Yaoi works, culture, and fandom have been studied and discussed by scholars and journalists worldwide. Multiple terms exist to describe Japanese and Japanese-influenced male-male romance fiction as a genre. In a 2015 survey of professional Japanese male-male romance fiction writers by Kazuko Suzuki, five primary subgenres were identified: Shōnen-ai ( 少年愛, lit. 'boy love') While the term shōnen-ai historically connoted ephebophilia or pederasty, beginning in the 1970s it was used to describe a new genre of shōjo manga (girls' manga) featuring romance between bishōnen ( lit. 'beautiful boys'), a term for androgynous or effeminate male characters.
Early shōnen-ai works were inspired by European literature, the writings of Taruho Inagaki, and the Bildungsroman genre.
Shōnen-ai often features references to literature, history, science, and philosophy Suzuki describes the genre as being 'pedantic' and 'difficult to understand', with 'philosophical and abstract musings' that challenged young readers who were often only able to understand the references and deeper themes as they grew older.
