Yaoi

Yaoi features attractive male characters. The "seme" or top typically pursues the "uke" or bottom. The stories are idealistic and often set in exotic locales such as Europe or a destination in the future. These settings are far more gay-friendly than present-day Japan. Homophobia is rarely touched on in yaoi even when it's set in Japan.

Female characters are often either absent or cast in minor roles. Rape fantasies are a common element of yaoi works although the rape is seen as an expression of uncontrollable desire rather than violence. Most yaoi works end happily. When the endings are tragic, this is generally a result of external forces rather than problems in the relationship between the seme and uke.

Yaoi is typically created by women and aimed at women although it has some male fans. It should not be confused with "Bara" which is aimed at a gay male audience. Due to the sexually explicit nature of yaoi works, they should not be viewed by minors as many other anime works are.