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Fujoshi (literally translated as “depraved girl”) are often seen as the female counterpart to the male otaku. The stereotypical fujoshi is obsessed with Boy's Love manga, where beautiful boys express their feelings for each other quite physically.

Of course, like any group, not all fujoshi are the same. There's a spectrum, from some who enjoy a little saucy manga here and there to those who have shelves upon shelves of the stuff.

But no matter where a certain fujoshi lands, there are some experiences that bind them together. Every year, the Japanese comic Web site cmoa (pronounced “see more”) runs a contest for the best fujoshi poetry that explores those binding ties, and they just released the winners for 2020. Let's take a look and see how “depraved” they are!

The Rhyme and Reason

First off, we should clarify what type of poetry this contest is about. The submissions were senryū, poems that follow the same 5-7-5 syllable restriction as haiku, but without the requirement of talking about nature/seasons. Senryū poems also tend to be funnier or darker than haiku, which these definitely qualify as.

腐女子あるある川柳2020 発表！！｜漫画(まんが) ・電子書籍のコミックシーモア 腐女子あるある川柳2020 発表！！｜コミックシーモアは日本最大級の電子書籍サイト☆毎週更新！新作続々入荷！！ジャンルも豊富で、購入前に無料立ち読みできるから安心して漫画が楽しめる☆セールやお得なキャンペーンも見逃せない！パソコン・iPhone・iPad・Androidに対応！！ (JP) Link: Fujoshi Senryū 2020 Presentation! Manga/Digital Comics CMOA

When we translate the senryū into English, we won't worry about retaining the syllable count. Syllable count is not a part of English poetry rhythms (English focuses more on stress beats, which Japanese does not have), and we'd rather focus on translating the meaning/feeling of the poems as closely as possible without unnecessary restrictions.

Translating an English limerick into Japanese with rhymes and bouncy rhythms wouldn't make sense, and the same goes for translating senryū into English.

The Runner Ups

Let's take a look at some of the honorable mentions before we get to the winners.

ノンケとは (Nonke to wa)

まだ運命を (Mada unmei wo)

知らぬだけ (Shiranu dake)

Ah yes, a classic trope of Boy's Love manga. The starry-eyed kohai meets the cool, distant senpai who slowly but surely awakens something dormant inside him. The fate that the author's pen weaves for him is simply out of his control.

大掃除 (Ōsōji)

BL多ぎ (Bi Eru ōsugi)

諦めた (Akirameta)

This is something many of us can relate to. Whether it's manga, video games, or our shoeboxes full of Magic: The Gathering cards that even Marie Kondo would declare hopeless, we've all been there. Maybe we'll try again… next year.

「とりあえず (“Toriaezu)

生ください」に (Nama kudasai” ni)

鼓動鳴る (Kidō naru)

This is of course when a character in a Boy's Love manga asks another to please give them raw carrots. Right? Nothing like a fresh, raw carrot, nice and crunchy!

…moving on.

Cream of the Crop

Now let's take a look at the second and first-place poems, starting with number two:

レジに行き (Reji ni iki)

表伏せる (Omote fuseru)

裏もエロ (Ura mo ero)

Just when you thought you could purchase your Boy's Love manga without being judged by the cashier, the plan backfires thanks to the publisher's design choice. Don't they know that you need the back of the manga to be clean and safe?

As someone who worked at Barnes and Noble for years, and checked out plenty of customers who bought erotic books, don't worry. Even if you turn the book over, we've shelved it plenty of times, and we know what it is no matter what. As long as you don't make it weird by dripping sweat onto the counter or making awkward small talk, we promise we won't make it weird either.

And finally, the grand prize winner:

デカすぎて (Dekasugite)

しゃぶれないのに (Shaburenai noni)

ケツ入る (Ketsu hairu)

They're talking about parking in the garage… right? Right?!

Anyway, we translated this one to be a little more PG-13 friendly, but it still gets its point across. If you'd like, replace “front” and “rear” with the saucy words of your choice and you can have the spicier version all to yourself.

Despite its raunchier language, this one is the clear winner. Not only does it comment on the tropes of Boy's Love like some of the other poems, but it gives its emotional reaction in a subtle way. It doesn't tell you what to feel, it just presents you a scene almost like it was pulled out of a manga itself, and lets a faint breeze of something amiss blow by.

What I like best about these fujoshi poems is their universality. We can all relate to the scenarios raised in them in one way or another, showing how we're all far more alike than different. Maybe if we can appreciate the other side's guilty pleasures more, that could go a step toward bridging the gap between genders in Japan.





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