Why Do Women Like Yaoi? Unraveling The Fujoshi - Suki Desu

Do you know the terms Fujoshi and Fudanshi? Have you ever wondered why so many women like yaoi? If you are an otaku, you must have noticed at anime events or on the internet a large fanbase of girls who are fans of anime and manga of the Yaoi genre (shonen-ai or BL).

For those who don’t know yet, yaoi is a genre of homosexual romance between men. What makes women like this genre so much? In this article, we will uncover the secret of fujoshi.

It is worth noting that there is a difference between Yaoi and BL that many Westerners do not take into account. Generally, a Yaoi is considered explicit content, but most of the time, fujoshi only enjoy BL (Boys Love) or Shounen-Ai romances; we use the term Yaoi because of its breadth, but it does not mean that the girls mentioned in this article watch explicit scenes.

Why am I writing about fujoshi?

Women who like yaoi are called fujoshi, which means poor/corrupted; this term was designated by them. Some are indeed lost and devour this material uncontrollably. The fact that a girl reads these works does not mean she is LGBT.

Why this question? I notice that the number of men who like the yuri genre is much smaller than the fanbase of women who like the yaoi genre. It is common to find girls at events wearing shirts that say I Love Yaoi and things like that, but nothing about the yuri genre.

I myself cannot see the appeal in yuri, much less in yaoi, besides going against my principles. Understand something, having principles and not liking something is different from being prejudiced! The fact is that we should not generalize women in this world because not all anime fan girls like this genre; some hate it! Each person has their own tastes and reasons for liking or disliking something.

Another important thing we need to highlight is that most yaoi works are written by women. So it is obvious to think that the yaoi genre was made more for women than for homosexuals. Researching in various places on the Internet, I will try to answer why fujoshi women like yaoi.

When we talk about yaoi, people think of sex. However, yaoi in general is just a romance like shoujo; some go further, but it is not usually heavy like a hentai. So we cannot belittle women or call them perverts just because they say they like yaoi. There are levels that are shounen-ai (light), yaoi (medium), and lemon (heavy).

What makes a girl like yaoi?

Something that attracts girls in yaoi works is the number of good-looking male characters. Just as men are attracted to fanservice, ecchi, and sensual characters in shonen anime, girls are attracted by the beauty of the characters in yaoi anime and also by the great fanservice.

Another key factor is the simple fact of being a taboo. Most of these works show a forbidden and impossible love or a great plot and difficulty. People are attracted to things considered different, secret, and forbidden. Some researchers claim that BL (boy love) is a form of escapism for women trapped in the traditional and limited world of Japan.

Yaoi is a filled dish for girls, a harem full of mysterious and secret men. The protagonists of BL works are not usually those failed and shy shoujo protagonists who cannot talk to women. Perhaps this is a big reason why women

Although shy, honest, and vulnerable men fail to get women in real life, this is one of the reasons women like BL. This genre shows that men are not always alpha males and strong as mainstream media portrays. It is a pity many of them do not choose men like that in real life.

Women also put themselves in the place of one of the protagonists or even both protagonists in the work. Sometimes they want to feel aggressive or passive in their real relationships and immerse themselves in this world. Other Japanese women have said they like to read these works on trains in Japan to repel men.

Fujoshi – Why do girls like yaoi?

We can conclude that women like yaoi not only for the story but also because it is much more developed than simple shoujo. Many BL works do not even have kisses; they are just about feelings and difficulties. For some reason, women find this cute.

For many women, the BL genre is something that works only when reading in a manga and not in anime. They do not care much about what happens graphically; they want to know about the plot and the feelings expressed between the characters. Their difficulties, their struggles, and desires.

The anime does not even need to be shonen-ai or yaoi; it just needs to have a bunch of shirtless boys. Could this be another main reason? If you want to know more about the life of a fujoshi, we recommend watching the shoujo anime Watashi ga Motete Dousunda. Girls can identify themselves as soon as they notice the habit of shipping men.

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The Origin of the Term Fujoshi

We have already mentioned that the meaning of the term fujoshi, where [腐] means poor, decayed, and corrupted, but there are some curiosities regarding this term that we have not highlighted yet.

The term fujoshi was first used as a misogynistic insult on the popular online forum 2channel around the early 2000s in anime and game fan communities.

They earned this term because they were shipping male couples in works where homosexual relationships were not present. They received this term because some said they were unsuitable for marriage.

This was not the first term used to refer to girls who like to read works about homosexual relationships.

In the past, women referred to themselves as kifujin [貴腐人], which meant something like noble woman. This all references a character nicknamed ochufujin [お蝶夫人] from a 1972 manga series Ace wo Narae by Sumika Yamamoto.

The term fujoshi appeared around 2005 in a Japanese magazine to refer to the female Otaku; just a few years later, the term began to segment into the Yaoi world.

Fudanshi – Men Also Like Yaoi

It is somewhat obvious that homosexual men also like Yaoi and Boy Loves. Since we mentioned the entire article about Fujoshi, I think it is worth briefly mentioning the male version of the term fudanshi.

The fudanshi (腐男子) is the male version, that is, the guy who is a fan of yaoi. But it does not necessarily mean that he is homosexual; many also just appreciate the romances.

Although yaoi works are directed at girls, men generally like these works because they do not impose and preach aggression, authoritarianism, and dominance.

Fudanshis would be men who do not want or cannot accept masculinity, but it does not mean that they like men; they still prefer girls.

Men generally sympathize with femboy (trap) characters in traditional anime. So there is no real prejudice from heterosexual men regarding art and crossdress clothing in anime.

What is your opinion on the subject? What do you think of the genre? Are you a girl who likes the genre? Do you consider yourself a Fujoshi? Comment on why you like this genre.

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