What is fudanshi?

Fudanshi (腐男子) are male fans of yaoi, a genre of Japanese media that focuses on romantic and sexual relationships between male characters. The term, literally translating to "rotten boy," is a play on fujoshi (腐女子), the female equivalent. While fujoshi originated as a self-deprecating term, both terms have been somewhat reclaimed by some fans and are now more widely used.

Key aspects of understanding fudanshi include: