SunxMoon

they weren't deleted from the site but j deleted from our lists... theres nothing we can do to bring them back:(

I'm gonna cry, I had an account since 2015 and I wanted to go through them to see what I used to like :(. Thanks for letting me kneow

thats really sad:(( all of us had the same issue... bookmarks r still there tho !

this was my era of introduction to BLs lolllll

Here if you need! I used to be pretty active in forums around 2008～ (+ scanlation teams were more prominent). (●'◡'●)ﾉ

Do you also feel how the change of Bl from underground to mainstream has affected the style, plot, character conplexity etc? I kept reading it for years only out of habit and it hit me that it's not me maturing that made me find them less interesting, it's the Bls that changed. Do you have a comunity with more "vintage" taste, have you adapted or found "solace" in other niche genre?

Your name is sooo familiar. In which ways have you observed the shift in Bls overtime?

I feel like there's good and bad aspects to the transition of BL from a more lesser known genre to it being mainstream. I think it was a popular genre, people just didn't talk about it online except on faceless pages lol. The only exposure to BL that I had was from manga. I remember the first BL manga I had physically bought from a used bookstore was a manga called "Skyscrapers of Oz." FAKE bySanami Matoh was another one I really enjoyed. I mostly had read online at that point and never really knew anyone else who had enjoyed the genre.

I collect older out of print BL/Yaoi manga now cuz it feels really nostalgic seeing them on my shelf. It's an expensive hobby but it gives me something to look forward to when scouring the internet to find them lol.

The biggest difference from then and now, for me, is the sources of BL. I feel like the forefront of BL seems to be Korean Manhwa. I don't see as many people talking about manga, which is interesting and kinda sucks but you can definitely find people who still like them a lot. I think maybe people like the full color scrollable part of it. I've talked about it on my page before but I feel like a lot of newer Manhwa have a very stiff style that you can really see in the hands. Someone mentioned to me that it was mostly because they use 3D models and draw over them to make the creation of chapters quicker. It was a little disappointing to think about because it feels a little less "human." I'm not sure if it's unfair for me to think that. I remember that old shitty yaoi anatomy from manga (wide shoulders and kinda small heads and those huge hands) lol but at least that was just someone drawing it themselves. It could be considered someones art style.

I also feel like there's this weird emphasis on smut. It feels like the plot is just a way to get to the smut instead of it being tastefully incorporated. Reading a lot of creators notes, sometimes it feels like they kinda didn't want to put it into the stories but knew that would make their works more popular.

A lot of characters dont feel like they have any depth to them anymore. There's been a few stories where I really feel connected to the story and it's characters but it isnt something that happens a lot. Love Sick Dog is one where I truly felt so connected to the characters. They felt like real people with complex problems and emotions.

One part of it that I wish would change is that no one really knows when to share and when to keep quiet lol. Websites like these are really popular and easy to find but I still feel like it's common sense to not post about it online. People got spoiled with the internet feeding then things as soon as they want it, so no one put's their own work into finding sites.

A good side to it becoming more popular is the huge variety of subgenres. For example, guideverse is a really cool subgenre of BL. Theres so many weird and creative new universes lol. Cakeverse, nameverse, omegaverse, etc. It's all really cool and fascinating to learn the rules of these universes and get immersed in their little worlds.

I also am really happy to see such a huge variety of art styles now. I have so many new authors and artists to admire and study when practicing my own art. BLs from Japan, China, and Korea give such a large playing field when it comes to finding art styles to study.

One thing I despise is how we have to buy these titles. I hate the coin system with a passion. I think a lot of people wouldnt mind buying from these platforms if it was a subscription based model instead of buying individual chapters. Who wants to start buying a story only to realize you hate it?

Unfortunately the community I have is pretty much 0. I have one friend who likes it but I kinda think it's more of a "I don't mind it" instead of an active like because they don't read it very much. They pretty much just listen to me rant about stuff and don't seem interested in reading my suggestions lol I actually dont think they've read any of the titles I have suggested. I think that's why I chit chat on here a lot cuz this is really the only place where I can find people who enjoy what I do.

All in all, there is always a good and bad side to things becoming more popular. I'm hoping the good will always outweigh the bad but it truly depends on perspective on these things.

The Korean manhwas have been a surprising shift, though I recall reading Korean ones before ( eg: Let Dai), which had very different art and plotline from most of what comes out of Korea today. I'd like to also add that I miss the distinction that existed between shounen ai and yaoi, it seems like the shounen ai genre was lost in the backround of more detailed and graphic content. I'm happy you are able to collect vintage ones, I might take this hobby as well.

I think there's still a very strong distinction between Yaoi that comes from Japan and BL that comes from South Korea. With JP, countless themes are explored including the taboo free from criticism whilst KR seems to ride the trends quite often (nothing bad, just that I find JP more diverse in terms of tropes, depth, and characterization). I like KR BL too since it's what's mainstream now hence easier access and I enjoy reading them as much as the next person. But when I'm asked what comes to mind when the word 'Yaoi' is brought up, I'll always say titles like Finder, Bi No Isu, Ai no Kusabi, Hidoku Shinaide, etc. It's just because that's what Yaoi actually is, and KR BL seems to be a lighter and more restricted version despite all the sensuality.

I collect both as well and some of my friends are also into it but what I find a little sad is the community now prefers reading KR BL because it's their introduction to what they think is 'Yaoi' (I still make this distinction in my head sometimes out of habit). There's nothing wrong with it, but majority of the reason when I ask why is because they like reading in colour and JP is just black and white. They also think the shorter chapters 'can't possibly tell a deeper story or flesh out the characters properly' which is farther from the truth. If anything, the storytelling in JP is much, much more complex even in just those very few chapters.

I'm not saying one is better than the other, but there's just a distinction between them. I rarely refer to KR BL as 'Yaoi' because I feel like it doesn't fit quite as well with the genre. Still, I read and enjoy a lot of it because each BL has its own charm. Some are also exquisitely written too. It's just the community for JP is kind of being drowned out mostly because like us, majority of the readers have either grown up now and have more priorities in life as opposed to the newer generations who can stay online and build the community the way they want it. It all really just boils down to preferences now. I still hope more people read the JP ones because it's a breath of fresh air too.

(I am also personally biased to CN as well because the story-telling is just top-tier.)

Ah, yes, they feel like a story that happenes to be Bl, rather than Bl that happens to have a story. The older Korean ones too. Though it's amazing we got beautiful animations for the CN ones (Mo Dao Zu Shi, Heaven's official) . Hope more will come. There' s some good to these times as well.