Gay anime guy

Illustrated by Chrys Marr (She/They)

**Trigger Warning: mentions of suicide**

Gays. Anime. Some may ponder they don’t overlap, but in evidence, there is a rich division of anime known for and characterized by its LGBTQ+ themes. The last several years in particular have yielded some of the most refreshing and positive instances of representation within the genre. This series hopes to give a proper platform to those unique productions that take LGBTQ+ representation out of the comfortable shadows of connotation or fetishization it typically resides in and present themselves as unapologetically, beautifully gay. 

Now, it’s only fitting to start this series with the show that inspired it: the soul-wrenching, eleven episode phenomenon known as “Given.” Absolutely falling into the “beautiful” column of categorization, the original manga written and illustrated by Natsuki Kizu began publishing in 2013, and received an anime adaptation in 2019. The animated adaptation became the first explicitly gay series to breeze on Noitamina, a programming block of Fuji TV reserved exclusiv

For years, romance anime has ruled the hearts of anime viewers. And Boys Love anime, also known as BL anime, is a special sub-genre in romance that explores romantic relationships between male characters as the central plot. While the BL anime genre has been popular in Japan for many years, it has recently gained popularity around the world.

And that’s thanks to its portrayal of the LGBTQ+ community, offering compelling stories, memorable characters, and heart-warming relationships that fans adore. If that’s what you are looking for, you have arrive to the right place, as we list the 30 best boys adoration (BL) anime shows and movies you should check out.

We have compiled the most popular BL anime shows and movies adapted from manga, manhwa, Donghua, and light novel series, which are celebrated by the fans. That said, let’s dive right into the list:

1. Banana Fish (2018)

  • Title: Banana Fish
  • Author: Akimi Yoshida
  • Genre: Animation, Deed, Adventure
  • Episodes: 24
  • IMDB/MAL: 8.2/8.5

If you’re looking for a distinctive BL anime that

Interest Stacks

TV, 2022, 12 eps Me:-Author:8

The ending of the novel is why I put it on the list, but also the anime has many common themes we see in bl/ bl influenced anime and accepts them openly.

TV, 2013, 22 eps Me:-Author:7

Their dialogue very suggestive. Queer representation, look at the official art. In the anime both lesbian's and gay couples are hinted at and some scenes are very hard to miss.

TV, 2021, 12 eps Me:-Author:9

The manga period lol, the anime has queer characters and the mangaka is very familiar with bl.

TV, 2013, 12 eps Me:-Author:-

Was originally supposed to be a bl, very suggestive, shippable characters. The park scene omg don’t talk to me. Nagisa Hazuki and Rei were actually supposed to be canon even after the anime got green lit.

TV, 2012, 26 eps Me:-Author:7

Have you met the fandom? Bulky men interacting with bulky men um and lets not forget about the canon c

The 40 Best BL Anime For Unused Fans

This article contains mention of suicide.

Boys' Love — also known as "BL" or "Yaoi" — is a unique genre of anime that focuses on romantic relationships between two male characters. Though it's a niche part of anime as a whole, BL has always been widespread among certain groups. With the normalization of LGBTQ+ representation in anime, the genre has become more popular than ever and has even hit the mainstream in some cases.

BL has a notorious reputation for many, due to its often problematic depiction of queer couples. Luckily, many modern titles portray much healthier relationship stories, such as titles like Given or Sasaki and Miyano. However, that doesn't mean there aren't any excellent old BL stories as well. Either way, the genre is full of wonderful titles that newcomers are sure to enjoy.

Updated on March 30, 2025 by Robbie Robinson: BL is one of the most popular anime genres. While BL dominates fanfiction, manga and light novel series, it's sometimes harder to find substantial BL anime, especially for any fresh fans to the genre. This