I may not be as knee deep in BL as I was a year ago, but I try to keep up with what's current. Recently I fell upon a discussion where individuals commented on how they were sick of reading BL where it was just about the men falling in love. They wanted something more. They wanted action and adventure with a nice side of love. What these ladies failed to realize is BL is a sub genre of romance; therefore the focus is romance. If the story's focus is adventure than it is an adventure story; it's no longer in the realm of BL just because two guys fall in love at some point in the story.
Think of it this way, it's like reading a mystery novel and then giving it the critique that it focused too much on mystery and the romance should be at the forefront of the story. Sounds a little absurd, right?
Mystery is read for the mystery, adventure for the adventure, and BL for the boys love.
I am not implying genre's can't mix and have awesome little spliced babies, this happens all the time. We've all read or seen a good action/romance. But you're misleading yourself if you come to the BL genre expecting the action to be something other than what goes on between the sheets.
I just found your blog and I was like, "Why aren't I reading this?!" Anyways, I read BL FOR the romance, it's my escape from the reality of real love.
ReplyDeleteSomehow real love just isn't as flowery and amazing as it is in BL manga. I enjoy the fairy tale enough to enjoy some good BL romance. I've watched enough Gay movies and TV series to kill a horse. Yet BL manga and novels always come out on top. They seem more connected to the "love" part rather than the "indescriminate sex" part.
I didn't even know the whole "BL Romance" was even an issue. Guess I should get move involved in the fandom customers than I am.
Yep, it's BL~
ReplyDeleteBoy's Love. Not Boy's Lust or whatever they might think it is.
And, BL is about relationships between men not action, horror, mumbos. I agree with you. :D
BL is like romance for Het. pairings and Shoujo-ai/Yuri for girlxgirl pairings~ :D