Category Archives: fujoshi

Kyoto Animation to do 801-chan, Hiyorin and Konata cameos deemed inevitable

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When I first heard that Tonari no 801-chan was getting an anime, I was interested in seeing how they would adapt it to a full show. I figured that it would be something fairly low-budget and a decent show, but with the news that they of Haruhi and Lucky Star, those lords of chaos known as KyoAni, are going to be animating the show, well that changes things. 801-chan now has the potential to not only be a show that everyone’s talking about, but the show everyone’s talking about. I for one welcome new shows centered around the concept of the fujoshi.

One problem.

With KyoAni being the engine behind 801-chan, there’s a chance that Yaoi-chan will be the most popular fujoshi around.

And I cannot allow that to happen.

From Internet to TV: Tonari no 801-chan Anime Announced

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Many doujin artists these days end up publishing professional manga, but what we don’t see often is a webcomic reaching that kind of notoriety. Tonari no 801-chan (The 801 by My Side) has managed to achieve such a position, starting off as a humble comic on an artist’s blog and turning into a variety of media, the most recent being an anime to debut in 2009.

Tonari no 801-chan, the tale of an adult fujoshi named, of all things, Yaoi in an otaple relationship whose boys-love-loving side manifests itself as a furry little creature called 801 (801 can be pronounced as “yaoi” hence the joke). I was referred to it by kransom in the past but never took a good look at it until recently.

The very first comic involves the very normal Yaoi transforming into 801 and citing almost word for word Ohno’s famous line from Volume 4 of Genshiken:”There’s no such thing as a girl who hates homos.”

I think I’ll be sticking with this one, and I’ll be looking forward to the anime next year.

The Fujoshi Files 6: Fujiyoshi Harumi

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Name: Fujiyoshi, Harumi (藤吉晴美)
Alias: N/A
Relationship Status: Single
Origin: Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei

Information:
Fujiyoshi Harumi is a second-year (11th grade) high school student and the only fujoshi in her class at a school whose company-sponsored name changes every week. Although she is comfortable enough with her fujocity that the other students are aware of her hobby, Fujiyoshi is still somewhat afraid of showing others her yaoi doujinshi manuscripts. Fujiyoshi is a talented artist and regular participant at Comic Market, and her doujinshi range from Gundam SEED to Pretty Cure.

Fujiyoshi often has problems distinguishing conventional thinking from her own personal opinions, even among fujoshi. Fujiyoshi will also often draw very unconventional pairings, though she is also a fan of more popular pairings and even a few male-female ones. Unlike many fujoshi, Fujiyoshi is surprisingly athletic.

Fujiyoshi’s name is a pun on the word “fujoshi” itself. Harumi is the name of a former location of Comic Market.

Fujoshi Level:
While Fujiyoshi’s talent at sports may seemingly contradict her status as a fujoshi, it is actually the best indication of that status. Fujiyoshi’s athleticism is the result of pushing herself past her own limits while enduring Comic Market and other doujin events for long hours. This makeshift exercise, powered by her desire for yaoi doujinshi, improves her physical stamina, strength, and speed, making her able to do even more at future events. Her devotion to doujinshi has resulted in Harumi being fujoshi in both mind and body.

Japan Day, or Drawing Ogiue on Pictochat

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I went to Japan Day with some friends, and I even met Erin and Noah, the Ninja Consultants and a bunch of other folks I had never met before, like James. Sadly, I got there a little late and missed many exciting activities, most notably the Free Food, though I noticed that the curry they were serving was not any curry but Go Go Curry, which is one of my favorite places to eat. Seriously if you haven’t been there you should really check out this robust and affordable Japanese curry. Unless you cannot eat milk or pork. Their menu does not deviate.

Anyway, I saw HALCALI with friends. The second song they performed was Tip Taps Tip. When HALCALI asked (in English) if the audience knew about the anime that Tip Taps Tip was an ending theme for, Eureka Seven, I let out a high-pitched “WHOO” with my arms outstretched.

Other than me, all I heard was silence.

Everyone in that audience: You suck.

All in all a good time, and I was able to have various groups of friends of mine meet each other. Between them I discussed fujoshi, learning Japanese, and of course anime, though not everyone participated in every conversation.

The most important thing though is that at one point during Japan Day I ended up Pictochatting with my friends…who were sitting right next to me.

Naturally I drew Ogiue.

But then I thought, maybe I should keep drawing Ogiue. Of course, I’d have to mix it up. I drew standard Ogiue, without the glimmer in her eyes, so what should I draw next?

Why, Ogiue in high school, of course. You can see her at the beginning of Volume 6 inside the TV behind the actual Ogiue.

Next I drew Ogiue in Junior High. My friend remarked to me, “I don’t like where this is going.”

Of course, we have no record of Ogiue prior to that, so I should have stopped. But wait! I had an idea.

So I drew a girl, her face obscured, holding a doujinshi, her first doujinshi, which she saw in 5th grade. Thus making it at least partially accurate.

Yes, I did just spend more time talking about a few minutes of drawing Ogiue on a Nintendo DS than the entire rest of the event.

The Fujoshi Files 5: Ohno Kanako

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Ohno Kanako

Name: Ohno, Kanako (大野加奈子)
Alias: Kannazuki Yohko (神無月曜湖)
Relationship Status: Dating
Origin: Genshiken: The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture

Information:
Ohno Kanako is a member of the Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture aka Genshiken at the prestigious Shiiou University, and is quite possibly the first willing female member to join the club since its inception. Ohno spent much of her childhood living in America and thus has a firm grasp of the English language, something shared by fellow female member Kasukabe Saki. While Ohno had previously visited both the Anime Society and the Manga Society at Shiiou University, she ultimately decides to stay with Genshiken due to their understanding nature. Although very nervous at first, Ohno slowly gains confidence in herself, eventually becoming a surrogate fujoshi older sister of sorts to Ogiue Chika and ultimately becoming the fourth Chairman of Genshiken after Sasahara Kanji steps down.

Ohno has very unique taste among fujoshi, one that resulted in her being ridiculed by many friends: A passion for middle-aged and retirement-age men  that is matched only by Ohno’s love for cosplay. Ohno participates in cosplay events so often that she has to maintain a schedule. Her cosplay is so successful that she has become the main attraction of Genshiken’s booth at school festival. It is for these reasons that Ohno forms a friendship with Genshiken member Tanaka Souichirou, an avid costume designer, but it is their care and understanding for each that leads them to start dating.

Fujoshi Level:
Ohno is mainly known for her love of older men and her cosplay. However, all of that pales in comparison to the fact that Ohno will actively attempt to transform her friends into fujoshi and reinforce ones who already have taken the step. Though only implied, it is clear that Ohno introduced yaoi to her young friend Susanna Hopkins at a rather early age, creating a dangerously powerful female otaku in the process. It is this active corruption of the youth of America that earns Ohno Kanako a remarkable place among fujoshi.

The Fujoshi Files 4: Haruno Sakura

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Name: Haruno, Sakura (春野サクラ)
Alias: N/A
Relationship Status: Single
Origin: Naruto

Information:
As a young girl growing up in the ninja village of Konoha, Sakura was a very intelligent student with a keen understanding of the basics of being a ninja. Chance would have her put on the same team as the love of her life, Uchiha Sasuke, and the infamous prankster and all around clown Uzumaki Naruto, led by the skilled, if eccentric, Hatake Kakashi. While there were tensions at first, the team developed a deep bond, which was severed when Sasuke betrayed them and left to join one of their worst enemies.

Sakura is the sole pupil of Tsunade, one of the most powerful ninjas in the world, and from her has learned how to both channel immense strength and utilize life-saving medical techniques. Teamed with an older Naruto and an unintentionally foul-mouthed artist-ninja named Sai, the team pursues Sasuke to return him home to Konoha.

Fujoshi Level:
It may catch some people by surprise that Sakura even has an entry in the Fujoshi Files. It is true that her fujoshi level is not very high at all. However, she certainly is one, though even Sakura herself has only barely realized it, as her extremely “positive” reaction to an illusion of Sasuke and Sai embracing each other passionately catches even Sakura off guard.

The Fujoshi Files 3: Houshakuji Renge

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Name: Houshakuji, Renge (宝積寺れんげ)
Alias: Renge-sama (れんげ様)
Relationship Status: Single
Origin: Ouran High School Host Club

Information:
Houshakuji Renge is the manager for the Host Club of Ouran High School. She is obsessed with visual novels and moe, and often blurs the line between fantasy and reality. The most notable example occurs during her first appearance at Ouran High School, where she assumes Host Club member Ootori Kyouya to be her fiancee due to a physical resemblance to her favorite visual novel character. She also begins to fancy newest member Fujioka Haruhi, until Haruhi is revealed to actually be a girl in drag and not just an effeminate boy.

Renge loves to cosplay and can often be seen in various stylish outfits, chief among them being a cosplay of Kisaragi Quon in bikini from the anime RahXephon. Outside of school, Renge can be seen hosting a live Sentai performance at a local mall for kids, partially to entertain, partially as an excuse to wear another cute outfit.

Renge is often heard before being seen. When the situation is right, a shrill laughter can be heard over the grinding gears of a high-powered motor, signaling her arrival.

Fujoshi Level:
The biggest indicator of Renge’s fujocity is the fact that, in a school where the Host Club exists, where almost every girl has a burning desire for guy on guy action, Renge is their queen and leader, and the one whom all the girls look up to in order to gain deeper insight into what it means to be a lover of boys’ love. In that respect, Renge is unassailable.

The History of Fujoshi at Otaku Champloo

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Khursten of Otaku Champloo has recently begun posting articles on the history of fujoshi and their relationship with Shounen Jump.  It’s a fascinating read, and as someone who has no interest in yaoi beyond academic and historical purposes (as well as certain characters within anime and manga who happen to be into it) I feel a little more enlightened.

Intro

Captain Tsubasa

Remember that Ogiue is very much a Shounen Jump fujoshi with her preference for titles such as Saint Seiya and Scram Dunk.

The Fujoshi Files 2: Tamura Hiyori

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Hiyori

Name: Tamura, Hiyori (田村ひより)
Alias: Hiyorin (ひよりん)
Relationship Status: Single
Origin: Lucky Star

Information:
Tamura Hiyori is a student at Ryouou High School in Saitama Prefecture. A friendly and sociable girl, Hiyori has no problems making friends. Despite her age, Hiyori is a doujinshi artist and member of a popular circle which has even sold at Comic Market. A very enthusiastic artist, Hiyori frequently comes up with ideas for new comics but often forgets them just as easily, which is a continuing source of frustration for her. While not obviously a fujoshi at first sight, Hiyori has a tendency to (almost) accidentally blurt out phrases which betray her true status.

Fujoshi Level:
Hiyori frequently uses examples from real life to inform her work. Most notably, her two female friends and classmates, Kobayakawa Yutaka and Iwasaki Minami, who have a very close friendship with each other, have become a recurring subject and inspiration for many doujinshi. Unlike many fujoshi, Hiyori’s draws more than just boys’ love pairings, as shown in the example of Yutaka and Minami. However, she rarely ventures outside the theme of sexually charged pairings, which perhaps says more about her status as a fujoshi than anything else.

The Fujoshi Files 1: Ogiue Chika

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Name: Ogiue, Chika (荻上千佳)
Aliases: Ogino Naruyuki (於木野鳴雪), Yukimian (雪見庵)
Relationship Status: Dating
Origin: Genshiken: The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture

Information:
Ogiue Chika is a member of the Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture, or Genshiken, at Shiiou University in Tokyo, and a former member of the Manga Society at the same university. She discovered doujinshi as early as 5th grade, and has maintained a passion for boys’ love ever since, though a traumatic event in her junior high school days created a great deal of self-loathing in her, leading to her denouncing otaku in general. One of her greatest fears was that her love of yaoi would preclude her from ever being in a romantic relationship. Thanks to the friendships she gained by being a part of Genshiken, she has gradually accepted her fujoshi side. She eventually becomes chairman of Genshiken, receiving the title from its previous owner, fellow fujoshi Ohno Kanako.

Ogiue is a talented artist who is best described as being unable to resist drawing what she wants. She has produced a number of works, most prominent among them being Anata no Tonari, a girl-oriented doujinshi involving the characters Mugio and Chihiro from Kujibiki Unbalance.

Fujoshi Level:
The greatest example of Ogiue’s fujocity is the fact that her interest in boys’ love extends out from manga and into the real world. Ogiue fantasizes about her male friends engaged in very obscene activities and has drawn many, many pages (she describes it in multiples of ten) of these images which exist in her fantasies. In fact, her boyfriend, Sasahara Kanji, himself a former chairman of Genshiken, continues to be a subject of her more explicit drawings, and their intimacy has allowed her to draw him with greater accuracy.