History Main / Uke

* [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/metalgear/images/6/6b/RaikovI1.png/revision/latest?cb=20130212151354 Raiden-Expy]] Major Raikov in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'' can't be anything else than this to [[https://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/metalgear/images/thumb/1/13/Volgin.jpg/200px-Volgin.jpg his lover Volgin]].

[[caption-width-right:349:Let's see: [[{{Moe}} adorably cute]] [[TeensAreShort petite teenage]] [[TheIngenue Ingenue]] {{Woobie}} LoveMartyr SexSlave with an [[CannotSpitItOut emotionally closeted]] BastardBoyfriend. Yup, uke.]]

* Ash is the go-to uke in gay ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' ships involving him. He's an AllLovingHero and a {{keet}} so most fanworks put him in this situation, especially when paired with Gary or Paul. An exceptions seem to be Cilan and Clemont, despite both being older and much taller than Ash they are often presented as more uke-ish due to their less-masculine nature.
* When Goh came along with Ash they became a fan favorite ship. Plus, Ash being seme became popular. Goh grew up alone with neglectful parents and no friends, giving him social issues. He can be emotional, depressed, and have abbandonment issues. He's also naive due to social issues. All things that make him fragile. Unlike ukes, Goh is the sane one MOST OF THE TIME, though it balances out Ash's craziness. Also, unlike ukes Goh is less affectionate and willing to admit he cares. Though, that makes him more of a tsundere uke too. Like ukes he can worry about Ash. He's not very masculine being androgynous and a science geek. Plus, he's usually protected by Ash, his seme. Complete with Goh and Ash being the Sword and Shield, a knight refrence, which knights and warriors are known for having gay subtext in literature.

* Joshua from ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou''. Though, Joshua is more of a subversion. He may be effeminate, sure, but he is also {{manipulativ|eBastard}} and very emotionally closed off.

* Just plain ignored in ''LightNovel/KyoKaraMaoh'', as the main character is [[EveryoneIsBi still literally the only heterosexual in the world]], and no relationship has even gotten to the 'holding hands' stage. Though what passes for an OfficialCouple has lost support from a surprising number of fans because "they're both uke". It really doesn't help that the main character is a catcher on a sandlot baseball team.

* ''Manga/JunjouRomantica'':
** ''Junjou Romantica'' provides three different types of ukes. Misaki is type 2, Hiroki is type 3, and Shinobu a mix of both[[labelnote:*]]innocent and temperamental, if you're curious[[/labelnote]].
** Its adaptation, ''Manga/SekaiichiHatsukoi'' also provides three types of ukes. Onodera being type 4, Chiaki being a mix of 1 and 2 and Kisa also being a mix, 2 and 4.
* Subverted in Fumi Yoshinaga's ''Manga/KinouNaniTabeta'' (What Did You Eat Yesterday?), where Kakei is more than annoyed that straight people think that being the uke during sex has anything to do with who the "girl" in the relationship is.

Note that this usage of the word originated in the BoysLoveGenre fandom; among "regular" Japanese people it just means "defend". It is also a term used in the Japanese martial arts (especially those based on holds and throws such as judo and aikido) to indicate the person doing ''ukemi'' -- allowing themselves to be thrown/held by the ''tori'' or ''nage'' (the partner doing the throwing) and doing so safely. Japanese gay men won't necessarily know the BL meaning of the term (remember, BL is primarily intended for straight women. Actual gay people often avoid this literature because they know it is fetishizing them). Even the BoysLoveGenre itself has evolved and diversified enough with time that even many BL fans these days will simply use "uke" to indicate who is the receptive partner, with little implication regarding their personalities or physical builds (which may diverge heavily from the norms described here). Non-{{otaku}} English speakers won't know what it means at all, unless they do judo. English-speaking gay men occasionally find the use of the term as a blanket replacement for the more general "bottom" out of the context of the BL genre obnoxious, feeling that [[GratuitousJapanese their native language has got that concept covered already, thank you]].

Note that this usage of the word originated in the BoysLoveGenre fandom; among "regular" Japanese people it just means "defend". It is also a term used in the Japanese martial arts (especially those based on holds and throws such as judo and aikido) to indicate the person doing ''ukemi'' -- allowing themselves to be thrown/held by the ''tori'' or ''nage'' (the partner doing the throwing) and doing so safely. Japanese gay men won't necessarily know the BL meaning of the term (remember, BL is primarily intended for straight women for the same reason that GL is primarily intended for straight men. Actual gay people often avoid this literature because they know it is fetishizing them). Even the BoysLoveGenre itself has evolved and diversified enough with time that even many BL fans these days will simply use "uke" to indicate who is the receptive partner, with little implication regarding their personalities or physical builds (which may diverge heavily from the norms described here). Non-{{otaku}} English speakers won't know what it means at all, unless they do judo. English-speaking gay men occasionally find the use of the term as a blanket replacement for the more general "bottom" out of the context of the BL genre obnoxious, feeling that [[GratuitousJapanese their native language has got that concept covered already, thank you]].

There is a trend of making the Uke more outwardly emotional than the Seme; even an angsty Uke will be more vocal in his {{Wangst}} than an angsty Seme who will just hide it all behind a stoic mask, and emotionless Ukes are relatively uncommon. This is due in large part to the fact that Seme/Uke relationships customarily exhibit a frequently flustered Uke - something much more difficult to pull off if the Uke is the stoic type.

A character associated with the BoysLoveGenre, the Uke (or "Neko" in Girl's Love works) makes up the "receiving" half of a relationship (whereas in real life, sex roles are generally not as rigid as that portrayed in Yaoi and are also not "assigned" according to perceived masculinity). Typically the [[OppositesAttract polar opposite]] of the {{Seme}}, the Uke is sometimes [[InTouchWithHisFeminineSide more feminine]] than his counterpart; just how much "more feminine" this can be varies, from simply looking more childish or "[[{{Bishonen}} beautiful]]", or being more emotional and/or [[LuminescentBlush blushy]] or just less overtly macho than his partner, to, on the other end of the spectrum, having outright [[WholesomeCrossdresser crossdressing habits]]. Almost always, the Seme is OneHeadTaller than the Uke (or at least a few inches). So prevalent is this custom that a well-known (and oft derided) process in SlashFic is {{Wimpification}}, or feminizing one half of a slash pairing to fit this character type regardless of canon characterization. A major draw of the BoysLove is that you get two hot guys for the price of one, so in the more explicit titles expect to see lots of his [[{{Fanservice}} cute little bod]].

** Naruto is usually the uke when paired with Sasuke, though some fans invert the cliche. This often includes {{wimpification}} and exaggerating his {{keet}}-ness.

* When Goh came along with Ash they became a fan favorite ship. Plus, Ash being seme became popular. Cannon, unlike ukes Goh is less emotional due to having social issues. Though, he does have moments of passion. Plus, it balances out Ash's craziness. Also, unlike ukes Goh is less affectionate and willing to admit he cares. Though, that makes him more of a tsundere uke too. Like ukes he can worry about Ash. He's not very masculine being androgynous and a science geek. Plus, he's usually protected by Ash, his seme. Complete with Goh and Ash being the Sword and Shield, a knight refrence, which knights and warriors are known for having gay subtext in literature.

* Ash is the go-to uke in gay ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' ships involving him. He's an AllLovingHero and a {{keet}} so most fanworks put him in this situation, especially when paired with Gary or Paul. An exception seems to be Cilan, as despite being older and much taller than Ash he is often presented as more uke-ish due to his flamboyant and campy nature.

* [[http://static.stuff.co.nz/1254658692/458/2930458.jpg Raiden-Expy]] Major Raikov in ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3 MGS3]]'' can't be anything else than this to [[http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/metalgear/images/thumb/1/13/Volgin.jpg/200px-Volgin.jpg his lover Volgin]].
** Otacon, Otacon, ''Otacon''...

* ''VideoGame/Persona3'' Protagonist Minato Arisato. He's noticeably quite uke-ish in terms of appearance with petite body and androgynous face. Try to line him up with the majority of males in his game, he will look very uke-ish. Even grown-up Ken will be more seme-ish than him. Try to line him up with the other protagonists of Persona games, and ironically he is trapped between Tatsuya and Yu, making him even more uke-ish. His uke-ness is clearest in Persona Q, where you can say you will protect him as Yu and he will blush. Even when playing as him and going to the chapel with Shinjiro he will still blush anyway.

Note that this usage of the word originated in the BoysLoveGenre fandom; among "regular" Japanese people it just means "defend". It is also a term used in the Japanese martial arts (especially those based on holds and throws such as judo and aikido) to indicate the person doing ''ukemi'' -- allowing themselves to be thrown/held by the ''tori'' or ''nage'' (the partner doing the throwing) and doing so safely. Even Japanese gay men won't necessarily know the BL meaning of the term (remember, BL is primarily intended for straight women for the same reason that GL is primarily intended for straight men. Actual gay people often avoid this literature because they know it is fetishizing them). Non-{{otaku}} English speakers won't know what it means at all, unless they do judo. English-speaking gay men occasionally find the use of the term as a blanket replacement for the more general "bottom" out of the context of the BL genre obnoxious, feeling that [[GratuitousJapanese their native language has got that concept covered already, thank you]].

* ''Manga/{{Yuureitou}}'' has Taichi playing this to Tetsuo. UnluckyEverydude Taichi is commonly a DistressedDude, can be rather awkward, is HollywoodHomely, and has LovableCoward aspects. Tetsuo, on the other hand, is a confident, mysterious, and {{Bishonen}} ByronicHero. It becomes even more noticeable when Taichi is DisguisedInDrag and he finds himself liking the idea of being Tetsuo's submissive crossdressing lover. At one point, Taichi imagines him and Tetsuo sleeping together and at first sees himself crossdressing and on the top, since Tetsuo is [[{{Transgender}} assigned-female-at-birth]], however Taichi comes to the conclusion that it wouldn't work like that.

* Invoked in ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'', where Matsuri's mother, of all people, figures her child is more of an uke, and thus [[ShipperOnDeck advises Reo to be a seme]] (the English version translates the term as "aggressive" and "passive"). Matsuri really is implied to be sexually submissive, though [[AggressiveSubmissive a lot more action-oriented than the stereotype]]. Given [[GenderBender Matsuri identifies as male but spends most of the story with a female body]], one could consider him the neko to Suzu and Reo's tachi, fitting the aforementioned tendency for tomboys to be portrayed as subs.

Also see {{Keet}}, InTouchWithHisFeminineSide, MasculineFeminineGayCouple. Western equivalent is TheTwink. For all you [[GameOfNerds baseball fans]] out there: he's the [[UnusualEuphemism catcher]].

Note that this usage of the word originated in the BoysLoveGenre fandom; among "regular" Japanese people it just means "defend". It is also a term used in the Japanese martial arts (especially those based on holds and throws such as judo and aikido) to indicate the person doing ''ukemi'' -- allowing themselves to be thrown/held by the ''tori'' or ''nage'' (the partner doing the throwing) and doing so safely. Even Japanese gay men won't necessarily know the BL meaning of the term. Non-{{otaku}} English speakers won't know what it means at all, unless they do judo. English-speaking gay men occasionally find the use of the term as a blanket replacement for the more general "bottom" out of the context of the BL genre obnoxious, feeling that [[GratuitousJapanese their native language has got that concept covered already, thank you]].

* Ryo in ''{{Manga/FAKE}}'' is a borderline case; he's considerably less experienced and more sensitive than his boisterous partner (and {{Seme}}) Dee, but he's also much more reserved and prone to keeping his feelings bottled up, and he's not appreciably smaller, prettier, or more feminine than the rest of the main cast.
* [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/uke.jpg Shuichi Shindou]] of ''{{Manga/Gravitation}}'' is often presented as the de facto example of an uke. Since his love interest Yuki is a cold fish, he does diverge from the trope a bit in having to be the more aggressive and persistent partner, though Yuki still makes the first sexual moves.

* The definition of "angsty uke" above nicely fits Takaya/Kagetora from ''LightNovel/{{Mirage of Blaze}}''. Particularly in the the first OVA.

* Both Sunao/Ran and Nanami in ''{{LightNovel/Sukisho}}''. Nanami is a bit of an unusual example, in that he's a WholesomeCrossdresser.

* Despite giving the impression of being a {{Seme}}, Setsuna in ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' is one of these. Setsuna is a trained swordswoman who acts as the bodyguard to her childhood friend and crush [[{{Ojou}} Konoka]], Setsuna's more serious and reserved attitude sharply contrast the cheerful and bubbly Konoka and Setsuna is also one of the tougher {{Action Girl}}s in the series while Konoka is the resident WhiteMagic user. However, when it comes to their romantic relationship, Setsuna is very awkward, easily flustered and shy, while Konoka is the extroverted and aggressive one.

* Subverted in Fumi Yoshinaga's ''Kinou Nani Tabeta'' (What Did You Eat Yesterday?), where Kakei is more than annoyed that straight people think that being the uke during sex has anything to do with who the "girl" in the relationship is.

* ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'':

* Sena of ''{{Manga/Eyeshield 21}}'' is an uke along with being the fandom's {{little black dress}}. Considering he's a dorky, cute little boy who quickly impresses every manly football player he encounters, it's no surprise that he's considered the ultimate uke of the series. So much, that sometimes he's portrayed as an uke even with his somewhat-canon girlfriend Suzuna, who is much more assertive than he is.

* An example of a perfect uke is Sawada Tsunayoshi from ''Manga/KatekyoHitmanReborn''. C'mon, you know he's a bigtime uke when he's paired with 1-year-old ''Reborn'' and ''still'' bottoms. It doesn't help matters that [[SatelliteLoveInterest the girl he has a crush on]], who is supposed to be super-effeminate and "beautiful," looks like his identical twin...

* If there were such thing as a ''heterosexual'' uke, Momo from ''Manga/KimiWaPetto'' would be a perfect example. A cheerful, kind, innocent professional dancer who agrees to become the literal pet of a driven and successful (but emotionally closeted) journalist? Who happens to be both significantly shorter and younger than his love interest, and who depends on said love interest for his daily needs (such as food and shelter)? The only thing stopping this from being a stereotypical BoysLove romance is that the {{Seme}} figure is a woman.

* Kuroko from ''Manga/KurokoNoBasuke'' is this in most fanworks.

* Yumi is the uke to Sachiko's (and Sei's) seme in ''LightNovel/MariaSamaGaMiteru'', though the series typically avoids the archetype and it keeps it on a HideYourLesbians case. Yumi helped [[TropeCodifier codify]] the way an uke should be in a yuri series. She's shorter than both Sachiko and Sei, wears GirlishPigtails, and is prone to bouts of awkwardness.

* Sena of ''{{Manga/Eyeshield 21}}'' is an uke along with being the fandom's {{little black dress}}. Considering he's an {{adorkable}}, cute little boy who quickly impresses every manly football player he encounters, it's no surprise that he's considered the ultimate uke of the series. So much, that sometimes he's portrayed as an uke even with his somewhat-canon girlfriend Suzuna, who is much more assertive than he is.

** Princess Aurora of the ''Disney/SleepingBeauty'' fame is often portrayed as this in f/f works.
** Unusually, Elsa from ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'' is usually portrayed as one of these in femslash works (especially [[IncestYayShipping Elsanna]] ones). It could stem from her somewhat anxious and awkward personality, the [[PowerfulPeopleAreSubs stereotypes about people in power]], or Anna being more aggressive and boisterous. Though occasionally Anna gets this as well.

* [[BiTheWay bisexual]]

* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/Ben10UltimateAlien'' episode "Duped", where Ben use his Echo Echo powers to [[MesACrowd duplicate himself in three]] in an attempt to be in three times at the same place so he can fight the [[{{Mooks}} Forever Knights]] with Kevin, assist to [[LoveInterest Julie]]'s tennis match and watch the Sumo Slammer new movie. He ends up divided in three Ben with different personalities: one with a sweet, sensitive one, one with a bad boy attitude and one who is seemingly normal. The sensitive one ends up going with Kevin, and, while they are waiting for the knights to show up, start delivering a speech about how close they have become, in a typical yaoi way. Kevin is not amused at all:

On ''Series/GreysAnatomy'', Seme Dr. Nico Kim is a tall, athletic, extremely handsome and self-confident orthopedic surgeon who is also a mentor to his Uke boyfriend, the short, boyish and nerdy intern Dr. Levi Schmitt.