The "boys' love" genre, originating from Japanese manga and media, features romantic and sexual

relationships between men and is primarily produced by women for women. It has gained attention in
academic fields due to its increasing popularity and the wealth of exploratory studies focusing on the
media and the fan community. The genre-specific characteristics of boys' love works combine traditional
and genre-specific narratives, reflecting conventional yet undeniably problematic tropes, with the
exception that this love occurs between two men. The genre has been found to promote tolerance and
contribute to the social acceptance of homosexual men. However, critics have stated that this genre
may not serve as a positive representation of gay men, as it reflects an unreal and rather detrimental
image of gay society. The effect of boys' love movies on BSMT (Bachelor of Science in Marine
Transportation) and BSCRIM (Bachelor of Science in Criminology) students would depend on various
factors such as their individual perspectives, existing attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community, and the
specific content of the movies. It's important to approach this topic with sensitivity and respect for
diverse viewpoints.

The portrayal of masculinity in BL movies can evolve within male characters and is accepted as an
updated version of masculinity. Therefore, the effect of BL movies on the masculinity ideology of BSMT
and BSCRIM students would depend on various factors such as their individual perspectives, existing
attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community, and the specific content of the movies. It's important to
approach this topic with sensitivity and respect for diverse viewpoints. Quantitative analysis could
involve assessing changes in perceptions of traditional masculinity, acceptance of diverse expressions of
gender and sexuality, and attitudes towards BL media before and after exposure to BL content.
Qualitative analysis could involve understanding the portrayal of gender in BL movies and how it affects
the masculinity ideology of BSMT students.

1. Zsila, Á. (2017, April 12). The boys’ love phenomenon: A literature review. Journal of Popular
Romance Studies. https://www.jprstudies.org/2017/04/the-boys-love-phenomenon-a-literature-
reviewby-agnes-zsila-and-zsolt-demetrovics/

2. Elisa, B. (2014, June 25). Masculinity & Westerns: Regenerations at the turn of the millennium.
Academia.edu.
https://www.academia.edu/7463011/Masculinity_and_Westerns_Regenerations_at_the_Turn_of_the_
Millennium
Introduction

Around the world, boys' love has its roots in the 1970s shōjo manga, which was written primarily for
young girls and included romantic encounters, mostly between heterosexual couples. But as depictions
of masculine homosexuality started to surface in these tales, female fans started to get interested
(McLelland and Welker 2015). According to (Welker 2015, 42), this developing genre became
independent and split into two subgenres as a result of the increasing popularity of fiction about male
homosexual relationships. Shōnen-ai, which translates to "boy love," emphasises the emotional qualities
of a romantic love story between two guys, while yaoi depicts male homoeroticism in a sexually explicit
manner.

On a national level, as per Henry J. (2022). The media landscape around BL in the Philippines is still
extremely young and has a lot of room to grow, especially in compared to Japan, Thailand, and China, as
seen in the movie "A 'kabedon' scene from Gaya sa Pelikula (2020)". Unlike Thailand, where it is
common to find BL material made in both Thailand and Japan. Because of this, Thai BL has been
attracting a lot of interest from Filipinos since 2014. By the time Netflix and Youtube began to stream
episodes like SOTUS and air globally with Filipino subtitles at the beginning of 2020, Thai BL had
established itself as the most popular kind of BL in the country.

Research Gap

Despite the availability of numerous studies on the effects of BL media on masculinity ideology, there
remains a notable absence of research specifically examining the impact of BL movies on heterosexual
male university students in our local setting. This research gap creates an opportunity for further
investigation and contributes to the development of a more complete understanding of the interplay
between BL media and masculinity ideology.

References:

McLelland, M., Nagaike, K., Suganuma, K., & Welker, J. (2015). View of Transnational
Boys’ Love Fan Studies: Transformative Works and cultures. View of Transnational boys’
love fan studies | Transformative Works and Cultures.
https://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/view/504/394

Jenkins, H. (2022, March 11). Pop junctions: Reflections on entertainment, pop culture,
activism, media literacy, fandom and more. Henry Jenkins. https://henryjenkins.org/?
offset=1647358918451

Baudinette, T. (2020). Creative Misreadings of" Thai BL" by a Filipino Fan Community:
Dislocating Knowledge Production in Transnational Queer Fandoms Through Aspirational
Consumption. Mechademia, 13(1), 101-118.
RRL

Global

The binary view of gender in western cultures means that femininity and masculinity are seen as
antonyms (Leavy & Trier-Bieniek, 2014). Singular view on gender is so innate and familiar that their
supremacy over women and men is assumed and even almost required. The recurring unidimensional
representations of gender influences ideology within a culture (Leavy & Trier-Bieniek, 2014).

National

According to (Santos 2022) in the Global Fandom Jamboree that she finds it negotiation relatable as I
also see it within Philippine fan communities that seek to find their identities by engaging with regional
media.