/bl/ - General BL

I love fantasy, especially sword and sorcery, and feel like it could be the perfect setting for exploring unique and interesting BL dynamics. Aside from a few ships, the lack of actual BL media with fantasy (not urban fantasy, btw) is disappointing. Sure, theres some elves getting ugly bastard'd by orcs doujin out there, but I mean dramatic shit like LOTR. LYKT. was the closest I've had that itch scratched, and that very fun VN The Frozen Kingdom (BL inspired by Conan is godtier thinking).

Dying earth, romantic fantasy, grimdark, mythological fantasy, ect. I think the possibilities are endless, we need shit like a Bloodborne inspired BL. I guess there's Danmei but I don't care for it.

>>4426
> I guess there's Danmei but I don't care for it.
Honestly I associate Danmei more with historical fiction even though it is very fantasy, I guess it just doesn't scratch the same high fantasy itch that something like LOTR does.

>I love fantasy, especially sword and sorcery, and feel like it could be the perfect setting for exploring unique and interesting BL dynamics

Agree since in addition to standard BL archetypes you can also play with different fantasy races and their socio-political differences. Speaking specifically of LOTR I always though an underrated component of Gimli/Legolas was the dwarf/elf aspect of the relationship.

>>4426
>BL inspired by Conan is godtier thinking

I'm honestly surprised that there isn't more, it seems like a logical setting for BL considering everything about it.

>>4428
I love how much latent homieroticism is in traditionally "manly" genres. Cowboy westerns are the same way. It's the gayest thing ever.

>>4432
This shit is the best. I am a huge fan of westerns and samurai series and this is one of the reasons. The best is that the type of gayness and characters designs they have are usually cool as well and the men somehow never mind the gay implications there so you get your gay shit and can ship in peace.

It also works as deterrent for the worst types of fans since they don't like manlycoded characters or settings for some reason. I have witnessed any annoyances within the Golden Kamuy fandom despite how big it is. At best I have seen male fans calling Ogata shit and while I love him it's understandable why people would hate him.

I wish that western AUs would be common. It's always the lame shit that gets the AUs for some reason.

>>4426
Like the drawing, is it yours? Reverse search brought nothing

>>4434
NTA but you should install the "Search on Google Lens" add-on, the default lens turned to shit after the last update 1-2 months ago.
https://x.com/purrcelot/status/1514299719752822790

>>4425
My number one favourite setting is a historical japanese one with supernatural elements. Something like the edo period but where yokai are real, though the taisho period is fine too. I also like traditional fantasy and lately I've been thinking I'd like to read something with lovecraftian cult elements set in a boarding school. I'm pretty flexible with character ages as long as the characters are attractive.

First I will tell you the worst fucking one I'm tired of seeing everywhere: high school.

Anyway I *looooove* prison settings but they're rarely done well. But when they are, it's amazing. The perfect breeding ground for angst, great for emotional torture (and physical too if you like), and the men usually act masculine. As a bonus I feel like because it's a more mature setting, the authors also trend older which is generally a plus for quality. I wish there were more historical prison AUs.

>>4439
Haha, highschool is lame but when you look at JP culture it makes perfect sense why all anime is set there.

Agree on wanting more prison works I've only read a few series in general with the setting so we definitely need more, BL or otherwise. One idea that might be interesting is "wrongly accused x serial killer" where a guy needs to survive and is taken under the wing of another.

I want more NON-ISEKAI fantasy. I want more CREATIVE fantasy settings that aren't generic European / British middle ages generic slop. I just want more explicit BL in a fantasy or sci-fi setting too. How about a fantasy setting inspired by Russia and Russian fairy tales?

How do I puts this…if it clicks? Though I would love to see more yaoi based in neolithic settings with a fantasy elements. I don't know why, I just like the vibe and find two men in a primal embrace to be so hot. A shame I can only count a few that get this right.

>>4439
>>4439
Is college age ok or are you just sick of school settings in general? I wouldn't mind seeing more things set at specialized universities like Med School.

>>4466
Personally school settings in general because their tropes are overdone imo, but a bit older like you said, college or something like postgrad, and in a specific trade/course including med school, could be refreshing if the setting is worked into the plot. Actually I feel I'd enjoy a college story if at least one of the guys was an older student, and had a bit of a different mentality because of it, because it'd be fresh to see. That said, those are just my preferences and at the end of the day, any setting you want to read/write yourself will be the best one

>>4468
Yeah "overdone" is a good word for it, not bad but there is just so much of it both commercial and fandom that the market is too oversaturated. Still isn't going to stop me from reading Hogwarts AUs though lol.

>>4468
>college
It'd be neat to see ones set in American universities where there are fraternities. Like two guys from rival fraternities foster a friendship and fall in love. Although you'd have to ignore a lot of the grosser crimes committed by fraternity members. It's too bad frat bros aren't more like sorority sisters.
>>4864
If only this wasn't a commercial.

>>4425
>Time Period
Any with samurai or vikings is good, any during wars of the past or eras with knights and monks or the Wild West because first of all I love that shit. Second, the story will be male centered to begin with and involves men that are interesting and inspiring, not blushing high schoolers. Third, it thematizes the essential things like honor, life and death situations and philosophical-ideological issues which is the good shit I want to read about or watch.

Other than that: sci-fi.
Fantasy could be cool if it had a cool concept like Warhammer 40k but you basically never get shit like that so I am not a fan of fantasy cartoons or books and neither generic magic.
>Location
Depends on the period mentioned above. Obviously either Japan, Italy, Denmark, Germany aka the Holy Roman Empire, the wild west era-US or space. Space is the best location for sci-fi IMO.
>Sci-fi, fantasy, contemporary
Historical > Sci-fi >>> rest.
>Character Ages
Anything older than 20 works for me, preferably with a cast of varied ages that contains a bunch of dudes in their 40s. I never liked teens so I will most likely ignore or drop series with them.

I love historical settings. I love danmei xianxia type settings and Lord of the Rings faux European fantasy settings. I don't really like modern, college, or highschool settings. I'll read it of the art is good and the story is sweet. As for best ages… as long as the characters are not visibly old men it's okay. I can't stand wrinkles in yaoi.