BL manga, or boys’ love manga, is a unique genre that tells many stories about relationships constructed between the same genders. You also find many sub-genres in this BL genre, which range from fantasy to action and sometimes pure romance.

It depends upon what you love, but it’s not like if you prefer one sort of stream more, then you won’t be able to generate love for the other sub-genres. Many viewers love viewing it as one and enjoy every genre falling under BL manga. I’m that person, myself.

BL is mostly popular for its sexualized storylines, but let me tell you, it has a big output of stories, and many of these don’t even contain any adult sort of content. Yes, a few of these do content age ratings, while others are open to everybody.

It becomes exceptionally tough to say the best because it depends on personal preference. Today, I’m going to list the best BL manga for you, based on my own experience of 12 years of reading these. This journey has been awesome for me.

Let me introduce you to some timeless classics and some hot and sizzling ones that increase your bloodstream quickly.

20. 10 Count

Well, being gay is not easy. It can be full of fears (and tears). Ten Count is such a thrilling manga; it highlights the same very nicely. It’s about two folks who fall in love with the deepest parts. In the centre is a guy named Shiro Tani, who is just a normal office worker who has a fear of germs.

In contrast, the other guy is Riku Kiroze, a physiotherapist attempting to help Shiro Tani. Now, the client-therapist boundaries are well crossed, as when these guys meet, they find each other pretty interesting.

They have a balanced love for each other and professionalism, but let’s say professionalism was left behind in this manga. This manga is more wholesome than what it feels like in the beginning.

A few who believe professionalism should be professionalism and nothing else may not love this manga. Still, those open-minded guys who don’t believe in packing their feelings within boundaries will surely appreciate 10 Count.

Yes, these two guys do become devoted boyfriends. Rikito Takarai wrote this manga, and there are a total of 6 volumes, so once you get your head into it, you will have a lot to cherish.

19. Joy

It is a pleasure to start our massive list of the best BL manga series with “Joy”. This story mostly revolves around the relationship between a manga author and his assistant. However, it doesn’t go as smoothly as it sounds.

There are so many ups and downs. Joy is a 2-volume manga series written by Etsuko back in 2016. This story mostly revolves around two characters. Thank God, there is no confusion! Shoujo, a manga artist, falls in love with Okazaki, his assistant.

Okazaki wants to write a tremendous shoujo manga mostly for his female readers. He gets a strong request for a BL manga to support his mission. It was undoubtedly going to be a pretty tricky task for him.

However, Okazaki discovered something that helped him out. He got to know something pretty interesting about his assistant. He was homosexual.

Okazaki is so dedicated to his work that he pretends to be gay and plays as if he wants to be his assistant’s boyfriend.

Yeah, things change with the pace of time in this manga, as things don’t roll on the way they were planned. I know it sounds interesting, and it is. It is a good example of how tough it can be for manga writers to provide top-quality content in the BL genre.

18. Canis: Dear Hatter

The next one on our list is Canis Dear Mr. Rain. In this manga, the central character is Satoru Kutsuna, a young hatter pushing hard to gain fame in fashion.

However, his journey to success is not going that smoothly.

His shop is Dante The Hat, and he makes some fantastic hats. He’s got a couple of assistants. However, this guy has a highly creative temperament and high standards, so his assistants cannot match his expectations.

And that is why Satoru always finds himself firing and hiring many folks. He is desperately looking for a third assistant for his shop. Now, the story takes a decent twist. What a twist! You’ll have to read this fantastic manga and feel the warmth yourself.

17. Finder

Many of the Elmanga lovers don’t believe in reading just romance and erotic scenes. Some enthusiasts even prefer reading action blending with romance. This 2002 manga is a classic example where you find a tremendous blend of romance, action and mafia gangs.

The main character of this one is Akihito, who is a talented film photographer, and his partner is Asami, a top mafioso. This manga can be put into the category of enemies-to-lovers romance.

Well, you’ll be amazed to know that the love story starts with the scene where Asami kidnaps Akhito and teaches him about BDSM.

That was sizzling or, shall I say, mind-bending. With time, they get to know each other, and a strong relationship builds up. If you are a first-time BL reader, please don’t start with Finder. First, you must get used to such content before reading a manga series like Finder.

However, if you are a fun-loving person and a true action lover, there’s no need to read separate manga for the same. Just get Finder on your list and start with it.

16. The (Pet) Detective Agency

Do you like manga where the main character is somewhat different from normal people? If yes, let me introduce you to The (Pet) Detective Agency.

Rou Nakamura, a young man, is the central character of this manga, and I won’t say many people around him will appreciate him; the credit goes to his rugged looks.

Another thing that makes him a bit different is that he stares at people around him for no reason. Because of that, you will find many people afraid to approach him. However, with animals, his relationships are very sweet.

He is a pet detective and undoubtedly great at his job. You can easily find how boring it can be to be a pet detective. Yes, it’s not that rewarding enough. The story twists when Rau falls in love with his boss, Fumi Ka Sato.

This relationship between these two folks, Nakamura and Sato, burns slowly and develops slowly, but that never means this manga is boring. Yes, it is not very thrilling either.

When you read this manga, I am sure you will get some tremendous mystery vibes, and we can even count this manga in the category of Slice of Life. It can be your starting point if you are not adapted to BL manga.

15. Doukyusei

This spot is acquired by a manga whose name is tough to pronounce. Well, let me use the English name – “Classmates”. It is a tremendous high school romance manga, a solid creation by Asumiko Nakamura.

The story revolves around Hikaru Kusakabe and Rihito Sajou, who become friends, fall in love, and do many interesting things together. The relationship is shown to be pretty pure, and you don’t come across many scenes where they conflict.

The comfort level is pretty high, and how they support each other in big life changes is also appreciable. It can be a sweet start if you are a newcomer to BL manga.

It is an apple pie for wholesome romance lovers, and you will truly appreciate putting yourself into reading this no matter how many hours it takes.

It feels like this manga must never end; I am telling you about my personal experience.

14. Fangs

Do you like vampire manga? Oh, do you like BL manga as well? Then Fangs is a perfect choice for you. En is the main character over here, a newly made vampire. He falls in love with an old vampire named Ichii, and these guys work for a mysterious organization called Fangs.

You might not encounter intense romance in this manga, but yes, the mystery and love are a deadly combo. You’ll satisfy your urge for BL mangas.

What I loved in this manga is the way En relies on Ichii and, to some extent, also annoys him, but the way Ichi tackles things and still develops a love for En is remarkable to watch.

Besides these two, you will come across many quirky characters in this manga. It feels like the writer, Billy Balibally, has done a lot of hard work narrating this manga so that you can easily get emotionally connected to it.

This manga has a couple of volumes; however, we can expect the third one to come soon.

13. Jackass!

There are two types of groups that prefer cherishing BL manga. One group comprises occasional watchers who just read these sorts of manga to quench their curiosity, while total enthusiasts form the other group.

There are very few mangas that satisfy both of these watcher groups; fortunately, our next one falls into that list. Jackass is a jackass manga. A lot has loved this single-volume manga since its launch in 2015.

Many times, you come across BL manga where the two main characters are unfamiliar with each other. You find Keisuke Hara and Masayuki Shinoda, the two main characters, as close friends here. Keisuke lost his family and has just one sister left with him.

This guy seeks happiness in life, but we cannot deny that he lives a very difficult life. There is a scene where we can see his sister accidentally wearing his pants, and he gets angry up to a limit.

It is a very good point where we can feel that he is somewhere frustrated down the line. The role of Shinoda is truly amazing. All these things don’t start all of a sudden. We can see the chemistry building up from friends to partners.

The turn occurs here only when he finds Kezuki looking hot in pantyhose. Well, interesting, amazing and shocking also. It can be called a pretty sensitive narrative. But if you are ready for this, just read it out.

12. Crimson Spell

If you are already familiar with the world of BL Manga, then I am sure you must have heard Crimson Spell. This is undoubtedly a very popular one. It won’t be tough to call it one of its kind, as this manga is like a recipe made out of many spices.

This could be a decent choice for any BL Manga lover. Any means any, even the very experienced manga readers. Let me put light on a bit of the story.

Don’t worry, I will not tell you everything and spoil your fun. The story sheds light on Prince Vlad, a dashing young man cursed by a family sword.

Now, lifting that curse becomes his utmost requirement, which sets him on a journey to seek out Halvir. He is a talented sorcerer who prepares to help in exchange for that sword. Both of these guys get together to end this curse.

However, he doesn’t know much about this curse. He turns into a very frustrated type of demon at night, and with the first ray of sunlight, he just forgets everything that happened at night. Halvir knows very well how to keep this demon from being a trouble to the society.

To know more, catch this manga as soon as possible.

11. Ogi’s Summer Break

This Manga is a solid representation of disability. Also, it is an endearing love story of a couple of young folks who find each other at the right time in life. The main character, Ogi, is a somewhat unique college student.

A very cute one with different gender norms. On the other hand, Tago is a blunt guy in their last year of high school. Well, he is blind, and that makes this story ten times more interesting. Ogi finds himself immediately attracted to Tagoo.

However, Tagoo never had such sort of feelings for boys till then. You can find these guys exploring their sexualities and building a strong relationship between them with a lot of love and care. You will not come across a lot of creepy stuff in this Manga.

It won’t be too much to say that you cannot judge what is coming on the next page. And the same thing will keep you tightly packed with the story.

10. Sick

By the name of this manga, sick, you may not be able to figure out how perfect this manga is right from the beginning. Yes, you will find everything perfect as soon as you start reading it.

The story revolves around Kito, Suduo, a very popular, charismatic, and extremely handsome college student from a rich family.

We find that hardly anything is missing in his life. He has some tremendous friends, absolutely zero girlfriends to trouble him, and his college life is flowing nicely like a clean water river, with no controversy whatsoever.

However, Dutch perfection would not be appreciated by all readers. Don’t worry; twists and turns occur right after you read a few episodes, especially after the entry of Shouda Kishi, his classmate. He frequently targets Kito and teases him on whatever occasion he finds.

Well, this manga is an entirely different story. If you want to find out why this guy is always behind Kito, you must read the manga. Yes, you will find some typical glitches that you generally find in BL manga.

This is just a single volume; manga is still highly appreciated. However, I wish there was a second and third volume, but I cannot complain about the same.

Yes, a few scenes are erotic, but I know that is the reason many of you are looking forward to checking BL manga now, isn’t it?

9. Snow Fairy

If you dream of a wonderful romantic life in the mountains, then Snow Fairy is a perfect BL manga to give wings to your thoughts. The central character, Haurki Homura, lives a solitary life in Hokkaido.

One day, he finds an interesting wildlife photographer, Akihito Narumi. Now, this guy is pretty interesting, and you will be able to figure the same thing out by knowing he was looking for mythical snow fairings in those mountains.

However, he doesn’t find any but faces horrible snowstorms.

Now, these guys have started living together, and their bond is getting stronger and stronger over photography. This Manga successfully builds a great relationship between these two guys and offers readers a lot of feelings.

There is a wholesome relationship which will calm your mind down.

8. This Wonderful Season With You

This Manga, “This Wonderful Season With You”, fits many readers’ preferences. The central character, Junpei Inoki, is shown as a perfect nerd whom anybody can love. Yes, he is smart but physically weaker than a typical guy his age.

However, this guy has a golden heart, and he is a very kind person. Then enters Ryousuke Shirataki, who is a typical jock and somewhat depressed guy.

The reason behind that is he used to be a very good baseball player, but because of his injury, his career ended dramatically.

He can’t figure out what to do from now on, and he finally joins the Electronic Engineering Club, where he gets in touch with Enoki. You will find these characters are opposite; however, that doesn’t stop them from generating love for either soul.

Many of you must like opposite love stories because such stories never flow slowly. There is always something happening here and there, and courage and love are tested to a limit. This love story is a cute one.

If you enter this sort of BL pool, then I am sure you will also be seeking other BL Mangas like this.

7. Our Not So Lonely Planet Travel Guide

Our Not So Lonely Planet Travel Guide – wow, what an amazing name this one, and equally amazing is the story of this BL manga Mitsuki and Asahi, two highly enthusiastic guys, romantically decided to cherish various corners of the world by travelling together. Let me tell you, none of them has ever tried anything like that before

You can already figure out when the story revolves around travelling and romance. It will be interesting to see both guys get out of their comfort zone. It is very interesting to read how they cope with the ups and downs not just of their travelling experiences but also of love.

See, you don’t find love developing during this manga. These two guys are already shown in love right from the beginning of the story; however, one guy doesn’t prefer accepting in public that he is gay.

As these guys travel through various parts of the world, you can find various things impacting their relationship in good and bad ways.

If you don’t want to read a BL manga that revolves around sex, this one can be a cool choice. You can call it a gentle story highlighting beautiful scenery and healthy communication.

6. Mousou Elektel

Here comes Mousou, Elekil, again a very highly appreciable BL Manga. This one is a typical example of a straightforward approach towards Yahweh Jinnar. This is undoubtedly a very loveable read. Four volumes of this Manga series had its first launching in 2009.

The writer Nekota Yoneza truly deserves appreciation for this solid creation. The focus of the series is on Fumi and Shunpei. Yes, they are pretty interesting and cheeky names. These two buddies have spent quality time together before developing feelings for each other.

It is very interesting to see when Fumi declares straight away that he is gay. Shunpei is stunned and finds it difficult to make any assumptions. Straight after dismissing all those assumptions, Fumi explains his ongoing relationship with him.

Things tend to take different ways between these two guys. However, don’t expect this Manga to blow your mind. However, if you love penetrating in soft and feeble stories, this one’s for you.

You find love, care, and, yes, a lot of other spices in this Manga, along with jealousy.

5. Hello, Green Days

If you love reading compelling and sweet manga stories, Hello Green Days will be an interesting pick for you for sure. Tomo Mikage, a graduate student, meets Yuji Nanahoshi, a junior, at the seminar at the high school where they study.

Nanahoshi is a humongous guy; in the beginning, Tomo feels like he can be a fierce one. However, things prove wrong when he gets in touch, talks to him, and later finds out he is a very sweet man.

He finds that Mikage’s well-being is not looking that good, which creates a situation where he invites him to stay in his house. The story becomes very interesting after that as their relationship slowly blossoms.

Like a few on this list, this is again a one-volume manga. However, there’s enough to enjoy. You can relate this story to real life because drama or emotions are not overpowered.

Everything is shown so simply and in real life. If you are attracted to the same gender, you will be deeply connected with this manga.

4. Hidoku Shinaide

Till now, we have talked about romance, crime, sex, mafia, and a slice of life, but have we discussed anything comedy-related? I guess not. Then here comes Hidoku Shinaide, a tremendous school comedy series involving a few interesting characters.

It is a blend of many interesting short stories. This manga started in 2007; since then, the number of readers per year has never fallen to a troubling limit. Hats off to Nekota Yonezou for this amazing creation.

The interesting thing about such manga is that even if you don’t like a part of it, you always feel enthusiastic to cherish the next part.

Yes, as I said, it is a blend of many short stories. So even if you don’t like a couple of them, you won’t find yourself leaving the manga in between.

You find a bunch of characters having different sorts of relationships altogether. However, it takes a good enough focus and presence of mind to understand everything closely. This manga will undoubtedly meet your requirements.

3. Change World

You might have encountered several mangas highlighting the relationship between college and school folks. This one is slightly similar, but don’t forget it’s a BL manga.

Yosuke dreams of having a relationship with his old high school crush, and then he hits some wonderful turbulence when Masato appears.

This guy is an ex-college classmate of Arimura’s. You find Yosuko deciding to start working overseas, but knowing it is pretty interesting how he puts his lover further at all odds. This manga doesn’t disturb the story a lot.

Yes, the story is slightly predictable. You’ll find how a boyfriend’s behaviour may catch strange tides, what ups and downs may hit in the relationships between gay partners and how they emotionally tackle everything.

This BL manga is a great catch for seekers but not for action lovers or those who prefer reading manga for sexual/vulgar purposes.

2. My Love Mix-Up

We all had a crush on a classmate at some point in time. Yes, I know, all of us. Now, this story also starts in a pretty similar way. The romantic guy Aoki has a crush on his classmate Hashimoto, who sits beside him.

This girl doesn’t show any direct actions. It describes that she isn’t that interested in Aoki. However, things get clear when he borrows an eraser from her and notices that she has written another boy’s name on it.

The scene becomes even more confusing when he returns his eraser to that girl, and she holds that eraser tight. Well, it feels like she has a crush on him, too. Well, things don’t go that smoothly during school days.

Many of us know that. Yes, Aoki confesses his love, and mentally, he prepares himself for rejection. Surprisingly, she asks him whether they can try dating. Oh my God! The dream comes true. Aoki wants to keep this relationship entirely secret.

However, Ida is open and already shares the same with all their friends. So, will it affect their relationship, or will they learn how to cope? Yes, they are opposite types of characters, which makes this story interesting.

1. Twittering Birds Never Fly

Now, here comes the queen of all BL manga, Twittering Birds Never Fly, and there is a bucket full of reasons why it stands at rank one on our list.

We won’t recommend this manga to first-time BL readers because you come across many violent scenes, and the boldness is also on top of the level.

Yes, a few readers will be disturbed by that; however, if you are strong-minded, this BL will keep a grasp on your brain for a very long time. The story revolves around both of these living traumatic lives, and they agree on the very same fact that the world is terrific.

This is the reason they seek their enjoyment in each other. You also come across a lot of gang violence and some hot and sizzling scenes.

I appreciated Ko Yoneda’s story. However, some ugly parts have been criticized in the past. However, this criticism isn’t enough to dethrone this BL manga from #1.