In my previous post, I wrote about my encounter with the character Senzo Tachibana (Sen-sama) from Nintama Rantarō.
After being captivated by Sen-sama, I found that I could no longer be satisfied with just the official content—anime, manga, drama CDs, merchandise, and so on.
I wanted to see more of Sen-sama!
I wanted to know him more deeply!
This desire eventually led me to the world of fanworks.
Discovering Pixiv and Fanworks
When I searched for “Senzo Tachibana” on Google, the top result was the site Pixiv.
Pixiv is one of Japan’s largest online communities for illustrations and novels, where fans often post their own creations inspired by original works—known as fanworks.
Fanworks are original stories or depictions of character relationships created by fans based on existing works.
I’m not sure if fanworks are common in your country, but in Japan, when you search for anime characters, Pixiv often appears as the top or one of the top search results, making it easy to access fanworks featuring those characters.
For people who enjoy anime and manga, fanworks have become increasingly familiar and accessible
However, one thing to be cautious about when exploring fanworks is that many of them feature BL (Boys’ Love) or Yuri (Girls’ Love).
BL depicts romantic relationships between male characters, while Yuri focuses on female characters.
Depending on the reader, they might feel, “These characters would never feel that way!” or “Stop twisting their relationships!”
Some may even feel discomfort or aversion.
My First Encounter with BL
Here’s a personal experience I had before I understood what fanworks or BL were:
One day in Akihabara, I happened to pick up what I thought was a ONE PIECE book in an anime shop.
The moment I flipped through it, I was shocked to see overly intimate depictions of male characters together.
“What is this…? This is disgusting… Stop it… I didn’t want to see that…”
I still remember the strong shock and sense of repulsion I felt at that moment.
Despite having a somewhat negative impression of fanworks, I couldn’t get enough of official Sen-sama content.
So I searched for “Senzo Tachibana” on Google and started reading the fanworks that popped up.
Unsurprisingly, many of these fanworks about Sen-sama were BL.
At first, I was hesitant.
But it was interesting to see other people’s interpretations of Sen-sama.
And the beautifully idealized Sen-sama depicted in these fanworks was undeniably captivating. Many of the stories were enjoyable, and gradually, I found myself becoming more accepting of fanworks and BL.
(A Sen-sama-inspired character I created using AI-generated art)
As a result, my love for Sen-sama deepened even further.
The more I adored Sen-sama, the more I wanted to read fanworks.
Though I initially resisted the idea, I soon discovered the appeal of stories and relationships not found in the original work, as well as the added seriousness and drama.
Before I knew it, I was sacrificing sleep to binge-read fanworks.
The Unique Appeal of Nintama Rantarō Fanworks
While Nintama Rantarō is a children’s anime, it has surprisingly strong support among adult women who enjoy BL, often called “fujoshi” in Japan.
This has resulted in an abundance of fanworks.
The show features mostly male characters, each with distinct personalities.
Many of them live in dormitories with their classmates, and there’s an emphasis on senior-junior dynamics—all elements that lend themselves well to BL fanworks.
I think many women in their teens and older who enjoy Nintama Rantarō also engage with BL fanworks.
For the current generation of Japanese people in their teens to 30s, BL and Yuri have become relatively commonplace.
Saying you read BL doesn’t make you a weirdo.
In Ikebukuro, a mecca for fujoshi, anime shops are filled with young women openly browsing and purchasing BL works with their friends.
Japan is saturated with anime and manga compared to other countries.
For people who have grown up surrounded by countless heterosexual romance stories, it’s not unusual for them to turn to BL or Yuri works in search of something fresh and exciting.
Driven by my love for Sen-sama, I began reading fanworks.
But it wasn’t enough!
I still couldn’t get enough of Sen-sama!
What did I do next?
Stay tuned for the next post!
