Definitions

For purposes of this study, these terms can be understood in the following simplified forms. The researcher acknowledges that these simplifications gloss over a great deal of cultural and semantic detail.

For more a more in-depth discussion of many of these terms, see Aestheticism.Com's glossary. For more on yuri & shojo-ai, see Yuricon's glossary.

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Boy’s love: will be used here as a collective term for any works about with homosexual relationships, whether primarily romantic or sexual. "Boy" in this sense means male, not "males under 18."

Seme: the "top" or active/aggressive male in a male/male sexual relationship.

Uke: the "bottom" or passive/feminine male in a male/male sexual relationship.

Yaoi: anime/manga about male/male sexual relationships (may include romance).

Yuri: anime/manga stories about female/female sexual relationships (may include romance).

Shounen-ai: anima/manga about male/male romantic relationships (may include sex).

Shoujo-ai: anime/manga about female/femaleromantic relationships (may include sex).

Hentai: Sexually explicit manga or anime; equivalent to pornography.

Doujinshi: Fan-created works, typically based on an existing manga or anime series.

Slash: Fan-created works, typically based on an existing film, book, or TV series.

Romance: A work primarily revolving around the amorous attraction between characters (may include sex).

Erotica: A work featuring love and sex between characters, but not considered pornographic.

Pornography: A work featuring graphic/explicit sex between characters.