Yokozawa no baai FTW!!!!

OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! I'm currently having to wipe the tears from my red face having just finished reading September Scanlations' English translation of Sekaiichi Hatsukoi(SH) - Yokozawa Takafumi no Baai! There are only a few pictures, but mostly it is a light novel. Although it is not 100% Nakamura Shungiku, it still comes across in that same, wonderfully BL way!

I mean, I love Nakamura sensei's works, like Junjou Romantica(JR) and the SH manga, but holy crap did the peeps over at September Scanlations do an awesome job! It has a nice flow and was sooooooo touching! I had started reading it directly from their site but then just downloaded the files once they were available. If you like JR, SH, touching love stories, grumpy tsunderes, and HOT HOT MAN SEX, then you have to read it! And if you don't, why on Earth are you reading this blog? (Seriously, I'd really like to know!)

What's the appeal?

As I sit here in Starbucks contemplating my next article for Culture Magazine, I realize that the yaoi I was reading last night in bed is still open in my browser. I finish the last few pages that my eyes refused to stay open for and then continue with my Sunday morning ritual.

But this has made me wonder, what exactly is it that I find so appealing about this genre? Is it the porn aspect? I mean, a lot of the titles I read are pretty darn hot. Is it the love stories? I would only be able to make that case if the stories I read weren't full of incredibly unhealthy relationships where one person is borderline physically abusive, and/or over-protective and jealous. The sweetness of the love realized always comes across tainted to me as the dominating character states "No really, no other man is allowed to talk to you, touch you, look at you, breath the same air as you..." Were it a real-life relationship I would be appalled. So why do I barely even flinch when it comes to yaoi? Is it the fiction aspect? Is it the lack of real people? Is it the lack of female oppression?

I've often wondered if my comfort level, as a women, was the fact that it was men being oppressed by other men, and not women suffering from this all to common plight. I mean, I can understand why that would at least instill some semblance of distance from the violence... but is it enough? I don't know.

Anybody have any ideas? I'd love to know your thoughts.