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Stories with fantasy themes, mythical characters or different species with anthropomorphic characteristics (like animal ears haha)

BL Manga that tell a rich, memorable story. Carefully curated to be easy to recommend to non-BL fans.

BL, like all manga categories, has a specific brand of tropes and genre-specific bullshit that most fans learn to tolerate. That makes it hard to introduce new people to the genre.

These are manga that aren't just 'two men are hot and in love' (not that there's anything wrong with that). All these titles are incredible stories in their own right, with compelling plots that are worth discussing. They're the kinds of BL I would show someone to express why I love the genre, and maybe persuade them to dip their toes into it.

Every series has listed the closest adjacent genre(s) to help personalize recommendations according to taste. Some have erotica in them (but it's usually relevant to the story or fairly light/earned after a fair amount of narrative buildup).


Criteria for appearing on this list:
-An interesting story that you could actually talk about (Bonus points for cool world-building, fantastic art, or other factors that would rocket it's popularity if the story was in a more popular genre).
-The main lead's relationship with his male love interest is Significant, as well as Explicitly Canon.
-A fairly low level of common BL tropes (to make it more palatable to non-BL fans).
-It doesn't suck.

Among all the BL stories that I've read over the years, these are the ones that really resonated with me. They're full of those moments that just stick with you, with characters you can totally relate to, and stories that linger in your mind long after you finish them.

Each series here provides an exceptional reading journey, combining captivating storytelling with characters that you can't help but root for, creating an immersive experience.