I am undoubtedly going to get myself in trouble with this one.    (And please do not post pictures!) ;)

While perusing other forums, blogs, myspace(s), facebooks, fan sites - to name a few, I have come across these icons/avatars that show characters from particular movies, animated and in compromising positions. The the other night, The Son and I were walking and he said to me how they have ruined Harry Potter with icons showing Potter and Malfoy together.

So I have been researching this, trying to figure out exactly what it is and what it means.

Turns out, it is called Yaoi and Yuri.

Yaoi - sexually explicit homosexual interaction between males in animation

Yuri - sexually explicit homosexual interaction between females in animation

This isn't to try and start a great debate, or fight. It isn't politics or religious beliefs... I am just asking why?
It seems in my research as well that the fan base consists of very young females and males because they take the currently popular anime shows and turn them around on the net. (Yet it is explained that females watch the male anime, while males watch the female anime)

To my horror, they have even done this with Disney's Kingdom Hearts Video game!

So I guess my question is Why and What is the Attraction?

Anybody know what I am talking about?
Anything anyone could offer in order for it to make sense to me, would be greatly appreciated!

Tam

I do, I personally have no problem with either.

I am undoubtedly going to get myself in trouble with this one.     (And please do not post pictures!) ;)

While perusing other forums, blogs, myspace(s), facebooks, fan sites - to name a few, I have come across these icons/avatars that show characters from particular movies, animated and in compromising positions. The the other night, The Son and I were walking and he said to me how they have ruined Harry Potter with icons showing Potter and Malfoy together.

So I have been researching this, trying to figure out exactly what it is and what it means.

Turns out, it is called Yaoi and Yuri.

Yaoi - sexually explicit homosexual interaction between males in animation

Yuri - sexually explicit homosexual interaction between females in animation

This isn't to try and start a great debate, or fight. It isn't politics or religious beliefs... I am just asking why?
It seems in my research as well that the fan base consists of very young females and males because they take the currently popular anime shows and turn them around on the net. (Yet it is explained that females watch the male anime, while males watch the female anime)

To my horror, they have even done this with Disney's Kingdom Hearts Video game!

So I guess my question is Why and What is the Attraction?

Anybody know what I am talking about?
Anything anyone could offer in order for it to make sense to me, would be greatly appreciated!

Tam


So the first question you ask is why. The answer to this question is simple to me. Our world is going down the drain. Others may disagree with me but it doesn't matter that is my opinion and this thread was not made to discuss such opinion. But htat is my answer to why. Along with the underage use of illegal drugs and alcohol teenagers have decided that it is entertaining and pleasing to draw and film or watch and look at such things as yaoi and yuri.

As to the question of what is the attraction, this answer also comes to me simply. As our society develops and inturn destroys itself we create more advanced technology. The invention make it possible for people to make digital graphicized people look almost real. This in turn makes some  people feel as if they aren't watching a cartoon but real people doing the real thing. Even in cartoons that are not graphicized to look almost exactly like humans people still find some resemblance and still find the images pleasing.

These are mearly just my opinions. Whethere these are the real reason or not I do not know so do not put something on here that is completely opposite of what i think and then try to pull the whole I'm right and you are wrong act on me. Like I said this is only my OPINION!!

I actually own some Yuri images(no surprise)... I do have some fanfic based stuff, although I'm not sure how much are actually in that category. Not all Yaoi and Yuri are fanfic based, however....

I've also look at Yaoi out of curiousity, mainly seeing Naruto & Sasuke stuff as well as some other

As for what's appealing about... That depends on the person...

Of course, I'm the anime fetishist type... So I know why I like Yuri.

There are actually more innocent levels of Yaoi & Yuri:

Shonen Ai: Is the more tame and innocent level of Yaoi, sort of innocent crush the characters have.

Shojo Ai: The more tame, innocent level of Yuri, same sort of innocent crush the characters have.



Some of the Yaoi and Yuri are actually comedic.. just depends on how it's being done. Others are really explicit and take an aquired taste.

Edit: I don't own a ton of Yuri though.... Thought I'd let that out in edit.

Thanks Step-Chan!

I can totally understand the whole 'porn' part of it, obviously human nature dictates what we like and what we don't like. I guess I just don't get the whole animated side of it. To me, they are cartoons and nothing more. How can one fantasize about a cartoon? (Sorry, I am not poking at you either ie. Catgirls etc)

I would assume then that the original artists have given consent for these fanatics to go ahead and destroy their creations? Or has there been a case at all yet where an artist has filed suit against said Yaoi or Yuri? Surely if the original artist feels it is ok then it must be deemed appropriate for every level of everything to be conveyed as Yaoi or Yuri? And since it is mostly anime but streaming towards mainstream movies that are being reproduced for these two genres, is it ok then to assume that Spiderman will soon be Yaoi with Wolverine?

Using original drawings, pics etc. aside, even if these creators of Yaoi hand draw their own interpretations of characters, would it not be considered illegal reproduction since all are pretty much trademarked?

Too many questions?

So the first question you ask is why. The answer to this question is simple to me. Our world is going down the drain. Others may disagree with me but it doesn't matter that is my opinion and this thread was not made to discuss such opinion. But htat is my answer to why. Along with the underage use of illegal drugs and alcohol teenagers have decided that it is entertaining and pleasing to draw and film or watch and look at such things as yaoi and yuri.

As to the question of what is the attraction, this answer also comes to me simply. As our society develops and inturn destroys itself we create more advanced technology. The invention make it possible for people to make digital graphicized people look almost real. This in turn makes some  people feel as if they aren't watching a cartoon but real people doing the real thing. Even in cartoons that are not graphicized to look almost exactly like humans people still find some resemblance and still find the images pleasing.

These are mearly just my opinions. Whethere these are the real reason or not I do not know so do not put something on here that is completely opposite of what i think and then try to pull the whole I'm right and you are wrong act on me. Like I said this is only my OPINION!!


Thank you Son.
It amazes me just how much you are growing up right before my eyes.

You say that technology has made cartoons appear more real, but we know they are cartoons. This is where I get hung up all the time. It just doesn't make sense to me. You and I have had this discussion several times already today and I still come back to the same thing. They are Cartoons....

Thanks Step-Chan!

I can totally understand the whole 'porn' part of it, obviously human nature dictates what we like and what we don't like. I guess I just don't get the whole animated side of it. To me, they are cartoons and nothing more. How can one fantasize about a cartoon? (Sorry, I am not poking at you either ie. Catgirls etc)

I would assume then that the original artists have given consent for these fanatics to go ahead and destroy their creations? Or has there been a case at all yet where an artist has filed suit against said Yaoi or Yuri? Surely if the original artist feels it is ok then it must be deemed appropriate for every level of everything to be conveyed as Yaoi or Yuri? And since it is mostly anime but streaming towards mainstream movies that are being reproduced for these two genres, is it ok then to assume that Spiderman will soon be Yaoi with Wolverine?

Using original drawings, pics etc. aside, even if these creators of Yaoi hand draw their own interpretations of characters, would it not be considered illegal reproduction since all are pretty much trademarked?

Too many questions?


As far as i know no artist has ever given any kind of consent for their original creations to be turned into Yaoi nad/or Yuri. An artist cannot exactly file suit either because if they file suit against one person then they are expected to track down every single person in the world who draws yaoi/yuri images of their characters and posts them online to sue them too. If an artist did file suit and not atleast attempt to find more people who draw such things, this artist may well be accused of racism, or being sexist against the persons race and gender. In the end the artist as at loss because of simple harmless fan fiction. Yes I say it is harmless even against the show because if there are people who like yaoi and yuri who have never heard of the show then seeing the images of the show will tempt them to watch it. Thus the show has more veiwers and does not die out.

Thanks Step-Chan!

I can totally understand the whole 'porn' part of it, obviously human nature dictates what we like and what we don't like. I guess I just don't get the whole animated side of it. To me, they are cartoons and nothing more. How can one fantasize about a cartoon? (Sorry, I am not poking at you either ie. Catgirls etc)

I would assume then that the original artists have given consent for these fanatics to go ahead and destroy their creations? Or has there been a case at all yet where an artist has filed suit against said Yaoi or Yuri? Surely if the original artist feels it is ok then it must be deemed appropriate for every level of everything to be conveyed as Yaoi or Yuri? And since it is mostly anime but streaming towards mainstream movies that are being reproduced for these two genres, is it ok then to assume that Spiderman will soon be Yaoi with Wolverine?

Using original drawings, pics etc. aside, even if these creators of Yaoi hand draw their own interpretations of characters, would it not be considered illegal reproduction since all are pretty much trademarked?

Too many questions?


Some of the Yuri I collect, I just like the art, some of it is for more *ahem* Jiraiya the Pervy Sage reasons....(Naruto reference)

I don't know why the catgirl thing keeps coming back up....  ::) :D ;D

(Sense my fetish is more anime-centric in general with a heavy catgirl/animal girl theme... but I have plenty of other themes too)

As for copyright laws... I'm don't remember 100%, but I think there are more lenient copyright laws in Japan(Which is why Yaoi and Yuri doujinshi are easier to get away with), people can actually get away with publishing ero-doujin of other comics.

If that happened here in the US, regardless if they profitted from it or not... It would cause some serious legal problems when it's found out by the original creators... I don't think we'll see Spiderman being lovey dovey Cho Aniki style with Wolverine anytime soon. Although I'm not too sure if I'm correct about this assumption either.


Was the Harry Potter Yaoi made here or in Japan? If was in Japan, that's why it was easy for them to get away. If it was here, I'm surprised that it hasn't been targeted for a lawsuit by now.

Doujinshi: Fan made/Undeground comic

Ero-Doujin: Erotic fan made comic

Cho Aniki: A video game, shooter series(in the vain of Gradius) with homo-erotic overtones.

Going off topic, I know song parodies go into a grey area... which means it's basically legal to do without permission, although lawsuits can still happen.

This thread made me think of this comic(it's safe)

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa261/chibichibi__13/1.jpg

Click here for a better view