Lost in Translation: Student Researches Queer Language in Anime, Dramas

As a teenager,Pauli Cuellar Aguilar searched for queer media that represented him. Instead, he stumbled across queerbaiting, where show creators would hint at gay relationships that were never depicted.

Cal State Fullerton’s Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program, designed to prepare students to pursue doctorates in the humanities, presented Aguilar with the opportunity and resources (mentoring, workshops, graduate school preparation and and annual stipend) to take a deep dive into the topic.

His consumption of international anime, manga and dramas led him to his research topic — language translation in Japanese and Thai queer media.

“One night while I was rewatching my favorite show,‘Thai Boys’ Love,’ I decided to turn on the Japanese subtitles,” Aguilar said. “I quickly realized there were many…