The idea that yuri is inherently sexual or erotic is a thing Western comics fans made up like 15 years ago, it's not a thing in Japanese. There's been a handful of different authors who say they dislike the label but not because it's sexual but because it's a specific genre with conventions and fans with annoying expectations, as we're seeing live in this very thread.

Yeah, that is more in line with what she actually said during that older interview. I don't know where this idea that "yuri" implies sexual content comes from. Ironically, "Shoujo Ai" is a unique tag that I don't think is interchangeable and if I understand its usage correctly, is the more sexually charged term in Japan. Someone can correct me.

Don't know if it's true but I've heard multiple people say the phrase "shoujo ai" in Japanese has lolicon vibes to it. What I am confident in is that it's not an actual genre name or commonly used tag.

Yes, that is what I've understood as well. Any article about the subject and its usage in Japan has always made that distinction. I know western sites will use Shoujo Ai still, so I imagine that's what that commenter meant but I wanted to clarify that the distinction is largely a western one based on what any authority on the subject has ever said on the issue.

last edited at Apr 22, 2024 4:36PM

No worries I don’t mind

You seem to have 0 intelligence or mental faculties anyways

The idea that yuri is inherently sexual or erotic is a thing Western comics fans made up like 15 years ago, it's not a thing in Japanese. There's been a handful of different authors who say they dislike the label but not because it's sexual but because it's a specific genre with conventions and fans with annoying expectations, as we're seeing live in this very thread.

Yeah, that is more in line with what she actually said during that older interview. I don't know where this idea that "yuri" implies sexual content comes from. Ironically, "Shoujo Ai" is a unique tag that I don't think is interchangeable and if I understand its usage correctly, is the more sexually charged term in Japan. Someone can correct me.

Don't know if it's true but I've heard multiple people say the phrase "shoujo ai" in Japanese has lolicon vibes to it. What I am confident in is that it's not an actual genre name or commonly used tag.

Yes, that is what I've understood as well. Any article about the subject and its usage in Japan has always made that distinction.

Youre just making stuff up lol, you guys are unhinged

I may not have intelligence or mental faculties but at least I can actually enjoy this comic about gay alt rock girls. If mental faculties means you can't enjoy good art then forget em, I say.

I may not have intelligence or mental faculties but at least I can actually enjoy this comic about gay alt rock girls. If mental faculties means you can't enjoy good art then forget em, I say.

This manga is barely gay

That’s the point

The term being corrupted by westerners does not destroy the original intent of shoujo ai . It’s basic research, you can just look at references, read actual articles, consume the manga and content tagged it, etc l. Idk why you guys are over complicating it and trying to tie loli in, it’s pretty dishonest and bad faith

I wasn't discussing anything with you. You're involving yourself in a conversation that wasn't about anything you said. I'll leave it at that. It doesn't feel like there's much to discuss with you anyway.

last edited at Apr 22, 2024 4:41PM

I may not have intelligence or mental faculties but at least I can actually enjoy this comic about gay alt rock girls. If mental faculties means you can't enjoy good art then forget em, I say.

Yeah good art, same face syndrome harsh lines and green everywhere, it’s such good art , especially when the girls like barely interact in chaps. So gay and Amazin

The term being corrupted by westerners does not destroy the original intent of shoujo ai . It’s basic research, you can just look at references, read actual articles, consume the manga and content tagged it, etc l. Idk why you guys are over complicating it and trying to tie loli in, it’s pretty dishonest and bad faith

I wasn't discussing anything with you. You're involving yourself in a conversation that wasn't about anything you said. I'll leave it at that. It doesn't feel like there's much to discuss with you anyway.

It’s an online forum if you want a private convo take it to dms

The term being corrupted by westerners does not destroy the original intent of shoujo ai . It’s basic research, you can just look at references, read actual articles, consume the manga and content tagged it, etc l. Idk why you guys are over complicating it and trying to tie loli in, it’s pretty dishonest and bad faith

You can go read Wikipedia and they'll literally tell you the exact same stuff lol. They've even got a bunch of citations and junk, but I'll let our resident brain genius look them up if you don't believe it lol
https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/shoujo_ai

Anyways, gnight yall, beware new readers : is not yuri, and girls are barely in it after late vol 2

The term being corrupted by westerners does not destroy the original intent of shoujo ai . It’s basic research, you can just look at references, read actual articles, consume the manga and content tagged it, etc l. Idk why you guys are over complicating it and trying to tie loli in, it’s pretty dishonest and bad faith

You can go read Wikipedia and they'll literally tell you the exact same stuff lol. They've even got a bunch of citations and junk, but I'll let our resident brain genius look them up if you don't believe it lol
https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/shoujo_ai

Someone didn’t read their own wiki page they sent, embarrassing

Do you know what slang means? Did you actually read the sources, the “citations”? What about other articles? Anyways I’ve no desire to continue a debate with a bad faith idiot

last edited at Apr 22, 2024 4:45PM

The term being corrupted by westerners does not destroy the original intent of shoujo ai . It’s basic research, you can just look at references, read actual articles, consume the manga and content tagged it, etc l. Idk why you guys are over complicating it and trying to tie loli in, it’s pretty dishonest and bad faith

You can go read Wikipedia and they'll literally tell you the exact same stuff lol. They've even got a bunch of citations and junk, but I'll let our resident brain genius look them up if you don't believe it lol
https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/shoujo_ai

That wiki description does discuss Shoujo-AI's connection to underage content, but there are many interesting articles out there about the issue too. Some books as well. Anyway, I just wanted to double-check the usage differences, since they came up in the discussion. Thanks for chiming in.

last edited at Apr 22, 2024 4:49PM

Well now that that's over, we can get back to talking about this gay comic full of gays. Hey y'all remember just like a month ago there was a chapter where Aya said to Mitsuki directly "you are the same person as 'onii-san'", thus telling her to her face that all those feelings of love apply to her? God this comic is good.

It’s an online forum if you want a private convo take it to dms

You're right, this is an online forum, and that means there are rules.
This is your only warning to stop being an asshole to others, especially over semantics.
If you do not like this work, then move on and let others who want to enjoy it do so.

wow~ all that previous stuff hahaha Not really to add something relevant, mostly because my japanese is really basic to mediocre but one of the interviews I read in which the author indeed said she didn't want to call this manga "yuri" (or she didn't think of it with this label) was because it didn't "fit" her experience in romance. Was something like this:

The yuri she read was already with the person knowing they liked girls or "knew" that their love was indeed romantic love, or if the protagonist didn't accept it, she still had that inner thoughts of "why I like her so much". But in her case she never knew what separes friends to lovers with girls love (talking in a young age), and that was the story she wanted to write, because she tried writing/drawing "yuri" a good few times but she didn't feel them like "her"

Again, this is not the absolute truth, but they are little parts I read some time ago; and is always good to search the interview yourself or better a person with good japanese. And if not~ just enjoy this manga, I think that is the real important thing here haha

last edited at Apr 22, 2024 8:49PM

I think it makes perfect sense that high school yuri especially doesn't ever really fit my experience actually being a teenage sapphic. Especially since I didn't go to a private super high class all girls Catholic school like apparently 90% of kids in Japan go to, if yuri manga is telling me the truth :P

There's a few different adult "yuri" manga that has this feel like "This is not inspired by other yuri manga it's inspired by real life". Stuff like how Run Away With Me Girl spends a lot of time on the emotional battle of the pull of personal gay desires and the pull of your whole entire world telling you to be straight instead (much to the consternation of the comment section lol), or Ohana Holoholo's portrayal of bisexuality (much to the consternation of the comment section lol).

The Guy I Liked is the first time I've seen this kind of approach used for a teenage story. I honestly think the biggest obstacle a lot of angry posters have is that this isn't a story about a gay romance. It's a story about being gay. And a whole lot of gays spend their whole teenage years without any romance because we're all so anxious and isolated and frequently soaking in the self-denial society demands from all queers of all stripes. The fact that these girls have gotten as far as they have in how long they've known each other? Well above the curve when we compare them to real gay kids instead of yuri manga.

last edited at Apr 22, 2024 9:06PM

I never meant to imply that Yuri = smut, I just explained how the tag is used by many (In France too), same goes for Yaoi vs Shonen ai. I myself just call them all "romance" lol. By the way, I took into account how Sumiko lived abroad and considers Japanese half of her identity, so maybe it's safe to say that she sees how both the Japanese and Western depicts "Yuri". All in all, the way she describes her fav shows + her own story, there is an emphasis on how she likes the natural progression of romance.

I hope we won't have to deal with this "bait" conversation every chapter. This is getting old and vicious, first they get angry at Narita, now the idea that Sumiko is getting paid is all of a sudden a crime... at the very least, you can see that the backing she has (and deserves) is wonderful news if you're hoping for an anime adaptation.

Anyway, change of subject. I can't wait for the drama CD's release, I wonder what the setting will be.

last edited at Apr 23, 2024 1:21AM

It’s an online forum if you want a private convo take it to dms

You're right, this is an online forum, and that means there are rules.
This is your only warning to stop being an asshole to others, especially over semantics.
If you do not like this work, then move on and let others who want to enjoy it do so.

Who is being an asshole? Not me. I responded as an ass to 2 people who were assholes to me/didn't agree with me in a rude way(see were not strawmanning, were ignoring cuz ur opinions are worthless - and you didnt warn them) But I can see that you don't like my opinion and so just want me to shut up. I am not "being rude to people about the semantics of yuri" I had an opinion on the quality of the yuri in the manga, and so wanted to warn other people. I very much enjoyed volume 1, read volume 2, started getting a bit weirded out by the sudden injection of new cast members and the push of the couple into the background, and then i took a break. Reread the whole series a few days ago, and came to inform others like me(who read yuri for yuri) that it isn't exactly yuri, but more sapphic tinged rock manga.

last edited at Apr 23, 2024 8:41AM

Can you nerds stop nerd-raging at each other over dumb nerd shit and either enjoy the manga or GTFO? No need to announce your departure either, this ain't an airport.

Anyway, Aya is scared of bugs but surprisingly Mitsuki's no good with them either? That's... what's it called? Gap moe? You'd think the smooth rocker girl would be able to handle bugs, but nope! Also, those two are sharing a tent? I know it'll probably jump to the next day or after the rock fes, but a chapter with them settling in for the night would be really cute.

Imagine if Mitsuki has that Beck dream too lol.
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8210/8243821142_ec1ae25666.jpg

I know it'll probably jump to the next day or after the rock fes, but a chapter with them settling in for the night would be really cute.

It'll for sure be the next day, but I don't think we're done with the festival.

last edited at Apr 23, 2024 9:34AM

It’s an online forum if you want a private convo take it to dms

You're right, this is an online forum, and that means there are rules.
This is your only warning to stop being an asshole to others, especially over semantics.
If you do not like this work, then move on and let others who want to enjoy it do so.

Who is being an asshole? Not me. I responded as an ass to 2 people who were assholes to me/didn't agree with me in a rude way(see were not strawmanning, were ignoring cuz ur opinions are worthless - and you didnt warn them) But I can see that you don't like my opinion and so just want me to shut up. I am not "being rude to people about the semantics of yuri" I had an opinion on the quality of the yuri in the manga, and so wanted to warn other people. I very much enjoyed volume 1, read volume 2, started getting a bit weirded out by the sudden injection of new cast members and the push of the couple into the background, and then i took a break. Reread the whole series a few days ago, and came to inform others like me(who read yuri for yuri) that it isn't exactly yuri, but more sapphic tinged rock manga.

Trying to hide behind "it was my opinion" isn't going to work when you were framing it as personal insults.
That was your only warning, you can sit out for a month.

Narita-kun the bisexual king we all deserve!

"If you ask me, I'm more into..."
Watching, right? Please say it's watching, haha.

manifesting gay narita (praying hands emoji)

also I know the exact vibe the manga is communicating, of the campsight at night with people you really love to hang out with and it does it so perfectly, the convos about Real Shit (even if it's silly) while u brush your teeth by flash light in a campsite bathroom... i think that's where the human spirit is meant to live.

I think it makes perfect sense that high school yuri especially doesn't ever really fit my experience actually being a teenage sapphic. Especially since I didn't go to a private super high class all girls Catholic school like apparently 90% of kids in Japan go to, if yuri manga is telling me the truth :P

There's a few different adult "yuri" manga that has this feel like "This is not inspired by other yuri manga it's inspired by real life". Stuff like how Run Away With Me Girl spends a lot of time on the emotional battle of the pull of personal gay desires and the pull of your whole entire world telling you to be straight instead (much to the consternation of the comment section lol), or Ohana Holoholo's portrayal of bisexuality (much to the consternation of the comment section lol).

The Guy I Liked is the first time I've seen this kind of approach used for a teenage story. I honestly think the biggest obstacle a lot of angry posters have is that this isn't a story about a gay romance. It's a story about being gay. And a whole lot of gays spend their whole teenage years without any romance because we're all so anxious and isolated and frequently soaking in the self-denial society demands from all queers of all stripes. The fact that these girls have gotten as far as they have in how long they've known each other? Well above the curve when we compare them to real gay kids instead of yuri manga.

This is precisely it. I think a lot of people, subconsciously, want the proverbial U-haul romance where two people throw themselves at each other in a heat of passion and desire. In many cases though, things take time? Slow burn romances are real? Being a teen with a billion feelings to manage and also trying to figure out dating, let alone dating in a non-cis-het frame takes time and energy and isn't always front of mind. Also, queer relationships often exist in messy gray spaces for significant periods of time, as do really many relationships. Hell, we invented the word 'situationship' in the 00s for this sort of kind-of-but-not-quite-a-thing-but-maybe-getting-there. It's fascinating because in this case, Joe and Kanna are an obvious parallel/secondary couple who are also dealing with a lot of complicated emotions and a lot is going unsaid though there's obviously a lot of affection between them.

Idk, it's nice to see romances that are situated in stories about life generally vs. being wholly about falling in love hard and fast. Everyone here has stuff they're working through - their relationship to music, what they want in life, past choices, making friends and being open about themselves even just on the level of interests. And they've all made so much progress. Aya actually has music community and a pseudo-second family with Joe, Kanna, and Mitsuki. Mitsuki is slowly realizing that she doesn't have to live like she's some forever outsider who has to hide her true self from the world. Joe and Kanna are doing the messy business of patching up an old relationship (maybe?) that ended not because of incompatible personalities or a lack of desire, but life calling them in different directions which is the hardest sort of break-up because its not really anyone's 'fault'.

That's such a rich portrait of life, esp. in this punk slice of the world that exists on the social fringes, that you almost never get to see in media.