A native Japanese word for the lily, written with the Chinese characters 百合, ‘a hundred joined’, after the many overlapping scales of the bulb. The genre sense dates from the 1970s, when Itō Bungaku, editor of the gay men’s magazine 薔薇族, ‘rose tribe’, called women who love women 百合族, ‘lily tribe’. From there 百合 came to name fiction about romance between women.
What does 百合 mean?
百合 is the lily flower, and in anime, manga and fan culture it is also the name for stories about romance between women.
How do you read 百合?
It is read ゆり (yuri). In biology and plant guides the flower is usually written in katakana, ユリ.
Why does the word for lily stand for stories about women in love?
In the 1970s the gay men’s magazine 薔薇族, ‘rose tribe’, used ‘lily tribe’ for women who love women. The flower stuck, and 百合 became the name of the genre.
What is the difference between 百合 and ガールズラブ?
They overlap a lot. ガールズラブ, or GL, usually points to clearly romantic stories, while 百合 also covers intense friendships and feelings that are never spelled out.
What do stories about romance between men get called?
They are usually called BL, short for boys’ love. The older counterpart of 百合 was 薔薇, rose.
Can 百合 be a name?
Yes. 百合 is also a Japanese girl’s name, read Yuri, and it appears in longer names such as 百合子.