Moralistic Value
by Hikari

8/18/00

I want to speak of my purposes in this informal thesis. I’ve put myself into a state of monotone in order to get my points across and to make it clear that I am not exactly vehemently choosing sides. I am not attacking ANYONE. This is simply my view and my beliefs. First off, I want this specific essay to portray a view of difficulties between sexuality. Now, before you close this window at seeing that I used the word ‘sexuality’, please listen to what I have to say regarding this issue. I would really like to accomplish a story of prejudice, morality, and realistic conflicts- with the added science fiction and elements YYH has in the future after the completion of “Rose Petal Ashes”. This story (not RPA) is for those who are mature enough to take this kind of subject. I will do my best to avoid writing anything offensive, because I’m hoping both kinds of readers: yaoi and non-yaoi will read this. This is my first attempt at writing something like this, and therefore, I may not be able to convey what I want with great aesthetic flow. If you don’t want to read my personal insights and/or opinion, go ahead and do as you like. Close this window and read something else.

As it is, I’ve turned fifteen this year on June and even though I’m not of legal age in the states- I have my own opinions just as anyone else; age doesn’t necessarily pose of any determination of the value of one’s views. After all, an adult may very well be a foolish child.

To begin, I MUST say that I was originally and completely against the idea of homosexuality (I thought it was dead sick and wrong, without even looking at any facts or possibilities as to why it’s incorrect). Now, since my views have shifted and/or balanced, I have two comments concerning homosexuality in general and the idea of yaoi in fanfiction- particularly YYH. One view I have is in regards to the actual show and my rational ideas to Hiei and Kurama’s relationship (I will talk about this first). The second view is more along the lines of homosexuality as a whole in the real world.

In Yu Yu Hakusho, Togashi-san clearly states at a convention that he DIDN’T make Hiei and Kurama a couple. Of course, this didn’t stop him from making an intimate relationship between Itsuki and Sensui (they ARE a couple). Now, we find pictures all over the net with Kurama quite literally draped over Hiei. Where ever you go, those two are together, almost inseparable. In cards, screen caps, anything- they’re together. I think there are two reasons for this: the first is to emphasize the close relationship (take this however you want to) that Hiei and Kurama share and the second is to catch a crowd. From what I can tell, the female audience is much more captivated by the idea of a yaoi relationship. This thus leads to Japanese doujinshis (a fan-manga/comic of sorts) sold throughout the country by the bundle. What does this do? It brings more fans into the show. Girls (not all, I don’t want to offend any of you who are against yaoi) LOVE juicy relationships- even if it is a male/male one. With more female audiences, along with the already growing male audience, the show became an instant hit and the producers just keep on raking in the money. This is EXACTLY what happened with Togashi-san’s wife, Takeuchi-san, the creator of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon (particularly the Sailor Stars Series). Originally, the Sailor Stars were ALWAYS female, they didn’t change sexes. They only change gender in the show because the producers felt that they SHOULD do it to get more people interested. Well, it obviously worked. Whatever the producers do to the character from the original manga is really out of the creator’s hands, which is why I am assuming or theorizing that the producers chose to make a suspicious bond between Hiei and Kurama.

But aren’t Michiru and Haruka from Sailor Moon lesbians? Yes, this goes without saying- they are romantically involved just as Takeuchi-san had planned. Evidence for this is revealed at a convention and she firmly states that Neptune and Uranus are, in fact, lovers. However, she intended their relationship to be beautiful, not shameless. Haruka and Michiru’s love life is rather different from that of Usagi and Mamoru. They are far more devoted and affectionate. The dub in the states changes these characters into cousins for that very reason, but one must wonder what is going on with all the hand holding and such. The people of the dubbing company are fully aware of the hard-core SM fans and so they left all the romantic scenes, but pushed in the excuse that ‘Amara’ and ‘Michelle’ are cousins so that unaware viewers won’t be disturbed (I actually find that this is worse because it suggests the idea of incest). Also Kaoru from Neon Genesis Evangelion- he lasted only one episode and I LOVED him. He was so intelligent, kind, loving, and he sacrificed his life for that of mankind… He was also gay. Apparently, his sexuality hardly made a dent on how great a character he was. The characters in Gundam Wing- there IS some sort of relationship with Trowa and Quatre, but I’ll leave you to decide on that. So, supposedly Togashi-san decided to make Hiei and Kurama a couple- would their characters be any different from how they are now? In addition, does this affect how incredible these characters have been developed throughout the series? Because Haruka and Michiru's true relationship- many fans deny what Takeuchi-san wanted. Since, Kurama and Hiei are not a canon-couple, many assume they are or use this fact against yaoisists. However, we are forgetting the important thing- the CHARACTER. If they were in love, would one go so far as to hate the characters just for sexuality? This kind of thinking results in prejudice and hate. You don't have to like this type of relationship because you definitely have your own beliefs, but to speak so hatefully about something like this without even knowing how the two in love feel or must endure in society is really shallow because you're hating something you're not even trying to understand.

Another thing is anime in itself. Let’s face it, when the male characters are hot- they are HOT. Likewise with female characters. Now, in real life, people don’t look that great. Imagine two fat guys who are gay, but you support Hiei and Kurama. If you suddenly have a queasy feeling about the two fat guys, it shows that the yaoi relationship may be superficial. Some don’t mind Hiei and Kurama being together because of how they look, which can be a possible reason as to why it can be accepted. However, to the contrary of the belief that love is LOVE. We are STILL (or some) non-accepting of the two males in real life. Could it be possible that our opinions are biased based on the appearance of the supposed couples? I think that because Hiei and Kurama are the best looking and most popular out of the whole lot- they look, well- good together. This goes anyway, mind you. They look great as friends, as partners, even people who love each other. It works anyway you put it. I find myself in between yaoism and non-yaoisim. If they’re only friends, it works for me- if they are lovers, it works for me too. What really matters is what’s in the story. I’ve seen so much fantastic writing showing their possible relationship, but I’ve also seen- trash. I’m not necessarily talking about hentai either. Trash is writing that is twisted- as in writing with no evident purpose, but showing the writer’s intense perversion at that particular moment (I’m sorry if I sound harsh, but this is what I think). An example of this is a fanfic I stumbled upon two years ago. It was labeled: “With Friendship this Strong”. Good title, but I found that in that fic, Chibiusa from SM makes love to Hotaru!!! What’s worse is that they were BOTH only NINE! That’s just sick and throughout the fic, I found no TRACE of friendship anywhere. I was left traumatized for quite some time. This also shows the three major types of hentai: romantic, physical, and TRASH. Romantic is very subtle, soft and it touches you in some way, but it’s still has hentai. Physical is the actual thing and it gets pretty… explicit, but there is normally a reason behind it. Trash is trash. If you go against hentai, stop complaining because why are you reading it in the first place? Just don’t read it. I, personally, am not too fond of it- I really prefer soft and/or heart melting shounen ai. Mind you, it’s important to keep in mind that Hiei and Kurama are NOT a couple. It’s all right to believe in what you want to regarding the two of them, but a true fan SHOULD like Yu Yu Hakusho for what it really is.

Anyway, homosexuality is far more accepted in Japan than probably any other country out there- which brings me to the most important part of my informal thesis… “Is homosexuality wrong?”

As Rin-san has finely put it, love is LOVE. However, there are some cases in which homosexuality IS wrong. I think there are two kinds of homosexual couples- the kind that really love each other, and the kind where the two are using each other as sex toys (the latter is the one which I think is morally incorrect). If two people of the same gender sincerely love each other- who’s to say it’s wrong? Because they’re the same sex… I don’t know how many times I’ve heard this, but that answer really drives me thinking into the night as to what it’s supposed to mean. I am a Roman Catholic, and from what my friend, Cristina, and I have learned at a retreat- man and woman make love to make each other happy and to bare children. All right then. Let’s say that a sterile woman (a woman incapable of getting pregnant) marries a man she truly loves, and vice versa. They make love to each other, but they can’t bare children. Does this mean it’s mandatory for them to adopt a child? What’s more, to a mother, it’s not the same adopting a child as it is to have one of their own. Also, what if the couple can’t afford to have a child? Does them continuing to show each other love make it a sin? No, I don’t think so (I mean, no worse than the original sin). So then, how is that situation any different from a homosexual couple? Because the two are the same gender? I really don’t understand that particular concept. Did God not make each and everyone one of us and that we are ALL his children he loves so deeply? Why then should we ostracize someone for their sexuality? Doesn’t the Bible say something like: ‘love each other as you would yourself’? I don’t see anything in that quote remarking sexuality. In fact, I haven’t found anything in the Bible of a man loving another man wrong. The only thing that goes against homosexuality is the role that women and men play to each other. Does this then make the relationship shared selfish? I wouldn’t know, but consider the idea that the homosexual is religious. In order to understand how a person feels, the best thing to do is place yourself in that person’s position. Do any of you remember the incident of a Mormon teen who killed himself because he wasn’t accepted as a gay? Which is more wrong in God’s eyes, do you think? Looking down and hurting someone because of their sexuality- possibly resulting in their death or leaving a homosexual couple be? They both sound like very hard issues, and they really are. We can’t judge one another from what we know because only God knows what’s in our hearts. If two people, both male or both female love each other so much, doesn’t that follow the whole belief in love itself?

Anyhow, one’s sexuality doesn’t affect that person as whole at ALL. Did you know that Leonardo De Vinci was a homosexual? He was, and I know this from my history class. Evidence proves that Leonardo was romantically involved with other men. Did this affect how great he was for painting the Mona Lisa? Or any of his other wonderful creations? No, and I think this is mostly because not many people knew of his love life. So now, we move onto those ‘lunatics’, say Konanan. He was a homosexual who turned into a serial killer. Why? He was ostracized, he lost his lover, he lost his friends because of his sexuality, he couldn’t turn to his family who have strict values about this, and he was completely alone. That ended with him killing himself. In addition, homosexual behavior isn’t always acquired- it can be genetic. If that’s the case, the person can’t help for what he or she is- that’s how he/she was made. Then you hear the idea from religious groups that homosexuals can live a non-romantic life. That’s true, but it’s a LOT easier said than done. Humans need the feeling of being cared for and loved-it’s essential to staying alive. So what if a guy kisses another guy? STDs? This is yet another sad stereotype. Homosexuals are not the number one cause of STDs. That is not only a lie, but a poor excuse from someone who has it and is thus throwing the blame on someone else who so happens to be gay. The number one cause is sex. That’s all there is to it. That IS what STD stands for, otherwise it would be: Homosexually Transmitted Diseases.

What I want to say or get across is that we don’t necessarily have to be accepting or supportive of homosexual relationships (you can still turn your back to it, it’s your life, your upbringings, your views that matter). However, we should, at the very least, stop the accusations and hurtful words that come out of our mouths aimed at them. They’re people, NOT fags. A person who is a fag is a person who submits himself to being used by another person of the same gender in the ways of sex. That doesn’t describe love at all. Whatever is going on between two people, whatever the sexuality, is between them and only them. Ignore the stereotypes, care and love people for who they are- not their sexuality. If that means a man loving another man, a woman loving another woman- I find no reason to stop them from making each other happy.


back to Essays >>