Aww, no argument? ^^ I need to be more incendiary with my opinions.
But yes, and yes - not all yaoi stories ruin relationships, but too many do, especially when they sacrifice character for the sake of hawt sexxx. I like yaoi when it brings something to a relationship. The tension in Hakkai and Gojyo's dynamic really reads as sexual to me, discord in an otherwise comfortable friendship of opposites; while as Gojyo and Sanzo's clashing is a matter of personalities. You can see something sexual there, but that's just a facet of their conflict and reducing it to just desire is denying the main point. Gojyo doesn't flirt with Sanzo because he's attracted to him (even if he might be); he flirts because he enjoys ticking Sanzo off (has a deathwish, that kappa...)
And the seme/uke thing drives me nuts. I really started out in slash, which tends not to have as fixed roles; confused me when I got into yaoi. Having a designated "woman" seemed to defeat the purpose of guy/guy! It amuses me more than anything now, but most of my favorite pairings I see as interchangeable anyway.
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winterfish
no subject
Date: 2004-02-24 08:45 am (UTC)But yes, and yes - not all yaoi stories ruin relationships, but too many do, especially when they sacrifice character for the sake of hawt sexxx. I like yaoi when it brings something to a relationship. The tension in Hakkai and Gojyo's dynamic really reads as sexual to me, discord in an otherwise comfortable friendship of opposites; while as Gojyo and Sanzo's clashing is a matter of personalities. You can see something sexual there, but that's just a facet of their conflict and reducing it to just desire is denying the main point. Gojyo doesn't flirt with Sanzo because he's attracted to him (even if he might be); he flirts because he enjoys ticking Sanzo off (has a deathwish, that kappa...)
And the seme/uke thing drives me nuts. I really started out in slash, which tends not to have as fixed roles; confused me when I got into yaoi. Having a designated "woman" seemed to defeat the purpose of guy/guy! It amuses me more than anything now, but most of my favorite pairings I see as interchangeable anyway.