Dead Boy Detectives proves yaoi would save a repressed Edwardian schoolboy
From the beginning, the homoerotic undertones of Dead Boy Detectives are undeniable. Unlike some supernatural mystery shows of the past, though, it’s not just a tease.
[Ed. note: This article contains spoilers forDead Boy Detectives. Only read on if you want to know who’s actually gay.]
Showrunners Steve Yockey (Supernatural,Doom Patrol) and Beth Schwartz (Legends of Tomorrow, Sweet Tooth) commit to making Edwin (George Rexstrew) fully queer in one of the show’s most well-done and thoughtful arcs — and the best bit is that it is completely and unironically done via the power of yaoi.
Edwin, the self-proclaimed brains of the Dead Boy Detectives duo, died in the 1910s and was trapped in hell for another 70 years. When we meet him, he cannot even fathom that being attracted to another guy is normal, let alone acceptable. He’s clearly devoted to Charles (Jayden Revri), but he never says out loud where that devotion stems from. But when Edwin lands in Port Townsend, cute boys keep throwing themselves at him, and even though he’s initially uncomfortable, it very quickly becomes clear that Rexstrew is portraying this discomfort as stemming from Charles’ own repression. To Charles, this is just something he can ignore about himself completely if he tries hard enough.
Enter Niko (Yuyu Kitamura). After a near-death experience allows her to see ghosts, she strikes up a quick friendship with the boys and their psychic friend Crystal (Kassius Nelson), but she and Edwin share a particularly special relationship. Especially because she’s the one who first snaps him out of his antiquated feelings toward himself.
After an encounter with a cute boy, Edwin says something about how two boys can’t possibly be into each other. Niko stops him and very earnestly says, “You do know two boys can like-like each other, right? I have a lot of manga about it.” A beat, as Edwin’s expression shifts slightly, and then: “It’s very sweet. And explicit.”
Edwin cuts her off — but by the end of
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