Narrative BL
Manga
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.
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.
Manga, 9 vol, 2019
Me:-
Author:10
Shoujo
(but like, the best shoujo romcom ever. Every good part of shoujo, but now more queer. I cannot recommend this enough to shoujo fans.)
(but like, the best shoujo romcom ever. Every good part of shoujo, but now more queer. I cannot recommend this enough to shoujo fans.)
Manga, 2 vol, 2015
Me:-
Author:8
Supernatural, fantasy, action
Complete!
Incredibly cool action scenes and world building.
Complete!
Incredibly cool action scenes and world building.
Manga, 1 vol, 2018
Me:-
Author:8
Action, supernatural
Incredible fight scenes, monster designs, and worldbuilding. Pretty raunchy right out the gate, though.
Incredible fight scenes, monster designs, and worldbuilding. Pretty raunchy right out the gate, though.
Manga, ? vol, 2013
Me:-
Author:9
Josei, School drama, slice of life
A very compelling queer narrative. Especially a good recommendation for queer people who are uncomfortable with BL, or just want a more mature and thoughtful school life drama.
A very compelling queer narrative. Especially a good recommendation for queer people who are uncomfortable with BL, or just want a more mature and thoughtful school life drama.
Manga, 1 vol, 2018
Me:-
Author:9
Supernatural, folklore
Complete!
Cute romance with some thoughtful discussion of suicidal ideation. Mostly cute though. Very nice art style. A little bit of sex at the end.
(This author has a lot of very thoughtful narratives and themes interwoven into short, cute romances.)
Complete!
Cute romance with some thoughtful discussion of suicidal ideation. Mostly cute though. Very nice art style. A little bit of sex at the end.
(This author has a lot of very thoughtful narratives and themes interwoven into short, cute romances.)
Manga, 1 vol, 2013
Me:-
Author:9
Josei, social commentary
A story interrogating disability (specifically Deafness, but the general narrative arc is highly relatable for many disabled people) and ableism. Great recommendation for those craving good disabled narratives.
A story interrogating disability (specifically Deafness, but the general narrative arc is highly relatable for many disabled people) and ableism. Great recommendation for those craving good disabled narratives.
Manga, ? vol, 2020
Me:-
Author:9
Isekai, kingdom politics
(This is a funny isekai, but also has some Incredible social commentary woven into it. Sex is important to the story but usually isn't very explicit.)
(This is a funny isekai, but also has some Incredible social commentary woven into it. Sex is important to the story but usually isn't very explicit.)
Manga, ? vol, 2021
Me:-
Author:8
Horror
Extremely well drawn body horror. Low key Higurashi vibes.
Extremely well drawn body horror. Low key Higurashi vibes.
Manga, 1 vol, 2016
Me:-
Author:8
Sports manga
Very, very cute sports manga, something more likely to show up in Shoujo Beat than Shonen Jump.
Very, very cute sports manga, something more likely to show up in Shoujo Beat than Shonen Jump.
Manga, 4 vol, 2008
Me:-
Author:8
Adventure, kinda-isekai.
Complete!
Very neat premise and world-building, could be a shounen or an action-shoujo (think Gakuen Alice or a very interesting magical girl series. But with guys.) Contains age gap romance
Complete!
Very neat premise and world-building, could be a shounen or an action-shoujo (think Gakuen Alice or a very interesting magical girl series. But with guys.) Contains age gap romance
Manga, 1 vol, 2006
Me:-
Author:10
Tragedy, drama. EXTREMELY dark.
Complete!
I'd recommend "J no Subete", the related and much more filled-out manga this is a spinoff of, but it's even darker and far less palatable for BL beginners. People who like this should go on and read J no Subete though, it's a literary masterpiece.
Complete!
I'd recommend "J no Subete", the related and much more filled-out manga this is a spinoff of, but it's even darker and far less palatable for BL beginners. People who like this should go on and read J no Subete though, it's a literary masterpiece.
Manga, ? vol, 2019
Me:-
Author:9
Psychological, Josei
While fitting all the criteria, this is published under the josei label rather than BL. This is an incredibly artistic, powerful story that also happens to have queer main characters, and I just think that's cool how we can have stories like that now.
It also means that if you like this, there's a chance you'll also enjoy this mangaka's other works (which usually Are marketed as BL).
While fitting all the criteria, this is published under the josei label rather than BL. This is an incredibly artistic, powerful story that also happens to have queer main characters, and I just think that's cool how we can have stories like that now.
It also means that if you like this, there's a chance you'll also enjoy this mangaka's other works (which usually Are marketed as BL).
Manga, ? vol, 2011
Me:-
Author:10
sports
for adults, mostly because of sexual jokes (but also eventually for romance-reasons)
for adults, mostly because of sexual jokes (but also eventually for romance-reasons)
