35 Best BL Anime (Boys Love Anime)

Fans of anime have loved relationship anime for a long time. And Boys Love anime, also called BL anime, is a type of romance that focuses on the love relationships between male characters.

Even though BL anime has been popular in Japan for a long time, it has recently become more popular in other places.

Fans love the way it shows the LGBTQ+ community because it has interesting stories, memorable characters, and heartwarming relationships.

We did cover queer anime series recently also its a must read from my side.

If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place, because I list the best boys love (BL) anime shows and movies you should watch.

I’ve put together a list of the most popular BL anime shows and movies based on manga, manhwa, Donghua, and light novel stories that fans love.

I’ll list popular Boy’s Love anime on this page. I asked a lot of female fans for help on this, so I hope I don’t insult fans.

So, let’s get straight to the list.

35. This Boy Caught A Merman

We’ve all seen The Little Mermaid by Disney, and this is more like a parody of it. After his parents got a divorce, Shima Kawauchi moved in with his grandfather.

But Shima’s grandpa dies, which leaves him alone once more. When he is crying by the ocean one day, he falls into the water by chance and starts to drown.

But a beautiful Merman saves him. He chooses to take the boy home and help him get better after he’s had a rough time. This is the start of their friendship, which gets better over time.

If you want to try BL anime with a different idea, this is the right one for you. This movie is only 29 minutes long, which is about the same as a single episode of a TV show.

You can watch it quickly. Even though the story may seem cheesy, it’s a good movie to watch because of the characters and the different things they do.

34. Gakuen Heaven

Keita Ito is a regular high school student who hasn’t done anything special. But he gets into a top boarding school called Bell Liberty Academy.

While he’s thinking how he got into this school and how he’ll make it among these elites, he’s easily distracted by the handsome guys around him.

This leads to a number of love fights at school, but he starts to really like Kazuki Endou, who is also in his class.

As you’ve already seen, this show has very low numbers, but that doesn’t mean it can’t keep you entertained.

Even though it got low numbers, many fans said they liked it. So, Gakuen Heaven is worth watching because the characters are so good-looking, and if you want to kill some time, this is the one to watch.

33. The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window

The manga Sankaku Mado no Sotogawa wa Yoru, which was written by Tomoko Yamashita, was turned into an bl anime called The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window.

Kousuke Mikado has a unique ability that lets him see ghosts with his own eyes. He meets Rihito Hiyakawa in a shop, and the two psychics work together to find out who is killing people in their city.

Along with their studies, they start to feel more and more attracted to each other.

In the middle of all the normal slice-of-life BL anime, this one draws you in with its supernatural themes and mysterious plot.

Along with these, they give the two psychics a great BL romance. The BL anime is a little rushed, but you’ll still enjoy it. You can always read the manga if you liked the show.

32. Hyperventilation

The TV show Hyperventilation is based on Bboong Bbang Kkyu’s Manhwa (Korean Web Novel) with the same name.

At the start of the show, Myongi and Sunho are both in high school. Years later, they see each other at a high school gathering and start to talk about how they felt about each other in high school.

There are only 6 episodes of Hyperventilation, and each one is only 3 minutes long. You can read it all in one sitting, and it doesn’t have any corny parts.

The style of animation is very different, and the figures are smart. So, Hyperventilation is the best example of a short and sweet black-and-white romantic comedy anime show.

31. Yes, No, or Maybe?

On the outside, Kei Kunieda is a friendly newscaster with a nice smile. But on the inside, he has a sharp tongue and keeps his anger toward people bottled up.

He keeps this part of himself hidden from everyone else and tries not to show it.

This changes when, one night, he goes out with messy hair and a medical mask on his face and meets Ushio Tsuzuki. Then he sees Ushio again as the clean and organized newscaster.

Ushio now thinks that Kei is two different people. Worse, Kei is starting to like Ushio, but he doesn’t know which side of himself Ushio likes best or if he likes neither.

30. World’s Greatest First Love

The manga Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi by Shungiku Nakamura was turned into an anime called World’s Greatest First Love.

This is how the anime’s story goes: Ritsu Onodera worked in his father’s printing company as a literary editor.

He was always surrounded by coworkers who were jealous of him and thought he got his job because of nepotism.

So, he quits his job and takes a job as a comics editor at a new company. There, he meets Masamune Takano, the new editor-in-chief, who was Ritsu’s high school sweetheart.

So, this high school gathering makes Ritsu fall in love with Takano all over again, and the anime also has two more romantic relationships between people who work in the manga business.

World’s Greatest First Love is a simple anime with a lot of fun scenes. It’s not hard to follow, and like Junjou Romantica, it’s about more than one romance.

It is a fun BL anime show where you can see some good times.

29. Antidote

Cheng Ke comes from a rich family, but he chooses to leave them and go on his own. During this terrible time, he meets Jiang Yuduo, a dangerous gang leader.

When he moves into his new apartment, he finds out that the same gang boss is also his new landlord.

Their friendship starts to grow, but their pasts keep coming back to haunt them. In order to stay alive in this war-torn mob neighborhood, they start to watch out for each other.

Most BL anime take place in high schools or at work, but Antidote is a thrilling ride that takes place in a war-torn neighborhood.

The way the characters change is good, but the story keeps getting better and better. It also has a good amount of music, and you will definitely love this boys’ love anime.

28. Dakaichi

The book by Hashigo Sakurabi with the same name, Dakaichi, was turned into an anime with the same name.

This is the story of the anime: Takato Saijou is a well-known comedian who has been in the business for more than 20 years and won several awards for his work.

He is the star of a popular television show right now. But when a new actor named Junta Azumaya steals his fame, things start to go wrong for him.

How will these two end up together after a series of funny Kim Kardashian-like events?

Dakaichi is a great anime to watch if you just want to laugh at something dumb. Even though neither the characters nor the story are well written, you will still enjoy it.

We put it on our list of the best BL anime shows because of this.

27. Heaven Official’s Blessing

Heaven Official’s Blessing is a Chinese anime version of Mo Xiang Tong Xiu’s donghua with the same name.

This Chinese anime tells the story of Crown Prince Xie Lian, who after 800 years of “cultivation” finally went to heaven.

As soon as he gets to heaven, for some reason, he is sent back to the world of humans. Now, he goes on an amazing trip to find out what the real truth was about the gods in heaven.

Heaven Official’s Blessing is another great Chinese anime, just like Mo Dao Zu Shi, which we already talked about.

These two shows took Chinese animation to a whole new level and became very famous all over the world.

With beautiful images and a great music, the game is very enjoyable. It is one of the best anime about boys falling in love that we have on our list, so you should watch it.

26. The Untamed

The TV show Mo Dao Zu Shi is based on the Chinese web book of the same name by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. Here’s what happens in the show: One of Wei Wu Xian’s friends killed him, which put an end to his rule.

Thirteen years later, he comes back as a crazy person and meets up with his old friend Lan Wang Ji. They start to train and work together to figure out the secrets of their world.

This show is a big hit in the BL community and has won several awards in China. It has a lot of stunningly beautiful images and a story that keeps you interested the whole time.

This is set in ancient China, and the BL story was used in a beautiful way. As one of the best BL anime shows out there right now, Mo Dao Zu Shi is a must-see for all BL anime fans.

25. The Stranger by the Shore

The anime movie The Stranger by the Shore is based on the manga of the same name by Kanna Kii. It tells the story of two guys named Shun Hashimoto and Okinawa and how they lived their lives.

After Shun told his parents he was gay, they kicked him out of the house. Okinawa, on the other hand, is a high school student who lives alone and likes to sit by the sea.

One day, they run into each other, and a connection between them starts to grow.

This slice-of-life anime only takes an hour to watch, and its images are stunning. It has interesting people who at first are looking for love and then grow closer together.

So, people who like slice-of-life stories won’t want to miss this boys’ love anime.

24. Togainu no Chi

In the wake of a third world war that destroyed Japan, a group called Vischio took over Tokyo and changed its name to Toshima.

In the city’s back alleys, the Vischio run battle games called Igura. In these games, people fight and bathe in each other’s blood to earn the chance to face the tournament’s king, Il-re.

Igura isn’t the only fighting tournament out there. Bl@ster is also a fighting game, but it is very different from Igura because it doesn’t allow killing or using weapons.

You can only win if you knock out your opponent. People say that Akira, a young man who lives away from his family, can’t lose at Bl@ster. But his life on top falls apart when he is accused of killing someone.

All seems lost for him because he can’t prove his innocence, but then a mysterious woman named Emma shows up and gives him a chance.

Now, Akira needs to take part in Igura and beat Il-re in order to get his freedom back.

23. Saezuru Tori wa Habatakanai: The Clouds Gather

Here’s another BL movie that doesn’t last very long. But it does a great job of capturing the manga and stays true to it, as you can see by how many fans suggest it after they’ve read the manga.

It’s about a businessman named Yashiro who leads a double life. One day, he hired Doumeki Chikara to be his bodyguard. Then, both of their hearts started to beat faster, and they fell in love.

The best things about this movie are the story and the art. It’s so moving to see these people, and the whole thing has a warm feeling.

A lot of mature topics, like trauma, are also handled well in this anime. There are also two movies that come after the first one, and the OVA should be out soon.

So, make sure to watch this anime and get ready for the next works in this series.

22. Super Lovers

Sometimes it takes me an hour or two to find the right anime to watch. This search usually ends when I see that a certain anime is praised for being funny.

One of these anime that I found during the same process was Super Lover. It is one of the best gay anime shows and has a lot of funny parts.

If you like funny shows as much as I do, I think you should watch Super Lovers.

The story is mostly about Haru Kaidou. Haru’s mother lies to him to get him to go to Canada.

When he gets to Canada, he is surprised to see his new little brother who was given to him by a family. His mother asks Haru to take care of his younger brother, which adds to the chaos.

At first, Haru was nervous around his shy brother Ren, but in the end, they became friends. Haru tells Ren that they will stay together in Japan after he finishes high school.

When Haru has an accident and loses his memory, everything turns upside down.

When Ren gets to Tokyo, he finds that his brother no longer knows who he is and has no memories of the summer they spent together.

21. Sasaki and Miyano

Sasaki and Miyano is the newest show to join the list of the best BL shows. It is based on Sh Harusono’s current manga with the same title.

It has a story that breaks the fourth wall and is as follows: Miyano is shy, so he hides the fact that he reads BL manga.

He runs into the annoying Sasaki by chance, and without meaning to, he tells him his secret. When Sasaki wants to read one of his drawings, things between them start to change.

This anime shows how Sasaki and Miyano’s love grows into something beautiful. It’s funny and nice to see how these two figures interact with each other.

So, if you want a perfect slice-of-life anime, you should start with Sasaki and Miyano.

20. Suki na Mono wa Suki Dakara Shou ga Nai!

Hashiba Sora fell out of a fourth-story window and has forgotten everything.

Fujimori Sunao tells Hashiba that he is called Ran when Fujimori Sunao comes to his school to be his new roommate.

Fujimori and Hashiba are both split personalities that started when they were young. Yoru and Ran, their two different selves, are deeply in love.

Even though what their other selves do with each other at night creeps Fujimori and Hashiba out, they start to like each other.

Because they are friends, Hashiba Sora learns a lot of shocking things about them when they were young.

19. Haru wo Daite Ita (Embracing Love)

Kyousuke Iwaki and Youji Katou are the main characters of Haru wo Daiteita.

They are both cute and attractive and work in the movie business.

They have both been in adult video films and are trying to move up the ladder of success and become better actors.

After beating Katou in the auditions, Iwaki is chosen to be in a popular movie.

During the time they spend together, Katou thinks he is in love with Iwaki-San, but Iwaki-San doesn’t believe him.

When another gay actor comes back to Japan and starts working with Katou, things start to go wrong.

And from that point on, they both know where their hearts are.

18. Loveless

Loveless is a BL anime that is different and interesting, and it will make you want more.

Ritsuka Aoyagi is a 12-year-old boy who just lost his brother and can’t remember anything. The show takes place in a world where cat ears and tails are a sign of purity, innocence, and power.

When he meets a stranger named Agatsuma Soubi, who says he knew his dead brother and took Ritsuka as his new fighting partner, they start looking for the truth about his brother’s death and the “Seven Moons” group.

As Ritsuka and Agatsuma’s friendship grows, they must face their inner fears and the dark forces that threaten their world.

Loveless is a beautiful and deeply engaging anime about love, loss, and finding out more about yourself.

17. Gravitation

Gravitation is one of the older BL anime because it came out in 1999. It tells the story of a lyricist named Shuichi who wants to follow in the footsteps of his hero and make it big as an artist with his band.

He and his band were lucky enough to get signed to a big record label. But as the release date gets closer, Shuichi still can’t come up with good words for their big album.

On a fateful night, he meets Eiri Yuki, a famous Japanese romance writer, who thinks he is a bad artist.

Once Shuichi is done with his lyrics, he wants to face Eiri again and show her how good he is. But the question is whether he does that out of anger or because he loves him.

This anime had a big impact on the past of BL anime, because it led to a hundred other animes that are now being made. So, Gravitation is the one to watch if you want to watch a classic anime.

16. Seitokaichou ni Chuukoku (Hey! Class President)

Even though Vice President Chiga-kun is trying to keep the student council president out of trouble, he is drawn to the president’s strength and power.

Chiga-kun doesn’t understand how he, who is so smart, could be taken by a boy who is so simple and from the country.

15. Antique Bakery

There was a high school crush, a pastry chef who was the best in the world, a former middle-weight boxing champion, and a lot of cake.

Ono has changed a lot since the painful day in high school when he told Tachibana that he loved him.

Now, 14 years later, Ono has everything he wants. He is a world-class pastry chef and a gay playboy.

No man can stay away from Ono’s charms (or his great cooking!) But he just started working for a new boss named Tachibana.

Can this be the only man who didn’t fall for him? If so, will the man who turned down the “magically gay” Ono get what’s coming to him?

And how in the world did a former middleweight boxing champion become Ono’s cake boy?

14. Ai no Kusabi (Love Wedge)

In the world of Ai no Kusabi, everything is based on the color of your hair. This OVA is great for fans of yaoi and BL because it has a lot of pretty scenes and intense conversations.

The planet Amoi is run by an AI named Jupiter. It has decided that people with blonde hair are the best and people with dark hair are the worst.

We don’t know what else could be more clear as a symbol than that.

The OVA is about a dark-haired guy named Riki the Dark and a blonde woman named Iason Mink.

Riki becomes Iason’s pet in one of the most BL things that could ever happen. As their friendship grows, Riki starts to miss Iason even after his sentence is over.

13. Soul Contract

Ling Qi (Soul Contract) is a Chinese anime.

The anime is about the young heir of an old and famous exorcist who endured a life of poverty due to the sudden and untimely death of his parents.

Yang Jinghua (You Keika in the Japanese version) starts a part-time job to feed survive. Yang meets a strange white-bearded man in some junkyard.

After this encounter when he wakes up, he realizes that he has passed away in an accident and has taken a spirit form.

Later it was revealed that the white-bearded man was actually a famous exorcist.

The man offers him a contract where Yang has to be his spirit shadow in return he will be protected from humans by the white-bearded man.

12. Wei, Kanjian Erduo La!

Da Shu is an orphaned manga artist who has failed at his job. He lives alone in an empty apartment. A young boy with cat ears named A Miao brings a little bit of light into Da Shu’s life.

This silly cat-boy moves in with Da Shu and gets into funny trouble every day. But it’s okay, because Da Shu is there for him and excited to live with A Miao and slowly figure out what all this cat-boy’s secrets are.

The anime was adapted in 2018 into 12 episodes and is based on a Manhwa!

This is a lovely short and sweet anime! Give it a shot.

11. Love Stage!!

Izumi Sena grew up in the world of show business. His dad is a director, his mom is an actress, and his brother is a rock star.

Izumi and Ryouma Ichijou were both child actors for a wedding magazine when they were young.

Izumi didn’t want to be with Ryouma, even though they had a good time. He hopes to become a well-known comic artist one day.

After ten years, the wedding magazine asks Izumi to come back for the 10th anniversary. Izumi is excited to see Ryouma, who is now a successful actress, again after all this time.

Ryouma says to Izumi that he loves him. One thing…Ryouma thought that Izumi was a girl. Izumi says they can start over as friends, but Ryouma is worried that he still has feelings for Izumi even though he is a boy.

10. Hitorijime My Hero

In all honesty, this story is just like every other Bl anime story. But the “sensual love story” part of Hitorijime My Hero makes it hard for me to ignore this.

It’s a great anime to watch when you want to see two boys who get along well and have fun together.

The story is about three boys who are all involved in a love triangle.

Masahiro Setagawa thinks of Kensuke Ooshiba, his math teacher, as a hero. Masahiro is a complete loser, so Kensuke has helped him out many times.

Kensuke wants to get closer to Masahiro because they keep running into each other.

Everything is going well until Masahiro’s old friend from childhood, Asaya Hasekura, starts going to the same school. Kensuke is upset to find out that Asaya likes Mashiro more than just as a friend.

Give it a try.

9. Beryl and Sapphire

The anime features two cute-looking boys Beryl and Sapphire.

Beryl and Sapphire is not a typical anime because it started out as a Chinese comic book about two young guys.

This bl anime is made up of 72 episodes, each of which is eight minutes long. Beryl is the one with green hair and a calm personality, and Sapphire is the one with blue hair and a quick anger.

No two shows are the same, and you never know how each one will end, but this anime covers a lot of different kinds of stories.

This might be your new favorite BL anime if you’re looking for something different.

8. No. 6

The anime No. 6 is a faithful adaptation of the same-named nine-part light book series. Shion is one of the best students in the important city known as No. 6.

He saves a young runaway named Nezumi, but then he gets caught and loses his top status. So, he is sent to an area of the city that isn’t as nice.

Years later, their paths meet again, and they decide to solve the mysteries of No. 6 city, which have been kept secret for years.

During their trip, they learned a lot about themselves and, more importantly, about how much they loved each other.

In contrast to most BL anime, this story takes place in a perfect world. Aside from the love story between the main characters, the story is very deep and looks at the world of utopia.

So, No.6 is a great watch because of how the different parts work together and how the BL romance is shown.

7. Junjou Romantica

The anime version of Junjou Romantica is based on the book Junjo Romantica: Pure Romance, which was written by Shungiku Nakamura.

It shows the romantic relationships of three different couples, with all the drama, feelings, longings, and beauty that comes with them.

Even though the main story sounds like a cliche, it does a good job of showing you all the BL features, which makes you forget about other things.

There are many different kinds of characters who may seem like people you know and whose charming acts keep the show going.

So, on our list of the best BL anime shows, Junjou Romantica is a good choice for you.

It has romance, corruption, lewd scenes, and much more for BL anime lovers.

6. Hybrid Child

this anime has the most unique plot on this list, Hybrid Child. The plot starts by introducing the meaning of “hybrid child”. They are somewhere between robots and humans.

A man named Kuroda makes fake people called Hybrid Children. They have their own minds, feelings, and need to be loved in order to grow.

Even though a Hybrid Child isn’t thought to be human, Kotarou Izumi, the heir to his family, takes Hazuki in after he found her in the trash.

Even though the family wants to get rid of the Hybrid Child, they can’t break the bond between them.

Will Kotarou and Hazuki’s love last even though time is against them both?

5. Yuri!!! on Ice

This anime needs no introductions.

The sports anime Yuri on Ice is based on the manga of the same name by Mitsurou Kubo. This BL anime is made by MAPPA Studios, which also made Banana Fish.

This story is about the figure skater Yuuri Katsuki, who is the main character. Yuuri decides to stop ice skating after losing the finals by a huge margin.

But later, he caught the eye of Russian figure skater Victor Nikiforov, who decides to become Yuuri’s coach and bring him back to his glory days.

This BL anime show is known as one of the best sports anime, and it gives new viewers a lot to do. It shows how sweetly the main characters fall in love with each other.

It also has dances done on ice skates, which fans think are very sweet and dreamy. The music and steps for each dance are also great.

4. Doukyuusei –Classmates–

Hikaru Kusakabe and Rihito Sajou are both in the same class, but they couldn’t be more different. Hikaru is a laid-back rocker, while Rihito is a quiet honor student.

Even though they are both in the same class, they have never talked to each other.

Then, when the class is taking part in the chorus event, Hikaru finds out that Rihito can’t sing and is afraid of failing.

When Hikaru sees his classmate’s flaws, he swears to teach him, and the two quickly become friends.

Even though the two are getting closer, they are both starting to have doubts about their relationship, which could hurt their future together.

3. Given

Next up is an anime that changed the bl genre in a big way. People who like bl must have seen it already.

If you still haven’t, please close this tab and find a place online to stream this show. Given has a pretty simple plot, but it still tells a touching love story.

Mafuyu Satou is a new player of the guitar. Ritsuka Uenoyama, a classmate, scolded him for carelessly playing his guitar while he was sleeping on a stairs.

Satou can’t believe how much Ritsuka knows about the instrument. He begs him to tune his guitar and become one of his followers.

Uenoyama doesn’t want his band to waste time on a newcomer, but Satou makes him change his mind.

2. Mo Dao Zu Shi

The bl anime Mo Dao Zu Shi is based on the Chinese web book of the same name by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu.

Here’s what happens in the show: One of Wei Wu Xian’s friends killed him, which put an end to his rule.

Thirteen years later, he comes back as a crazy person and meets up with his old friend Lan Wang Ji. They start to train and work together to figure out the secrets of their world.

This show is a big hit in the BL community and has won several awards in China. It has a lot of stunningly beautiful images and a story that keeps you interested the whole time.

This is set in ancient China, and the BL story was used in a beautiful way. As one of the best BL anime shows out there right now, Mo Dao Zu Shi is a must-see for all BL anime fans.

1. Banana Fish

Banana Fish is a great choice if you want to watch a BL anime that is different from the rest. The book by Akimi Yoshida with the same name, Banana Fish, was made into an anime with the same name.

The main conflict in this anime is between a Mafia boss named Dino and a young character named Ash Lynx.

During the war, the story goes into more detail about Ash’s relationship with another character called Eiji Okumura.

This anime is made by MAPPA Studios, which has made other artistically stunning shows like Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, Vinland Saga, and more.

The story takes place in the 1980s, and as the plot suggests, there are Mafia groups and drug smugglers in it, so there is a lot of action on top of the main boys’ love anime story.

So, Banana Fish is a BL anime that will make you feel a lot of different things.