Xingyu Wang-What impact has LGBT comics had in Asia

The situation of BL in Asian countries. In China, although BL comics and novels are very popular, scenes of intimacy between men cannot be performed in live-action dramas adapted from comics and novels. Instead, it became a "brotherly" work depicting a strong bond between men. The presentation of the love feelings between the two parties remains at an imaginative level.

In South Korea, BL comics are also very popular, but sexual descriptions are strictly controlled. Fujimoto said that in reality, "it is more difficult for gay men and LGBT groups in South Korea to survive in society than in Japan." But on the other hand, Taiwan became the first region in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage in 2019. It is said that comic fans who came to the doujinshi sales also actively participated in the march to promote this law.

Thai BL has become mainstream in recent years. Thailand creates a wide range of comics and series that serve as a bridge between those who enjoy watching them and gay people in the real world. In addition to showing the issues of discrimination and coming out to parents, the way the drama is presented makes people naturally root for the people in the drama. In addition, it also triggered the phenomenon of real-life gay couples becoming idols. Although there may be an increase in the influence of stereotypes, generally speaking, more people can accept LGBT culture and their existence.

Perhaps the most obvious change is in Japan.There’s no denying the enormous popularity of manga – an industry valued at $5 billion in annual Japanese sales. The fact that it’s read widely at every level of Japanese society and that people have respect for their manga heroes makes it a really effective vehicle for delivering positive messages and giving LGBT issues substance and respect. In fact, manga and anime provide such accessible media for young people to explore an alternative world free of society’s prejudices that the Human Rights Watch has created its own manga series. Released this June, the stories are based directly on testimony from students and reflect the experiences of real people – not fictitious characters. The stories address things like the ignorance of teachers regarding LGBT issues and the bullying and isolation that LGBT kids face. The HRW series was illustrated by Taiji Utagawa, a gay cartoonist, and aims to give both LGBT and straight kids a truthful account of what it’s like to be a queer student in Japan.

The changes that are taking place in manga’s portrayal of LGBT characters seem to be a reflection of a general shift in Japanese society’s attitudes to the queer community. While social and cultural attitudes might seem to be evolving at a glacier-like pace, the last few years have seen a number of very real, groundbreaking changes for LGBT people in Japan. For example, in March 2015, Shibuya ward, a district of Tokyo, became the first municipality in Japan to recognise same-sex partnerships and increasing numbers of LGBT friendly spaces are springing up across Japan. Alongside this, popular media outlets are starting to talk more positively about LGBT issues, helping to further the changes in society’s perceptions of queer people, explains Yakushi. While the more true-to-life, LGBT friendly manga books might not yet be widespread as of yet, they represent a shift in paradigm and (hopefully) a starting point for a new future.