A Yuri Storyline classification System – Part 4
Posted on | July 30, 2009 | 6 Comments |
1. Chase/Getting together storylines
- D. Storylines where two girls meet and fall in love
Ah, the romantic category. The least dramatic, but perhaps the most realistic and most touching.
In my humble opinion, the best way this is approached is when the mangaka completely ignores the fact that they are both girls and instead concentrates on writing a wonderful love story (that just happens to be between two members of the same sex). The other way in which this can be approached is by focusing on two girls falling in love but struggling with coming to terms with their own sexualities and the disapproving stares of their peer group and their parents. These issues however, are more in the “Relationship” category rather than getting together as such, therefore the variations discussed here are involved with the different ways in which two like minded girls might fall in love.
Since there is a lot less drama in this kind of storyline, it is generally less favoured in lieu of Type A storylines (where would we be without relationship angst, eh?) and also the lack of angst tends to imply that the characters are just that little bit older. After those teenage hormones die down, there’s a huge reduction in unrequited crushes and the like, after all. Though in reality, I would like to think that this way is probably the most common way that two girls can find each other in a relationship…
- 1. Relationships continuing naturally from friendship
One of the strongest relationship storylines in anime both heterosexual and homosexual is the “Osananajimi” or “Childhood Friend” mechanic where the main character in a story knows a particular boy/girl from their elementary school days who either grew up with them or moved away when they were little and was reunited with them later on. And we all know that close friendships that have been going on for a long time can blossom into a kind of awkward “I wonder if this is what love feels like”. This then progresses to “I wonder what it would be like to stick my tongue down her throat” and later “I wonder if she’s ever had the same stray thoughts about what it would be like to get naked and bathe in olive oil”. And so on.
Obviously, the same thing happens in girl/girl relationships – except that obviously there is the sexuality barrier to get over first. Though as we well know, this does not exist in manga or anime so it is NO PROBLEM. Best examples of long-term friends turning into long-term friends with benefits include Nanzaki Iku’s current pairing Sayo/Ritsuko (Heart and Soul etc.) though the getting together part isn’t shown. Kurogane Kenn’s Shoujo Sect also showcases such an example with Shinobu/Momoko fitting the bill perfectly (with an element of A player tamed)
Another variation on relationships continuing from friendship is when relationships blossom from taking care of someone or working with someone for any length of time – a la Chatting in the Amber Teahouse by Fujieda Miyabi. Since the longer you work together, the closer you get and the more you fall in love/get increasingly annoyed with them and punch them in the groin. As long as it’s the latter you have GOOD END.
- 2. Stories involving love at first sight
I’m not a great believer in love at first sight. However, I am a great believer in lust at first sight and subsequent stalking said object of lust, finding out more about her and then falling the proverbial head over heels. However, it is a favourite subject of many a story weaver since we all like to envisage that our soulmate is out there somewhere and the only thing you have to do to find them is lock eyes with as many people as possible and see the missing part of your heart inside. Aww. Sweet. But God forbid it be someone of your own gender! Oh well, I’m sure you’ll get over the lack of penis at some point; and I’ve heard that you can buy some surprisingly realistic alternatives.
Well, anyway, especially in manga there is a lot of love/lust at first sight around. When it’s one sided, it’s more of a category A, but when the love/lust is reciprocated then it falls in here. Even more amusing and for extra comic effect is when a straight girl accidentally falls head over heels for a gay girl and much to her own chagrin finds herself stalking the object of her affections such as in Koji Mihoto’s Girl’s Next Door chapter 2 (Yes that apostrophe is wrong) and Izumi Yuu’s Let’s go to Heaven.
- 3. Stories in which a crush is fulfilled
Following directly on, we have tales which focus on the confession and resulting relationships of the poor girls who go on with their daily lives thinking that their love is unrequited, when in fact the object of their dirty lesbian affections wants to do the exact same dirty lesbian things to them as well. If only humans were mind readers then this would never happen (and soap operas would be dead boring and men would be forever insecure about their sexual prowess). This story type usually involves a girl confessing to another one that they love them and then the other girl has a reconsideration of how they view their sexuality at that particular moment in time. There is then acceptance and following that, exploration, experimentation and awkward hot lesbian sex.
I like to think that this particular class is favoured by female yuri mangaka because it might bring back memories of crushes lost and unrequited loves forgotten from their own experiences that they can now fantasise about through the medium of their art. Much like the corresponding storylines in the heterosexual genre drawn by male mangaka. However, I can also see male mangaka drawing this as well, since it is a very simple storyline that doesn’t require much effort to think up (and we are the lazy gender). And anyway – it’s hawt to think of the quiet girl and the popular girl getting it on.
My favourite example of this is in Kimura Isumi’s More than a girlfriend, Less than a boyfriend which involves just that – a quiet girl confessing to the popular girl – and getting naked rights as a reward. But the quiet girl looks like she’s done it all before, so she’s obviously gotten some experience (probably read up on lesbian tongue techniques in the Non-Fiction section at her local library). My other favourite is probably Ryu Asagi’s I fell in love for the first time (which is being released as a tankoubon, so yay!) in which a girl has a crush on an older woman on a train and kisses her on impulse (as you do) and triggers the legendary yuri scene event flag. Actually, I think I really like age difference storylines.
- 4. Stories taking place in a female only world (“Garden of Maidens”)
And finally, probably the most cliched and overquoted storyline of them all – The “Garden of maidens” effect. The most popular (and perhaps first) example of this effect was shown in the anime series Maria sama ga miteru in which girls were shown in the Catholic School setting, where younger girls were “parented” (for want of a better word) by older “onee-samas” which inevitably led to holding hands, longing glances across the dinner table, dry humping and later college experimentation. This was followed by Strawberry Panic, which painted a similar Catholic girl’s school picture, but without the chaste restraints placed on St. Lillian’s. Breast grabbing and yuri rape abounded and some actual overt relationships were formed.
The “Garden of Maidens” effect is not limited to Catholic schools, but is an umbrella term for storylines that take place in an environment which is all female. For example, Simoun or Strike Witches (for want of better examples) both take place in an almost all-female environment (using the age old “oh no only teenage girls can save the world” chestnut) and as you would expect, same sex relationships are plentiful.
“Garden of Maidens” relies on the assumption that when girls are put together in an environment with no men, their sexual frustrations will have nowhere to go but to their peers and to their cool upperclassmen. Especially if it is a particularly strict environment – for example in a Catholic school, the temptation to do something rebellious is multiplied even more. However, as I wrote in a post on the subject, this is probably an idealised view. Girls at an all-girls school will generally direct their sexual frustration towards finding boys outside of school, in much the same way as boys at an all boys school. Although there may be some same-sex relationships formed, there is a definite confounding factor in that girls who like girls will tend to apply to all-girls schools. Sorry to break everyone’s bubbles.
Manga examples of “Female only world” relationships include Mikuni Hadzime’s Gokujou Drops and Sudou Kaoru’s Gretel. And the manga adaptations of Strawberry Panic and Marimite, of course.
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6 Responses to “A Yuri Storyline classification System – Part 4”
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July 31st, 2009 @ 8:18 am
Great post, as always. That meeting an older woman on a train and kissing her story sounds good… Ill have to look it up. :D
August 1st, 2009 @ 2:33 am
mm, the strawberry panic anime was probably one of my most favorite yuri’s of all time… nagisa x tamao *squee!!*
August 1st, 2009 @ 2:35 am
…wait, tamao, NO! wrong person! nagisa x shizuma, there thats better… squee…
August 1st, 2009 @ 9:35 am
What a brilliant and awe-struck collection of blogging, scholarly thoughts, and intellectual discussion/reflection there is here on this site. I was referred to here from ‘Elegant Succubus’, and I have to extend a deep sincere thanks and appreciation to you for sharing your thoughts and very scholarly writings with the world. I have read many doujin, comics, and ‘japan-oriented’ sexual artwork, yet I always felt the inner urge to attain a deeper meaning and understanding of engaging and spirited stories that I’ve seen in stellar hentai comics, doujin, and sexual fantasy creativity.
Your thoughts, explanations, and cohesive writing, especially for the ‘Yuri Storyline classification System…etc’ sections really touched something deep in my heart that’s always remained a mystery to me. Reading your piece and work here has furthered opened and allowed me to understand that sexual doujin don’t necessarily have to just be considered a ‘porn-comic to-jack-off-and-not-think-twice-about’, indeed, there are deep messages, philosophical insights, and underlying messages that lead to an indirect, and ever-growing understanding of social interaction of humans through sexual engagement, activity, experiences, fantasy and creativity.
Anyways, I’m thoroughly impressed and deeply thankful for your writing. Like Elegant Succubus’ wordpress site, people like you guys are giving the category of ‘Hentai/Sex Comics/Doujinshi’ a better reputation in terms of philosophy, intellectual meaning, scholarly thinking, reflection, and comparison/meaning to real life and humans in general.
Amazing. I hope one day….stuff like this will get the reputation, respect, and social understanding and acceptance deserved. People like you guys are stellar for laying the stones and foundation for these hopes and dreams to come true.
Anonymous out. Thanks for this. I really mean it. Keep it up and don’t give up anytime soon.
August 7th, 2009 @ 12:13 am
“I wonder if she’s ever had the same stray thoughts about what it would be like to get naked and bathe in olive oil”
Damn. Thanks for putting that idea into my head! =P
August 21st, 2009 @ 6:45 pm
Great post, wonder where do you read all of these.
Can you tell us ?
I wanna look the manga of Ryu Asagi, I fell in love for the first time, that you mention.