exactly this!!! and I'm not talking about just this one (altho it was such an adorable story I enjoyed it), 90% of the time they're written like this and it's so annoying. it's also more than just the physical appearance for me, it's the nature of the character. Even when they're physically more or less the same size as the semes or just as "masculine" or whatever, they're portrayed as weak willed, constantly blushing and stuttering, always the one getting more aroused than the seme, can't control themselves, etc. being sexually or emotionally, it just always feels unbalanced so I often feel frustrated reading them
I just saw this somewhere else, basically yaois market are women, and women likes yaoi cause they like to see men the one depicted as "timid and dominated" rather than women. Hence the cliche ukes.
But on the bright side yaois are hella popular now and theres more variety for everyone. People still enjoy this kind of cliche ukes so it will not go away anytime soon.
hello! ik im replying this late but im just here to share that im one of the ppl who likes yaoi only to see "timid and dominated" men. it's not in everyday life u see this irl (and i cant cuz personally, viewing irl ppl sexually in general is repulsing for me), and that's why i turned in here. so im one of the ppl hoping it wont go away. however, too much submissiveness of uke would cringe me ಥ‿ಥ
but just because i said that doesn't mean i enjoy r*pe scenes, SA, degradation, etc., that's entirely diff story lol
Why are ukes always depicted as weak willed, stuttering and no self respect at all. It's too cliche.