Dead Boy Detectives proves that Yaoi would save an oppressed Edwardian schoolboy

The homoerotic undertone was there from the start Dead boy detectives are unmistakable. However, unlike some supernatural mystery shows of the past, it’s not just a tease.

(Ed. remark: This article contains spoilers for Dead boy detectives. Only read on if you want to know who is actually gay.)

Showrunners Steve Yockey (Supernatural, Doom Patrol) and Beth Schwartz (Legends of tomorrow, Sweet tooth) commit to making Edwin (George Rexstrew) completely queer in one of the show’s most well-executed and thoughtful arcs — and the best part is that it’s done completely and unironically through the power of yaoi.

Edwin, the self-proclaimed mastermind of the Dead Boy Detectives duo, died in the 1910s and was stuck in hell for another seventy years. When we meet him, he can’t even fathom that being attracted to another man is normal, let alone acceptable. He’s clearly devoted to Charles (Jayden Revri), but he never says out loud where that devotion comes from. But when Edwin lands in Port Townsend, cute boys keep throwing themselves at him, and although he initially feels uncomfortable, it soon becomes clear that Rexstrew portrays this discomfort as arising from Charles’s own repression. For Charles, this is something he can completely ignore about himself if he tries hard enough.

Niko (Yuyu Kitamura) enters. After a near-death experience allows her to see ghosts, she quickly makes friends with the boys and their paranormal friend Crystal (Kassius Nelson), but she and Edwin share a very special relationship. Especially since she’s the one who first snaps him out of his outdated feelings about himself.

After meeting a cute boy, Edwin says something about how two boys can’t possibly like each other. Niko stops him and says very seriously: ‘You know that two boys can like each other, right? I have a lot of manga about it. A beat, as Edwin’s facial expression changes slightly, and then: “It’s very sweet. And explicit.”

Image: Netflix

Edwin interrupts her – but by the end of that episode he’s more open to making plans with the aforementioned cute boy (never mind that he’s a witch-turned-human acquaintance who’s supposed to let the ghosts in lure), wherever it may lead.

One of the nicest quirks of Dead boy detectives is how genre-savvy many of the human characters are… just for the wrong genre. Jenny the butcher, for example, knows her way around a crime thriller, but despite her gothic appearance, she is not very familiar with the supernatural. The boys obviously know paranormal stuff, but aren’t as well versed in the human connections necessary for a teen drama (ghosts, amirite). Meanwhile, Niko draws on her knowledge of Scooby-Doo to help with the cases. But more importantly, she uses her love of manga, especially boys’ love manga, to help Edwin come to terms with his sexuality. She first puts the idea in his head that it’s okay for boys to like boys, and she’s the one who gently nudges him throughout the show.

Slowly but surely, Edwin learns that it is okay to have romantic feelings for other boys. And because of that, he can finally admit that he has been in love with Charles for decades. It’s an arc that builds throughout the season and has some pretty delightful moments. For example, the Cat King is clearly in love with Edwin and uses his shape-shifting ability to dangle Charles in front of him. When Edwin ends up in Hell, he encounters one of his former bullies, who confesses that the reason he was so vicious towards Edwin was because he was fighting his own internalized homophobia. Thanks to Niko’s encouragement, Edwin and his yaoi-assisted coming out are even able to help this man overcome his self-loathing and find peace in the afterlife. Dead boy detectives meaningfully incorporates Edwin’s sexuality into interactions that go beyond romantic arcs; it informs his character and all his relationships.

(Ed. remark: OK, big real spoilers, y’all!)

Image: Netflix

It all culminates in a big confession of love as Edwin and Charles run from hell. À la Orpheus and Eurydice, Charles broke into hell to win Edwin back. But because they are only a few meters from the surface, Edwin stops them from confessing his feelings. However, this love remains unrequited, as Charles says he can’t say he feels the same way. But, he adds, there’s no one else he would literally break into hell and save, and they have all of eternity to figure out what that means – as long as they get the hell out of here (which, thankfully, they do).

However, the unrequited confession of love is not as bittersweet or tragic as it seems. The biggest hurdle Edwin had was his own oppression. Now that he not only admitted that he had feelings for boys, but also for his best friend, a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. The relationship he has with Charles is still based on love and devotion. Finally Edwin can be honest with himself. The unrequited love is sad, but liberating (it helps that there is a certain friendly Cat King present).

The moral of the story? Yaoi saves (un)lives.

Dead boy detectives is now on Netflix.