i rly dont wanna be that person correcting ppl online but this is something thats been bothering me for a while now and i havent said anything about it in all my years on the internet.
firstly, i would like to say shounen/shoujo ai isnt a thing. i understand what people mean when they use the terms, but i just wanted to clarify some things: 1. the literal meaning of "shounen/shoujo ai" is young boy/girls love and basically translates to pedophilia. most people in japan dont even use those terms since it would probably result in them side eying you... so if you ever travel there, try to refrain from using that term and just say bl/gl. even saying yaoi/yuri is better lol (i know the website has the categories tagged as such but thats all the more reason for me wanting to say something.) 2. the term "smut" exists for a reason. if you wanna say a bl/gl has sex scenes in it, just say it has smut in it or is 18+ since thats what the term is for. 3. there is no difference between yaoi/shounen ai and yuri/shoujo ai. do yall ever notice how we say yaoi/shounen ai to differentiate between 18+ content and non but dont do the same for yuri? thats because 1) yuri isnt as popular as bl and 2) most actual yuri fans already know there is no difference. we gotta start bringing back just saying "bl/gl". even just calling smthn yaoi/yuri is fine since that also doesnt necessarily mean it has sex in it, thats just what western culture has turned it into.
im not really good at articulating my thoughts but i hope my point got across all the same. i just wish wed stop calling queer non 18+ shounen/shoujo ai but realisrically, this post wont get the attention it needs and people will continue using these terms :p
i rly dont wanna be that person correcting ppl online but this is something thats been bothering me for a while now and i havent said anything about it in all my years on the internet.
firstly, i would like to say shounen/shoujo ai isnt a thing. i understand what people mean when they use the terms, but i just wanted to clarify some things:
1. the literal meaning of "shounen/shoujo ai" is young boy/girls love and basically translates to pedophilia. most people in japan dont even use those terms since it would probably result in them side eying you... so if you ever travel there, try to refrain from using that term and just say bl/gl. even saying yaoi/yuri is better lol (i know the website has the categories tagged as such but thats all the more reason for me wanting to say something.)
2. the term "smut" exists for a reason. if you wanna say a bl/gl has sex scenes in it, just say it has smut in it or is 18+ since thats what the term is for.
3. there is no difference between yaoi/shounen ai and yuri/shoujo ai. do yall ever notice how we say yaoi/shounen ai to differentiate between 18+ content and non but dont do the same for yuri? thats because 1) yuri isnt as popular as bl and 2) most actual yuri fans already know there is no difference. we gotta start bringing back just saying "bl/gl". even just calling smthn yaoi/yuri is fine since that also doesnt necessarily mean it has sex in it, thats just what western culture has turned it into.
im not really good at articulating my thoughts but i hope my point got across all the same. i just wish wed stop calling queer non 18+ shounen/shoujo ai but realisrically, this post wont get the attention it needs and people will continue using these terms :p
as always, love and peace