

I wasn't exactly sure how to phrase the title but in yaoi animes, why does the
uke refer to their love I guess as senpai?

For example, wouldn't it make more sense to say 'I love you Takano' rather
than 'I love you senpai'?

Is this a Japanese language thing or is it better to just say senpai rather
than their actual name?


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anime-production japanese-language
In yaoi anime, why does the uke always say 'senpai'?


I am going to make a couple of assumptions here. Since _Uke_ is normally the
"passive" partner in the relationship, it would stand to reason that they are
the younger in the couple, while the _Seme_ , being the dominant partner, is
the older one.

In a school scenario, _senpai_ would make sense and I'd assume the Uke would
start calling the Seme by their name (probably with the -sama honorific at
first) when their relationship is a bit more intimate (intimate = anything
after their first kiss).

While I don't read Yaoi, one can't assume that every Yaoi story has the Uke
and Seme attending the same school. There may be some where one attends a
different school or doesn't attended at all, as such _senpai_ could still be
used.

However, the Seme, being the senior, is still guiding the Uke like how one's
_senpai_ guides, protects, and teaches their kōhai as best they can. With
that, _senpai_ becomes a term of endearment from the Uke after having been
guided in the relationship by the Seme.


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Senpai means senior in Japanese. It's more polite to call your senior Senpai
at school, at work, etc.. rather than calling them by their name alone.

The Uke is sometimes older than the Seme which means it's more polite for the
Seme to call the Uke 'Senpai' if he's his senior or call him (Name+San) which
means Mr. (Name).


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It feels more in control when you are older and your uke calls you senpai as a
form of respect. Why? Because uke should respect and obey their seme just like
they should with their senpai. It's kind of a,"you're older, you're in
control, and I respect that I listen to you" thing.


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I think it's a situational thing, not necessarily a rule. Like with Takano and
Onodera, Takano was Saga-senpai because he was senior, so calling him senpai
is just how Onodera referred to him when they were in school. With Koisuru
Boukun, Morinaga says senpai because of their senpai-kohai relationship as
schoolmates even though he is the seme. It differs with every relationship.


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In Japanese culture, everyone defers to titles if one applies, unless you have
a special relationship with the person in question (ie, a family member,
childhood friend, etc.). Social structure/strata rules in Japanese society.
Even within a family, younger siblings call older siblings by their titles,
the kids call the parents by their titles. Employees ALWAYS defer to their
managers by their titles. Even strangers are addressed by titles when you
don't know them because it's rude to just say "you", so depending on your age
in relation to their age you use titles like "uncle", "auntie", big
brother/sister", "young man/lady". You've probably already experienced this
from old, poorly sub'd kung fu movies. Yes, it's not just a Japanese thing -
it's an Asian "respect your elders", Confucian kind of thing. You might not
always observe this in translated Japanese manga/anime/movies/TV shows because
translators switch titles to the characters' names because titles are a little
too unwieldy/confusing for Westerners to get use to.

How to address those outside/inside/above/below your particular place in
society and how to navigate it is a big deal and that gets reflected in
manga/anime/movies/TV. Japanese aren't standing around scratching their heads
trying to figure out what to call the other person every time they meet
someone by any means - it's ingrained and becomes natural. Just like when you
call someone you don't know (or even if you do) "sir" or "ma'am", or when
southern folk call you Mr.~ or Miss~ even with your first name. There's a
standard of politeness ingrained.


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