>>2911827>I would describe BL as an story with its focus on the relationship between two men or at the very least their relationship playing an important part in the overall theme the story wants to deliver.With all due respect, I don't think this description fits since there are obviously works with these elements that aren't categorized as BL like Sakura-Gari, Kieta Hatsukoi, 10th, Kami-sama no Ekohiiki, Mukai-kun wa Sugoi!, Boku no Hontou no Hanashi and even Ao no Flag.
What truly separates yaoi/BL from other genres, or even the previous subgenres of JUNE/sh?nen’ai, in the view of most readers is whether the rigid formality in narrative structure, in particular the seme–uke framework, is adopted or not. Obviously, it's not the case for every work, but it is the prevailing paradigm.
>This is why some danmei works are considered blDanmei originated in the early '90s and I would argue is the more direct successor to sh?nen’ai/JUNE rather than yaoi/BL, with its strong fusion of the more highbrow concept of “tanbi” with an entertainment-driven element.
>If that was the case, works in which all the plot revolved around two men in a relationship that don't end together in the end wouldn't be included.Can you give some Japanese examples of this?
>Sometimes retaining their core characteristics and sometimes becoming something completely different and giving birth to a complete different genreIt's probably much more common for publishers to make new categories to distance themselves from prevailing trends. Take Sasaki to Miyano, or Okujima's new series, whose publishers re-categorized it as "Boys Life' to get away from the stigma of BL and its genre conventions.
