(and now we bring you a brief interruption to the top 10 (25) listing series…)

yaoi immersion program

In just over a month, the weekend of September 12^th, those of us with access to the U.S.’s  West Coast have an opportunity to spend three days in a hotel packed full of fujoshi and fudanshi.

Doesn’t that sound like fun?

Yep, yep, yep, it’s the 14^th annual Yaoi-Con! My local co-fujoshi and I have been counting our pennies, checking work schedules, and negotiating with the S.O. about taking off for a weekend of yaoi indulgence in San Francisco.

Boku wa Subete o Shitte Iru by Takaku Shoko

Honestly, I’ve never been before, and I’m quivering with curiosity about what we might find there. The mangaka guest of honor is one whose books I own, Takaku Shoko. She is the author of Boku wa Subete o Shitte Iru (I’ve Seen It All), a hysterically funny series about a penis doctor.

Really.

So far, only volumes 1 & 2 have been released in English (by June). I have to admit that 1 is funnier, but you still might want to check them both out.

I keep thinking of those manga scenes where fans line up to meet an author or mangaka, get an autograph, and give a gift; it’d be fun to get to do that, too.

who is that guy/gal?

In any case, we’ve also been talking about cosplay. We’re a bit hung up on the fact that so many yaoi couples would be hard to identify, since they aren’t very cartoony. But wouldn’t it be great fun if we were to find ourselves surrounded by fujoshi and fudanshi in yaoi cosplay? I’d happily spend the weekend just trying to identify who’s who.

Surfing around, I’ve been looking at pics of folks who’ve gone all out to cosplay yaoi characters, and I have to say I’d love to see these two show up:

brought to you by Psychomaniac and Monopteros

Now that is an Aki suit. Maybe we’ll get lucky and they’ll make the trip from Germany.

Of course, the fantasy genre serves up characters who’re a bit easier to identify on first sight. If I saw these folks wandering around San Francisco (that picture actually is in SF), and I couldn’t identify their characters, I’m pretty sure I’d lose all my fujoshi points…

source

Apparently they came to the 2010 Yaoi-Con (from Taiwan, wow!), where Yamane Ayano was the guest speaker. Color me green with envy.

We’re still discussing whether or not we’re going to man up, as it were, and join in the cosplay fun. Frankly, I suck at putting together costumes, and I’m on the shy side, so being stared at would be out of my comfort zone, but, jeez… I’m still tempted.

Of course, we would also visit Japantown.

Even if I only wear my best wallflower duds, I have faith I won’t regret going.

Anyone else thinking about joining in the fun?