MANILA — Due perhaps to the imposed lockdown measures in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the boys’ love (BL) genre enjoyed a boom in the Philippines last year.

Several questions were raised such as its origins, if it falls under queer literature, and even its representation to the LGBT community.

Tracing the roots of the booming genre, University of the Philippines Diliman pop culture professor Michael Andrada said BL stories were first written in Japan in the 1970s by women. More commonly known as yaoi, it was meant to attract the female gaze and satisfy their longing for ideal male figures.

“If you would really want to be strict doon sa term na boys’ love or yaoi, ano talaga ‘yan, love between two men na ang nag-create ay kababaihan. So fantasy talaga siya ng babae. It is a genre created, written, produced by women for women. ‘Yon talaga ‘yong kanyang target na audience before,” he told ABS-CBN News in an interview.

“Hindi natin maitatali ‘yong love lamang bilang isang form of entertainment. Pero siyempre ‘yan ‘yong mainstream na notion ng boys’ love. Pero it is always very humbling to go back sa roots ng boys’ love, which is basically giving voice to women who want to share not only their fantasies but their aspirations for men, or the male sector at ng society," he added.

Andrada noted that several studies show that yaoi authors typically visualize the softer side of men as opposed to the stereotypical aggressive depiction in the media.

“Maraming mga psycho-social studies na nagsasabi na ito ay nilikha noong ng mga babae dahil naghahanap sila ng ideal version ng mga lalaki. Dahil kalakhan doon sa isang predominantly masculine at patriarchal na society, ang mga kalalakihan ay talagang agresibo, talagang dominante,” he said.

"Kaya ‘yong mga babae, nagfa-fantasize sila, nagke-create sila ng fantasy na possible na bromance or romance at saka mismo ng romantic love sa pagitan ng dalawang lalaki para maipakita nila na ‘yong capability ng lalaki na maging gentle, maging loving, caring, na hindi nila nararanasan sa totoong buhay.

BL stories were first produced in novel form and later on in manga, anime, web series, movies and fan fiction through platforms like Wattpad, TikTok and Twitter in Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea and the Philippines. It revolves around themes like forbidden love, bromance, rape and abuse, humor, friendship, exploring sexualities, economic struggles, romantic comedies, period drama, detective fiction, sci-fi and fantasy.

Andrada noted that yaoi may have graphic and hypersexualized themes but it does not fall under the genre, bara, which focuses on graphic content.

And while it may fall under queer literature, some experts noted that some tend to hypersexualize men and the LGBT community and failed to insert queer theories.

“Siyempre ang queer in general ay ibig sabihin ito ‘yong natatangi, kakaiba, not necessarily a normative roon sa society natin," Andrada said.

“Pero marami rin akong nakausap na LGBT na hindi comfortable sa BL kasi nga fetishism ng lalaki or depiction …Kapag papasukan mo ng queer theory o ng pagsusuri na LGBT ‘yong mga BL, maraming BL ang bagsak sa queer media. Ibig sabihin hindi siya pasok. Bakit? Kasi ang hinahanap nilang buhay ay middle to upper class. Ang struggles ay mas pagkakaroon lang ng relasyon; e sasabihin ng LGBT sector, hindi lang naman ‘yan ang issues namin," he added.

The BL formula

Andrada said a BL story has its formula that is strictly followed by some writers which includes a main couple, side couple, shippers and an antagonist.

The characteristics of the main and side couple, he said, tend to impose gender roles as one takes the role of seme, top, pursuer, active, or husband and the other one is the uke, bottom, pursued, passive, or wife.

“Nagke-create sila ng fantasy. Do’n sa original na BL ha, na mayroong husband, ito ‘yong straight lalaki. Tapos merong wife, siya ‘yong magiging parang babae doon sa couple na ‘yon. But of course merong mga BL series at novels at manga na china-challenge ‘yong ganitong klase na typifications,” he said stressing that couples are strictly male.

Shippers are usually female like a friend or even spectators in the setting that set the romance between the couples, while the antagonists are usually third parties of one of the couples or even their families, friends or institutions.

Andrada noted that stories may be plot-driven or character-driven that plays around the experiences of the main couple in their age group.

Andrada said that BL may be formulaic but many writers are now challenging the norm, citing "Gaya sa Pelikula" and "The Boy Foretold by the Stars."

• Series recap: ‘Gaya sa Pelikula’ sets bar high as BL genre booms in PH
• Movie review: ‘The Boy Foretold by the Stars’ in the eyes of a BL fan

“Huwag nating tingnan na hindi nagde-develop ang BL. Kumbaga siya ay bukas na hardin o lupa na pwedeng taniman ng kahit sino. So halimbawa sinabi natin dito sa Pilipinas na ang nagsusulat ng mga BL natin, gay ‘yong nagsusulat o miyembro ng LGBT sector. Ibig sabihin ‘yon ‘yong ating profound development doon sa BL,” he said.

“Maaari nating tignan ang development ng boys’ love sa una, mga writers o ‘yong gumagawa nito, pangalawa do’n sa mga producers na nagi-invest dito. Kasi primarily for profit talaga ‘yan eh. Kung writers ang titignan natin, maaaring it’s just for kilig, for entertainment, for enjoyment, pero meron ding ibang writers na conscious sila na pagiging politically-correct, pag-raise ng consciousness, ng awareness, and I think may mga Filipino na gano’n,” he added.

BL genre's potential to address LGBT issues

Andrada noted that the BL genre tends to focus on the middle class and not encompass the struggles of the LGBT community given its formula and commercial interest.

“Kapag pinaguusapan natin ang LGBT sector …hindi siya homogenous, hindi siya isang mukha lang, napakaraming mukha niyan. Napakaraming gays sa middle class sector pero mas maraming gays outside ng middle class sector, lalo na sa working class,” the professor said.

“Kaya ‘yan din isang struggle kapag nakikinig ako ng mga promotional ads about advocacies ng LGBT, s’yempre nauunawaan natin siya. Pero hindi siya maka-cut across ng ibang social classes so that’s where we should focus,” he added.

However, he added that it has opened doors to topics like coming out and other struggles of the LGBT community that can be explored and expanded in the future.

“May parents naman ang youth ng LGBT sector na mas nagiging aware doon sa situation ng kanilang mga anak, sa sitwasyon rin conclusively sa sitwasyon ng LGBT sector. So may impact ‘yong boys love in the sense na it opens up culture of possibility to discuss,” Andrada said.

“Ang isang distinct na nakita ko, kahit paano nari-realize ng middle class sector, ng parents, na ang love between men is possible at nagbe-break din kasi siya ng stereotypes kasi usually ito ang mga common misconceptions about boys love o gay love: na kapag may couple, ‘yong bakla siya ‘yong mayaman o kapag siya peperahan siya nong lalaki, kailangan niya magbayad para magkaroon siya ng boyfriend o ng sex life o ng romantic life; na mayroong paparusahan ng Diyos ang mga bakla. Ganiyan ‘yong mga typical na misconceptions or notions ng mga maraming tao tungkol sa gay love o gay relationships,” he added.

Andrada stressed that beyond the kilig factor that fueled the BL boom in the Philippines, it also has its potential to discuss more issues experienced by the LGBT community.

“The BL genre is now here in the Philippines so we can make the most out of it. After all, the LGBT sector is a spectrum. Kung gusto natin ‘yong BL is maging part ng culture, ma-integrate natin, pwede ‘yon. As much as pwede siyang kuhanin ng mainstream, capitalist culture, ng feminist movement. Isa nga siyang open space so kahit sino pwedeng mag-build doon,” he said.

"It’s just real talk na there’s so much to be done. And of course, life is not all about BL, ‘yon naman ang katotohanan. BL is just a product, it’s a genre that we can utilize. Ma-realize natin ‘yong iba pang potential na mayroon siya."