
My brother and I randomly started talking about Serial Experiments Lain and I mentioned to him that it’s almost 30 years old. Wow…we didn’t watch it when it came out, but it’s still been a while.
What is the oldest anime you remember watching and were you surprised it’s been that long?
Some of the “modern” anime I’ve seen is already like 5+ years *eek!*

The first anime I ever watched was Death Note and I saw that around 11 years ago. Though I remember watching bits and pieces of other anime before Death Note since my parents and older sibling watched anime before I got into it (things like Dragonball, Naruto, Squid Girl, Chobits, etc.). I'm not really surprised it's been 11 years since I've started watching anime, though its always a bit of a shock when I talk to newer anime fans and they've never even heard of some of the anime that I started out with. That definitely makes me feel a bit old.

Every time I see questions of people asking for recommendations (mainly for BL), my brain automatically comes up with webcomic titles, but it’s rare that I remember a manga title to recommend.
I’m curious, does this happen to others as well? BTW, I have nothing against manga, it just that lately all that’s popular are webcomics, so I tend to just remember those titles.

It’s bc BL webcomic are very popular rn and they’re more likely to get official translations and have English names so those get uploaded. There’s so many yaoi manga on here that have romaji names and are harder to remember or will take many years and volumes to be complete. So many have been abandoned and they will (probably) never be completed or officically translated so it’s very sad, for example: Akiyama-kun (simple name I know) has only four volume but has been updating infrequently since 2012, I’ve seen some that are even longer

Ashita wa Docchi Da! has 11 volumes(ongoing) and is updated to volume 9 here, first published in 2015, and had two updates this year so far. Stay Gold (Hideyoshico) started in 2012 and I believe was updated infrequently due to how it was published. Now it’s finally complete at 6 volumes but an incomplete translation since like 2021. G-defend has like 60/77 volumes and hasn’t had an update since 2018. It’s probably due to how many Japanese yaoi is published(some magazines being seasonal) and the lack of general exportation to have a wider audience. Although yaoi manga has been popular longer it’s much more inconvenient to read unfortunately, webcomics are churned out at a faster rate and usually online before a physical release, much easier to get a hold of

You’re more likely to remember something with an English name and English release than obscure Romani names and super long ones. Even yaoi that is a bit more popular has longer name like Shima-chan Chi no Tsugai Jijou but its name is also How My Daddies Became Mates. Much easier to remember Roses & Champagne

another reason could be bc manhwa/manhuas tend to be longer and are often ongoing, so people tend to be constantly following them and have them more at the top of their minds. BL mangas are both shorter and update less often so are, unfortunately, more easily forgotten (at least, I guess). But as a huge manga fan I'm always remembering them lol

I just literally read a comment on a certain series that can help explain the very annoying BL cliche of “I’m only gay for you”.
It’s probably not what the authors were going for, but this knowledge does make that trope more palatable.
It’s called “heteroflexibility “ and very broadly it means people who primarily identify as straight but sometimes feel attracted to people of the same sex.
I had never heard of this, but knowing about it makes that trope less annoying and the characters slightly more believable.
Any characters that jump out at you that might fit this description?
In case people are wondering, the character in question is Sei from Yoidore koi o sezu.

I immediately think that epic homophobe from can't think straight. Some many people like it and uses that exact troupe where he can't get hard without uke even though he isn't gay. It seriously pissed me off and came off as sloppy and lazy writing on the author's part even if it is an unserious manhwa. It's not even a good troupe I still can't see why it still used especially in BL’s BOY LOVE.

I know someone irl that's kinda heteroflexible. As far as I know, he only had girlfriends in HS. He never showed any romantic interest in guys. However, when we were 2nd year in college, he shocked us (our friend group) with a boyfriend. We went to different schools but kept in touch. And to him, in his own words, it was the most comfortable relationship he has ever had. He told us that he didn't feel that way with any other guy, and he probably won't except for his boyfriend. They're still together to this day ( about 4 years?). Seeing it happen irl made me realize that the trope is used because it can happen. Maybe not as frequent as it is used in stories, but it can happen. It made me hate the trope less (and like it even).

I didn’t know the name for it, but I had read in a book that people can fall in love with someone but that doesn’t mean they are sexually attracted to them because love and sex are 2 different things. Of course the trope is not really like that because usually it’s all about the sex. I don’t hate the trope as much as it can get annoying when there are so many other avenues to explore that wouldn’t diminish the characters feelings and it can teach people about other lesser known orientations.

I didn’t know people get annoyed by that and that’s considered a ‘trope’. Isn’t that realistic? I mean if they weren’t gay or have dated any males before and more so if their environment didn’t contain any same sex relationship then obviously it’s ‘i’m only gay for you.’
But tbh instead of ‘I’m only gay for you.’ Does the gay part have to be considered? It’s just that they are interested in that person because it’s them.
Same goes if a usually gay character or person likes the opposite gender it isn’t because ‘I’m only straight for you.’ It’s more so I feel like this because it’s you.
Now that I’m typing this it feels like there isn’t a difference so it sounds confusing but there is a difference no one is really ‘gay’ or ‘straight’ the term was for like to group us up and make sense of things yk (WHICH IS OKAY) kind of like how we are called female and male based on our private parts bc we can’t all just be called humans with vg or pp lmao.
In the same way if you usually go for the opposite gender you’d be perceived as straight but you don’t really have to title yourself anything, I’m not saying this and telling y’all to have an existential crisis SORRY IF I DO, but more so to say that it all goes to attraction.
And let me say not all attraction means = romantic or sexual.
If you perceive being unusually attracted to something or someone as sexual or romantic then obviously it’s going to be ingrained to your brain that way
But that doesn’t mean that’s how it works, this can be change any time as long as you discipline.
I find this really interesting that’s all lol

Well it’s a very complicated thing! Unless the very creator told us of the truth of the world I’m not going to 100% assume things unless well it comes from my beliefs.
But what I said I didn’t relate to any of that, I’m speaking purely out of biology and psychology. I’m not exactly saying sexuality isn’t real, instead I’m saying the ‘sexuality’ you guys speak of if we break it into the groups of gay, lesbian, straight and whatever else It’s a group and not exactly a individual thing because well it’s man made!
Instead I’m saying this ‘sexuality’ we talk about is ‘attraction’.
So I’m not dismissing sexuality it’s more of me saying sexuality is attraction. I don’t get what you mean with the last part but lately I’ve been hearing things from people that follow sexuality is that they are born that way.
Personally I don’t think that’s true. We are always changing and adapting. Other than the genes of our parents and ancestors having influence on our characteristics, even those can be avoided. I think this way because like how we like and dislike certain things or have beliefs and disbeliefs, it’s mostly if not always because of our life experience.
For example if someone who had been /bused in their adolescent and had never had a single adult or even people their age they could trust and lean against if they grew up as aggressive, manipulative and mentally ill in trust issues or anxiety it would be linked to how they grew up.
That’s life experience, and I believe it shapes us who we are in everything. Including attraction. Personally for me I’ve been both attracted to female and male. I have believed I was 100% lesbian but I have also believed that I’m 100% straight.
But I know that whatever I title myself it will change depending on what I experience, and that means physically around me and mentally. If I strive to like a certain thing that has me attracted to women then I am going to be attracted to women, or maybe something interferes like the influence of a sudden interest that has me wanting to be attracted to male, but even then I may be attracted to a female because who knows, a person that I considered a friend turn into something I perceive as romantic attraction.
It’s all complicated, and I’m not saying this to push it into you but more so because it’s all so interesting you know? And definitely don’t limit to yourself to a group. You might as well have missed out on a memorable life experience if you do.

I’m not saying people are the same like me and people being attracted to one gender doesn’t dismiss what I was saying about attraction or in your words sexuality depends on life experience. If someone has a character that has them stick to one gender that attracts them then that’s how it’ll be.
Again I’m not dismissing sexuality I’m saying that sexuality is attraction and attraction vary depending on how you have or will live your life.
There is no facts that support us being born that way, but there is the genes of our parents and ancestors and yes those do influence us as their descendants so yes in that way it can be considered we are born that way if they leaned to whatever sex, but even that fact doesn’t dismiss my point which is: life experience is the reasoning of your attraction. Because even then as I said before that can change if you live your life different to your parents and ancestors which typically we do because we’re not the same people.
What I mean that our parents and ancestors have influence is for example if your grandfather and father has anger issues there’s a chance you will too or for a more fortunate case only get the urge to, if you submit to those urges and continue to do so then you will develop those anger issues. People that have parents with anger issues are more vulnerable to it for a reason, it’s in their genes.
Choose your partner wisely lol or even better reconsider having children if you can’t handle these facts, personally I can’t and it’s so sad.
Don’t misunderstand okay. Although these are facts if you don’t want to see it that way then okay, you do you. But just open your mind and maybe see them as fun facts yk? Like how you learn nipples actually have multiple holes but well I don’t really want to accept that reality

I’ve been curious, I’ve had the T@pas app for a while now, but when I go look for some of the original series I followed when I first downloaded the app, I can’t find them in my library. Does anyone know if they retroactively remove series after some time or what? That’s the reason why I haven’t jumped in to buy Nerd Project from them. I don’t want to be throwing my money at them if later I will lose access to stuff I already paid for.

I’ve tried it twice and have never gotten my uploads uploaded.
The first one I tried might it have not met the standards, then I tried uploading a notice, but it’s been about 24 hours and still nothing?
Any ideas?

The first try it was an official translation, but from an actual physical book that I took pictures from so maybe it didn’t meet the quality standards (but I’ve seen less than stellar uploads, so not sure what it is).
My second try was a notice because I was trying to upload some raws and couldn’t figure out that either so I uploaded them to an album on my homepage and wanted the notice so people could know to check out my albums.
Maybe I’m missing a step somewhere? I click on “upload chapter” then fill out the fields and click “save and next step”.

Oh I've seen book picture camera taken uploads in manga(s) but those were old old ones so they probably approved those at that time and is much stricter now.. As for the raws with Eng TL on the side it's probably because someone is already uploading that title with official tl. I checked Guiding Hazard and it said Jujucat so I think they're not approving because there's already a designated uploader. Jujucat is uploading the official ones for that so I don't think you should be uploading over them as well.. I'm not really sure but some uploaders don't like that so I usually ask for permission on message before I upload anything..
Besides BL, i was having trouble reading anything else, but I’ve come to the realization that I like reading slice-of-life type stories with mostly male leads and no romance.