Anime shows that love is such a beautiful thing, all kinds of love. Although there has been a lot of controversy in the way anime portrayed BL – Boys Love or Yaoi. It was majorly a fetish for females, portrayed in total contrast to reality. That has changed over the past ten years.
BL Anime like Yuri on Ice, Banana Fish, and Given set the pace for more enjoyable and relatable gay content. Now, BL anime will keep you glued to your screen, crying, laughing, or dreaming it could be you. It most likely won’t. Sorry.
The Best BL Anime Is Always Slice-of-life
![BL Anime, Yuri on Ice](https://totalapexentertainment.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/IMG_20240608_032556-1.jpg)
I’m not saying other genres don’t have good BL. All I’m saying is that slice-of-life captures every detail of being queer. The struggles, wins, resilience and the search for true love can only be done perfectly in slice-of-life. Other genres are usually too preoccupied with building a dramatic plot and putting romance in the background. If you’re wondering what Slice-of-life is, it is an anime genre that portrays characters most humanely, making viewers see the beauty in the simple things of life. Without further ado and in no particular order, here are my top 5 Romantic BL Anime.
Check out the 5 Must Watch Romantic Anime For Rom-com Lovers.
Stranger By the Shore
![BL Anime, Stranger by the Shore](https://totalapexentertainment.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/IMG_20240607_195631-e1717814102586.jpg)
Stranger by the Shore is that anime that grips your heart and gets your emotions overflowing. It is an anime that would be relatable to almost every queer person. After coming out to his family, Shun was ostracised. Mio is a strange boy who always sits by the beach. The two meet and something develops between them. Can they handle the difficulties that comes with their relationship? For me, Stranger by the Shore is one BL Anime movie I can always repeat. When you watch, you’ll understand why.
Jie Yao
Jie Yao in Mandarin means Antidote. Although this show is not considered anime but Donghua, the story is subtle, simple, and heartwarming. It follows Chang Ke who was cut off from his family for being unproductive and talentless. He meets Jiang Yudou in a new neighborhood. From handling gangs, family issues, and mental illness, these two men stayed by each other. Jie Yao is an anime that shows resilience, true love, and endurance. The BL is almost nonexistent in this anime, but these two men will have you wishing for a partner like them.
Mignon
If you’re looking for a BL anime you can finish in under two hours, Mignon is your best pick. The 12-episode TV series is about Mignon, a boxer who fights in an underground ring. When he forgets his gloves in the doctor’s office, he finds out the doctor, who he’s in love with, is a vampire. Mignon is short, thrilling, and explicit. I recommend Mignon to everyone who wants a good BL with action and the perfect dose of spice.
Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!
Cherry Magic is wholesome, slow-paced, and full of fluff. Adachi is a middle-aged man who gained the ability to read minds from being a virgin for so long. He finds out his coworker, Kurosawa, is in love with him. That was the start of the sweetest romantic anime of 2024. It’s a mundane slice-of-life BL anime but it goes to show the beauty in simplicity. You can watch Cherry Magic on Crunchyroll.
Tadaima, Okaeri
![](https://totalapexentertainment.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/IMG_20240608_032036.jpg)
A slice of life, omegaverse BL anime? A combination we did not know we needed. Tadaima, Okaeri follows Himoru and Masaki, a married same-sex couple who live the most dreamlike domestic life you’ll ever see. As with omegaverse, Himoru gave birth to their son himself. The story is still ongoing on Crunchyroll. The show is unbelievably cute and so relatable, you can’t help but love them.
Conclusion
The past portrayal of Queer people in anime was criticised by the queer community because it didn’t represent their lives. BL anime seemed more like a fan service to people who want to watch cute same-sex couples together. Even though that in itself isn’t a bad thing, it didn’t capture the entirety of same-sex couples. Recent anime captures the daily life and struggles of queer people, their ups and downs being similar to anyone else’s. Anime has come a long way and I’m super excited to see more real representation in coming years.
Here are My Top Six Anime Recommendations on Netflix
About the Author
Annastaciah is a fresh college graduate who does voice overs, content creation and works part-time as a Chinese translator. She’s a cat lover who’s obsessed with reading fantasy novels, watching anime and donghua, yoga and exercising and making cute crochet things. She’s trying to incorporate her interests by making anime inspired crochet pieces. You can follow her through her experimental journey on Instagram @annahojeba and see the cute crochet things she makes @oz_tiny.crochet.stuff on all media platforms.
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