The Rise of Male Readership of Manga and its Queer Representation
Male readers of manga are often thought to be an uncommon phenomenon due to their perceived lack of interest in fictional representations that focus on romance and relationships. While this may have been true in previous years, recent data shows that more males than ever before are picking up these graphic novels for pleasure reading. This change can partially be attributed to the rise of digital platforms like Amazon Kindle Unlimited and ComiXology, which allow users to access a vast selection of stories at any time from anywhere they choose. Additionally, there has been an increase in social media buzz surrounding popular titles such as "My Brother's Husband" which features gay characters and explores topics related to gender identity.
As far back as the 1950s, Japanese comics were largely created with men in mind. These works featured hypermasculine protagonists who would go through difficult trials and tribulations in order to overcome obstacles and prove themselves worthy of love from a woman. This trend continued until recently when writers began incorporating queer themes into their storylines. In many cases, this was done subtly so as not to alienate heterosexual readers or risk being labeled as taboo by publishers. However, some creators took it one step further by producing outright LGBTQ+ content specifically geared towards male audiences. The result is a growing number of boys and men seeking out manga with same-sex romantic elements.
According to a study published by the Japan Foundation in 2016, over two million adults between the ages of 18 and 34 read manga regularly. Of those surveyed, approximately 3% identified as gay or bisexual while another 7% said they had homoerotic fantasies. While these numbers are still relatively small compared to the overall population, they represent a significant shift from previous years when only 0.5% of respondents admitted to having sexual attraction towards other men. Furthermore, research suggests that gay and bi males are more likely than straight ones to consume erotica involving both sexes.
Although there have been instances where LGBTQ+ characters appear in mainstream anime (i.e., "Yuri! on ICE"), such representation tends to be underrepresented within the genre as a whole. One explanation for this may be that male authors fear backlash if they choose to write about anything outside the norm. Another possibility could be that traditional media companies avoid promoting these types of stories due to concerns about losing advertisers or audience members who don't approve of queerness. Whatever the reason behind its scarcity, though, we can expect this trend to continue as long as digital platforms offer readers accessibility and creators take risks when exploring new subject matter.