Yaoi Too Combustible for Kindling

As you probably already know, Yaoi is an increasingly popular genre of Japanese comics that deals specifically with male-male romance. The origin of the term "Yaoi" is uncertain, but one theory/joke has it that YAOI abbreviates a Japanese phrase that translates into, “Stop! My ass hurts!”

Okay, that's probably a myth, but Yaoi publishers and fans alike are having their asses collectively chapped these days by Amazon. According to The Yaoi Review, the online retailing giant has been systematically removing from their online store various electronic gay manga comic titles that they deem too explicit for Kindle.

Just one example: comics from publisher 801 Media like the one pictured below that have been online since 2009 are now being given the boot. Amazon says these titles violate their content guidelines, which reserve for the retailer the right to make judgments about whether or not content is appropriate.

Weekend Lovers Too hot for Amazon - removed

The troubling thing is, it doesn't appear that these content guidelines are being uniformly applied. Jennifer LeBlanc of The Yaoi Review pointed out to us that there are far more explicit hetero Kindle books which have have not been banned. Take No Holes Barred, for instance...

Apparently not objectionable. Still for sale on Amazon.

No Holes Barred currently sits at #6,803 in the Kindle Store, it has 51 full-color, high-resolution images of a "beautiful blonde exhibitionist" ready to "display all holes." I'd have shown you a larger version of the book cover, but the cover art is too graphic for this site. Also, it's... charms... might be wasted on our readers.

Is the fact that softcore Yaoi titles are being pulled and stuff like this remains available for Kindle just an unfortunate aberration and oversight? Or could it be Amazon really finds exploitative and obscene hetero material lass offensive than arty comics that depict gay love?

The retailer does have a history of treating gay material differently. Remember back in 2009 when they were systematically classifying any book with positive gay themes as "adult" and removing them from their sales rank lists? Meanwhile, they left such "keepers" as A Parent's Guide to Preventing Homosexuality undisturbed. 

The company blamed that on a "flawed algorithm," and maybe that's what's at work here. Heh. Still, they should look into it. To spur them in that direction, the The Yaoi Review suggests you go here to register a complaint with Kindle customer service.

We think that's a pretty good idea.