Fudanshi Monogatari by Narazaki Souta

Every yaoi fangirl worth her weight in slash doujinshi knows that 'fujoshi' is just another word for freak weirdo pervert a female fan of handsome guys in homoerotic relationships. Once a derogatory term, the fangirls have since reclaimed it and use it in a self-deprecating manner... at least according to Wikipedia, and we should always trust Wikipedia.

That term is the reason why this blog is called 'Rotten Reading'. I am a lost soul, forever doomed to look at the subtext and go, 'Yeah, I can totally see them hooking up.'

And I can't argue with the label. You have to be pretty rotten-minded to think of some of the things yaoi girls dream up. (Though, to be fair, fanboys can be just as bad.)

'Fudanshi' is the male equivalent of a 'fujoshi', i.e. a yaoi fanboy, and yes, they do exist. (I've even dated one once, just before I was infected by the BL myself.) That said, let's talk about a yaoi fanboy.

Let's play 'Spot the Bottom'.

Fudanshi Monogatari is a two-part story by Narazaki Souta, which was published in Magazine Beboy, June 2011 and July 2011. Kanon, the titular fanboy, is a freshman and member of the school's book club, a club that is infested with fujoshi. He reads slash novels in his spare time and, while he enjoys them, he isn't gay. (Yeah.) Things get a bit complicated, however, when his classmate, Junya, confesses his love for the little nerd.

The comedy in this romantic comedy comes from how Kanon tries to deal with suddenly having a boyfriend. All he knows about homosexual relationships comes from slash novels. He asks for advice from his clubmates, and he searches his books for help. He even branches out into Harlequin territory for advice. This only leads to Kanon realizing that maybe, just maybe, he might be gay for Junya.

Why yes, his brain DOES short circuit from the revelation.

Junya, too, is interesting in his own right. He's not so much cool as he is dense, or perhaps self-centered. He either doesn't notice Kanon's anxiety, or he's so happy that he's with the other boy that nothing else gets his attention. He doesn't talk to Kanon when they walk home together, but he's always happily looking forward to being with Kanon again. He gets angry with worry when Kanon disappears after lunch, only to then spout some ridiculously romantic lines. Junya is so incomprehensible that Kanon calls him an alien. He would be a confusing boyfriend for any person, so it's no wonder Kanon's desperate for advice.

The idea of a yaoi fanboy finding himself in a homoerotic relationship of his own is a cute one. And as a fujoshi, I loved the scenes with the club members. (Their arguments about pairings hit a bit too close to home.) The story is more comedy than romance, and it did give me a few laughs, the end especially. I think I prefer Aoi Koi's take on a nerd in love, however. Maybe I have a craving for sweetness at the moment.

I'm hoping for more from Narazaki-sensei. The more she produces, the more material she'll have for another tankoubon of her work. And the sooner I can get a volume that includes Aoi Koi, the happier I'll be.

Next comic up: not sure yet. Maybe one of the unread tankoubon... or perhaps a fanbook grab-bag. We'll see.