(pronounced yah-oy): An acronym for a Japanese phrase that provides an uncomplimentary view on gay relationships, this term can refer either to stories involving male homosexual relationships or to fan art and stories pairing male characters from popular series. In the U.S. the term carries more homoerotic connotations.
Anime term for male/male pairing, generally involving sex
explicit male/male relationship based manga and anime. Male homoeroticism is the central focus. ( Ai no Kusabi, Love Mode)
A condensation of " yama nashi, ochi nashi, imi nashi," which is Japanese for "no peak, no point, no meaning." Manga stories about male/male romantic relationships, which are quite popular in Japan among young female readers. Interchangeable with shônen-ai in Japan, but used by Western fans to refer to material that focuses on sex more than emotions and relationships. For more on this subject, visit Aestheticism.com.
The sexual and romantic relationship between two males in an anime, manga or doujinshi. Also refers to the fandom, which slashes (aka pairs up) male characters.
refers to male/male situations. The word 'yaoi' is an acronym: 'yama nashi, ochi nashi, imi nashi', which means roughly "No climax, no point, no meaning". In general, the yaoi genre tends to focus on sexual or comedic themes and not so much on the relationship or emotional aspects, and often uses existing characters (like in doujinshi). Many westerners tend to use 'yaoi' as a catch-all term to denote male/male stories in general.
Animé, manga or fanfiction featuring... um... sexual encounters between two guys. Apparently comes from " ya ma nashi, chi nashi, mi nashi" meaning "no climax, no point, no meaning" (actually I'd have thought climaxes were an important part of this genre, or maybe that's just me ^-^). Has a milder form (usually only implying cute kissy/cuddly stuff), shounen ai (from the words for "boy" and "love"). The female equivalent of yaoi is yuri (which literally translates to "lily", but I believe actually comes from the animé "Dirty Pair", in which Kei and Yuri were a popular pairing in fanfics), and shoujo ai is a lesser-used term for the female equivalent of shounen ai. In American fanfiction, gay relationships are often defined as slash.
Stories in anime or manga which focus on male homosexuality.
Japanese erotic anime (cartoons) that focus on male-on-male sexuality.
In anime, refers to PWP stories about gay relationships, often tragic ones.
A pornographic manga or anime containing a same sex love story between two men. Pronounced ‘yah-oh-ee'.
Another term for ' shonen ai' that specifically describes male/male homosexual relationships in anime or manga. Not limited to pornography, you'll often find male characters that seem very 'close' in series, and these relationships are sometimes also described as yaoi.
a genre of anime involving homosexuals, usually with the story having tragic consequences; an acronym referring to homosexual relationships; also known as slash see also yuri
