I just registered for Yaoicon 2016, so what better topic to write about for my monthly post than yaoi. Yaoi, for those who aren’t already familiar with it, is defined as “slang meaning ‘boys love’ or homosexuality that is used in the Japanese language.” (Source: Urban Dictionary) Yaoi is definitely aimed at women, but as it’s become more sophisticated, it’s gained a strong following among men as well.
My introduction to gay romance came not by “slashing” characters from my favorite book or anime, but in the form of a yaoi manga: “The Crimson Spell,” by Ayano Yamane (finally back in print and in English, you can find it on Amazon and other retailers). Vald and Havi (that’s them in the picture) have inspired sex scenes in my original works and even inspired a work in progress that’s been simmering on the back burner for a few years.
For those who might not be familiar with the manga, “Crimson Spell” is populated by stunningly beautiful men (more toward the masculine than the feminine), an exciting fantasy/adventure plot, and lot and LOTS of incredibly hot sex. Swoon, drool, hot, hot, HOT sex. Havi, the powerful wizard, falls for Vald, the handsome and incredibly naïve prince who comes to Havi seeking to break a curse that transforms him into a demon at night. Havi, brilliant (and sexy) wizard that he is, realizes pretty quickly that he can tame the prince’s demon through sex. The prince, who at last begins to realize what’s been happening to him when he’s in his demon form, realizes that he may be a bit more interested in Havi than he’d like to admit. Perfect, yaoi heaven! Dubcon (dubious consent) becomes consensual and, true to yaoi memes, Vald fights his attraction to the obviously gay Havi. No, we still haven’t gotten a HEA yet. *sighs*
So how do you get from yaoi fantasy, which really has so little to do with real relationships, to writing gay romances? It’s not all that difficult, really. If you boil down the main elements of yaoi—mutual attraction, fighting mutual attraction, hot sex, a plot to move things along, and finally surrender—you get the “bones” of a real-world romance. Sure, not all romances follow this formula, but a ton of them do, especially the classic category romances (Harlequins or, more recently, Dreamspinner Press’s Dreamspun Desires line). Why does it work? Romantic tension and sweet resolution.
MC #1 claims he’s not interested, MC #2 pursues (the typical Harlequin het romance setup I remember from when I was a kid). The two MCs butt heads because neither wants to admit he is in love. Eventually, as the plot carries the two men along, they realize they can’t fight the attraction anymore and, bingo, true love (and hot sex). In the case of most yaoi, this tug of war would either be drawn out over endless chapters or replayed in each chapter. Finally, the story ends with confessions of love on both sides.
Why do we love the formula so much? Because the ultimate admission of love is the most satisfyingly sweet reward for all the angst we suffer along the way. You feel the angst in your gut, you scream at the characters to stop being such idiots and just frigging ADMIT IT! So when you get to the long-awaited happily-ever-after, it’s as good as the inevitable climax of a great sex scene. Maybe even more satisfying.
Not all yaoi passes my personal tests for realistic gay sex or for healthy relationships. Older yaoi often portrayed non-consensual sex that ended up in a love relationship. I’m seeing a lot less of that these days (thankfully). Sure, there are a great deal of “gay for you” tropes in yaoi, which aren’t my personal favorites, but many of the newer yaoi show realistic contemporary gay relationships. More and more, yaoi is less about porn and more about sweet and sexy romance with well-developed plots. Yaoi has evolved, much as gay romance has evolved over the years.
I’ve published about twenty books now, but I still go back to reading and watching yaoi when I need to recharge my batteries. So if you’re planning on being in San Francisco over the September 17th weekend, stop by the Dreamspinner Press booth, say hello, and maybe pick up a few books while you’re at it! -Shira
My love of yaoi led me to finding MM stories. I still read and enjoy both. The only problem with yaoi is getting into a story toward the beginning and having to wait for the releases. I tend to only read a series when it is completed. At least with MM stories, you usually have some form of closure at the end of the book and can look forward to the next book without feeling like you are stopping and starting a story at random spots through it.