Yuri on Ice, a light-hearted love story between a retired master Russian figure skater and his Japanese apprentice, falls under “BL,” or “Boys’ Love” which is a direct translation of shonen’ai (少年愛-literally, “boy love”) an older term for BL manga that fell out of usage in Japan.Īnother disappearing term for BL is yaoi. Yuri on Ice and My Brother’s Husband are good examples of these two subgenres. Gay manga has two major subgenres, not to mention the huge variety of plotlines ranging from futuristic dystopian societies to gay cops fighting crime and finding love. Get ready to blush, gasp and “ kyaaa!” as we delve into why gay manga is so popular, and how to navigate an already huge international fandom. While the topics covered in Japanese anime and manga are seemingly endless, if recent hits like Yuri on Ice (2016), or My Brother’s Husband (2014-2017) are any indication, gay and homoerotic relationships fill an extremely popular niche in manga plotlines.īut, My Brother’s Husband (which was was remade last year into an NHK drama) and Yuri on Ice are only the tip of the iceberg.
