I couldn’t agree more with both of you, specially, since I’ve gotten older and I look back on how I used to defend those types of work and didn’t see the issue with stories romanticizing or glorifying rape and abuse. I was also too young to even really understand and shouldn’t have been reading that. It’s crazy to me that there is still many people who defend rapists and just overall stories that romanticize rape.
This is so true, just a year or two ago I was completely unforgiving when SA was poorly handled and any problematic or controlling behavior in the main relationship would put me off as it should, but after binging a lot of these low quality slop stories that don't treat these topics responsibly I can see myself becoming more dismissve, for example when I see something like stalking in a story these days I don't even bat an eye, because so many more fucked up things are everywhere and treated as "ok" or straight up "romantic". I think I really need a break so I stop being so out of touch.
Ur so right ily
back then and even now i cant read works where the mc ends with his assaulter, its too unsettling. but i do agree that most bl is just straight up porn, with more sex to add to the other wise non existant plot.
When I first got into BL, I would read practically every story I could get my hands on—quite literally every one. I didn’t care if the art was subpar or if the plot was lackluster. But lately, I find myself much less forgiving. A weak plot or poorly developed characters irritates me to no end. I’ve dropped several popular series, despite their stunning artwork, simply because the storylines were generic, and the characters lacked chemistry or depth.
Looking back, I also realise how indifferent I had become toward serious issues like SA, which is alarmingly common in BL, especially in the yaoi genre. At one point, I didn’t even flinch when such themes were included, no matter how casually or irresponsibly they were portrayed. It’s unsettling to admit, but I had become desensitized—much like the way excessive exposure to explicit content can numb one’s sensitivity to it. I didn’t notice it at the time cause i was so young but now that i am older, i realise how scary it is.
What I find most frustrating now is how these serious topics are often trivialized, reduced to mere plot devices, or brushed aside without proper resolution or reflection. I wish authors would approach issues like SA with the gravity and care they deserve instead of using them as convenient tools to create drama. I wish they would tackle such themes responsibly, fostering greater awareness and sensitivity among readers.