Canis Series
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Most BL manga are very short and focus on the relationship of the main characters and one or a few problems that arise. This stack covers stories that are longer and where the focus is not so much on the typical relationship problems but also include non-relationship related plot. In some of these manga it's more BL subtext while the main focus is on something else.

Tags: Boys Love long, BL long, Yaoi long, Shounen Ai long

BL/Yaoi/Shounen Ai manga are fiction but some hit too close to home for how realistic the situation, environment, and/or characters they have. Because of this, they tend to be on the mature side and tackles the situations that people in same sex relationships experiences in real life.

These Boys Love stories feature guys who have a specific interest or hobby they are passionate about.

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Tags for searchability: Yaoi, Boys-Love, Shounen-ai, Male/Male Romance, Gay Men, Gay Teenagers

Usually BL manga are likely to have a story limited to 1-3 volumes, rarely more. That can be sooo disappointing sometimes, because you know the story is really good, but it finished too quickly and you just want more! Fortunately, sometimes it happens you can find some really good works where the story is developed in a longer space and you can really enjoy it.
Here my favs (volumes >= 5), there can be also some titles that are sequel of others, I tried to put it in order in that case - feel free to contact me if you know more titles!
I do not consider webtoon series in this list because usually they are longer than manga, but at the same time they can be a little shallow in the story writing.

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.

Unnerving queer stories. Mostly supernatural <3
(Mayor content warnings for most of these manga)

very much based on my personal tastes, everything here has a larger story and plot, as well as depth of character. some may have romance and smut. most are rather dark.

work in progress, feel free to send me recs!

For me, it's always interesting to see portrayal of Western countries in Asian media. Here's a list of manga in different genres and demographics that are set in or feature Western countries as important part of the plot. I was focusing on modern-ish times(70s onwards), so historical manga will be omitted.

Note: arranged in the order of release. Some of the titles are NSFW.

Work in progress!

This stack contains BL that center around workshops of any kind: shoe, hat, tailor shops etc.

Note: arranged in the order of release. Most of the titles are NSFW.

Work in progress!

collection of top quality BL manga

what to expect from this list ::

≫ masterpiece BL
≫ my personal favourite BL of all-time
≫ the very best in all aspects of story, characters, etc.
≫ BL that I have reread the most times

Part 2 of this list!
Not your typical frail submissive bottom. These guys are badasses in there own right which means their "tops" gotta know how to be awesome without overpowering their partners. Love these dynamics! It takes some pretty amazing guys to keep up with these bottoms. These are true badasses with hearts of gold 💛

Part 1: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/10213

Once again, I'll be including everything I've read except for certain series which feel wrong and/or fetishizing. (Feel free to let me know if you feel like there's an item that shouldn't be on this list, I don't remember some of the stories well since I'm adding some of them to the stack around 6 months after finishing them.)

(PS: More descriptions will be added later on)

BL manga featuring polyamorous relationships.

Note: arranged in the order of release. All of the titles are NSFW.

Work in progress!

Not found on MAL: Shinmaikyoushi no Otoshikata(2016), Dead Crow's Gaze(2017), Tachi to Neko Docchi ga Ii no?(2020), Staff Only(2020), Reality V(2021), Beta Count Has Changed(2022), The Twins and Me(2022), Crossline(2023)

Includes Manga without spicy scenes at all as well as those where they are only included in bonus chapters

Stuff not on MAL:
Incorrigible - 3 bonus chapters (ch. 6-8)

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.