Ask John: Why is there More Yaoi Than Yuri?

Question:
Why is there seemingly so much more yaoi in anime than yuri? I, as a guy, would think that there’d be a market for it as well, yet there doesn’t seem to be much at all.

Answer:
The primary reason for the disparate percentage of male to female homosexual themes and couples in manga and anime is accounted for by their different markets. Male homosexuality, depicted as yaoi or shonen ai, is primarily created by and for Japanese females. There are exceptions, such as the G-Men Magazine that publishes hardcore gay manga stories for male readers, but the vast majority of yaoi is popular among women, and not particularly popular among men. On the opposite side of the coin, Japanese women don’t seem to be particularly interested in seeing or reading about lesbian relationships, and Japanese male anime and manga fans seem to be more interested in depictions of graphic sexuality as vicarious alternatives than as leisure fiction. In other words, Japanese women seem to be interested in seeing sexually charged, glowingly beautiful men, but not interested in depictions of sex between women. Japanese men seem to be more interested in depictions of sexuality that they can envision themselves in, which accounts for the popularity of heterosexual and hermaphrodite sex in anime and manga. Heterosexual encounters in anime allow the male viewer to imagine himself in place of the male protagonist. Hermaphrodites allow males to appreciate lesbian encounters while still providing a reference point for male involvement. Pure lesbian relationships exclude the male, which may be why many Japanese males find such depictions alienating and less appealing.