About

I See No Difference Love Is Love, sometimes referred to as Regular Couple Yaoi Couple Yuri Couple, is a catchphrase and exploitable image macro meme derived from a fan-made collage that combines images from different sources into a four-panel format meant to convey earnest, though misguided, support for the LGBTQ community. The template has been in use since at least the mid-2010s, spreading widely on Tumblr, Reddit and Twitter / X over the following years. It is used wholesomely or ironically, inspiring countless parodies and recreations.

Origin

The exact original creator and first upload of this specific collage are not definitively documented, though it has been a well-known template since at least 2016. The earliest known example comes from a post on the blog iwantedwings^[1] on October 13th, 2016, which featured the description, "Regular couple, yaoi couple, yuri couple. I see no difference, love is love."

The original version of the meme uses screenshots from several anime series. The top-left panel, labeled "Regular Couple," is sourced from the anime Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi. The top-right panel, labeled "Yaoi Couple," is commonly identified as Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi or a similar series in the same genre. The bottom-left panel, labeled "Yuri Couple," originates from the yuri anime Strawberry Panic!. The bottom-right panel, bearing the text "I See No Difference / Love Is Love," depicts Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist, with the exact image being traced to episode 5, "The Man with the Automail Arm."^[2]

Spread

As the original image resurfaced, its dated nature was highlighted, particularly the use of "Regular Couple" as the identifier for the straight couple featured in the edit, and was subsequently reclaimed and repurposed, becoming popular as an ironic pro-LGBTQ+ statement in various fandoms and communities in the 2020s.

On June 1st, 2021, Tumblr^[3] user nikoni reblogged a thread posted by a now-deleted user, which circulated the platform for years and continued to attract new commentary, amassing over 157,460 notes in five years.

As the meme spread throughout the years, it has continued to be the subject of discussion^[4] and criticism^[5] for those unaware of the image's origins or appropriation, who argue that it implies heterosexual relationships are the norm.

Various Examples

Template

Search Interest

External References