1. I'm in Asia so I'm exposed to these kind of stuff
2. Yes I am into them. Why you ask? Jee I really don't know. Though I do know I support all the recluse homo ppl. Ever since knowing yaoi/shounen-ai it made me more open minded
3. Yup I definately love fanservice, slash, coupling, etc. Because I can't imaginve them being with women after seeing them doing those. XD
4. You shouldn't as me this. I love a lot of coupling! XDD I think they suit each other. It'll be weird if they do get married which I'm sure they will in the near future. T___T
5. Yes I like them. Hobby I guess. No I do not create any. Why? Lazy XD
6. Never really given it much thought. To exploit us?! and yeah marketing too. I don't get the last question. >.<
7. Not really if they are good I'll definately still listen/watch/read it. The yaoi in it is just bonus to me
8. Yeah there is. like the term uke = bottom. Seme = dominant. About bands hmm the most common is KAT-TUN and definately TVXQ!

I hope I helped a bit. >.

WOW. what a paper you're doing. :| i'll think about your questions and try answering them tomorrow. im a newbie to fandom too so might not be of much help to you.

I suggest looking up articles by Fabienne Darling-Wolf. Two I remember being relevant to what you're researching are:

Darling-Wolf, Fabienne. "SMAP, Sex, and Masculinity: Constructing the Perfect Female Fantasy in Japanese Popular Music." Popular Music and Society, Vol. 27, No. 3. 2004. (pg 357-370)

Darling-Wolf, Fabienne. "Gender, Beauty and Western Influence: Negotiating Femininity in Japanese Women’s Magazines," The Gender Challenge to the Media, ed. E.L. Toth & L. Aldoory. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press, Inc., 2001. (pg 277-318)

I think those citations are right. (I am copy and pasting. :3;;;)

Also, in regards to #6, it is not only Asian bands that do this. The bands Fall Out Boy and Tokio Hotel come to mind, but I don't follow them, so sadly, I cannot be of assistance there. There might be some trends that are more visible in "Asian" marketing, but I'd warn against generalizing this kind of marketing as "Asian".

Ahhh too bad I can't answer this since I'm a guy =(

I do love your research paper though, I've always wanted to know more about it myself. Good luck!

Hi! I've been wondering about the same thing too. I think it'd be really interesting to write about.

1. First, I am asian so there was really no escaping the Asian entertainment since my mother, relatives and sisters watched Asian T.V and listened to Asian music. I didn't really like it throughout my years of exposure, but recently in the summer of this year, I was watching an anime called "Lovely Complex" and the opening theme and ending theme was stuck in my head. So I decided to download it. The songs were by a group called Tegomass and I really loved their voices! I wiki'ed them up to find a really cute boy named Tegoshi. And I guess it all went downhill from there. (i.e NEWS, KAT-TUN, ARASHI etc.) ^_^
2. No I am not into yaoi/shounen-ai. It is not very appealing to me (although I have nothing against homosexuals) I don't know why people are into it.
3. I'm not exactly sure what slash is, but no I am definitely not into fanservice. I am against people being forced into doing fanservice. I don't get it's appeal? Maybe its some peoples' fantasies, but surely not mine.
4. ---
5. I haven't tried reading that, but sometimes I come over these member-ai fanvideos on youtube or other video sites and I watch them because they're funny. That is really the only time I watch that kind of stuff, to get a laugh out of it. ^_^
6. I think Asia just likes seeing pretty boys with pretty boys. I mean, not to stereotype or anything, but Japan likes youth, young boys and they probably think its cute to see young boys with young boys. I grew up seeing that as kind of a pedophilia fetish. O_O I think it's cute when they're young and buddy-like with each other. But not when they're all over each other and barely making out :p (Maybe I'm exaggerating)
7. Not at all, even though the pairing Akame did a lot of fansevice, I still like their music and songs. I will keep on watching their shows and listening to their music but I will chose not to watch the member-ai stuff. And eventhough Tegoshi goes around whoring himself (with Pi, Ryo, Koyama, Massu and Shige) I still love him and he is still the person who sang the songs that got stuck in my head the first time I heard it used in an anime. :p Massu too of course.
8. Ah, I have a lot of pictures (I'm not a fan, but I've come across many websites where people did picspams of fanservice pictures/ member-ai pictures. Just email me if you need any or leave a comment on my LJ.

Email : Billiejoerocksgd@yahoo.com

interesting theme for a paper
ok, I don't have much time, since I am at my uncle's computer..so, fast tipping, sorry if I can't answer everything

1. good question..it all started with the drama "it started with a kiss" and the OST, afterwards i just got hooked to drama and asian music
2. I am..the guys are hot...and two guys together..yummie..seriously, i don't know..I like normal pairings in drama as well
3. well, if i like yaoi it's kinda logical for me that I would also like fanservice^^..it's hard to explain why one like it
4. jaeho~~~ (before them was akame..)
5. yes yes yes..and no, i am not capable of drawing or writing
6. I think it is marketing..I mean there are so many people who started to like dbsk because of jaeho (including myself)..yaoi seems to be pretty popular with girls nowdays..i don't know any other reasons
7. it did with dbsk, but only because i really started to like their music and their voices..i liked akame, but i can't bring myself to listen to kat-tun..so it depends on the band
8. fuck wikipedia for yaoi and you will find lotsa things you never knew^^..that's what i did, when i got into this fandom

XD you know~ many girls find yaoi appealing...like how men seem to find lesbians appealing. okay~ on to your questions! This will be an interesting paper...can I read it when you finish? (and i'm really sorry if my answers are long)

1. Well 9 years ago when I was 8 I saw this drama at my aunt's house in China and Yamapi was in it (it was called shounentachi), and needless to say I fell in love with yamapi XD~ Plus I'm Chinese so I grew up listening to chinese music. I live in America and one of my friends is really into dramas and she introduced me to non-JE related stuff. Then I started fansubbing and now I'm fully immersed in Asian entertainment. It's appeal...well the dramas are really interesting and the music is great. I feel I relate more to what i see in asian dramas than what I see in american dramas (maybe because I'm asian?) I also like the people more. You don't really get the same slew of rumours and gossip that you get with American celebrities...everyday in america all you hear is "___ got pregnant or ___ is on drugs and needs to go to rehab". Celebrities are role models for many people, and I feel that asian celebrities do a much better job of that.

2. Hmmm I have mixed feelings...I mean I'll be like "AWW RYOPI" or "AKAME!", but if they were to actually start screwing each other I might be a bit O_O about it XD I like the shounen-ai when its just us fangirling, but since it's not real I don't know how i'd actually feel about it if it were true (don't get me wrong i have nothing against gay people its just...idk I've never imagined Yamapi or Kame or Jin actually BEING gay beyond our fangirl fantasies hahaha) errr sorry this one's a bit hard to explain.

3. Who doesn't love fanservice? Yamapi ripping off his shirt and hugging Tegoshi during a con makes my day~

4. Hmmm....that's a bit hard...I don't really have a favorite XD because I'm not a hardcore slash fan, I just think its cute~ like PIN, Ryopi, tegopi, akame...they're all cute~ and I like when one member says something endearing because it's cute and makes fangirls go "Awwwww". But I'm not one of those "OMG RYOPI ALL THE WAY NO OTHER SLASHES ALLOWED". (im just using ryopi as an example XD hahaha)

5. I like fanfics (if written well-bad grammar gets on my nerves because I write fics too XD) and fanvideos too ^^ It's creative, and another way for us fangirls to live out our little fangirl fantasies and share them with the rest of the world

6. Asia does this because they know that we like it, and it increases profits. I feel like asian girls are more into the yaoi thing (since i've been in both america and asia) but the people who arent asian that get sucked into the asian entertainment scene start liking it too. It might just be the power of gorgeous asian males who also look stunning as girls. Plus, a lot of us like the guys who can pass of as girls...(i mean look at JE XD). I read an article a few months ago that many girls like manly men, but in the long term would rather marry a more feminine guy (more secure perhaps? there were reasons that I don't quite remember). Perhaps that's the secret to the asian entertainment's success? They know what women want. So...I mean I guess it could be both...it also comes down to personal preference...but that too can be changed.

7. Well...for manga/anime, no not really...XD Some stuff I read has yaoi or insinuates a gay relationship, but a lot of stuff doesn't as well, it just depends on if i find the story interesting (and I think the artwork affects my decision too). As for a band...well if they don't do ANY fanservice then I guess I'd find it harder to stay interested (because I think i'd lose a lot of the fangirling factor).

8. Well, I've already said A LOT XD and don't want to spam your LJ anymore (because I don't even know if I've been helpful or not)~ but if you have any questions or something, feel free to ask ^^~

I actually did a research on fandom, but not as large scale as yours, and my focus was rather different. Still, I generated a questionnaire and posted to comms to get responses. Cool to see someone else doing the same thing :)

1. If you're talking Asian entertainment in general, then the answer would be since I started listening to music, since I'm Asian :) The current fandom, though, I only got into after my friend got me to watch KAT-TUN's Real Face PV, and although I was shocked initially by all their dance moves, I was also very very intrigued. I felt drawn to the image of pretty boys dancing very closely to each other, and the fact that them dancing with each other while looking so natural seems to be their selling point, that got me interested. I wanted to know why this is so. But of course, apart from that, that clip was intense - choreography, Jin's voice. I'd say my getting into the Japanese fandom was a gradual thing.

2. Yes. As traumatized as I was in the beginning, I can't help but admit that I find it hot. I only buy into it if one, or both guys, are significantly effeminate and of the pretty-boy variety, and the fact that it makes it more real in a society where heterosexuality is perhaps the only accepted way of life (Asia, at least. Ironically).

3. Again, yes. I blame it on Akame and their chemistry when I first saw them. How comfortable they used to look around each other, and then not, and then again. Complex stuff :(

4. Akame. Chemistry. And their history. Although in the back of my mind, they probably were and are nothing more than really really close friends who share a lot growing up, they 1) look good together; 2) have personalities which clash but still sizzle when thrown together, and; 3) are part of what Akame fangirls call "The Great Akame Conspiracy" that I just can't stay away from.

5. Yes. And yes, I write fanfiction. I like them, but only if they're done tastefully and well, I mean, not just pieces which throw Jin and Kame together and make them have sex. The whole Akame conspiracy theory was what probably drew me in in the first place. And of course, some writers have such great imagination, that it's like reading a great book, except that it stars/involves real people.

6. I don't think it's an Asian thing, honestly. It started with Japan - anime, manga, etc, which bled into music and film. The rest of Asia were never really part of this whole "movement", if you might have it, until Korea caught on. You could say Taiwan is on its way there. Personally, I think the reason why other Asian markets have followed in this trend could be the shift in what a man desirable. A whole bunch of Japanese fashion magazines ran articles on this - how men had to be masculine, strong-looking, have thick eyebrows which are fierce looking to be desirable in the past, and how in recent years, that has changed so drastically that the most desired men now are closer to what a woman would look like. As the boundary between men and women blurs, it could be that displays of blatant homosexuality become more acceptable, desired even.

7. No.

8. I used a few articles from http://nippop.com/, but somehow the one I wanted to link you to gave me an error message when I tried to access it (http://nippop.com/features/feature_id-33/). You might also want to look up Timothy J. Craig's book, Japan Pop!: Inside the World of Japanese Popular Culture. Good luck with your paper!

1. I have always been attracted to asian boys since i was a lil girl- actually that bruce lee movie "enter the dragon" is what made me realize this. I have always been into world culture and music. I had a friend from Korea who introduced me to Korean music. I fell inlove with the sound of the language and back then I didnt know how to search for pictures of the singers so I would just imagine in my head how beautiful they were :-P
2. I like yaoi, I don't read manga or watch anime but I like reading yaoi fanfiction from time and I watch gay asian porn every once in a while too.
3. I enjoy fanservice and coupling. I dont think I go as far as some fans but i do find it enjoyable. I have always found m/m homosexuality intriguing and arousing. From the standpoint of a fan, it's better seeing my favorite popstars share intimate moments with eachother than with another girl because that would make me jealous.
4. I'd have to say Jaeho or Jaechun. I love the intimate and deep relationships they seem to have. There also seems to be a bit of drama between these coupling I like to think about what could be happening behind the scenes, perhaps a bit of a love triangle? 2 men vying for the love of 1.
5. I like fanfictions when I am in the mood. I like fanvideos if they're good and entertaining. I don't make any of my own out of pure laziness
6. I think it's cultural. Asians have learned to enjoy and admire aspects of homosexuality and homoeroticism that the west has not reached a comfort level with yet.
7. Not really, if there is fanservice it's an added bonus but it's not neccissary to enjoy.
8. Gay asian porn is so much sweeter that any kinda western asian porn. The interaction between the actors... the foreplay, it makes it enjoyable, even for women to watch which is something that I have rarely, if ever seen with western porn.

1. My friend introduced me to DBSK through Yunjae, but DBSK is almost the only Asian group I listen to. I love the boys, so I support them. That's about it, lol.

2. Yes, I love yaoi and shounen-ai. I can't really say why, though. I just think that two gay men together is beautiful because they can overcome obstacles together for love....? I dunno, really. >_< Sorry.

3. I enjoy fanservice sometimes. However, on some occasions, I feel like it isn't real, and then I don't want to see it. I'd rather not have fanservice if it's fake, and they actually believe that homosexuals are disgusting.

4. I have several favorite couples because I read many different fandoms. I'd say that Yunjae/Jaeho is my favorite, though. Yunho and Jaejoong are close, and they fit so well together... >_<

5. Yes, I like them all. =3 I do write fanfiction, mostly because I want to write, and also because I like to share the love. X3

Sorry, I have to leave now, but I'll be back to answer the rest later!

1. I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'Asian entertainment'. :/ Hrm I've grown up watching TV and listening to the radio. I got into kpop only about 2 years ago, because k-everything invaded Singapore (and other countries, I believe) and I was curious. XD

2/3. (I think my answer might overlap these questions, so... I hope you don't mind. :x) Nope, not really into slash, at least I don't think so. o_o; I can accept fanservice, like kissing, hugging, etc. But if it goes beyond that, say french-kissing or sex, I get disgusted. Coupling is okay with me too; I just hope that they don't turn out to be couples in real life. @_@

4. The first couple that comes to my mind right now is Minwoo/JunJin, from Shinhwa. I don't know about others, but I can feel the brotherly affection oozing out whenever I see them together.

5. Nope. Those usually contain suggestive/sexual themes, which I can't accept.

6. I'm not too sure, probably has to do with culture.

7. To a certain extent, yes. Coupling is always more interesting (funny/cute moments) to watch compared to solo. I don't read/watch manga/anime. As for listening, it's just about the voice for me.

8. Back when Shinhwa was in SM, they had this "official couple" thing. The couples were chosen according to their blood types. I've only heard about this in summary, so I can't give you much details. >)

wow this is something interesting. i tried asking myself this kinda topic some time ago but never got the answers.

1. I guess cos I'm Asian, and because Asia is a huge continent which has a huge media. The appeal is maybe, there's a western touch to asian media, and it's interesting looking at it in a different manner
2. I am into yaoi, though on a small scale. Maybe cos seeing them paired with females breaks our fancrazed hearts so it's better if they are with males?
3. I like fanservice because it's exciting and it's like a fun ride. Couplings, I guess they're like fanservice too.
4. I like Shou/Saga from alice nine because they look nice together. But that just stays in fantasy. As for super junior yaoi, I see them as straight boys, and if they meddle around the gay part, I think that's just for laughs.
5. As of late, I haven't been into them so much. But the time when I liked them, I prefer fanfictions. Because I think writings gives a more 'wide' imagination than watching it. I create some, maybe cos I want them to be more to my preference.
6. Hmmm, Asia has had a huge influence by the westerns. So maybe if they create something like the westerns, it'll be on the same level to generate as the westerns. On a cultural text, there seems to be nothing of yaoi in it, though yaoi comes from Japan, I suppose it generates from fangirls.
7. What they do as fanservice should be put aside from the performance, because fanservice is merely for fun. But their performance should be focused with a serious matter. Though fanservice simulates a bond relationship between the members? I see it as that
8. Um.. I don't know the history of yaoi. Just that I think with yaoi, fans tend to like it more. Though yaoi is out of context from their music/performance, the concept of it makes fans like the band more.

errr.. I hope this helps. Your research is very interesting. I'd like to know too what makes others likes homosexuality.

1. Because I was watching Dragon ball Z and other anime like that when I was a child because it was on french national TV every afternoon xD
2. Not that much, see question 3. =D; v
3. mostly pairings in entertainment industry and fanfics. Not really into watching gay porn or alike. Why ? I don't know XD But it didn't start with Asian stuff you know, for me it started because I was reading Harry Potter fanfiction and so I found a Harry/Draco one, and read it... and there we are xD
4. Kangteuk. Why ?... uh... I don't know XD I think they are cute and look like a great couple and... I dunno, I love them.
5. I like reading fanfictions, I already watched a few videos but not that much. I can write stuff but I can't in english lol for other reasons, and I never thought about fanvids because even if I wanted, my software died long time ago.
6. Both. It's something more cultural obviously, even if that doesn't mean homosexuality is welcomed in those country. That's the weird part of it actually. If the guys were really involved in a scandal involving them having a relationship with another guy, that would be an huge mess. And yes obviously it's for marketting. They perfectly knows that having some pairings will make the fangirls squee. Maybe because like that they think they are really with each other and won't ever date any girl, because we know how jealous a fan can be.
7. Nop
8. Nothing in my mind right now.

• How did you originally get into Asian entertainment and what is its appeal?
  
  
  
  • Originally? Whoo. Honestly, I went through anime and looked up the musicians who sang my favorite songs. Over time, I've seen people talk about this band or that band and, again, I'd look them up and listen and judged for myself. I guess it's fair to say it just sort of ... happened.
    
  
  
• Are you into yaoi/shounen-ai? Why or why not? (I’m talking about manga/anime form, gay Asian porn such as Coat West, or just entertainers giving out fanservice)
  
  
  
  • Yes. I'm a fan of it because I enjoy seeing two men going at it. It doesn't squick me out like hentai does. (But then those are personal issues of my own)
    
  
  
• Do you like fanservice, slash, coupling, etc.? Why or why not?
  If you are into slash/coupling who is your favorite couple? Why?
  Do you like fanfiction, doujinshi, fanvideos, etc. based around yaoi/shounen-ai? Do you create any yourself? Why or why not?
  
  
  
  • Oh, I love slash. Slashing is one of my hobbies. LOL. It's fun to see how so-and-so despite having the personality that he has be with (be it romantic, friendship, or sexually) with another man completely opposite. As in, he and the other dude might have different views, or they may not even be alive together. It's just... fun!
    
  
  
• Why do you think Asia does this? Is it purely marketing to its large fanbase? A cultural thing that we have taken out of context? Both? Neither?
  
  
  
  • Obviously the men have to appeal to someone other then homosexuals themselves (of course I don't know if they openly admit they attract them or not like they don't over here). I think it's a ploy (that works, obviously) to get more women to look at something "forbidden", if you will, to buy more so they could see more. And as lelola says, it's not just Asians who do that anymore. XD
    
  
  
• Does the fact that a particular band does lots of fanservice or whether or not a manga/anime has yaoi in it affect your decision to listen/watch/read it?
  
  
  
  • In some ways, yes. I just want to see porn and other times I really want to hear the music or read the plot. Though, I never really liked bands who spends more time with fanservice and less time improving their songs. Granted it's hot and all that, but... I want to hear a sooong! A good one too! Although the lack of fanservice is also disappointing. I dislike yaoi where they promise smut and don't deliver or when a clearly nice looking band does nothing to gain more fangirls through that means -- unless they stated they don't like to do that. Then you know... I won't expect them to do anything.
    
  
  
• Last of all, since I have not been into fandom that long (or yaoi at all), is there anything you feel I should know regarding this particular subculture? Whether it be terms, or some sort of history, a particular band. Pictures would especially help since this is a media-themed paper.
  
  
  
  • I do have to mention that yaoi is an acryonym phrase taken from 「ヤマなし、オチなし、意味なし」 (yama nashi, ochi nashi, imi nashi), which means "no climax, no resolution, no meaning". Also, shounen ai is a pretty outdated word in Japan and here. They call that Boy's Love but it's essitentially the fluffy kind of love (no sexual contact). Yaoi and slash can be considered the same thing but slash is just taking pre-existing characters (or persons) and turning it into a relationship while yaoi is just sex between two guys.
    
    Doujinshi is a big part of the genre as well. Those are like drawn fanfics, if you will (at least that's how I see them).
    
    Source
    
  
  

Hope I helped! XD; Sorry for the tl;dr.

Firstly, I'd like to say that I find your paper super interesting! I'm doing Anthropology too, and an essay on Herdt's concept of the third gender; so I also had to look into people who didn't conform to ideals of man/woman gender, or heterosexuality... I find it fascinating! Would you like to share the final paper you write with me, by any chance? I'd love to read what you wrote! :) I'm not an Anthropology major any more (dropped it and take it as a floater course) but I love this topic!

So, here are my answers :)

1. Anime; I saw it on TV when I was about 8 or 9. But as for pop culture -> my friend told me about KAT-TUN, so I randomly downloaded songs ^^
2. I'm not at all into it, I'm actually rather repulsed by the idea. I tolerate it if others are fans, I don't bash people and am not homophobic, but I don't see why I, as a heterosexual girl, would like to see 2 males having sex/etc. I think in a way (me, at least) people like seeing something they themselves can't experience, so based on that, if I want to watch porn, I'd watch hetero couples, since that's what I am too. o_O/
3. Nope, I find it degrading, towards me as a person who isn't into yaoi, to be made to watch fanservice by the band I like (KAT-TUN, again - I'm mostly their fan, so I base my answers on that fandom)
4. not into it
5. Not at all, I don't like them, though I've read some fics just to know what all that's like. I don't mind fluff and things where they don't have sex, though that too, I try to imagine as a hetero couple, really. (And again, I'm NOT homophobic, I have gay friends, I don't mind it at all...)
6. Actually, I heard on BBC's Japanorama (season 3) series that the girls want to see something they don't have to be a part of; women are often oppressed in Asia in contrast with the men, in love as well, so they like seeing 2 equal status people have sex. Apparently. Though I honestly, don't quite understand at all.
7. The band's fanservice won't stop me liking them, but I don't watch anime/read manga with yaoi. (I've seen Gravitation though)
8. nope, sorry ^^;

Hope it helps :)

this is interesting.
sorry, I won't do the questionere >< but I'll throw these 2 cents in.
I think East Asian cultures don't worry so much about gender, one of the reasons why they don't have huge debates about gay marriages etc. I read an article about men who carry purses in Japan, they're not making any gender statment, they're just being stylish and carrying something convenient (cuz they commute a lot there). I think that's why yaoi etc can spread there more than it can here, because they don't react to strongly to those kinds of things, I mean a guy here would be called gay if he wore a purse. I think they're not as against gays etc there as they are here, that's why such a huge fan base can work because there isn't much protest against that kind of thing? But I'm not saying there aren't pple who are against gays etc there.

wow, your topic is quite interesting... i'll try to answer your questions as well ^^ hope it'll be of some help...

1. How did you originally get into Asian entertainment and what is its appeal?
Well, I always read Manga/Anime and my friends loved it too. One of them started watching J-Dramas and stuff so I tried it as well and started loving it. (I still do! xD") That's kinda how I started liking Asia, especially Japan.
I really like the language and music... And the boys (of course xD")...
I haven't been there, though *drop*

2. Are you into yaoi/shounen-ai? Why or why not?
Yes, my favorite mangas are shonen-ai/yaoi. I also watch some animes, but I prefer the shonen-ai-only ones xD" I’m not into Asian gay porn, though…

3. Do you like fanservice, slash, coupling, etc.? Why or why not?
I do. I love the sight of two cute/hot guys being all nice/lovey-dovey/whatever to each other…

4. If you are into slash/coupling who is your favorite couple? Why?
Akame.
Kame is my favourite KAT-TUN member, while Bakanishi is my second-favorite member (^_^) I think they’re cute together.

5. Do you like fanfiction, doujinshi, fanvideos, etc. based around yaoi/shounen-ai? Do you create any yourself? Why or why not?
Errr… I like them, yes. I love reading fanfictions. I prefer the true-love-ones, though. Not the only-sex ones (o_O)” *is the romantic type of person*
I do create some myself, yes.

6. Why do you think Asia does this? Is it purely marketing to its large fanbase? A cultural thing that we have taken out of context? Both? Neither?
To be honest: I have no idea. I think it’s mainly because of marketing reasons. There are a lot of girls nowadays who like yaoi/shonen-ai, so they’d make lots of money, right? But like I said: I have no idea xD”

7. Does the fact that a particular band does lots of fanservice or whether or not a manga/anime has yaoi in it affect your decision to listen/watch/read it?
Nah, not really. I also read shojo manga/watch shojo anime. As for the bands… I like the band mainly because I like their music v(^_^)

8. Last of all, since I have not been into fandom that long (or yaoi at all), is there anything you feel I should know regarding this particular subculture? Whether it be terms, or some sort of history, a particular band. Pictures would especially help since this is a media-themed paper.
Err… Can’t think of anything, sorry. I think I’d be able to give you some pictures, though. What kind of pictures are you looking for? Like Akame? Or manga/anime ones?

(Please excuse my English. It’s not my native-language, you know ~_~”)

1. dramas
2. no, not at all, and personally i just find it too weird. after being in this fandom i finally understood the appeal but thatz as far as i can go @_@
3. fanservice sure...but that can also depends...
4.n/a
5.n/a
6. this is the question i really wanted to answer, and im surprised there is someone doing an essay on this. this topic is something im extremely interested in, and the reason i truly believe as to y they do this IS THE BUSINESS aspect behind it. asian fangirls are not like its western counterpart, we tend to care very much abt their martial status, and 90/100 times avoid those that are married, engaged with another girl [aka. we get jealous easily] so in that case, sure it can be a cultural thing. i think its mainly an advertising tactic, pairing them up with other guys eliminates the chances or diverts the spotlight from potential real-life girlfriends, fans happy = more money for the agencies to rack in.
7. well since im not into the yaoi scene, it doesn't really matter to me. sometimes i even avoid those....
8. ummm since im a news fan, ryopi seems to be the pairing? not much to say there

anywayz hope this helps one way or another!
good luck ♥

This seems fun~

1. I got in via anime during my childhood, although as an Asian myself, I've already been pretty exposed to Asian tales and cultures since before that. The arts are pretty, the values are fascinatingly different, and the biggest appeal to me is their humour which cannot easily be translated and found in English entertainment.

2. Pretty much, on the low-key-ish side. Because it's interesting and I'm a curious one ^^ Mostly because it's something different from the usual boy-meets-girl stories, most of which become redundant at some point.

3. I like it as long as there's not too much effort put for the desperate grappling of popularity. It's okay to gain popularity from fanservice, but looking desperate is just a turnoff.

4. Too many couples to list? >__< Well, Most slash pairings I'm into are from the Jpop community. Akame, Ohmiya, Tackey and Tsubasa..? Do these pairs count? I like them because they're real life people hence there are continuous changes in their relationship and fanservice. There are always new rumours and sightings; in short, they keep us active. ^^ Oh, there is one fictional pair: Hayato and Ryu but mainly because of the Akame parody.

5. I appreciate the good ones because they're arts. I create some because I'm into arts ^^ and it's just fun to be creative and put my imagination into real works.

6. I think it's because of the large market as well as because the marketers themselves find this interesting. Besides, there are new areas to explore with male-male relationships which provide unconventional plots, new crisis and a different sort of humour. And it's kind of a rebel against the canon and the expectation of society.

7. It sounds shallow but yes. Because when bands do fanservice and manga/anime has male-male relationships, they give me the impression that they're bold and daring enough to try something which may or may not be scandalous. They also give me the impression that they either have an utmost confidence in their sexuality, or a wicked awesome sense of humour.

8. There are great differences in the terms (like how you wouldn't term boys who are merely kissing as something yaoi), but I assume you already researched them? ^^

Good luck anyway.

1. I'm a CBC [ canadian-born chinese], so, "re-connecting" with my asian roots was only natural, I guess. And what better way to do it than through mediums that are both very western [ or familiar to myself and my surroundings ] but also very different, a.k.a. I enjoy a modern prospective of what Asia is today. And another point is that since I am Asian, I'm constantly surrounded by Asian media from all of my family and friends.
2. Yes and no. I consider myself to be an opened-minded person, so its not a thing about values and morality...or anything. XD It really is a matter of what fandom it is ( and situation?). The reason? Its difficult to say, because it think its just a matter of personal taste in how I see ( as in the personality of characters ) the fandom.
3. Same as above. I believe that it's really cute/hot/whatever, but it all depends on which fandom, etc.
4. Wow, bad question to ask me XD I'll give you one, though. KiHae ( Kibum x Donghae [Super Junior]) - SRSLY, THE TWO CUTEST BOYS, EVAR. But, seriously; they really have [or seem to have] a strong friendship and its cute to see them interact with eachother