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I've come to notice a persistent trend in yaoi manga/manhwa that frankly gotten to the poi...

Anonymous November 5, 2023 9:01 am

I've come to notice a persistent trend in yaoi manga/manhwa that frankly gotten to the point where it just irritates me—the portrayal of buff guys as ukes. It's a creative choice, sure, but one that feels like it misses the mark on what makes characters truly appealing and multifaceted. The beauty of manga, especially within the yaoi genre, lies in the ability to explore a rich spectrum of personalities and dynamics, far beyond the traditional molds that society often imposes.

But this incessant pigeonholing of muscular/"bara" type characters into the role of ukes seems like a tired trope that's been overplayed. It's not about the physical possibility or challenging stereotypes—it's about the lack of creativity in storytelling. The fixation on this dynamic underestimates the complexity of relationships and reduces the depth of characters to mere physical attributes. There are literally so many stories that have buff characters have the seme appearance (literally), and it feels like a lost opportunity when they are continually cast as ukes, regardless of their personality or the story's context.

It's annoying because it feels like a shallow subversion of expectations—taking what is traditionally seen as a symbol of strength and masculinity and flipping it without adding anything meaningful to the narrative or character development. It's a superficial nod to diversity that doesn't actually celebrate the real diversity of human experiences and identities.

I’d love to see more balance and innovation in yaoi manga portrayals, where a character's physique isn't the be-all and end-all of their role in a relationship. It's high time that buff characters are given the narrative space to be just as varied and complex as their less muscular counterparts.

Responses
    Kittykat December 18, 2023 3:10 am
    this is so weird to me, no story need to explain why there’s a muscular bottom, many gay men in real life switch regardless of their physical appearance. like honestly what are you chatting about in yaoi most... kyavevo

    YUPPP

    Hall Enjoyer December 18, 2023 5:08 am
    Why the fuck did this topic (which at least had the mask of being an intelligent discussion about different dynamics within yoai) devolve into a thread of "Fuck you", "Fuck you too"? TheTransBiHimself

    Lmao what are you talking about?? This guy's either deeply deeply autistic or trolling or both. What part of this is an intelligent discussion lmfaooo... Just because someone writes a lot of words doesn't mean any of them are worth a shit.

    Anonymous December 18, 2023 12:37 pm
    Lmao what are you talking about?? This guy's either deeply deeply autistic or trolling or both. What part of this is an intelligent discussion lmfaooo... Just because someone writes a lot of words doesn't mean... Hall Enjoyer

    Anonymous December 18, 2023 1:02 pm
    YUPPP Kittykat

    Disagreeing with a "YUPPP" in a comment that has a nuanced opinion on something is like saying "nah" to a math problem because you don't like numbers. It's not just missing the point, it's being in a different library. Read through all my posts just to at least get an idea of where I'm coming from.

    Anonymous December 18, 2023 1:16 pm

    Well fuck, Who knew that expressing an opinion on yaoi tropes was a symptom of autism? Psychiatrists, watch out, there's a new diagnostic tool in town: manga commentary!

    Now, about the "intelligent discussion" part. I'm sorry my multi-syllable words confused you. I'll keep it simple. Manga is art, art is subjective, and discussing its trends isn't an IQ test - though if it were, I'm sure you'd be the curve everyone thanks.

    Your comment was the literary equivalent of a stick figure drawing next to a Van Gogh painting. It had the depth of a puddle in the Sahara. But hey, not everyone can appreciate the nuanced discussion of yaoi manga dynamics. Some are more suited to judging books by their covers or an image gallery of smuts scene in the story, or in your case, comments by their word count.

    But thanks for your input, Hall Enjoyer! It's always enlightening to hear from the "less words, more sense" part of the manga community. Keep enjoying those halls - I hear they're great for echo chambers.

    Hall Enjoyer December 18, 2023 8:41 pm
    Well fuck, Who knew that expressing an opinion on yaoi tropes was a symptom of autism? Psychiatrists, watch out, there's a new diagnostic tool in town: manga commentary!Now, about the "intelligent discussion" p... Anonymous

    ^turbo autism^

    Anonymous December 19, 2023 12:17 am

    Big words and small brain. I wasn't aware that expertise in yaoi manga's correlated with the inability to comprehend basic societal manners. But hey, I guess they don't teach you about respect but rather to jump-to-conclusions, share "miss-the-mark" commentary and teach you how to be a basic bitch on topics you couldn't even spell correctly because your education level is equivalent to that of a circus monkey juggling turds. It's like they skipped teaching you common sense and went straight to teaching you how to be a disappointment to your parents. It's fascinating how you equate detailed analysis on a type of character portrayal with a lack of understanding when it's clear the real lack is in appreciating a well-rounded argument. You’ve managed to turn a discussion on character depth on a type of character portrayal into a showcase of your own shallow thinking - quite the unintended plot twist. Stick to something more your speed, like picking food out of your teeth or drooling uncontrollably.

    Hall Enjoyer December 19, 2023 4:20 am
    Big words and small brain. I wasn't aware that expertise in yaoi manga's correlated with the inability to comprehend basic societal manners. But hey, I guess they don't teach you about respect but rather to jum... Anonymous

    ^ultimate level autism attack^

    Anonymous December 19, 2023 5:18 am

    Is that really it? Is that all you got, just one poorly aimed dart? It's like bringing a plastic spoon to a sword fight - not only is it ineffective, it's embarrassingly out of place. Maybe it's time to upgrade your arsenal from playground taunts to actual dialogue. I mean, you felt confused and butthurt about my message for some dipshit reason so you took time out of your life to message back to me, I fired back at you, and yet you’ve come unarmed? Just... wow. It’s not just about missing the mark; it’s about not even knowing where the target is. Seriously, what's your fuckin purpose? If this is the best you've got, maybe silence is your strongest play. After all, they say silence is golden, and in your case, it might just be platinum.

    Hall Enjoyer December 19, 2023 5:58 am
    Is that really it? Is that all you got, just one poorly aimed dart? It's like bringing a plastic spoon to a sword fight - not only is it ineffective, it's embarrassingly out of place. Maybe it's time to upgrade... Anonymous

    ^most autistic person on this website^

    Kittykat December 19, 2023 6:06 am
    ^most autistic person on this website^ Hall Enjoyer

    idk wtf yall are saying but you realize this is incredlbly ableist and disgusting right???

    Kittykat December 19, 2023 6:07 am
    Disagreeing with a "YUPPP" in a comment that has a nuanced opinion on something is like saying "nah" to a math problem because you don't like numbers. It's not just missing the point, it's being in a different ... Anonymous

    im just supporting what they said????

    Anonymous December 19, 2023 6:58 am
    im just supporting what they said???? Kittykat

    It seems like there's a bit of a mix-up here. When I pointed out the trend of buff ukes and smaller semes in yaoi , my focus was on how a story like this with this kind of pairing that gets picked up, translated, and then posted, a story with this repetitive plot mold, is becoming overly common, overshadowing other diverse and potentially richer narratives of other stories that unfortunately don't get picked up for translations. It's not about disliking this pairing per se, but about wanting a broader representation and storytelling variety of characters. Your 'YUPPP' comes off as if you're cheering for a team without knowing which game they're playing or giving a thumbs-up to a movie you haven't watched. I'm just saying that there should be more stories with diverse dynamics, like buff semes and slender ukes, to balance the scales (when I say buff semes, I mean the physique like Euijae's in the story). I point this out for other types of uke portrayals as well (i.e. androgynous ukes that get typecast as prostitutes/sex workers, etc.) . I don't mind it if they have good storylines, I just point out that there's too many stories with at same outline. It's about enriching the genre, not limiting it to one fixed pattern. Do you have thoughts on seeing a more varied portrayal of characters and relationships in these stories?

    Anonymous December 19, 2023 7:17 am

    I think that discrimination applies to physical appearance rather than a comment section of a manga reading site . I agree though, thank you for that. I'm not literally bothered in the slightest because how can I be? I've seen more originality in a generic snapchat post than that bitch's weak ass attempt for an insult. That person better stick to wiping their own sorry ass, because clearly banter clearly isn't their forte.

    Hall Enjoyer December 19, 2023 5:58 pm
    I think that discrimination applies to physical appearance rather than a comment section of a manga reading site . I agree though, thank you for that. I'm not literally bothered in the slightest because how ca... Anonymous

    Lmao if you showed this thread to a doctor they'd give you the Autism Stamp of Approval instantaneously. He'd be like "damn boy this is the most clear cut case of Super Autism I have ever seen in all my years in this profession" and then he'd gift you a copy of Dwarf Fortress and send you home

    Kittykat December 19, 2023 8:08 pm
    It seems like there's a bit of a mix-up here. When I pointed out the trend of buff ukes and smaller semes in yaoi , my focus was on how a story like this with this kind of pairing that gets picked up, translate... Anonymous

    yeah maybe stop policing other peoples replies u cannot seriously be this chronically online

    Hall Enjoyer December 19, 2023 9:51 pm
    yeah maybe stop policing other peoples replies u cannot seriously be this chronically online Kittykat

    He's trolling dude, get it together

    Anonymous December 19, 2023 10:15 pm
    yeah maybe stop policing other peoples replies u cannot seriously be this chronically online Kittykat

    Policing implies enforcing rules or standards on others. Discussing trends and expressing a wish for more variety in yaoi manga in a comment of a story isn't policing - it’s called having a conversation about interests. If pointing out a repetitive pattern and hoping for a richer narrative diversity comes off as "policing," then every book club in the world would be a police station. My aim is to comment and maybe even engage in a possible conversation about the content we both presumably enjoy, not to control how people respond. It's about sharing perspectives, not enforcing them. When I ask for your thoughts on more varied portrayals in these stories, it's an invitation to exchange ideas, not a mandate on how you should think or reply. Let's chat about it, not shut it down!

    Anonymous December 19, 2023 10:53 pm
    He's trolling dude, get it together Hall Enjoyer

    On the yaoi section of a manga reading site? Am I really hearing this from someone that needs to use autism joke material to compensate for his complete lack of wit, originality and sexual insecurities?

    Anonymous December 19, 2023 11:06 pm
    Lmao if you showed this thread to a doctor they'd give you the Autism Stamp of Approval instantaneously. He'd be like "damn boy this is the most clear cut case of Super Autism I have ever seen in all my years i... Hall Enjoyer

    Are you the human embodiment of a participation trophy? Because you give off the vibe and vocab of someone that hasn't achieved a lot in life if they tried. Homie I've heard better comebacks from a toddler with a speech impediment. And speaking of doctors, schedule an appointment with a proctologist, because you clearly need help removing your head from your ass if you need to us autism as reference material. I'm also not even surprised you suggested and referenced Dwarf Fortress because it perfectly aligns with your complete lack of taste and originality. I bet your love life is about as thrilling as the graphics in that game - nonexistent and pixelated.