Best Yaoi Manga, Ranked

Yaoi, commonly called BL boy loveis a romance genre depicting the romance between two men. In the Yaoi category ShounenaiA subgenre that focuses on non-sexual relationships between same-sex male partners. Shōnen-ai is noticeably less popular on reading platforms than pure yaoi, but it offers great stories that center around connections and emotional intimacy, or even consist of romantic subplots that are more focused on action or mystery.

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25 Great BL Comics with Official English Translations

This boys' love manga is a must-read for fans of the genre and is also available in English translation.

Some of the best performing yaoi are shonai. Because readers are not limited to stereotypes about the BL world. From a serial killer neighbor to a yaoi wholesome little brother turned lifelong friend, there's something to offer every reader and fan of the genre.

Updated on February 25, 2026 by Mark Sammut: As time went by, I added a few more pretty good BL comics (The Road to You, An Unintended Love Story, Lesson 2 Heesu).

12

A shoulder to cry on

Animated Planet Rating: 3.96/5

Something of a minor cult classic BL comics world, A shoulder to cry on There are some strong positive aspects that set it apart from the crowd. First of all, it's pure boyishness. That means no adult content to speak of. Second, the story is already complete and, more importantly, very short. With only 30 chapters, you can easily read the entire thing in an hour or two. Lastly, the chemistry between the two main characters, Tae-hyun and Da-yeol, is great, and their relationship develops quite a bit throughout the story.

A popular theme in romance comics is enemies with lovers. In fact, this concept is so common that there's a dedicated section in webtoon apps. A shoulder to cry on This is one of the simplest examples of this journey, with Tae-hyun doing some pretty horrible things to Da-yeol early on. While they're having a hot moment, it doesn't take long for men to go from enemies to lovers.

11

The hunter will fall

Animated Planet Rating: 4.44/5

It is a work based on a 2023 web novel that was very popular in the BL world. The hunter will fallThe adaptation was arguably the best new shonen manga of 2024, and is a great place to start if you don't want to read the original novel. Uijae is a very powerful hunter who, after one of his most impressive victories, is sent to the future to live in a world that believes he is dead. Rather than correcting the story, Ui-jae uses this opportunity as a way to start a fresh, comfortable life that he could never have had in his previous job.

As is common in these types of stories, Ui-jae's secret is challenged by another hunter, and Sa-young believes he knows the hero's identity. Although there is no action or tension, The hunter will fall The main story is a cute romance between two men who complement each other beautifully. The comic reads fairly quickly at this point, but there's no clear end in sight.

10

lost in the cloud

Animated Planet Rating: 4.41/5

It's a great story, lost in the cloud It may not be what everyone wants. Boys like cartoons. Although dating and unrequited love are central to the characters' motivations, the story plays primarily like a psychological case study, and both leads (Cyrus and Skylar) receive considerable attention. The first season may be difficult to get through, as the heavy themes and twisted power dynamics make it very difficult to like one of the main characters at first.

lost in the cloud Although it may initially seem overly reliant on trauma, the comic does a great job of developing the characters and providing context for the action. It's not necessarily the best BL comic, lost in the cloud This is one of the best manga about yaoi relationships.

9

a thousand cranes

Animated Planet Rating: 4.25/5

Yaoi manga is famous for its endless fan service and explicit scenes, a thousand cranes It defies these pre-established concepts in favor of nuance and profundity. Suffering from depression, Craig's life comes to a serious halt. But a fateful encounter with a crime scene leads him into even greater trouble with gangsters.

Ironically, it is this fatal encounter that finally brings the spark to Craig's life. a thousand cranes This is not a stereotypical gangster yaoi manga. This storyline presents a nuanced take on one man recovering from mental illness, while the other man is a beacon of light despite being a violent gangster.

8

Murderous Llewellyn's Candlelight Dinner

Anime-Planet Score: 4.36/5

Murderous Llewellyn's Candlelight Dinner It is a historical and suspenseful drama. It centers around Shavonne, a ghostwriter working on a deadline, and Llewelyn, a mysterious new monster who has moved into town. Shavonne receives creepy notes and knocks on his door every hour, but when he goes to the police, they laugh at him because there's a serial killer on the loose.

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Things don't go as planned when Shavonne encounters Lewellyn eating raw onions and Lewellyn asks Shavonne to dinner at his apartment. Will Shavonne come face to face with a local serial killer?

7

road to you

Animated Planet Rating: 4.32/5

Focusing on college students, road to you Jensen and Nathaniel begin spending time together after he offers to tutor the former. Jensen is not an imaginative person and really struggles to get along with anyone. But surprisingly, he developed a real connection with Nathaniel. Starting off as strangers, they become friends, and the situation threatens to become more serious, a journey defined by maturity and trust-building.

Although he may be somewhat unlikable at first, Jensen is a fairly interesting protagonist, and the comics never present him perfectly. Both he and Nathaniel have their own fears and problems, and they take the time they need to work through them.

6

strange charm

Anime-Planet Score: 4.4/5

When Yoonjae meets his new neighbor, everything is not as it seems. Among the moving boxes is a box full of amulets, and when Yoon-jae falls near the box, something strange happens. Now Yoonjae suffers from voices impersonating his older brother, sleep paralysis, and dark shadows. Can his new neighbors do something about the mysterious happenings?

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22 Best BL/Yaoi Manga That Need Animation Adaptation

Some BL/Yaoi manga have been adapted into anime, while others have been overlooked. Here are some great examples worth animating:

strange charm It is a supernatural drama depicting the relationship between two college men as they deal with a dark spirit. You can read it on Resin.

5

an unintentional love story

Animated Planet Rating: 4.3/5

Like manga, most romance comics focus on teenagers and are set in high school. It's nothing special, but it's refreshing to find a story featuring adults. an unintentional love story It's a prime example of a mature, grounded story about two characters who gradually realize that they may have legitimate feelings for one another. Ji Won-young, who was fired, decides to track down the artist her old boss liked in order to win back the company's favor. He spots Taejun Yoon, but quickly realizes that Taejun Yoon might prefer to stay hidden. This secret creates a morally complex situation for Won-young, especially when he begins to feel attracted to Tae-jun.

Although there is no fan service, an unintentional love story Driven by the emotional arcs of both characters, the blossoming of their romance is reflected by a willingness to show vulnerability rather than physical intimacy. Wonyoung and Taejun are both well-written characters who develop throughout the story, and their growth is often introspective rather than dramatic.

4

killer crush

Anime-Planet Score: 4.36/5

Negligence is a killer for employment and a good one at that. Dahyuk is an actor who recently transformed from a romantic comedy male lead into a dramatic actor who wants to be taken seriously. To expand his scope as an actor, Da-hyuk finds inspiration in Tae-man. The only thing that can ruin a mutually beneficial relationship is if one of you goes against the other.

killer crush It's an action comedy that brings two people from different worlds together for something completely epic. You can read it on Resin.

3

semantic error

Animated Planet Rating: 4.32/5

Semantic Fallacies is the classic story of enemies and lovers, albeit with a yaoi twist. Sang-woo and Jae-young get off to a false start, but this bitter relationship later turns into a somewhat wholesome romance. Their opposite personalities lead to differences of opinion, but they work well together despite their differences.

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The title of the comic itself is nuanced, as it refers to Sangwoo's computer science background. Semantic errors in programming are code that works, but the meaning is distorted. For Sangwoo, his relationship with Jaeyoung resembles a semantic error that makes little sense to him.