>>2969893Let's start with the name itself.
Yaoi is a Japanese anagram that translates to
"no plot, no climax, no hidden meaning"
It's a narrative structure of it's own. Distinct from BL which follows the evolving relationship between 2 boys into adulthood - usually ending with them hating each other's guts or committing suicide.
Yaoi just follows to men into the bathroom, where they fuck for no reason.
Being a genre for female readers, you have to understand the female fantasy of what it means to be "one of the guys". The cultural division of sexes, the obligations, commitments, consequences of their interaction. Sex with no strings attached.
That head nod, where 2 men, 2 strangers, acknowledge each other in passing with a knowing look as if they just had a telepathic conversation. They don't need words to communicate. They can plug their dick in and synchronize their thoughts. Upload or download some kind of gnosis through their root chakras.
Bara is a genre for male readers with more realistic relationships. The name "Bara" means "Rose", and the narrative genre follow men who are "blooming" into acceptance of their sexuality despite the thorns. It can be rather dark at times with themes of rape, blackmail, sadistic & masochistic dynamics.
And then there's the autistic stuff. It doesn't have a proper name. But you can tell they're preoccupied with sensory inputs - real and imaginary. Smells, touch, transformation, orgasm. On the lighter end of the spectrum there are "time stop" or "hypnosis" narratives which features a victim suffering involuntary erections and spontaneous ejaculation. Depending on the convention, the effect can be misapplied for comedy. But sadly, autism being morbidly self-absorbed like it is, there are a lot miss opportunities to setup those situations and deliver a punch line.
On the darker end of the spectrum there's some terrifying body horrors. Brain slugs and demonic possession, mutilated gentles. Auto-erotic asphyxiation.
