Interdisciplinary approaches to yaoi manga: a review

This review provides a summation of previous and ongoing trends related to the study of yaoi manga fandom that focuses its attention on yaoi manga fandom. Following in the tradition of cultural studies, the paper examines the production and reception of media texts as they are related to the everyday lives of the consumers. For this reason, the core of this review does not examine the text in isolation.In addition, I incorporate a set of literature that, whilst not frequently referenced in yaoi studies, does allow us to consider interdisciplinary research inclusive of film studies, queer theory, psychoanalysis, and bisexuality studies. I have highlighted a range of literature based on its relevance to the following two questions. (1) What approaches have already been employed in yaoi fandom research? (2) Which approaches should be re-examined today and in what ways? For the first, I summarise key themes in yaoi fandom studies. The second question acts as a reaction to the first. Specifically, I contend that as yaoi studies continue we can, and perhaps should, incorporate wider theories and methodologies that help to better understand the diverse fandom that surrounds this genre.