The Great Yaoi Gif Conundrum: Why 'Kiss Him, Not Me' Isn't Cutting It for True Yaoi Fans

This doesn't feel like it should be THAT serious but to me it is so I'm gonna write about it. Yaoi Gifs. You've had a long, stressful day, and you just want to unwind with some quality Yaoi content. You open up your favorite gif website, punch in "Yaoi gifs," and eagerly scroll through the results, only to find—what's this? Gifs from "Kiss Him, Not Me"?

Also Boys Love Universe will be populating Tenor with more Yaoi, Bara and BL Gifs so be sure to find our BLU logo or mascot Otto over there!

What is the anime "Kiss Him, Not Me"?

Kae Serinuma is that girl you know who's totally addicted to Yaoi. She's a fujoshi—her brain's like a non-stop reel of hot guys getting it on, whether they're anime characters or real dudes. So, when one of her fave anime hotties kicks the bucket, girlfriend is absolutely wrecked. Like, full-on hermit mode, locks herself in her room and binge-watches the void for an entire week.

But here's where things get wild: she emerges from her self-imposed exile looking like a total bombshell. You know, the whole "ugly duckling to swan" shtick but make it Yaoi-fanatic. This show is really strange with the opposite of body positivity, but most anime is. It also oddly takes away the true meaning of fujoshi and seems to make it more of a curse in a strange undertone. Suddenly, she's got this harem of four dudes at school—Yūsuke, Nozomu, Hayato, and Asuma—who are tripping over themselves for her. Oh, and let's not forget Shima Nishina, another fujoshi, who also gets in on the action.

Here's the kicker: All these peeps are madly into her even after they find out she'd rather see them locking lips with each other than with her. And they're still like, "Pick me, choose me, love me," while Kae's internally screaming, "Would you all just make out with each other already?!"

It's a fun show at times, odd, but it's not a Yaoi. So...why is it tagged Yaoi on Gif companies?

What's the Big Deal?

So, why does this matter? Let's break it down.

1. Yaoi is its own genre. It's not just a subgenre of romance or comedy; it's a genre that speaks for itself. Yaoi fans deserve content that reflects that. While an anime about a fujoshi is fun it's more of a Shojo than gay men getting together. And it still gets the popularity vote on Gif companies.
   

2. Shows like "Kiss Him, Not Me" offer a watered-down experience that doesn't fully capture the essence of Yaoi. Don't get me wrong; it's not that it's a bad show—it's just not really a Yaoi show. And it still gets pushed up above Yaoi Gifs.

Want a hot and heavy gif from a classic Yaoi manga or anime? Good luck with that, because most of the big platforms would rather censor the life out of it. It's weird because people always talk big on uncensorship, but yet anything Yaoi or even gay always gets censored.

Why? Because, according to them, Yaoi is "not appropriate" or "risqué" content. But hang on a second, if explicit heteronormative content gets a free pass, then what's the damn deal with pushing Yaoi into the "too hot to handle" box? Or is it something else which is just..."Hm, big talk like you care, but underhanded kinda know what you're hinting at." Hm.

Let's not skate around the issue: "Kiss Him, Not Me" is a fun anime. But it's basically fangirl-bait. It teases Yaoi elements, and is made for a separate audience. Does it do the job for people who are into that kind of storyline? Sure.

Yaoi fans deserve better. We're not asking for the moon here; we just want accurate, authentic representation in our Gifs and content. It's a big deal for someone like me who sometimes uses Gifs to explain an emotion or even adding a few to posts like this. Or even made Gif-sets on Tumblr (which has a larger selection of Yaoi gifs than say Tenor or even Google).

Gif companies, stop censoring the genre we love. We're grown-ups; we can handle the heat. Like Yaoi is 18+ for a reason. It doesn't need to be censored, or it is there should be two options. Censored and non-censored.

If you're gonna throw Yaoi into the search bar, then give us some authentic Yaoi gifs. (Note: This post can be taken seriously for what I'm trying to say about Gif Companies, but also feel free to laugh at me. I know I'm dedicated to the art of Yaoi and I go overboard sometimes. It's just what I do!)