Things only become clearer when we take a look to the West, where such media have become more common. Personally, I believe our obsession with (or distaste for) yaoi and yuri has only clouded our judgement towards the matter. If not, many chose to stay away from the series some just for the plain and simple reason that “yaoi” made them uncomfortable.Įither way, it shows us that we have a long way to go. Looking at how Yuri!!! On ICE was received, for example, many went ahead and over-sexualised situations, as if to “fill in the blanks” left by the production team. If we’re to be honest with ourselves, most of the ACG community still exists on extreme ends of the spectrum. But unfortunately, the reactions from audiences were not. the type of shows we’re used to – the difference in intention here is clear. Hibike! Euphonium, Free! Iwatobi Swimming Club, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, a.k.a. And that is something I will always protect.”Ĭompared to shows that blatantly use yaoi and yuri subtext to their (sales) advantage – e.g. Translation: “No matter what real people think of this anime, within its world no one is ever going to be discriminated against because of what they like. That’s what makes a show like Yuri!!! On ICE – a story that directly goes against the grain – carry such a powerful message for the current ACG landscape perhaps best articulated by the show’s writer herself, Kubo Mitsurou: For example: Finding gay people disgusting despite enjoying yuri, or openly disliking lesbians despite enjoying yaoi. Most of us like it despite not being LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) ourselves.īut what’s worse is how frighteningly common it is for people to remain bigoted towards the LGBTQ community despite liking yaoi and yuri. Not that anything is wrong with enjoying homoeroticism. It is a clear example of homoeroticism in art, referring to homosexual desires which can be temporary, as opposed to homosexuality, which is a permanent identity and sexual orientation. And if we can be real for a moment: yaoi and yuri is a fetish. Throughout the series, Yuri and Viktor may have had plenty of romantic and sexual tension, but it never escalated further to the point of fetishising it. Many would claim that Yuri!!! On ICE is considered a yaoi, but I beg to differ. A screencap from Tiger and Bunny an example of a famous yaoi series.