Yaoi hole

An illustration of a yaoi hole, supposing the existence of a third sexual organ between the penis and anus

The yaoi hole (Japanese: やおい穴, romanized: yaoi-ana) is a concept in yaoi, a genre of fictional media depicting homoerotic relations between men aimed at a female audience, that supposes the existence of a male sexual organ that is neither a penis nor an anus. The concept arose from depictions of anal sex in some yaoi works that appeared to defy typical anatomy and physiology, such as representations of penetrative sex in positions that do not correspond to the location of the receiving partner's anus. The yaoi hole as a phenomenon has been alternately considered as reflecting a lack of understanding about male anatomy and anal sex possessed by the (mostly female and heterosexual) writers of early yaoi, and as an intentional exaggeration reflecting a desire for fantasy over realism in pornographic fiction narratives.

Context and etymology

Anal sex appears frequently as a subject in yaoi,[a] a genre of manga, novels, and other fictional media created by and for a female audience that depict homoerotic relationships between men.[1] However, sexual acts and sex organs in early yaoi works were often rendered inaccurately: the sexual positions in which the male subjects were joined in penetrative sex seemingly did not correspond to the correct location of the passive partner's anus, or the receptive partner would self-lubricate in a manner atypical of an anus.[2] These representations were initially criticized as reflecting an ignorance of the mechanics of anal sex on the part of yaoi authors,[3] and derisively suggested to imply the existence of a distinct sexual organ that would come to be referred to as the "yaoi hole".[4] Some authors embraced the concept of the yaoi hole in response, and began to either jokingly or earnestly depict it in their works.[3]

The yaoi hole has been described as a "third sexual organ" that is neither feminine nor masculine.[5] Though there is little agreement over the precise structure of the yaoi hole, its existence in yaoi fiction is widely acknowledged by fans of yaoi.[6] Ayako Shiramine, a former librarian at the Yoshihiro Yonezawa Memorial Library,[7] analyzed 51 yaoi works and concluded that the orifices depicted "do not seem to be an anus", as there were not definite descriptions of the orifice being an anus and it did not function like one, and concluded that the yaoi hole is a separate entity from the anus.[8]

The origin of the term "yaoi hole" to describe this phenomenon is unknown, though sociologist and yaoi doujinshi researcher Junko Kaneda [ja] speculates that it may have arisen around the year 2000 as a lingua franca for yaoi fans to communicate with each other on the Internet.[9]

Characteristics

The yaoi hole is associated with depictions of anal sex in yaoi that would seem to defy typical anatomy and physiology.[3] This includes as depictions of sex in the missionary position where the passive partner's legs are laid flat and not spread eagle,[10] appendages and objects being easily inserted into the receptive partner without the use of personal lubricant,[11] the absence of preparation for anal sex (through activities such as rectal douching),[12] and in some stories, the inclusion of male pregnancy and childbirth.[13][2][3]

Often the passive partner in yaoi is described as being "wet" with liquid of an unknown origin, a device referred to colloquially by yaoi fans as "yaoi juice" (やおい汁, yaoi-jiru).[14] Yaoi juice functions as a form of self-lubrication, as similar to vaginal lubrication.[15] Chill Chill considered the hypothesis that yaoi juice was intestinal fluid, but concluded that intestinal fluid lacks the necessary viscosity, lubricity, and quantity to be used as lubricant.[16]

Involuntary movement of the receptive partner's orifice, such as twitching or tightening, also occurs in yaoi hole stories.[17] Ayako Shiramine, a former librarian at the Yoshihiro Yonezawa Memorial Library, considers that this kind of depiction may be used to communicate pleasure on the part of the receptive partner.[8]

History

Junko Kaneda divides expressions of the yaoi hole in fiction into three distinct periods from the 1970s to the 1990s:

  • The 1970s were the "age without holes". Kaneda notes that fellatio appears as the most common sexual act in yaoi doujinshi in the 1970s, and that her study of doujinshi from this period held by the Yoshihiro Yonezawa Memorial Library found no depictions of anal sex.[b]
  • The 1980s were the "age of hole-discovery". Though the first depiction of a yaoi hole is unknown, she notes that yaoi works during this period began to make clear references to non-oral penetrative sex, such as in Kaoru Kurimoto's novel Mayonaka no Tenshi (真夜中の天使, lit. 'Angel at Midnight').
  • The 1990s were the "age of prostate-discovery", with an increase in depictions of prostate stimulation via fingering.

Since the 2000s, yaoi has depicted male-male sex with a greater degree of realism, referencing activities such as rectal douching and dry orgasms. Kaneda speculates that this may be due to the fact that media depicting male-male sex, such as educational books and gay pornography, has become more readily accessible due to the Internet.[9][18] The BL news site Chill Chill noted that by the 2010s, yaoi hole media had been almost entirely supplanted by the Omegaverse subgenre, which depicts similar themes and subjects such as self-lubrication and male pregnancy.[19]

Analysis

1. Yaoi holes do exist

↳ It is a hole between the penis and anus
↳ It is a vaginal opening
↳ It can cause pregnancy
↳ The anus becomes a yaoi hole during sex
↳ "I don't want to call it a yaoi hole"

2. Yaoi holes do not exist

↳ It is an anus
↳ Anal sex in yaoi involves defecation
↳ Intestinal cleaning is necessary
↳ Intestinal cleaning is unnecessary
↳ Anal sex in yaoi does not involves defecation
↳ There are no holes whatsoever

3. I don't care about yaoi holes

↳ Yaoi is a fantasy
↳ Yaoi doesn't necessarily require penetration
↳ Yaoi should reflect reality

4. "Define yaoi hole" group

– 2channel tree chart on schools of belief in yaoi holes[20]

Faction survey results (2014)[21]

  Yaoi holes do not exist-It is an anus (33%)
  I don't care about yaoi holes-Yaoi is a fantasy (27%)
  Yaoi holes do exist-The anus becomes a yaoi hole during sex (18%)
  I don't care about yaoi holes-Yaoi doesn't necessarily require penetration (12%)
  others (10%)

The yaoi hole phenomenon can be understood in some regards as simply reflecting the lack of understanding about male anatomy and anal sex possessed by the (mostly female and heterosexual) writers of early yaoi.[22] Alternately, yaoi holes can be understood as an intentional exaggeration reflecting a desire for fantasy over realism in pornographic fiction narratives, with parallels to the depiction of women with exaggerated or unnatural anatomy in male-oriented erotic manga.[22]

In 2003, a copypasta of a tree chart detailing various nested factions of belief in yaoi holes was posted on the textboard 2channel,[c] which was included in the 2015 book Otoko no Karada wa Kimochi Ii (オトコのカラダはキモチいい, lit. 'A Man's Body Feels Good'), co-written by Hitoshi Nimura [ja], Kaneda, and Iku Okada.[20] According to a survey conducted among the roughly one hundred attendees at the 2014 event "Let's talk about the future of the yaoi hole",[24] the largest faction was "yaoi holes do not not exist, it is an anus" at 33%, followed by "I don't care about yaoi holes, yaoi is a fantasy" at 27%, and "yaoi holes do exist, the anus becomes a yaoi hole during sex" third at 18%.[21]

Related

  • Futanari, genre depicting characters with both male and female genitalia

Notes

  1. ^ Also known as "boys' love" (ボーイズ ラブ, bōizu rabu) and its abbreviation "BL" (ビーエル, bīeru)
  2. ^ Kaneda notes that Japanese male-male romance fiction predating the 1970s, such as the tanbi novels of Mari Mori, also do not depict yaoi holes.[9]
  3. ^ The chart was based on a 2001 post on the topic of "Does Rika Ishikawa take a shit?", in which a tree chart was created to divide posters into various factions of those who expressed either an affirmative or negative belief on the subject.[23]

References

  1. ^ Azuma 2009, p. 271.
  2. ^ a b Tanaka 2008, p. 27.
  3. ^ a b c d Ugh! (November 3, 2000). 男性同士で愛し合ってるシーンで何となくでてくる 「やおい穴」 [The "yaoi hole" that somehow appears in scenes where men make love to each other]. 同人用語の基礎知識 [Basic Knowledge of Doujin Terms] (in Japanese). Paradisearmy. Archived from the original on May 7, 2011. Retrieved January 27, 2023. ホモ、男性同性愛の「夜の営み」の描写で避けて通れないのが攻めキャラのペニスによる受けキャラへのアナル挿入です。しかし人体のデッサンの狂い（プロポーションがおかしい）によりあり得ない位置にアナルがあるかのような描写となったり、そもそもアナル挿入に「美しさ」の観点から拒否反応のある作家さんらは、そのものズバリを描写するのではなく、「なんとなくお尻を合わせている」「下半身を重ねている」などの描写で「それとなく」男性同士の求愛やベッドシーンを描いていました。この場合、必ずしもアナル挿入を指していたわけではなく（若年層で、男性の体の構造を知らない、そもそも男性同性愛者が全てではないにしろアナル挿入などの性行為を行うことを知らない人も多い）、一般的な男女のセックスシーンを念頭に、「漠然とした性行為の演出」として、そうした表現をする場合がとても多かったのでした。その後、そうしたデッサンの狂いを揶揄したり、文章表現における「濡れた」などのアナルではありえない描写に対し、「肛門ではない、実際の人間の体には存在しない新しい器官があるのではないか？」との揶揄から「謎の穴らしきもの」がパソコン通信の時代の腐女子の界隈でネタとして話題に。当初はシャレとして、後には一部本気で、登場キャラに設定されるようになりました。 One of the inevitable elements in the depiction of homosexual "nighttime activities" is the anal penetration of the receiving character by the offending character's penis. However, the anus may be depicted as if it is in an impossible position due to a flaw in the drawing of the human body (i.e., the proportions are wrong), or writers who have a negative reaction to anal penetration from the viewpoint of "beauty" may describe it as a "kind of buttocks meeting" or "overlapping the lower body" rather than depicting it exactly as it is. They depicted courtship and bed scenes between men "casually" with descriptions such as "their butts are somehow together" or "their lower halves are piled on top of each other" instead of describing the scene itself. In this case, they were not necessarily referring to anal penetration (many of the younger generation were unaware of the structure of the male body, and many, if not all, male homosexuals were unaware of anal penetration and other sexual acts in the first place), but rather, with general male-female sex scenes in mind, they were often used as a "vague presentation of sexual acts". Such expressions were very often made. Later, people made fun of such drawing errors, or of descriptions in writing that could not possibly be anal, such as "wet," and asked, "Is there a new organ that is not anal and that does not exist in the actual human body?" The "mysterious hole-like thing" became a topic of conversation as a story in the circles of rotten women in the era of personal computer communication. At first as a joke, and later partially in earnest, it came to be set up as a character in the story.
  4. ^ Galbraith 2011, p. 212.
  5. ^ Saitō 2007, p. 247.
  6. ^ Nimura, Kaneda & Okada 2015, p. 16: 腐女子の間では昔から「お尻のあたりに、男同士がうまいこと結合できる穴があるらしい」という共通認識はあったものの、これまで深くは追及されてこなかった正体不明の「やおい穴」。Although there has long been a common understanding among fujoshi that "there is a hole around the buttocks where men can join together successfully", this unidentified "yaoi hole" has not been explored in depth..
  7. ^ Nimura, Kaneda & Okada 2015, p. 47: 金田　それについては、私の友だちのJUNEST（JUNE愛読者）で、現在のBLにも造詣の深い白峰彩子さんが調査してくれました。白峰さんの手元にある、90～12年に出版された19人の作家の小説51冊86作品のうち、男性器を挿れている「穴」についての描写を全部調べてくれたんですが。 Kaneda: Regarding this, my friend Ms. Ayako Shiramine, who is a JUNEST (June lover) and has a deep knowledge of current BL, did the research for me. She checked all the descriptions of "holes" in which male genitalia are inserted in 51 books of 86 novels by 19 authors published between 1990 and 2012 that she had on hand..
  8. ^ a b Shiramine, Ayako (January 16, 2014). "やおい穴イベント（後編）" [Yaoi Hole Event (Part 2)]. 備忘録（白峰彩子） [Commonplace Book: Ayako Shiramine] (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  9. ^ a b c Nimura, Kaneda & Okada 2015, pp. 31–41.
  10. ^ Nimura, Kaneda & Okada 2015, pp. 33–41.
  11. ^ Nimura, Kaneda & Okada 2015, p. 16.
  12. ^ Tsukishima, Kagome (June 18, 2017). 「実際は腐女子が夢に見るような綺麗な世界ではない」売り専のボーイがしているアナルセックス／インタビュー後編 [Anal Sex According to a Rent Boy: 'In reality, it's not the pretty world that fujoshi dream about.' (Interview Part 2)]. Messy (in Japanese). Cyzo. p. 3. Archived from the original on June 23, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  13. ^ Aida 2013, p. 216.
  14. ^ Budōuri, Kusuko. "やおい汁〔やおいじる〕" [Yaoi Juice]. やおい事典 [Yaoi Encyclopedia] (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 6, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  15. ^ Shiramine, Ayako (February 4, 2014). "やおい穴イベント（補足編）" [Yaoi Hole Event (Supplemental)]. 備忘録（白峰彩子） [Commonplace Book: Ayako Shiramine] (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  16. ^ Gori, Miyota (October 16, 2021). ""男の穴も濡れる"ってマ？？謎の汁「腸液」の正体に迫るッ！" [Is it true that "men's holes get wet, too"? We're about to find out what the mysterious juice "intestinal juice" really is!]. ちるちる [Chill Chill] (in Japanese). Sandias. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  17. ^ Shu 2005, p. 209.
  18. ^ Aoyagi, Mihoko (February 7, 2014). BL界隈では有名な「あの穴」の歴史と意義を真剣に考察する会に行ってきた [I went to a meeting to seriously consider the history and significance of "that hole" which is famous in the BL community]. Excite News (in Japanese). Excite Japan. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  19. ^ "消えたやおい穴の行方とは…Z世代の穴事情を考察する" [What are the whereabouts of the missing yaoi holes... a discussion of the hole situation in Generation Z]. ちるちる [Chill Chill] (in Japanese). Sandias. August 9, 2021. Archived from the original on August 9, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  20. ^ a b Nimura, Kaneda & Okada 2015, p. 22: ここでまずお見せしたいのが、「やおい穴の派閥一覧」です。これはインターネットで「やおい穴」とググるとすぐに出てくる、匿名の腐女子たちがいろいろな「やおい穴」観を整理したものですね。群衆の叡智です。[The first thing I would like to show you here is a list of yaoi hole factions. This is a list of the various "yaoi hole" views organized by anonymous rotten girls, which you can easily find by Googling "yaoi hole" on the Internet. It is the wisdom of the crowd.].
  21. ^ a b Nimura, Kaneda & Okada 2015, pp. 27–28.
  22. ^ a b Miura & Kaneda 2007, p. 28.
  23. ^ 2encyclopedia Project (2005). 2典 : インターネットの巨大匿名掲示板群「2ちゃんねる」用語辞典 [2encyclopedia: Glossary of Terminology from 2channel, A Large Anonymous Bulletin Board Group] (in Japanese) (3rd ed.). Tokyo: Takarajimasha. ISBN 978-4-7966-4754-0. 石川ってウンコするの？【いしかわってうんこするの】[成句]（モーニング娘。） 「石川梨華ってウンコするの？」というスレが立ち、そのスレの164が「しないよ」「しないよ」とレスをつけたことから始まった。その後「石川ってウンコするの？」「しないよ」という掛け合いがあちこちで見られるようになり、「する派」と「しない派」に分かれて大論争に。しかし、2002年3月21日ＬＦ+Ｒ矢口真里のallnightnippon SUPER!の中でのコメント｢アイドルはウンコしません！｣の一言で、しない説が濃厚となっている。現存する諸説を簡単にまとめると以下のようになる（らしい）。 [Does Ishikawa poop? [Idiom] (Morning Musume) The thread “does Rika Ishikawa poop?" was built, and #164 on that thread responded with "she don't" and "she don't." This was the beginning. After that, The exchange of opinions between "does Ishikawa poop?" and "no, she doesn't" was seen in many places. The debate was divided into two factions, "do school" and "don’t school". However, on March 21, 2002, a comment "Idols don't poop" made by LF+R Mari Yaguchi in allnightnippon SUPER! on March 21, 2002, the theory that idols do not poop is gaining strength. The existing theories can be briefly summarized as follows (apparently).]{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  24. ^ Cakes (January 6, 2014). 二村ヒトシ×金田淳子×岡田育「これからのやおい穴の話をしよう」 [Hitoshi Nimura, Junko Kaneda, and Iku Okada: Let's Talk About the Future of Yaoi Hole]. Peatix. Archived from the original on September 8, 2014. Retrieved December 11, 2022.

Bibliography

  • Aida, Miho (September 2013). 期待される腐女子像からのエクソダス:「可能性」の読み込み/誤読に関する一考察 [An Exodus from Expected Fujoshi Images: A Consideration on Reading into/Misreading of "Possibilities"]. 広島修大論集 広島修大論集 [Studies in the Humanities and Sciences] (in Japanese). 54 (1). Hiroshima Shudo University: 207–220. ISSN 1883-1400. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  • Azuma, Sonoko (2009). "女性のホモソーシャルな欲望の行方――二次創作「やおい」についての一考察」" [The Future of Women's Homosocial Desires: A Study of Secondary "Yaoi"]. In Ohno, Michikuni; Ogawa, Nobuhiko (eds.). 文化の社会学―記憶・メディア・身体 [Sociology of Culture: Memory, Media, and the Body] (in Japanese). Bunrikaku. ISBN 978-4-89259-586-8.
  • Galbraith, Patrick (September 2011). "Fujoshi: Fantasy Play and Transgressive Intimacy among "Rotten Girls" in Contemporary Japan". Signs. 37 (1). University of Chicago Press: 219–240. doi:10.1086/660182. JSTOR 10.1086/660182. S2CID 146718641.
  • Miura, Shion; Kaneda, Junko (June 2007). 「攻め×受け」のめくるめく世界 男性身体の魅力を求めて [The Dazzling World of 'Seme' and 'Uke': Seeking the Charm of the Male Body]. ユリイカ [Eureka] (in Japanese). Vol. 39, no. 7, 2007年6月臨時増刊号　総特集=腐女子マンガ大系 [June 2007 Extra Issue, General Feature: Fujoshi Manga Series]. Seidosha. pp. 8–29. ISBN 978-4-7917-0163-6.
  • Nimura, Hitoshi; Kaneda, Junko; Okada, Iku (2015). オトコのカラダはキモチいい [A Man's Body Feels Good] (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten. ISBN 978-4-04-067420-9.
  • Saitō, Tamaki (2007). "Otaku Sexuality". In Bolton, Christopher; Csicsery-Ronay, Istvan Jr.; Tatsumi, Takayuki (eds.). Robot Ghosts and Wired Dreams: Japanese Science Fiction from Origins to Anime (PDF). University of Minnesota Press. pp. 222–249. ISBN 978-0-8166-4974-7.
  • Shu, Kaori (2005). 挑発の１５秒 [15 Seconds of Provocation] (in Japanese). Tokuma Shoten. ISBN 978-4-19-900335-6.
  • Tanaka, Nozomu (2008). 「愛」という権力 ― 「やおい」を求める女性の欲望 ― [The Power of "Love" - A Woman's Desire for "Yaoi"] (PDF) (Bachelor thesis) (in Japanese). Meiji Gakuin University. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
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