Episode 198 - Yaoi, Danmei, and BL

Book Club for Masochists: a Readers’ Advisory Podcast

This episode we’re discussing the romance(?) genre(s?) of Yaoi, Danmei, and BL. We talk about tropes, themes, shelving, not understanding fiction from other cultures, and more! Plus: We probably make a bunch of mistakes.

You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system.

In this episode

Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray 🦇 | Jam Edwards

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Things We Read (or tried to…)

• Little Mushroom, vol. 1: Judgment Day by Shisi
• Stars of Chaos, vol. 1 by Priest
• Thousand Autumns, vol. 1 by Meng Xi Shi, translated by Faelicy
• The Husky and His White Cat Shizun, vol. 1 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou
• Only the Flower Knows, vol. 1 by Rihito Takarai, translated by Kimiko Kotani
• The Cat Proposed by Dentō Hayane
• 10 Dance, vol. 1 by Satoh Inoue
• My Love Mix-Up!, vol. 1 & vol. 2 by Wataru Hinekure and Aruko, translated by Jan Cash
• Given, vol. 1 by Natsuki Kizu
• The Snake Who Loved a Sparrow by Nna Natsuo, translated by Katie Kimura
• BL Metamorphosis, vol. 1 by Kaori Tsurutani, translated by Jocelyne Allen
• No. 6, vol. 1 by Atsuko Asano and Hinoki Kino
• MabuSasa, vol. 1 by Nanase

Other Media We Mentioned

• A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher
• Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, vol. 1 by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù, translated by Suika
• Manner of Death by Sammon, translated by Patcharida Chaowalit
• Heartstopper, vol. 1 by Alice Oseman
• Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat
• Fence, vol. 1 by C.S. Pacat and Johanna the Mad
• Check, Please!, vol. 1 by Ngozi Ukazu
• Gravitation by Maki Murakami (Wikipedia)
• They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
• Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Wikipedia)
• Idlewild by James Frankie Thomas
• Circulating Ideas episode 268: That Night in the Library by Eva Jurczyk – Summer Reading Spectacular

Links, Articles, and Things

• Yaoi (Wikipedia)
• Yaoi fandom (Wikipedia)
• Danmei (Wikipedia)
• Boys' Love: The History and Transformation of BL in Asia
• Intro to ”BL with AKIKO” : Who is Akiko and why is scanlation bad?
• Clamp (manga artists) (Wikipedia)
• Yuu Watase (Wikipedia)
• Wuxia (Wikipedia)
• Queerbaiting (Wikipedia)
• Bara (genre) (Wikipedia)
• Sailor Moon: The Complicated Romance of Sailor Uranus & Sailor Neptune
• Tiny Tails, Big Adventure | Bloomburrow Official Trailer | Magic: The Gathering
• Cardcaptor Sakura (Wikipedia)
• Gravity Falls (Wikipedia)
• Alan Cumming (Wikipedia)
• Eddie Izzard (Wikipedia)
• Yuri (Wikipedia)

31 Yaoi, Danmei, and BL titles available in English

Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.

Many thanks to our guest Kyuu for contributing most of these titles.

Chinese language origin (Danmei)

• Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, vol. 1 by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù, translated by Suika
• Guardian, vol. 1 by Priest
• Heaven Official's Blessing, vol. 1, by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù, translated by Suika
• The Husky and His White Cat Shizun, vol. 1 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou
• Little Mushroom, vol. 1: Judgment Day by Shisi
• Peerless by Meng Xi Shi
• The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System: Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong, vol. 1, by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù, translated by Faelicy
• Stars of Chaos, vol. 1 by Priest
• Thousand Autumns, vol. 1 by Meng Xi Shi, translated by Faelicy

Japanese language origin

• Canis, vol. 1 by ZAKK
• Classmates, vol. 1 by Asumiko Nakamura
• Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!, vol. 1 by Yuu Toyota
• The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese by Setona Mizushiro
• The Carp on the Chopping Block Jumps Twice by Setona Mizushiro
• Even So, I Will Love You Tenderly by Kou Yoneda
• Hirano and Kagiura, vol. 1 by Shou Harusono, translated by Leighann Harvey
• Manner of Death, vol. 1 by Sammon and Yukari Umemoto, translated by Emma Schumacker (adapted from Thai original)
• No Touching at All by Kou Yoneda
• Old Fashioned Cupcake by Sagan Sagan
• Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide, vol. 1 by Mone Sorai, translated by Katie Kimura
• Seven Days: Monday–Sunday by Venio Tachibana and Rihito Takarai
• Sasaki and Miyano, vol. 1 by Shou Harusono
• S by Saki Aida and Chiharu Nara
• Tokyo Babylon, vol. 1 by Clamp

Korean language origin

Many Korean language novels and comics are available in English via a subscription or pay-per-chapter model and may not be available to library systems, but we did not want to exclude the breadth of Korean series when so many are legally available in English. Some of these require creating accounts to view.

• Dangerous Convenience Store by 945, translated by Su-a Min
• Hard Boiled Love by Gwendolyn and Huingin
• Opposites Attract by Oryu
• Red Candy by Hanse
• Semantic Error by Angy and J. Soori
• Shutline by KYOU
• Wet Sand by DOYAK

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Join us again on Tuesday, August 20th it’s time for our Summer Media Update! What have we been reading, playing, listening to, etc. over the summer?

Then on Tuesday, September 3rd it’s time for episode 200 and we’ll be talking about Library fiction!