribe to?¹

What if the reason Crowley and Aziraphale's meeting in Eden seemed so first-meeting-ish not just because only Crowley's memory was messed with?

What if Aziraphale's memories had been also?

Neil said that these two had known each other for a LONG time between the s2 meet cute and the beginning of actual time/their meeting in Eden.² Surely Crowley would have given his name at SOME point if that were the case. And we know Aziraphale had a hard time switching from Crawly to Crowley, so even if he assumed his newly Fallen friend had intended to choose a new name, there's almost no way he *wouldn't* have just called him by whatever name he already knew him as. Why does he wait for Crawly to introduce himself, instead of just referring to him as Raphael, or Baraqiel, or Kokabiel, or Jophiel or whatever your favorite Proto-Crowley Angel Name is? And why does it seem like they don't even know each other, even a little bit?

What if they knew each other super well in Heaven, and after the Battle, both had their memories mucked about in, and both got Demoted??

What if in Eden they were meeting for the first time again, and they still ended up choosing each other over Heaven and Hell????

What if nothing the powers of Heaven and Hell can do can keep these two Inefffable Idiots apart????

Please help I'm .__o.>-<

[twig-tea]

I've been enjoying reading folks' theories about whether Vee is Vad; @lurkingshan has laid down bets that they are the same person, while @he-is-lightning-in-a-bottle made a great case for why they shouldn't be, @italianpersonwithashippersheart gave an explanation as to who she could be instead (a test), and @happypotato48 made clear he'd be mad if they are. @heretherebedork noted that it's likely Vee is Vad but even if this girl is the reincarnation of Vad, she's still not the same person. @babyangelsky made the point that whether or not they're the same person, what's important is San making the choice; but also it's likely this girl was sent by the villain who is likely not dead yet.

Gonna add my own clown theory to the mix: I think everyone is right (I remain on brand at all times). Vee is Vad because San prayed to a goddess and got his soul tied to theirs and the way the magic has been functioning, we would need another explanation if they weren't. But, at the same time, Vee is not Vad because people are not the same just because of reincarnation; They are no longer the same person. And it was important for San to fall in love with Vee for Vee; even though it was the magic/fate that brought them into one another's paths, San still had to choose to open his heart to him. I also think it's important for him to choose Vee over the memory of Vad. So I think this Vad doppleganger is a kind of test, though possibly from a mortal source (I like Leah's theory above that it was the villain who sent her and I thought the same when I watched the episode; having Anastasia vibes of someone being primed with info to pass as a lost relative lol). I am going to go a little more wild on the dreams to say I think the dreams are just his own imagination and insecurities and uncertainties. He thought he was sure, but then he wasn't. That's why it's important for San to make the decision to love Vee not because he thinks he's Vad, but because he loves him enough to be willing to be with him even if he isn't Vad.

As long as San wrestles with that question, I will honestly be happy no matter whether Vee is Vad or not. Because the point is, it doesn't matter.

[fan-fricking-fiction]

average 4 minutes viewing experience :

other 4 minutes posts <3

[divineandmajesticinone]

4 MINUTES (2024) I EP. 1 & EP. 2

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

If you could only watch BL from one country, which country's BL would you choose?

This is not about volume. It's about your personal preference for the kind of productions and stories they tell.

Please reblog for a bigger sampler size and if possible give me a reason for your choice in the tags.

[heretherebedork]

So Tonkla has always been in the real world. Same with Win. Great couldn't bring them into his redo and so every scene they've had has been real. They are the original timeline. Great doesn't know either of them or who they are and so he couldn't change anything for them, so the timeline couldn't be changed for them. That timeline is Tonkla's timeline and he's the anchor of it all.

Korn walks the line. When he's with Tonkla, that's the real world and the original timeline. But when he's with Great, he's in Great's recreated timeline of events. So he goes back and forth and it shows in his personality and in those moments. To Great, he's a good brother going through something rough. To Tonkla, he's the one who abandoned him in his worst moment.

Pretty much everything we saw of Great's parents were in the recreated timeline because most of when we saw them was through Great's eyes and Great's experiences. Definitely some bits of reality in there but not a lot.

Tyme existed solely in Great's recreated timeline. Because one of the reasons Great wanted to recreate that timeline so badly was to fix his relationship with Tyme. They ended on the worst possible note and that was one of Great's regrets and greatest fears. He wants to be loved just as deeply as he fears that he can't be loved.

(There is a deep irony in that one of the biggest things he wanted to change was saving Dome but that saving Dome in his alternative timeline still didn't really change anything for the person who lost him because Great never knew who he was, even when he shot him. And isn't that depressing?)

Most of the other characters we saw existed in Great's recreated timeline because we saw them through Great's eyes and life. Because Great wanted to live of the life of being the best, the better, finest version of himself that he wished he was. The braver version, the stronger version, the kinder version, the person that would be able to be loved by Tyme and be able to love him in return.