Yaoi Timeline Spread Through U S

Yaoi Timeline: Spread Through U.S.

This is a first attempt at tracking the spread of boys’ love through the U.S. and I’d like readers’ revisions and additions; if you’ll make ‘em in Comments, I’ll update this page accordingly. Thanks to all of you who have contributed!

I’m primarily looking at official releases, although I’ll welcome information about “underground” releases — first scanlation groups, etc. I also need more information on significant anime and video game releases.

1980s – Western fans circulate a fan translation of From Eroica with Love through amateur press associations (article 1. 2 ).

1996: Aestheticism boys’ love fanzine starts

1997: Aestheticism.Com goes online

2000: Gundam Wing . an anime canonical for a large number of yaoi fan fiction and artwork, was first shown on North American TV via the Cartoon Network.

2001: (October) First Yaoi-Con held in San Francisco

2001 – Viz publishes Banana Fish and X/1999, two important bromantic/BL-lite/BL-scented series. At this time there were no BL-proper series published in the US.

2002:

(Month?) Ariztical Entertainment releases first two episodes of Kizuna OVA. Its website calls it “the first gay male Anime to be released on DVD in the US.”

(May) Sin Factory Comix releases Sexual Espionage #1 by Daria McGrain. First OEL boys’ love comic book produced for sale in comic book stores (?).

2003:

(February) TokyoPOP licenses and releases Gravitation 1 in the U.S.

(March) Scanlation group MegKF forms.

(May) TokyoPOP licenses and releases Fake 1 in the U.S.

(September) Scanlation group mochi*mochi forms

Scanlation group Nakama forms.

Scanlation group hochuuami forms.

2004:

(February) Scanlation group Beautiful-Soup forms.

(May) Yaoi Press founded (OEL)

(June) Anime18 Corporation, a label of Central Park Media. announces Be Beautiful imprint. First publications: Kizuna 1 and Golden Cain .

(August) Kitty Media ‘s BoyBoy line releases Skyscrapers of Oz.

(November) Digital Manga Publishing announces Juné imprint.

(November) ICV2 reports that 3 of the top 5 graphic novels sold in the U.S. as tracked by Amazon.Com, are yaoi

Scanlation group Countless Time forms.

2005:

(March) Juné allows fans to vote on whether it should license the BL novel, Only the Ring Finger Knows ; in September, Juné announces it will publish the novel.

(May) First Yaoi North held in Canada as “mini-con” under Anime North

(May) First Yaoi Press title released.

(June) TokyoPop confirms distribution of BLU label

(June) Drama Queen founded this year; releases first volume, Brother

(June) – First release of Dangerous Pleasure scanlation group

(October) TokyoPop showcases BLU line at Yaoi-Con. It is to be dedicated to more adult boys’ love titles.

(September) September 2005 – First English publication of a ‘reversible’ title, Embracing Love (Haru wo Daiteita). (Wood, Andrea. (Spring 2006). “Straight” Women, Queer Texts: Boy-Love Manga and the Rise of a Global Counterpublic. WSQ: Women’s Studies Quarterly, 34 (1/2), pp. 394-414.

2006:

(January) NetComics begins publishing manwha . including among its first three releases youth-oriented shonen-ai series Boy Princess and Let Dai .

(February) Iris Print founded (OEL)

(March) TokyoPOP releases its first licensed/translated BL novel, Gravitation: The Novel .

(March) JAST USA releases first yaoi game licensed in U.S. — Enzai: Falsely Accused .

(July) Yaoi Press licenses three Italian boys’ love graphic novels

(August) DMP’s owner Digital Manga, Inc. announces 801 Media sister company. It is to be dedicated to more explicit boys’ love titles.

(October) DMP announces it’s working on OJEL (original Japanese English language) yaoi manga releases, created by Japanese mangaka for the American market before being released in Japan.

(October) 801 Media launches at YaoiCon, announcing among its titles Ichigenme… The First Class is Civil Law . Love is Like a Hurricane and Bond(z) .

(October) Central Park Media “rebounds” after February’s layoffs and lists 15 new yaoi titles (article )

(December) Shi-ran scanlation group shuts down.

LiquidEros scanlation group forms.

2007:

(January) Wal-Mart pulls its yaoi titles from online store after The Consumerist blasts it for selling “porn” (article )

(February) Broccoli Books announces Boysenberry line, starting with Delivery Cupid . Pet on Duty . and Sex Friend.

(March) Media Blasters drops shōnen and increases boys’ love titles. (article )

(March) Japanese yaoi publisher Libre puts an announcement on its website accusing Be Beautiful of illegally translating and selling its works (article )

(March) mochi*mochi scanlation group disbands.

(June) Yaoi Press announces Yaoi Jamboree. a new yaoi convention

(June) Yaoi Press announces digital publication of titles through Net Comics.

(June) Aurora Publishing announces Deux imprint, with licensed titles Hate to Love You, Spring Fever and I Shall Never Return .

(June) Be Beautiful stops publishing new titles (to present).

(July) Seven Seas Entertainment announces its first boys’ love manga titles, In God’s Arms and OEL Invisible .

(September) DramaQueen stops publishing new titles

(September) The Pink Panzer scanlation group forms, devoted to classic BL

(October) Yen Press announces yaoi titles (article ).

(November) Iris Print cancels launch of BL Twist yaoi magazine.

2008:

(January) First issue of OEL Yaoi Magazine released from Better with Boys Press .

(March) None of Seven Seas’ yaoi titles published yet; In God’s Arms removed from website without comment. (blog entry )

(April) DramaQueen interview with Publisher’s Weekly announces company reorganization and release of new titles in May. Nothing was released

(June) Yaoi Jamboree convention held for first time.

(June?) Yaoi Generation established, sets up website.

(June) Iris Print officially announces closure (article )

(June) TokyoPop lays off number of staff, puts Love Mode and Gakuen Heaven on its “postponed or canceled” list (article )

(September) DMP lays off staff and delays publishing certain titles (article )

(October) DramaQueen announces that it’s publishing again (article )

(October) Christopher Handley charged for possessing obscene manga, allegedly including yaoi without pubic hair (article )

(November) Broccoli USA shuts down operations, closing its BL imprint Boysenberry. (article )

Forever-More scanlation group disbands

2009

Central Park Media, Be Beautiful’s parent company, files for bankruptcy. (article )

(October) The main Aestheticism site goes down. (article )

2010

(September) Libre Publishing sends cease-and-desist letters to “several” scanlation groups. (article )

(October) Mariko Hihara self-publishes Kindle BL novel With All My Loving in U.S. in English (article )

(November) Media Blasters says it will restart yaoi line in 2011 (article )

2011

TokyoPop shuts down its North American publishing branch, including its Blu line (article )