The Answer to That ‘Heated Rivalry’ Question Everyone Keeps Asking? It’s Decades-Old

In the bonafide phenomenon that is “Heated Rivalry,” no interview with the stars or series creator Jacob Tierney can escape one question: why women would flock to a series about the turbulent romances of gay hockey players.

Truth is: For those of us who consume anime and manga, the breakout success of “Heated Rivalry” isn’t a surprising cultural development at all. Long before the “Heated Rivalry” series premiered on HBO Max in November, the story existed as two novels from the popular “Game Changer” series by Canadian author Rachel Reid. It exists in the queer romance space overwhelmingly written and consumed by women — sometimes queer, often straight.

However, the book (and the show’s) narrative stylization echo Japan’s decades-old manga genre Boys’ Love. Also known as Bl, or Yaoi, it’s written by women, for women. A niche category with an outsized cultural influence, it’s known for…