BL game
Encyclopedia
Boys' Love games (also known as yaoi
games) usually refers to otome game
s or H games oriented around male homosexual couples for the female market. The defining factor is that both the playable character(s) and possible objects of affection are male (BL stands for Boys' Love). As with yaoi manga
, the major market is assumed to be female; in addition to BL games proper, many otome game
s have incidental homoerotic content. Games aimed at a homosexual male audience may be referred to as bara
. A 2006 breakdown of the Japanese commercial BL market estimated it grosses approximately 12 billion yen annually, with video games generating 160 million yen per month.
Only a very few BL games have been officially translated into English. In 2006, JAST USA
announced they would be releasing Enzai as Enzai: Falsely Accused, the first license of a BL game in English translation. Some fan communities have criticized the choice of such a dark and unromantic game as the US market's first exposure to the genre. JAST USA subsequently licensed Zetta Fukujuu Meirei under the title Absolute Obedience, while Hirameki International licensed Animamundi
; the later game, although already nonexplicit, was censored for US release to achieve a 'mature' rather than 'adults only' rating, removing some of both the sexual and the violent content. The lack of interest by publishers in licensing further titles has been attributed to widespread piracy of both licensed and unlicensed games.
Yaoi
In careful Japanese enunciation, all three vowels are pronounced separately, for a three-mora word, . The English equivalent is . also known as Boys' Love, is a Japanese popular term for female-oriented fictional media that focus on homoerotic or homoromantic male relationships, usually created by...
games) usually refers to otome game
Otome game
An is a video game that is targeted towards a female market, where one of the main goals, besides the plot goal, is to develop a romantic relationship between the female player character and one of several male characters. This genre is most established in Japan. The label includes both visual...
s or H games oriented around male homosexual couples for the female market. The defining factor is that both the playable character(s) and possible objects of affection are male (BL stands for Boys' Love). As with yaoi manga
Yaoi
In careful Japanese enunciation, all three vowels are pronounced separately, for a three-mora word, . The English equivalent is . also known as Boys' Love, is a Japanese popular term for female-oriented fictional media that focus on homoerotic or homoromantic male relationships, usually created by...
, the major market is assumed to be female; in addition to BL games proper, many otome game
Otome game
An is a video game that is targeted towards a female market, where one of the main goals, besides the plot goal, is to develop a romantic relationship between the female player character and one of several male characters. This genre is most established in Japan. The label includes both visual...
s have incidental homoerotic content. Games aimed at a homosexual male audience may be referred to as bara
Bara (genre)
, also known as the wasei-eigo construction or ML, is a Japanese jargon term for a genre of art and fictional media that focuses on male same-sex love and desire, usually created by and for gay men. The bara genre began in the 1960s with fetish magazines featuring gay art and content...
. A 2006 breakdown of the Japanese commercial BL market estimated it grosses approximately 12 billion yen annually, with video games generating 160 million yen per month.
Only a very few BL games have been officially translated into English. In 2006, JAST USA
JAST USA
JAST USA is a licensor and distributor of English-language bishōjo games, some of which are as dating sims or eroge. It was founded in 1997 with Sakura Soft's Season of the Sakura and JAST's Three Sisters' Story as its first eroge titles...
announced they would be releasing Enzai as Enzai: Falsely Accused, the first license of a BL game in English translation. Some fan communities have criticized the choice of such a dark and unromantic game as the US market's first exposure to the genre. JAST USA subsequently licensed Zetta Fukujuu Meirei under the title Absolute Obedience, while Hirameki International licensed Animamundi
Animamundi
Animamundi: Dark Alchemist is a Japanese gothic horror visual novel developed by Karin Entertainment and distributed by Hirameki International in the United States.- Story :...
; the later game, although already nonexplicit, was censored for US release to achieve a 'mature' rather than 'adults only' rating, removing some of both the sexual and the violent content. The lack of interest by publishers in licensing further titles has been attributed to widespread piracy of both licensed and unlicensed games.
List of titles
- 24-ji, Kimi no Heart wa Nusumareru ~Kaitou Jade~
- Akai Yoru Hoshi no Sasayaki wo Kike
- AnimamundiAnimamundiAnimamundi: Dark Alchemist is a Japanese gothic horror visual novel developed by Karin Entertainment and distributed by Hirameki International in the United States.- Story :...
- Angel Knight
- Angel's FeatherAngel's Featheris a Japanese eroge visual novel game created by BlueImpact, which was originally released on April 25, 2003. It has been adapted into an OVA, which was animated by Studio Venet.- Story :...
(featuring illustrations by Kazue Yamamoto) - Apocripha/0
- Artificial Mermaid ~Silver Chaos 2~
- Birdie ~Bokura no Ren'ai Shinrigaku~
- Boku no Kareshi wa Juliet
- Cafe Lindbergh ~Bokura no Ren'ai Shinrigaku 2~
- Celestine ~Hikari to Kage to Uchuu Kaizoku~
- Daylight
- Dynamite Darling
- Enzai
- Fragrant Tale
- Gakuen Banchou
- Gakuen HeavenGakuen Heavenis a popular franchise that is based on the PC game Gakuen Heaven: Boy's Love Scramble, originally released by the company SPRAY. The franchise gradually expanded to include three PlayStation 2 games, two PlayStation Portable games, drama CDs, manga, and anime.A Boys' Love manga adaptation series...
(featuring illustrations by You HiguriYou Higuriis a Japanese shōjo and yaoi manga artist who has made several appearances at anime and manga conventions in the United States, as well as in Germany. Her first U.S. appearance was at the initial Yaoi-Con in San Francisco in 2001...
) - Gigolo
- Guisard ~Bokura wa Omoi wo Mi ni Matou~
- Guisard Shuffle ~Bokura wa Omoi wo Tokihanatsu~
- Hanamachi Monogatari (featuring illustrations by Noboru Takatsuki)
- Kohitsuji Hokaku Keikaku! Sweet Boys Life (based on an original BL manga by Kazuka MinamiKazuka Minamiis a female Japanese yaoi manga artist born in the Fukushima prefecture. She is known for the young appearance of her bishounen character designs and for her "extreme" sex scenes...
) - Hotel Chronos
- Hunk's Workshop
- Kannagi no Tori
- Kichiku Megane (featuring illustrations by Fuhri Misasagi)
- Kuro no Tsuki
- Lamento ~Beyond the Void~
- Lasting Snow
- Laughter Land
- ＬＩＶＥｘＥＶＩＬ ~Shakunetsu no Edema~
- Lucky Dog 1
- Masqurade Jingoku Gakuen SO/DO/MU
- Miracle Heart
- Mori no Kioku
- Ore no Shita de Agake
- Oujisama Level 1
- PrinceXPrince
- Saikyou Darling
- Seikai Houretsuden
- Seraphim Spiral
- Silver ChaosSilver ChaosSilver Chaos is a Japanese BL video game made by the softwarehouse Vivid Color and artworked by Takatsuki Noboru . The game has since been unofficially translated by Onadoru Euphoria...
- Soshite Bokura wa
- STEAL!
- Suits wo Nuida Ato...
- Suki na Mono wa Suki Dakara Shōganai!
- sweet pool
- Teikoku Sensenki
- Togainu no ChiTogainu no Chiis a Japanese BL visual novel created by Nitro+CHiRAL. The plot centers on Akira, a young man who was made to participate in a deadly game called "Igura" in post-apocalyptical Japan in exchange for being freed from jail. His goal is to beat "Il Re" , the strongest person in Igura...
- Zettai Fukujuu Meirei
Further readings
- America's first English Yaoi Erotic Sim Game "Enzai" Review, Akiba Angels, July 2006.