On Sat, 13 Jun 1998 pcorrig@uoft02.utoledo.edu wrote:

   I wrote to this fellow saying that as far as I knew the UY manga gave
no merit to the idea that Benten and Oyuki were homosexual, and every
evidence that they were not (the behavior of both women in their
respective first stories around Ataru, under Lum's nose too, is totally
unbecoming of goddesses and queens). I went on to note that in non-lemon
manga lesbianism is quite rare. The only clearly lesbian character I know
of in manga popular in the US, at least, is Akane Kasuga of KOR; many
other females are sometimes thought to be so, but that idea is generally
ill-founded, or at the very least a dramatic "out" has been provided
allowing for a more innocuous interpretation of the motivations of these
characters. 

I can't spead on the specifics of this relationship; I know very little
about Urusei Yatsura myself.  But I do have to quibble with the idea that
lesbianism is 'quite rare.' Lesbianism and homosexuality are actually
remarkably common, from a western point of view, in anime and manga.  It's
rarely stated as explicitly as it could be, but in most cases, when it's
there, it's pretty obvious unless someone's actively trying to deny it.
Haruka and Michiru, aka Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, are of course
the most obvious examples.  Shoujo Kakumei Utena, my personal favorite
series, has one unambiguously lesbian character and keeps romantic tension
between two other women as a major plot point throughout the series.
Alielle from El Hazard has a crush on just about every woman she meets.  I
believe both Gunsmith Cats (the manga) and Riding Bean have at least
allusions to lesbianism for some of the characters.  Iczer 1 has at least
one loving female couple, and undertones of other possibilities.  And
these are just the ones I know and can remember off hand.  There are also
countless stated or implied male-male relationships out there, as any yaoi
fanfic author would probably be able to tell you.

As for whether there's merit to the idea that Benten and Oyuki were lovers
in the original: there may not be, I don't know.  But there's been huge
amounts of fan fiction based on concepts that weren't present in the
original at all, or were only hinted at.  If a relationship between Benten
and Oyuki makes the story work, and it's not out and out contradicted in
the source material, then I say go to it.  Even if it *is* contradicted,
maybe it would make an interesting alternate universe premise.  In the
end, I say if something makes the story more interesting and can be
justified to one degree or another, even if it's just with hints and
overtones, then it may well be worth trying.

-- 
Scott Johnson |
zagyg@io.com  |          This space intentionally left blank.