Girls Love and Boys Love – How queer is Japan’s manga world?

Boys Love and Girls Love have become an integral part of our manga shelves too. But why is same-sex love so prevalent in manga in the first place? And does that mean Japan is the most queer-friendly country in the world? We take a look at the history of the genres, the people behind them and the social reality of queer people in Japan. There will also be some current reading recommendations and perhaps a surprise or two.