Is It Boys' Love? |
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One of the more problematic questions we wrestled with is "Is this a boys' love title?" We all know it when we see it, but everyone's definition is somewhat different.
The information here is intended to help you understand the definition of a boys' love title, according to the YCP. While you may disagree with some of the criteria described here, having a commonly agreed on definition will make the title entries in the lists more useful to all readers. Please use these criteria when deciding if a title belongs in these lists.
If, after looking at the criteria here, you are unsure if a title is a boys' love title, you can assume that it is a boys' love title, or you may wish to consult the readers of the amla mail list.
Note: If you are unclear on the definition of boys' love, shounen-ai, or yaoi, the Aestheticism Guide to Yaoi Anime and Manga provides an excellent definition of terms. Please read it before going further.
The following list of Publishers and/or Imprints specialize in boys' love titles. If your title is published under one of these imprints, then it is automatically considered a boys' love title, whether it fits the other definitions or not.
Some mangaka specialize in boys' love manga. Any title written by them can automatically be considered a boys' love title. Some mangaka write both boys' love and non-boys' love manga. For those mangaka, determining if a title is boys' love requires a manga by manga analysis. If you need help determining if a particular mangaka specializes in boys' love, consult this list of mangaka.
Boys' Love visual elements can be, but are not necessarily, sufficent to determine if a title is a boys' love title. In particular, titles which have a visual explicitness rating of 0 should fit additional criteria listed above. Note that boys' love titles do not have to feature implicit or explicit sexual relations.
If the title features a significant male/male romantic or intimate physical relationship, it is automatically considered a boys' love title.
The story elements listed below are NOT sufficient, by themselves, to consider a title a boys' love title.
| Story Element | Example Titles |
|---|---|
| An experimental or teasing kiss | |
| One or more peripheral m/m couples | Koko wa Greenwood, RG-Veda, Crystal Dragon, Seimaden |
| Running sexual jokes/gags | Papuwa |
| Heavy manhandling | X |
| Intensely romantic but platonic friendships | Yakumo Tatsu, Twin Earth, Onmyouji, Ppoi!, Banana Fish |
| Nonsexual/chaste/brotherly love | Nighthead, Kamui |
| Obsessions | AI Revolution, Tokyo Babylon, Yami no Matsuei |
| Antagonistic relationships/rivalries/fighting | YYH, Slam Dunk |
| A whole troupe of cool bishounens | Basara, Dragon Knights |
| A gay character, usually minor, who exists to act as a foil to the main character | |
| Pretty, soft, feminine character(s) | |
| School crushes for the cool senpai or hero | |
| Female incognito in all boys' school | |
| Partners, eg detective/occult | Combination |
| Bloodlicking | |
| Anything that has implicit homoeroticism in it but not a sexual relationship between the main characters | Angel Sanctuary, Count Cain series, Facade |
| Titles which have been often yaoified or slashed | EVA, Final Fantasy, Rurouni Kenshin, Gundam Wing |
The following titles are considered boys' love titles:
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