What is gay bara comic?

Gay bara comic is a genre of Japanese manga that focuses on hypermasculine gay men, often depicted in sexually explicit situations. The term "bara" is derived from the Japanese word for "rose," and is used to describe the muscular, bear-like appearance of the characters.

The genre originated in the 1970s and gained popularity in the 1990s and beyond with the rise of the internet and online communities. Gay bara comics often feature themes of dominance and submission, BDSM, and hypersexualized depictions of male bodies.

While originally created by and for a primarily male, gay audience, the genre has gained a wider following outside of Japan, particularly among queer communities. However, it has also faced criticism for reinforcing negative stereotypes and fetishizing certain attributes of the gay community, particularly those associated with toxic masculinity.