Danmei
Danmei (Chinese: 耽美; pinyin: dān měi; lit.: 'indulging beauty') is a genre of literature and other fictional media, originated in China. Danmei is typically created by, and targeted for a female audience. The term itself means "indulgence in beauty" and symbolizes the romanticizing of male–male relationships, from a female perspective. [1]
The term danmei is borrowed from the Japanese word tanbi, which means "the pursuit of beauty".[2] The literary genre is also based on the Japanese BL manga literature after its global spread and integrate local homosexual tradition and perspectives. It was introduced to China through Taiwanese translations in the early 1990s.[3] Some describe this literature as a promiscuous uke, which is "a sea that receives all rivers."[2] Danmei emerged from fiction produced by an underground fandom. It is currently considered a cultural movement because it serves as an alternative to real queer literature, which does not exist in China, and plays a role in the formation of homosexual identity in the country.[4] However, the Chinese government consider danmei, that includes explicit erotic scenes, as pornographic content. Pornography is illegal in China although the exact laws regarding its possession and distribution are blurry.[5]
See Also
References
- "Slash fiction Click bait_Homoerotic fiction is doing surprisingly well among straight women". The Economist. 2015-11-14.
- Lavin, Maud; Yang, Ling; Zhao, Jing (2017). Boys' Love, Cosplay, and Androgynous Idols: Queer Fan Cultures in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. p. 16. ISBN 9789888390809.
- McLelland, Mark (2017). The End of Cool Japan: Ethical, Legal, and Cultural Challenges to Japanese Popular Culture. Routledge. p. 164.
- Feng, Jin (2013). Romancing the Internet: Producing and Consuming Chinese Web Romance. Leiden: BRILL. p. 58. ISBN 9789004222052.
- Chu, Chenge. "Incomplete and Opaque: The Problems with China's Porn Laws". Retrieved 9 December 2016.