Boys’ love is a rapidly growing and maturing anime genre, at the forefront of bringing LGBTQ+ storylines to audiences, both new and old.
Kodoani.com – Boys Love (BL), also known as “Yaoi,” is a unique genre in the anime industry, focusing on the romantic relationship between two male characters. Even though BL is a small part of the anime world, it always attracts special interest from certain fan groups.
This genre often depicts gay relationships, often of a peculiar or controversial nature. However, in the last few years, BL has evolved and focused on presenting healthier and more realistic relationships. Films like “Given” and “Sasaki and Miyano” marked this transition.
Amid the growing acceptance of the representation of LGBTQ+ characters and relationships in anime, the BL genre has become more popular than ever and has even become a mainstream trend in some case.
The Development of the BL Genre
The BL genre has undergone a significant growth in recent times. In the past, it often focused on sexual and unrealistic motifs, especially in dojinshi (homemade comics). However, modern BL movies and manga have changed the direction of the genre.
BL works today focus on building deep characters and developing relationships naturally. They create emotional stories and show gay love honestly, defeating social barriers and prejudices. This has attracted a large number of new fans and has helped the genre become more diverse.
Below are 25 extremely attractive BL series for fans who want to follow this path (part 2)
19 Sasaki & Miyano
The first meeting between Miyano and Sasaki in Sasaki And Miyano became a sweet and lovely first love story, worthy of a shoujo series. After a bullying situation, they started seeing each other more often at school. Miyano, a secretive BL manga enthusiast, accidentally reveals his secret to Sasaki. However, Sasaki did not feel hurt, on the contrary, he quickly felt attracted to Miyano.
Now, with common interests, the two began to hang out together often and their relationship deepened. Miyano felt Sasaki’s sudden and frank concern for him, although initially somewhat annoyed. Sasaki and Miyano are an adorable couple and a bright new addition to the BL world, bringing a smooth and watchable look for lovers of the genre.
18 Gravitation
Gravitation, while not without its shortcomings, is a huge step forward in the representation of the LGBTQ+ community in the anime world. This anime series revolves around Shuichi, a teenager who dreams of becoming a top singer in Japan. Yuki, a novelist, is focusing on her creativity. Despite its difficulties, the magnetic relationship between Shuichi and Yuki ultimately reveals a softer side of himself.
If you are a fan who wants to explore Gravitation, please approach with an open mind and understand that this is a product of its time. Specific elements, such as Shuichi and Yuki’s up-and-down romance, may be dated, but there’s no denying its impact on the world of BL anime in the early 2000s. Gravitation inspired for many later works of musical romance, especially Given, to overcome its limitations.
17 Super Lovers
Haru Kaido, a friendly and intelligent young man, comes to Canada to meet his adoptive mother. Haru’s love and concern for Ren, his new adoptive father, motivates him to undertake a difficult task: helping Ren adapt to life in a new place, even though Ren is initially almost feral. These two boys have built a special and close relationship, but everything changes when an accident occurs, breaking the bond and causing Haru to lose his memory.
Years later, when Ren finds Haru again, they need to start their relationship from scratch. Super Lovers brings a beautiful story about this relationship. Despite only consisting of 20 episodes and two OVAs, there’s no denying that this is one of the best love stories to hit the BL anime world in the past few years.
16 No 6
No 6 is an anime with a dark tone, telling the story of the meeting between two young men from different worlds. When Shion, a kind-hearted young man, adopts Nezumi, a loner, their lives change dramatically overnight. Shion gives up her easy and preferred life out of compassion.
After losing everything, Shion and Nezumi meet again, discover the secrets of world number 6 and embark on a journey to correct society’s mistakes. The years of separation helped the two boys see their connection more deeply and find a common goal: building a more perfect world and correcting social injustices.
15 This Boy…
Unfortunately, the Kono Danshi… or This Boy… anthology is often underrated, and despite being released in the US through Sentai Filmworks, few anime fans are aware of this BL series. In particular, This Boy Caught A Merman is a perfect starting point for those new to the BL genre.
Shima’s story begins when he is adopted by a kind grandfather after his parents’ messy divorce. After his grandfather’s sudden passing, Shima felt lonely and bored. He went through hardships in front of the vast ocean and almost drowned, until Isaki appeared and saved him. Isaki offered to stay with Shima to live with and take care of him until he recovered, and from there, a sweet romance began to blossom between the two.
14 Spiritpact
In Spiritpact, Tanmoku Ki is a famous and powerful exorcist, while Keika is a foolish boy who died in a terrible accident. Tanmoku offers Keika a special deal: to become his soul shadow, allowing Keika to maintain his relationship with the human world even while in spirit form. Two strong, stubborn people often quarrel, but their relationship gradually develops under these unusual circumstances.
Although Spiritpact cannot be considered a perfect series, it provides an enjoyable experience for newcomers to the BL genre. This story focuses on the complex and unpredictable relationship between Tanmoku and Keika, leaning more towards shounen-ai than yaoi. Spiritpact is an example of the slow but necessary progress of anime studios in incorporating multi-dimensional characters into different genres.
According to: Kodoani.com
