Gay Manga

Japan is famous for its manga, a genre of comic book art distinguished by its detail and artistry. The field of manga is enormous, with almost every taste catered for, including - very much - the erotic.

Gay manga cater to Japan's gay community. In Japan, the gay manga genre is known as bara, or "rose": the floral reference in Japanese used to generally denote things gay. Alternatively it is known as menzu labu, the Japanese rendition of the English "men's love."

Bara manga became popular in the 1960s. Their roots are in fetish, which is a pervasive presence in most gay manga stories. The characters have stereotypical social, racial and sexual roles. There is the bespectacled, besuited "salaryman," the young, tanned surfer, the man in uniform, the hugely muscled high school or college jock, the effeminate young student, and more - including, in fantasy gay manga, werewolves and other half-human, massively hung and horny creatures. Racial stereotypes involve Japanese and (massively endowed) foreigners who indulge in a highly sexually charged power play, often in a historical setting. And then there is the all-pervasive dichotomy of top/bottom, or tachi-uke that no gay manga can be without.

Most manga are paperback, but include hardback editions too. The main body of a manga is in black and white, but many manga will include full-color erotic "poster" that folds out just behind the front cover.

GoodsFromJapan brings you a growing selection of gay manga. Although the dialogue is in Japanese, the artwork alone is engrossing, and the Japanese is generally straightforward and simple and - perhaps most importantly - very true to (gay) life, making for a valuable and entertaining resource for students of the Japanese language.

All gay manga are shipped discreetly packaged as "Printed Matter." All shipments to date have been problem-free, but please understand that GoodsFromJapan can accept no responsibility for actions taken by Customs agents in your country.

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