I feel like we should have an LGBT anime discussion thread, because I don't know about you guys, but apart from the rare mainstream shoujo-ai/yuri and shounen-ai/yaoi animes, I tend to miss OVAs and movies all the time, and I'm not even going to mention shows that are LGBT or bordeline LGBT, but don't have the tag (like Yuri!!! on Ice or Flip Flappers), so it would be nice to have a heads-up. And it would also be nice to discuss and compare the works of the genre and all the fujoshi-baits and fap-baits that go along with it.
Second to post! I've always been interested in how Japan is a conservative country, and produces so much (trashy and exploitive) media with LGBT characters. Is it for the baiting?
I'm currently looking forward to Asagao to Kase-san, which looks really cute and not at all like a fap-bait :) (I'm looking at you, Citrus) I was surprised, too, seeing as it features an actual gay couple, and there's literally no room for doubt that they are one. Spoiler Just bros being bros, wearing engagement rings. Speaking of which, I'm still waiting for Ymir to get that lesbian tag, though AP doesn't seem to agree with me there either.
I think the only true full blown romance gay anime I liked in recent times, was Love Stage, which aired 3-4 years ago. =/ To call things, dire in this category, would be putting it mildly.
SECOND SEASON WHEN??? Agreed. Though I still have a soft spot for Junjou Romantica, because it was the first shounen-ai/yaoi I've seen, but yeah, that one's problematic af. And, tbh it's really hard to find one that isn't.
Their status as a couple and their orientation are both murky. It's also not the focus of the show. Best shoujo-ai are Revolutionary Girl Utena and Yuri Kuma Arashi. Yuri Kuma is particularly good, because it's an exploration of how Japan treats homosexuality in its culture. Best shounen-ai is a hard call. Maybe Love Stage or Doukyuusei.
If only I had watched Kannazuki no Miko. Then I'd be able to make a troll rec. But alas, it was not to be! Guess I have to throw out my favourite queerosexual anime instead. Pay heed, nerds. Wandering Son - an incredibly flawed adaptation of a great manga, but still worth a watch. Not like most of you have anything better to watch. Sweet Blue Flowers - don't listen to the haters. They are all wrong for disagreeing with me. Listen only to me. Anywho, if you like your romances to not focus on the "BUT WE ARE BOTH GALS", but about relationship ups and downs, this is the shiznit. Same mangaka as for Wandering Son. Revolutionary Girl Utena - anime does not get any queerer than this. Not many anime get any better than this, period, either. Yuri Kuma Arashi - it might be a bit too fanservice-y at times, but those bears are just too damn cute.
Karasu likes this thread. 1+ for Sweet Blue Flowers. No. 6 has one of my favorite shounen-ai couples. Also any manga by Junko is good. Short, but cute.
Another rec for Aoi Hana, it's a beautiful adaptation of an even better manga, it ends too soon in all honesty, but at least it shows some realism with how teenage romances often play out.
Yeah, the romance in No. 6 is the most well fleshed out part of the story. The rest of it is okay, except for the underwhelming ending, but Nezumi and Sion's relationship is both sweet, believable and not riddled with the usual shounen-ai cliches. Great stuff in a show that's not a full on romance anime.
The adaptation was great, sadly it ended while the manga was still going and never really went anywhere. I then went to read the manga and its ending was pretty much as unsatisfying as the anime's, but it was still very good nevertheless. That said, Hourou Musuko (the manga) is still even much better than that (one of my favorite manga for sure), it's too bad it didn't get anywhere near as good adaptation as Aoi Hana did. Also, I'm surprised noone has mentioned the Maria-sama ga Miteru series yet. It's all very good, but especially the second season and the third season OVA.
It was pretty flawed compared to other Ikuhara works, but took a big turn for the better a couple episodes in and ended up fairly decent. I'd still have everyone watch Utena first though. But, all great recs.
I'm yet to finish Hourou Musuko, but I quite liked the ending to Aoi Hana, though I can see why not everyone would.
I didn't really hate it or anything, but I feel like the manga would've deserved a couple more chapters to develop everything better and make it not so abrupt...
So, queer-baiting shows like.... Almost every sports anime has that one couple that seem... A little to close? They honestly have better relationship building than actual shounen-ai / shoujo-ai... For example, the last two shounen-ai that aired (that I can recall) Super Lovers - just, just why? You are that boy's guardian! Hitorijime My Hero - includes the line "have sex with me or never talk to me again"... True romance right there But uh, Japan has really weird romance shows too, so it's not surprising they can't get gay couples right either
I watched that a couple of years back, and I don't remember anything from it except that the pacing was reeeeeaaaally slow, and that made it hard to watch for me. Super Lovers was so uncomfortable to watch. The beginning where they were developing their relationship as family was alright, but when they started throwing in the romance it turned absolutely awful. Might have something to do with the fact that Ren (or whatever his name was) looked like he was 10. Big nope right there. Hitorijime My Hero had a promising first episode, but, yeah, that didn't last long.