Yaoi Romance Manga Shota Oni Gets Anime Adaptation With a Title Change to Avoid Problems with Foreign Audiences
In March 2025, it was announced that the yaoi romance manga Shota Oni would receive an anime adaptation. However, alongside the announcement came an unexpected piece of news: unlike the manga, the anime will not be titled Shota Oni, but instead Ore to Yuu-nii!.
Normally, when a manga receives an anime adaptation, it keeps the same title. In this case, however, the decision was made to change it. Why? The explanation came directly from the original author, Miyuki Nakayama:
“A manga I originally started drawing purely as a hobby has thankfully received support from many people, leading to a huge future in the form of an anime. Thank you so much!
For this anime adaptation, we decided to give the animated version its own title. At first, since it was a completely amateur work published on social media, I used a name that clearly indicated the genre or category of the story.
However, after considering the various issues that could arise from using that kind of name as the official title for a work with a much broader reach, we chose Ore to Yuu-nii! for the anime.”
The production committee also commented on the change:
“In deciding on this title, we held extensive discussions with all parties involved in the adaptation process, aiming to find a form that would allow the work to reach as many people as possible.
After consulting with the original author, Miyuki Nakayama, we prioritized the charm of the work, its worldview, and the personalities of its characters, ultimately arriving at Ore to Yuu-nii! as a title that conveys closeness and familiarity.”
To explain what happened more clearly: the manga’s original title includes the word “shota.” The story is a yaoi romance that follows the relationship between a “devoted shota who wants to grow up quickly” and a “gentle, calm high school oniisan.” Because of this, the manga itself has already received criticism from foreign audiences for featuring a romance involving a shota.
That is the main reason behind the change. As mentioned, the author originally created the manga purely as a hobby on social media, but over time it gained popularity, received a physical release, and is now even getting an anime adaptation.