Yaoi (pronounced /jaoi/), originally referred to fan manga (such as doujinshi) that focused on a homosexual relationship between two male characters, especially two bishounen - the manga equivalent of slash. The term is an acronym derived from yama nashi, ochi nashi, imi nashi, meaning "no climax, no resolution, no meaning."
Nowadays, the term is often used in a general way to refer to male-male sexual or romantic content anywhere in the galaxy of anime, manga and fan fiction based on these; usually of a more hard-core nature than shounen-ai, sometimes going so far as to include hentai. This may be the reason why many erroneously believed yaoi stood for yamette, oshiri itai! ("Stop, my butt hurts!").
Some of the characters who are most common subjects of yaoi include: Kaworu and Shinji from Neon Genesis Evangelion; the characters of Gundam Wing, especially Heero and Duo; the boys of Weiß Kreuz and Gensomaden Saiyuki; Vincent, Sephiroth and Cloud from Final Fantasy; and Subaru, Seishiro, Kamui, and Fuuma from X/1999.
Over the years, gay-themed comic strips inspired by and referred to as yaoi has been adapted as a sub-culture in North America, with writings and art displayed in websites devoted to it, and such. Notable American yaoi series include the web comic Boy Meets Boy by K. Sandra Fuhr, hosted on Keenspace.
