Scanlation—the amateur scanning, translating, and editing of manga by fans—has long been central to how international readers discover niche genres. Within that ecosystem, yaoi (also called Boys’ Love or BL) occupies a special place: a genre created largely by and for women that explores male–male romance across tones from delicate slice-of-life to explicit erotica. "Scan manga yaoi" isn’t just a search string; it points to a vibrant, fraught subculture where desire, access, and ethics collide.