BL (Boys Love) industry has been gaining a lot of love and popularity in recent years but BL anime have existed as a genre for a long time depicting male romances in the fictional world. From tender, slow-burn romances to passionate, high-stakes relationships, there’s something for everyone in the world of BL anime.

1. Heaven Official’s Blessing

A forbidden tale where a god falls in love with a demon ( ghost) King.

Heaven Official’s Blessing (Tian Guan Ci Fu) is adapted from a popular Chinese web novel by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. The story is set in a world where gods, ghosts, demons, and mortals coexist. This epic historical fantasy follows Xie Lian, who was banished twice from heaven to the mortal realm due to unfortunate circumstances.

Eight hundred years later, after his third ascension, he meets a mysterious ghost who rules the ghost world and terrifies the heavens but has a soft spot for him.
Their continuous interactions build a close relationship between them while solving various mysteries related to the three realms of earth, ghosts and heavens.

2. The Stranger By The Shore

Stranger by the Shore (also known as Umibe no Étranger) is a romantic anime film based on the manga by Kii Kanna.
The story centers around Shun Hashimoto, a young man who moves to a coastal town after a traumatic breakup experience with his previous lover. Drawn to the tranquil beauty of the sea, Shun seeks peace and solace sitting at the shore where he meets Mio Chibana, a quiet and mysterious boy, who is staying at his aunt’s beach house for the summer. Mio harbors guilt over the death of someone close to him.

They both develop a bond and start sharing a deeper connection, helping each other in overcoming their past traumas.

The film explores themes of self-acceptance, love, and the complexities of relationships.

3. Doukyusei: Classmates

Based on the manga by Asumiko Nakamura, Doukyusei: Classmates is a sweet and heartfelt anime film. The story follows the blossoming romance between two high school boys, Rihito Sajou and Hikaru Kusakabe, who initially appear to be total opposites. While Rihito is a quiet and studio student, Hikaru is a carefree and outgoing musician.

Noticing Rihito’s struggle with singing for the school choir, Hikaru offers to help him. As they spend more time together, they learn more about each other’s world and their initial bonds develop into romantic feelings.

Classmates is a heartwarming portrayal of first love which also captures the sincerity, innocence and excitement of young love.

4. Yuri!!! On Ice

Yuri on Ice is a captivating sports anime that perfectly blends figure skating with emotional depth and romance. The story revolves around Yuri, a talented but mentally defeated figure skater who is facing a major slump in his figure skating career. At a low point in his career, he gets a chance to get coached by his idol, Viktor Nikiforov, a legendary Russian skater (who has been at the top of the sport for years) when a video of him practicing his moves unexpectedly goes viral.

Viktor decides to help Yuri stage a comeback, offering to coach him for the upcoming Grand Prix competition. As Yuri struggles to regain his confidence, the bond between him and Viktor grows stronger. Their relationship evolves throughout the series, with hints of a romantic connection developing.

Yuri’s journey of self-discovery and his quest to return to the competitive world of figure skating beautifully crafts the image of passion, resilience, and the pursuit of one’s dreams.
Yuri on Ice became a beloved series but the series was not continued after the first season.

5. Given

Given by Natsuki Kizu is a tender, emotionally charged anime that explores love, healing, and the complexities of relationships through the world of music. It presents a heartbreaking story of love, loss, and grief.

The story follows Ritsuka Uenoyama, a high school student with a passion for playing the guitar. His life takes an unexpected turn when he meets Mafuyu Sato, a quiet and seemingly broken boy who always carries around an acoustic guitar but doesn’t know how to play it. Despite his initial reluctance, Mafuyu’s raw emotion draws Uenoyama to help him learn to play.

As they bond through music, they both unravel more about each other’s past including the past tragic events that shaped them. The show particularly deals with Mafuyu’s journey of dealing with grief and finding a voice for himself with Uenoyama by his side.

Given is a beautiful blend of coming-of-age themes and heartwarming romance, with an emphasis on the power of music to connect and heal. The anime’s soundtrack is full of memorable, meaningful and emotional songs that further elevate the narrative.

6. Sasaki to Miyano

Written by Shō Harusono, Sasaki to Miyano is a lighthearted and endearing anime that explores the budding romance between two high school boys, blending humor, heart, and some very sweet moments.

Yoshikazu Miyano, a quiet and self-conscious high school student with a deep appreciation for boys’ love (BL) manga meets Shuumei Sasaki, a charismatic and outgoing classmate from a different year, who becomes intrigued by Miyano’s interests and personality.

Intrigued by Miyano’s love for BL, Sasaki begins to engage with him more, and over time, their friendship deepens into something more. Sasaki’s feelings for Miyano gradually evolve into romantic affection, and though Miyano is hesitant at first, then he begins to accept his growing feelings.

The series is filled with charming moments, witty dialogue, and adorable character interactions as the two slowly come to terms with their emotions.

7. Semantic Error

Based on a Korean novel, Semantic Error is a slice-of-life BL anime series with four short episodes with a total running time of only 15 minutes.

The main characters are two university students having opposite personalities. A highly structured and rule-abiding computer science student, Choo Sang-woo, clashes with a popular and carefree design student, Jang Jae-young when they are forced to work on a video game group project together. Sang-woo’s strict nature leads him to remove the names of lazy free-loader group members from the project, inadvertently affecting Jae-young’s life, and thus begins a complex and increasingly intimate relationship between the two vastly different individuals.

Despite their different personalities, the magnetism between them is undeniable. Even though the anime is extremely short, it manages to catch viewers’ attention and make them want more.

8. Mignon

Mignon is an original BL anime from South Korea.
It is a unique romance between a young boxer and a handsome vampire doctor. After losing his parents at a young age, Mignon, a charismatic young man lives as a mechanic by day and fights at an illegal arena by night.
The story showcases his loving devotion to Oh Young-One, the arena’s resident doctor and his will to be with him no matter the circumstances.

The anime has 12 episodes with a running time of 4-5 minutes each.

9. Hyperventilation

Hyperventilation is an 18+ Korean BL anime series, adapted from a manhwa by Bboung Bbang Kkyu.
The story takes place in past and present timelines and centers around two men, Myongi and Sunho, who are reunited with one another at a high school reunion. Seeing each other after so long rekindles their old feelings.

Lee Myeongyi has lived his whole life with pneumothorax—a collapsed lung, that causes him to hyperventilate all the time. He was a social outcast in high school due to his lung condition but he formed a connection with the popular class president, Han Seonho, who showed compassion towards him.
They meet again for the first time since they left school at a school reunion and this unexpected rendezvous gives them a chance to express their unsaid feelings from before.

Although the anime series is short (15 minutes) the narrative presented is breathtaking.