The boys’ love — “BL” or “yaoi” — has a problematic history. While the representation of LGBTQ+ romances is invaluable, BL has propagated various toxic tropes over the decades. Given this, much of the criticism BL — specifically yaoi — receives is warranted. Many of the relationships depicted in manga and anime damage the LGBTQ+ community. Fortunately, the BL genre has evolved along with the anime industry.
Positive LGBT+ representation has become more normalized; newcomers can find anime that depict healthy queer romances. Older, more problematic titles have gradually been overshadowed by more wholesome and beautifully-written stories such as Given and Sasaki and Miyano. A good BL anime should showcase healthy, loving, and consensual relationships regardless of the storyline.
Updated by Mayra Garcia on March 26th, 2023: When it comes to anime genres, boys’ love is an absolute favorite in the fandom. There are dozens of anime and manga new fans could check out if they want to start watching BL anime. This list has been updated to include some of the best options for newcomers.
This article contains mention of suicide.
16 Sasaki And Miyano
Miyano and Sasaki’s first meeting in Sasaki And Miyano develops into an awkward but sweet first love worthy of a shojo series. After a bullying incident, they start to see each other more often at school. Miyano, a closeted BL manga enthusiast, accidentally reveals his secret to Sasaki. But instead of repulsion toward his underclassman, he quickly becomes hooked.
Now with a shared interest, the two begin to hang out more frequently, and their relationship deepens. Miyano finds himself enticed by Sasaki’s straightforwardness and sudden interest in him, despite showing annoyance initially. Sasaki and Miyano is a recent addition to the BL genre, but it’s a cute, fluffy series worth watching.
15 Gravitation
Gravitation certainly had its flaws, but there’s no denying it was a trailblazer for queer representation in anime. The anime follows Shuichi, a teenager who sets out to be the best singer in Japan. Yuki, a novelist, scrutinized his work. However, this doesn’t stop Shuichi’s attraction, and Yuki eventually shows his softer side.
If fans want to watch Gravitation, they should watch with an open mind and understand that it’s a product of its time. Certain elements — such as Shuichi and Yuki’s on-and-off romance — didn’t age well. However, there’s no denying its impact on BL anime during the early 2000s. It inspired later musical romance titles — notably Given — to improve upon its flaws.
14 Super Lovers
Haru Kaido is a friendly and smart young man visiting Canada to see his adoptive mother. Given his love for her, when the woman asks him to help her “civilize” Ren, her new adoptee, Haru chooses to try, even if Ren is almost feral. The two boys form a close relationship, but following an accident, their bond is broken forever when Haru loses his memory.
Years later, when Ren finds Haru again, they have to restart their relationship. Super Lovers tells a wholesome story about their connection. The series only has 20 episodes and two OVAs, but it’s unarguably one of the best love stories in BL anime in the last few years.
13 This Boy…
Unfortunately, the Kono Danshi…, or This Boy…, series is underrated; even with a US release through Sentai Filmworks, not many anime fans know about this BL anthology. The first entry, This Boy Caught A Merman, centers around a human boy and a handsome merman. It’s a perfect introductory BL for new fans.
Shima was taken in by his kind grandfather after his neglectful parents’ messy divorce. However, his grandfather passes away shortly after, leaving Shima alone. He grieves by the ocean and almost drowns before a mysterious merman, Isaki, saves him. Isaki suggests keeping Shima company until he recovers, and a sweet romance begins to blossom between the two.
12 Spiritpact
In Spiritpact, Tanmoku Ki is a renowned and powerful exorcist, and Keika is a young, foolish boy who dies in a freak accident. Tanmoku offers Keika a deal: to become his spirit shadow, allowing Keika to maintain his bond with the human world even in his spirit form. The two strong-headed, stubborn men constantly bicker, but their bond gradually develops under these unusual circumstances.
Spiritpact is far from a perfect series — many viewers will tell newcomers to read the manhua instead. However, Tanmoku and Keika’s unpredictable relationship earned its unique place as a BL, leaning more on the shonen-ai side than yaoi. Spiritpact is an example of anime studios’ slow but necessary progress toward incorporating queer characters into other genres.
11 Grandmaster Of Demonic Cultivation
Published in 2016, Mo Dao Zu Shi, also known as Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, is based on a popular webtoon series of the same name. The story reached worldwide fame almost overnight, winning multiple awards and even receiving a live-action drama. It’s a must-read when it comes to comics with LGBTQA+ representation.
In his past life, Wuxian Wei was a powerful cultivator. Rumors about his prowess spread throughout the land even after his death. Now, he can’t have a peaceful death, as he’s been reincarnated into a new body. He reunites with an old acquaintance, Wangji Lan, embarking on a journey to learn more about the cultivators’ deepest secrets.
10 Love, Stage!!
An aspiring mangaka from a show business family, Izumi Sena prefers to stay away from showbiz due to a strong case of stage fright. Love, Stage!! follows his romance with Ryōma Ichijō, a popular actor who fell for him after mistaking him for a girl due to his small size.
Since it’s a romantic comedy, Love, Stage!! sees the misadventures of Izumi and Ryōma, letting their love develop without much drama. Yaoi anime fans who want a heartwarming story with no angst should checkthis series out. They will fall in love with the characters from the very first moment.
9 Classmates
Classmates’ central premise isn’t incredibly unique, but that’s precisely the point. For too long, queer fans have been denied the essential joy of watching a simple love story unfold. There are no persistent romantic rivals or over-the-top drama, elements commonly seen in BL anime.
A reserved, introverted honor student, Rihito Sajou, meets Hikaru Kusakabe, an outgoing student who struggles with his studies. Both are attending a chorus class, and Hikaru decides to help Rihito with his vocals. So begins an endearing and pure tale of first love between two teenage boys. The movie is a thoughtful, subtle piece, and the art is beautiful in its simplicity. On the whole, Classmates is a charming, affecting story.
8 My Very Own Hero
Hitorijime My Hero, also known as My Very Own Hero, depicts the relationships between two different couples. First, Masahiro Setagawa, an uninspired teenager on his way to becoming a criminal, and Kousuke Ooshiba, a street fighter and high school teacher who wants better for Masahiro. Additionally, Kensuke Ooshiba, Kousuke’s brother and Masahiro’s best friend, and Asaya Hasekura, Kensuke’s possessive but friendly boyfriend.
My Very Own Hero, which has 12 episodes, develops the romances between each pair while also considering their relations with each other, such as Kousuke and Kensuke’s brotherly love or Kensuke and Masahiro’s friendship. All characters are highly lovable, so BL anime fans will love it.
7 Dakaichi
Dakaichi is a more mature BL, but it’s nonetheless a hilariously dramatic “enemies to lovers” type of romance. Despite having only 13 episodes, there’s more than enough story material to give viewers a great LGBTQA+ storyline. It’s also a good recommendation for fans looking for an anime with a primarily adult cast.
“Sexiest Man of the Year” Takato Saijo has to share the spotlight with the up-and-coming Junya Azumaya. But things get worse for him after Junya obtains some career-ending evidence. Their dynamic is delightful to watch, even when they bicker or attempt to one-up each other. The story gradually begins pushing their relationship in a more sensual direction, something adult anime fans will appreciate.
6 Stranger By The Shore
Long before Stranger by the Shore hit Japanese theaters, the hype surrounding this queer romance film began online. The premise is nothing remarkable, which is precisely the film’s charm. Queer fans have missed out on even the most straightforward, sweetest depictions of young romance, the joy of seeing representation as a theatergoer.
Shun Hashimoto hopes to be an author, but things become harder after his parents abandon him for coming out. When he meets Mio Chibana, an orphaned high schooler, by the sea in Okinawa, the two grow close. But summer ends — Mio leaves, and Shun is alone once again. By the time he returns to Okinawa, things aren’t what they were, but perhaps these two can still find happiness together.
5 Gakuen Heaven
Set at Bell Liberty Academy (aka BL Academy), an all-boys school, Gakuen Heaven is a BL anime that started as a video game. This series centers on Keita Itō, who has been admitted into Bell Liberty even though he considers himself less than average.
In Bell Liberty, Keita befriends Kazuki Endō, a student and chairman at BL Academy by heritage. Gakuen Heaven doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to romance. Keita and Kazuki share a beautiful story that yaoi anime fans will love.
4 Yuri!!! On ICE
Even now, Yuri!!! On ICE is still a well-loved sport and BL romance anime; it deserves all of its success. It was a mainstream commercial success, a sports anime that never denied its queer elements and allowed its characters to develop with nuance. Though the show has a female director, Sayo Yamamoto, it features a central romance between two male leads and is still an ode to the professional sport of figure skating.
Yuri!!! On ICE is a pure joy to watch — sometimes tense and suspenseful, at times hilarious, and at times heartbreaking. Fans demanding a sequel won’t be satiated by MAPPA’s prequel film that’s yet to be released. Still, every moment with these characters has been welcomed with open arms by a universal community.
3 Given
Released in 2019, Given was the first BL anime to air in a primetime slot on Japanese television. Beyond this, it’s the cream of the crop regarding BL anime — a realistic story about coping with trauma and grief. The series’ final episode is genuinely cathartic and perfectly captures how loss can forever alter one’s world.
High schooler Mafuyu Sato is approached by his classmate, Ritsuka Uenoyama, who helps him tune and play his guitar. In truth, the guitar belonged to Mafuyu’s first love, who took his own life. When Ritsuka hears him sing, he begs him to join his band. Through music, these frustrated, lost young men gradually find a way forward. Ritsuka and Mafuyu became one of anime’s best LGBTQ+ couples, and their bandmates, Haruki and Akihiko, soon became a couple.
2 Junjo Romantica
An absolute classic when it comes to BL anime shows, Junjō Romantica offers four different boys’ love stories for fans to enjoy. Junjo Romantica, Junjo Egoist, Junjo Terrorist, and Junjo Mistake are different storylines, but they constantly connect as the first one is the main one.
Each of these couples has a very obvious uke and seme who behave just as their roles signal, making these concepts central in the fandom. Any BL fan should know this anime. Regardless of what kind of couple they like, Junjō Romantica allows them to choose among very different characters.
1 Banana Fish
Banana Fish isn’t easy to watch, and that’s half of why it’s so brilliant. Based on a hugely popular ’80s manga by Akimi Yoshida, the story centers on Ash Lynx, a young gang leader in New York City seeking answers about a mysterious drug that led to his brother’s murder. Along the way, he meets Eiji Nakamura, a Japanese college student and assistant journalist.
While Banana Fish was written before BL was defined as its own genre, its central characters are clearly in love and support each other beautifully. The original manga quickly gained a diverse mainstream audience as an action series more than a love story. These days, the manga is credited as a forefather to positive BL representation. It took three decades for Banana Fish to receive an anime adaptation, and the final product, sad as it is, is a masterpiece.
