Shounen Ai Anime: 20 Best BL Series to Watch

The most polarizing entry on this list. Akimi Yoshida‘s manga ran from 1985-1994 and was adapted by MAPPA in 2018, directed by Hiroko Utsumi. The story follows Ash Lynx, a 17-year-old gang leader in 1980s New York City, who becomes involved with a Japanese photographer’s assistant named Eiji Okumura while investigating the mysterious drug called “Banana Fish.”

Here’s the contested part: Akimi Yoshida has stated in interviews that Banana Fish is NOT a BL work, that Ash and Eiji’s relationship is intended as a profound platonic bond rather than romantic. The fanbase mostly reads it as BL anyway because of how intimate the relationship is. Whatever you call it, the 24-episode anime is one of the most acclaimed productions of the late 2010s, and the relationship between the two protagonists is genuinely one of the most affecting in anime.

The figure skating anime that broke shounen ai into the global mainstream. Directed by Sayo Yamamoto at MAPPA with manga writer Mitsurou Kubo. The story: Japanese figure skater Yuuri Katsuki is recovering from a devastating loss when five-time world champion Victor Nikiforov flies to Japan and offers to coach him personally.

Yuri!!! on Ice is technically beyond simple shounen ai. The on-screen romance between Yuuri and Victor becomes increasingly explicit across the show’s 12 episodes, culminating in moments that are unambiguously romantic. The famous Episode 7 kiss scene became one of the most-discussed moments in 2010s anime. A continuation film has been in development hell for years.

Natsuki Kizu‘s manga adapted by Lerche in 2019. The story: Ritsuka Uenoyama is a guitarist in an indie band who encounters Mafuyu Sato, a quiet boy carrying a broken-stringed guitar. Mafuyu joins the band, and as he learns to sing, the show explores his backstory and his developing relationship with Ritsuka.

Given is one of the best modern shounen ai anime, and the 2020 film Given: The Movie expanded the romance into more explicit territory. The 2024 sequel film Given: Hiiragi Mix continues the franchise’s universe. The show works because the music isn’t just a backdrop. It’s the emotional language the characters use to express what they can’t say verbally.

Atsuko Asano‘s light novel series adapted by Bones in 2011. The premise: privileged Shion lives in the utopian city of No. 6, but his life changes when he gives shelter to a wounded boy named Nezumi who’s escaped from the city’s prison. Years later, Shion discovers the dark secrets of No. 6 with Nezumi’s help.

No.6 is a dystopian science fiction series with BL undertones developed across 11 episodes. The relationship is more focused on emotional intensity than physical, making it more strictly “shounen ai” than some other entries on this list. The single-season runtime is short but the show wraps up its story completely.

The Romance-Forward Anime

Shungiku Nakamura‘s manga adapted by Studio Deen. The premise: Ritsu Onodera takes a new job at a publishing company and discovers his boss Masamune Takano is his high school crush who broke his heart years ago. The series follows their workplace dynamic and the slow rebuilding of their relationship.

Sekaiichi Hatsukoi is more explicitly BL than typical shounen ai, but it’s one of the most popular BL anime of the 2010s. Two TV seasons (2011 and 2011-2012) plus a 2014 OVA. The same author created Junjo Romantica (more on that below).

Another Shungiku Nakamura adaptation, this time by Studio Deen in 2014. The premise: humanoid androids called “Hybrid Children” exist that grow and develop based on the love and attention their owners give them. The 4-episode OVA tells four interconnected stories about hybrid-owner relationships across decades.

The historical setting and the emotional weight of each story make Hybrid Child one of the more thoughtful shounen ai OVAs. Each episode is a self-contained tragedy with genuine craft.

Fumi Yoshinaga‘s manga adapted by Nippon Animation in 2008. The premise: a quiet bakery employs Ono Yusuke, a “gay of demonic charm” pastry chef who has previously seduced almost every man he’s met. The shop’s owner is a man who once rejected Ono’s confession years before. The series explores their workplace dynamic, complicated history, and the lives of their employees.

Yoshinaga is one of the most acclaimed BL mangaka in Japan, and Antique Bakery is one of her foundational works. The 2008 anime adaptation handles the source material with real craft.

Maki Murakami‘s manga adapted by Studio Deen in 2000-2001. The premise: Shuichi Shindo is a young rock band lead singer who falls for cold-natured novelist Eiri Yuki. The relationship is tumultuous, with frequent breakups and reconciliations across the show’s 13 episodes.

Gravitation is one of the foundational BL anime of the early 2000s and helped shape what BL anime would become. The art style is unmistakably early-2000s and the show’s pacing is occasionally bumpy, but it’s worth watching as a piece of BL anime history.

Yun Kouga‘s manga adapted by J.C.Staff in 2005. The premise: 12-year-old Ritsuka Aoyagi is investigating his brother Seimei’s mysterious death. He’s joined by Soubi Agatsuma, an older “fighter” who was his brother’s partner in the alternate world’s magic-spell-battle system. The world’s central conceit: people are born with cat ears and tails that disappear when they lose their virginity.

Loveless has an age-gap relationship that some viewers find problematic (Ritsuka is 12, Soubi is 20). The show handles this less by playing it as a literal romance and more by exploring trauma, identity, and the unhealthy dynamics around grief. The 12-episode anime doesn’t conclude the story (manga continued for years afterward).

Asumiko Nakamura‘s manga adapted as a 60-minute film by A-1 Pictures in 2016. The premise: Diligent honor student Rihito Sajo and laid-back guitarist Hikaru Kusakabe meet during their high school’s choir practice. Their slow-developing relationship unfolds over the course of a school year.

Doukyuusei is one of the most acclaimed shounen ai films of the 2010s. The minimalist art style is gorgeous. The pacing is patient. The film won numerous awards. A sequel film, O.B., followed in 2016 covering the characters’ post-high-school years.

Memeko Arii‘s manga adapted by Encourage Films in 2017. The premise: high schooler Masahiro Setagawa develops a relationship with his “math teacher” mentor Kousuke Ohshiba, who was once a delinquent who saved him from a violent situation. The 12-episode anime explores both Masahiro’s relationship with Kousuke and a parallel relationship between his friend Kensuke and Asaya Hasekura.

Content note: the central relationship is between a high school student and an adult teacher. The show’s defenders argue that the relationship is treated thoughtfully and the romantic feelings develop on the student’s side first. The criticism is that the age and power dynamics are concerning regardless. Worth knowing what you’re watching before diving in.

Action and Adventure With BL Undertones

Mineo Maya‘s 1978 manga adapted by Toei Animation in 1982. The series is built around three central characters: Patalliro, the bratty boy king of the fictional Maraineira kingdom; Bancoran, an MI6 agent with hypnotic eyes; and Maraich, a transvestite assassin who eventually marries Bancoran.

Patalliro is one of the foundational BL anime, predating the establishment of BL as a recognized genre. The Bancoran/Maraich relationship is explicitly romantic and was groundbreaking in 1982. The show ran for 49 episodes and remains influential on subsequent BL works.

Tarako Kotobuki‘s manga adapted as a 4-episode OVA series in 2007. The premise: in this world, humans evolved from various animal species (not just monkeys), and certain individuals called “Madara” can sense and identify other people’s animal ancestors. The protagonist Norio is a Madara who can see what species people came from. He becomes involved with a powerful figure named Kunimasa.

Love Pistols has a more unique premise than typical BL anime. The 4-episode OVA format means the story stays focused. Worth watching for the world-building alone.

The Chinese donghua based on Pingzi’s webcomic, produced by Haoliners Animation League in 2016. The premise: hapless young hacker You Keika is killed in an accident and meets the powerful exorcist Tanmoku Ki, who proposes a spiritual contract that effectively turns Keika into Tanmoku Ki’s spirit partner.

Spiritpact is one of the more accessible Chinese BL-influenced animation series. Multiple seasons including the 2017-2018 second season. The supernatural world-building is genuinely interesting.

Kaili Sorano‘s manga adapted by A.C.G.T in 2008. The premise: high school student Akira Nikaidou is forced into the role of a “Shin,” a shadow guardian who battles supernatural enemies between the human world and the shadow realm. He’s partnered with the playful older Shirogane, an experienced Shin who flirts shamelessly with him.

The supernatural action-comedy works better than the genre might suggest. The Akira/Shirogane dynamic is the show’s most engaging element. Single 24-episode season.

Kazuya Minekura‘s long-running Saiyuki manga adapted again by Anpro in 2022. The Saiyuki franchise is a modern retelling of Journey to the West, following Genjyo Sanzo and his three demon companions Goku, Hakkai, and Gojyo as they travel west to stop a demonic resurrection.

Saiyuki is more shonen action than shounen ai, but the strong male bonds throughout the franchise have made it beloved among BL-leaning fans for decades. The 2022 series is the latest entry in a franchise that includes earlier seasons going back to 2000.

Niche and Slice-of-Life Picks

The C-Station-produced original anime, with three seasons across 2015-2019. The premise: Yuta Hoshitani enters Ayanagi Academy, a high school for performing arts, and joins the elite team led by Otori Itsuki to compete in the school’s annual musical performance competition.

StarMyu is theater-themed slice-of-life with very subtle BL undertones. Three seasons of relatively gentle storytelling. Worth watching if you enjoy stage musical anime.

Soubi Yamamoto‘s 28-minute independent short film from 2011. The premise: an amnesiac boy named Kakashi lives with two government agents (Arikawa and Shiro) who are responsible for protecting Earth from invading aliens. Kakashi seems to have unexplained abilities that may relate to the aliens.

This Boy Can Fight Aliens is one of the more visually distinctive shounen ai shorts of the 2010s. The story is compact but emotionally satisfying. Soubi Yamamoto continued making similar shorts including This Boy Caught a Merman (2013) and others.

Sukune Inugami‘s manga adapted by Maboroshi in 2016. The premise: Chiharu Mochizuki is a magician who works in modern-day Japan as a “professional wizard,” using magic to solve people’s problems in his city. His new assistant is Toyohi Asaya, a normal salaryman who quickly becomes attached to Chiharu.

The OVA format keeps the story focused. The Japanese-traditional setting plus modern magical realism is a more unusual context for BL than typical entries in the genre.

Hiura Saki‘s manga adapted as a 2-episode OVA in 2011. The premise: childhood friends Shunpei and Fumi navigate their changing feelings for each other as they enter adulthood. The short OVA format means the emotional beats are condensed.

Elektel Delusion is one of the more under-discussed BL OVAs of the 2010s. Worth watching for fans of the genre, but harder to track down than the more mainstream entries.