Kevin
June 17, 2021
Common Questions
Do you know the definition of fujoshi? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word fujoshi, including its definition, usage, word origin, and more!
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According to Just A Little Japanese, Urban Dictionary, My Anime List, Futekiya, and Fanlore, the word fujoshi (腐女子) literally translates to “rotten girl” or “rotten woman.” However, this term is used to refer to a woman who enjoys watching anime, manga, and other forms of Japanese media that feature male/male, or yaoi relationships. This is also referred to as boys’ love or “BL” when referring to these genres. This began as a misogynistic insult in the early 2000s, and was considered very offensive. This Japanese pun implied that these were not respectable women, and the older fujoshi use was considered very rude. This has later been reclaimed and turned into a food-related pun. The kanji that is used in the word fujoshi refers to fermentation, and thus uses a play on the word “men” to create a homophonous pun.
Female fans of anime and manga series might refer to themselves as female otaku, which refers to a young person who is obsessed with a certain genre, though fujoshi can also consider themselves a more casual consumer of these novels or works of fiction. Not every fan of these maga series considers themselves a part of the otaku subculture. Yaoi fans can also be male fans, though the fandom is largely made up of young women who are heavily invested in the male characters’ romantic relationships.
Female fans of manga and the rest of the yaoi fandom can have any sort of different sexual orientation, from straight, to gay, to ace. Being fans of the boys’ love genre does not imply any sort of alternative sexual orientation or gender identity necessarily. Anime and manga are a form of mass media, and anyone can be a fan of any such genre or subgenre.
The equivalent term for men would be fudanshi, or 腐男子. This literally translates to rotten man or rotten boy, and is used to refer to a man who is a fan of anime and manga that feature male/male relationships or shōjo manga. Older fujoshi might also use the term kifujin, which means “noble spoiled woman” or “fine lady.”
While some people may not be interested in yaoi anime, some of the most popular anime in recent years fall under this subgenre. If this genre of anime does not appeal to you, do not fret. There are a plethora of different anime genres that you can try. There are thousands if not tens of thousands of different anime and manga series out there, so don’t worry if it takes a while to find one that you absolutely love, or a niche genre you enjoy. If you are interested in becoming a fan of this genre of anime, you can try watching some of the best yaoi anime that are listed below, from Ranker and Fandom.
Overall, the word fujoshi is a Japanese term that refers to a group of women who are heavily invested in male/male relationships in fictional works such as anime and manga. This term was originally an insult, but has been reclaimed in recent times by both casual readers and otakus that make up the readership. This is also considered a homophonous word, since part of the kanji translated to “fermentation.” Various terms are used to describe subgenres of Japanese media.
