This comment is now more than a month tardy, but I'm a late-comer to the /report train and just listened to this podcast today.
In regards to issues of consent in yaoi, I think Lianne's rec of Maiden Rose is actually a fantastic choice not in spite of the noncon/dubcon but rather because it as it is possibly the only BL manga I can think of that actually has an honest discussion of rape. Even though Lianne made this sound like a terrifying series (which, to be fair, it is) I think part of the reason it's a harder sell is because it addresses the issue rather unflinchingly rather than tongue-and-cheek or with a hand wave that many yaoi series, like Tyrant, do.
Aside from the compelling sociopolitical mythological backstory which are reasons enough to read the series, I'm almost astonished that it's managed to pop up in yaoi as yaoi not only has an awful record with rape, but especially in regards to partner rape. The general consensus seems to be, "Rape is bad, but it's not rape if it's true love (aka our preferred seme)!" Maiden Rose does a pretty terrific job of addressing the fact that it can still be rape even if you're in a relationship and you love that person and that rape has emotional consequences, but also perhaps touching on the rather taboo concept that, in partner rape, you can still love the person who raped you. Once the top realizes the awfulness of what he's done, he stops and the series attempts to make him redeemable afterwards without make what he'd done excusable, and there's no victim-blaming. Another issue the series manages to hint at is the difficulty in same-sex partnership or rape of reporting abuse because of the shame or secrecy aspect of it which is why the bottom, despite being in a position of respect and authority, continued to be victimized by the seme for so long.
It's understandably not a series everyone will be comfortable to read and most people who read it like it primarily for the art and/or political aspect. However, I think the series does a stellar job at opening a dialogue about discussion of consent issues which slash fiction has had the opportunity to address, but mainly gets overlooked due to the medium/genre it's associated with.
Anyway, I doubt anyone's going to read this, but I just wanted to drop by and leave my kudos for a series that is surprisingly honest, and a +1 for anyone who's interested in reading a manga series that is honest in addressing rape politics and consequences.
Maiden Rose
In regards to issues of consent in yaoi, I think Lianne's rec of Maiden Rose is actually a fantastic choice not in spite of the noncon/dubcon but rather because it as it is possibly the only BL manga I can think of that actually has an honest discussion of rape. Even though Lianne made this sound like a terrifying series (which, to be fair, it is) I think part of the reason it's a harder sell is because it addresses the issue rather unflinchingly rather than tongue-and-cheek or with a hand wave that many yaoi series, like Tyrant, do.
Aside from the compelling sociopolitical mythological backstory which are reasons enough to read the series, I'm almost astonished that it's managed to pop up in yaoi as yaoi not only has an awful record with rape, but especially in regards to partner rape. The general consensus seems to be, "Rape is bad, but it's not rape if it's true love (aka our preferred seme)!" Maiden Rose does a pretty terrific job of addressing the fact that it can still be rape even if you're in a relationship and you love that person and that rape has emotional consequences, but also perhaps touching on the rather taboo concept that, in partner rape, you can still love the person who raped you. Once the top realizes the awfulness of what he's done, he stops and the series attempts to make him redeemable afterwards without make what he'd done excusable, and there's no victim-blaming. Another issue the series manages to hint at is the difficulty in same-sex partnership or rape of reporting abuse because of the shame or secrecy aspect of it which is why the bottom, despite being in a position of respect and authority, continued to be victimized by the seme for so long.
It's understandably not a series everyone will be comfortable to read and most people who read it like it primarily for the art and/or political aspect. However, I think the series does a stellar job at opening a dialogue about discussion of consent issues which slash fiction has had the opportunity to address, but mainly gets overlooked due to the medium/genre it's associated with.
Anyway, I doubt anyone's going to read this, but I just wanted to drop by and leave my kudos for a series that is surprisingly honest, and a +1 for anyone who's interested in reading a manga series that is honest in addressing rape politics and consequences.