15 Best BL Anime & Where To Watch Them (2025)

In the current climate where representation matters, LGBTQ+ anime fans need to know that there are genres of anime that tell their stories. When thinking about anime, the series that most often come to mind are popular shonen shows like Naruto, Dragon Ball, and My Hero Academia.

However, most relationships in these series are heteronormative in nature. That doesn't mean there aren't series that feature same-sex couples. Shonen-ai, or Boy's Love anime, is a subgenre of anime that delivers everything from implied feelings of love to sexual and romantic encounters between two male characters. Currently, there are several Boy's Love anime series available on streaming platforms for fans to enjoy.

Updated on January 26th, 2024 by Chelsea Steele: BL, or Boy's Love, anime has been around for a long time, and though it's always been a more niche subgenre, it's remained a popular part of anime culture. But as the social climate has changed over the years, BL series have become more prominent and normalized within the community. Where once it was near impossible for fans to find MLM representation, they now have a slew of choices from almost every genre under the sun. For those looking to get into the subgenre, we've updated this list with the best BL titles out there and where fans can stream them.

15 Gravitation Is A Pioneer Of The BL Genre

Available On: Funimation & Crunchyroll

Gravitation

TV-PG

Drama

Romance

Aspiring singer Shuichi Shindo and his band, Bad Luck, work to become Japan's next musical sensation, while he struggles to capture Eiri Yuki's attention.

Release Date

October 4, 2000

Cast

Tomokazu Seki , Kazuhiko Inoue , Megan Hollingshead , Takehito Koyasu , Rachael Lillis , Jason Griffith

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

1

Production Company

SPE Visual Works, Studio DEEN

For many long-time BL fans, Gravitation was their very first series. To this day, it's considered a gateway anime and an all-time classic of the genre. The story centers around the whirlwind romance between aspiring singer Shuichi Shindo and up-and-coming novelist Eiri Yuki. After a heated first encounter leaves Shuichi demanding to know why Yuki dislikes his song lyrics, the two become entangled in a love affair.

While Shuichi seems ready to embrace his newfound love, Yuki is surprisingly reluctant. The more time he spends with the cheerful Shuichi, the more he remembers a traumatic time in his past that he's not ready to face yet. For those looking to give this classic a try, it's available on both Funimation and Crunchyroll.

14 Junjou Romantica Follows Three Unique Love Stories

Available On: Crunchyroll & Funimation

Junjo Romantica

TV-MA

Comedy

Drama

Junjo Romantica follows the relationships of 3 very different couples. Romantica, Egoist, and Terrorist are all full of romance, longing, and of course, drama. It's complicated, but so very worth it.

Release Date

April 10, 2008

Creator

Shungiku Nakamura

Cast

Kenta Miyake , Mayumi Asano

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

3 Seasons

Production Company

Studio DEEN

Number of Episodes

37 Episodes

Junjou Romantica is yet another big name in the BL community, and it's probably one of the most popular series to come out in the 2000s. It follows the stories of three unique relationships, starting with the budding romance between protagonists Misaki Takahashi and Akihiko Usami. Though these three love stories are all different and completely independent from one another, they're all loosely intertwined and ultimately all lead back to Miksaki and Akihiko.

Nowadays, it's considered a rather problematic series due to some of the questionable relationships featured, but there's still no denying that it's a major title within the genre. The first two seasons of Junjou Romantica can be found on Crunchyroll; meanwhile, the third season is available on Funimation.

13 Heaven Official's Blessing Tells Of Romance Between A Fallen God & A Mysterious Ghost King

Available On: Netflix & Crunchyroll

Heaven Official's Blessing

TV-14

Adventure

Romance

Banished to the mortal realm to exorcise ghosts, a deity must reckon with a demon and soon uncovers a dark secret behind the heavenly gods.

Release Date

October 30, 2020

Main Cast

Zhengyang Ma, Youxi Deng, Hiroshi Kamiya, Guangtao Jiang, Non Sepho, Howard Wang, James Cheek

Creator

Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Main Genre

Donghua

Seasons

2

Number of Episodes

24

Heaven Official's Blessing is one of the more recent BL series to come out, premiering back in 2020. This series combines romance, drama, and historical fantasy, giving fans a unique story that's unlike most BL series available. The story centers around Xie Lian, a god who was once adored and worshipped but now finds himself awakening after an 800-year-long banishment.

After an encounter with the beautiful and mysterious Hua Cheng, Xie Lian sets out on a journey to uncover the mysteries of the new world and reveal the truth of the past. Fans looking to give this unique BL story a try can find it on Crunchyroll and Netflix.

12 Doukyusei -Classmates- Centers Around A Wholesome High School Romance

Available On: Amazon Prime Video

Doukyusei -Classmates-

Animation

Drama

Music

A relationship between two high school second years, Licht Sajo, who is an honor student, and Hikaru Kusakabe, who plays in a rock band.

Release Date

February 20, 2016

Director

Shōko Nakamura

Cast

Hideo Ishikawa , Hiroshi Kamiya , Kenji Nojima

Runtime

1 hour

Main Genre

Anime

Story By

Production Company

Aniplex

Doukyusei -Classmates- is a classic "opposites attract" story about the budding romance between two high school boys. The film stars Hikaru Kusakabe, a carefree student who discovers a new side to one of his classmates after a fateful encounter. When Hikaru catches Rihito Sajou practicing his singing alone, the two boys immediately hit it off and decide to practice together.

Though Hikaru and Rihito are total opposites in every way, they just seem to click, and soon enough, their friendship begins to blossom into something more. This wholesome and sweet romance is a favorite among BL fans, and it's available to watch for a small fee as one of the best anime on Amazon Prime Video.

11 Sasaki & Miyano Is One Of The Most Wholesome Modern BL Stories

Available On: Funimation & Crunchyroll

Sasaki and Miyano

TV-14

Comedy

Drama

Shy and easily flustered Miyano harbors an embarrassing secret - he is a "fudanshi", a boy who likes boys' love manga. Intrigued, the clueless delinquent Sasaki requests to borrow one, marking a shift in their strange dynamic.

Release Date

January 10, 2022

Creator

Yoshiko Nakamura

Cast

Kellen Goff , Kayleigh McKee

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

1 Season

Production Company

Studio DEEN

Number of Episodes

13 Episodes

Sasaki and Miyano is one of the latest BL series to hit the scene, and fans everywhere have completely fallen in love with it. This adorable series features the unlikely romance between shy and soft-spoken Yoshikazu Miyano and school delinquent Shuumei Sasaki. The two cross paths after Sasaki rescues Miyano from a group of bullies and are practically inseparable from then on — much to Miyano's annoyance.

However, after Sasaki and Miyano bond over a mutual love of BL manga, they become fast friends. But what starts as a close friendship for them soon blossoms into a love story they could never have expected. This beloved series is perfect for new and old BL fans alike and is available to watch on Crunchyroll and Funimation.

10 Love Stage!! Combines Romance With The Star-Studded World Of Entertainment

Available On: Crunchyroll & HIDIVE

Love Stage!!

TV-MA

Animation

Comedy

Romance

With a father who's a singer, a mother who's a movie star, and an older brother Shougo who's the lead vocalist for the super-popular band "The Crusherz," Sena Izumi-an otaku college student-is the only dull one born into this super-famous and talented family. He loves "Magical Girl LalaLulu" and is working hard to become a mangaka, but one day he winds up appearing in a TV commercial he just can't turn down. There, he's reunited with Ichijou Ryouma, the super-popular young actor he costarred with on a project ten years prior.

Release Date

June 1, 2014

Creator

Mangaka Ebine Ayumi, Eiki-Eiki, Mikiyo Tsuda, David Wald

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

1

Production Company

J.C. Staff

Number of Episodes

11

Main Cast

David Wald, Christopher Sabat, Jessie James Grelle

Izumi is an 18-year-old college student who aspires to be a manga artist. Ten years ago, he was forced to stand in for a young girl in a bridal commercial, starring alongside a boy named Ryoma. Ryoma fell in love with Izumi, who he believed to be a girl, and looked for her for 10 years.

When Ryoma finally meets Izumi again and discovers he is a boy, Ryoma must confront his conflicted feelings. Izumi must also figure out if he can love a boy. For those longing to give this classic a try, Love Stage!! is available for streaming on Crunchyroll, as well as HIDIVE and VRV.

9 This Boy Is A Professional Wizard Is A Short & Sweet Series About A Magical Romance

Available On: Crunchyroll

This Boy Is A Professional Wizard

Animation

Short

Fantasy

A wannabe-wizard named Toyoho, falls in love with Chiharo, an experienced and respected wizard.

Release Date

February 5, 2016

Cast

Yuki Ono , Taku Yashiro

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

1

Production Company

CoMix Wave

Number of Episodes

4

Story By

Soubi Yamamoto

Chiharu is a wizard who works for the Department of Magic in the Crisis Management Division. After a long day at work, Chiharu meets a man named Toyohi at his favorite bar. Although the two connect, Chiharu starts to believe Toyohi is only interested in him because he is a wizard.

Chiharu learns to trust in Toyohi's love and lets go of his self-doubt. The short episodes are punctuated with beautiful animation. For fans of love, magic, and drama, This Boy Is A Professional Wizard is available for streaming on Crunchyroll.

8 Gakuen Heaven Centers Around Blossoming Love At An All-Boys Academy

Available On: Amazon Prime Video & Crunchyroll

Gakuen Heaven

Romance

Keita Ito is your average high school boy, but he suddenly finds out that he has been enrolled into Bell Liberty Academy, an elite all boy boarding school. But with all the handsome boys there, one can get distracted and even be the cause of a couple romantic conflicts.

Release Date

April 1, 2006

Creator

Natsuko Takahashi

Cast

Jun Fukuyama , Takahiro Sakurai

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

1 Season

Producer

Takako Shoda

Production Company

Tokyo Kids

Number of Episodes

13 Episodes

Keita is a high school student who is unexpectedly invited to a prestigious boarding school called Bell Liberty Academy. Bell Liberty Academy is full of exceptional students, and after attending the academy for a while, Keita begins to question whether he really belongs.

Keita makes many friends during his time at Bell Liberty Academy; one, in particular, is the mysterious Kazuki Endo. With the help of his new friends, Keita finds his place at Bell Liberty and rekindles a past relationship he had long forgotten. Gakuen Heaven is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Crunchyroll Premium.

7 Dakaichi: I'm Being Harassed By The Sexiest Man Of The Year Is A Hilarious Enemies-To-Lovers Story

Available On: Crunchyroll & Funimation

Dakaichi: I'm Being Harassed By the Sexiest Man of the Year

Comedy

Drama

Saijou Takato's 5 year reign as the 'Most Huggable No. 1' has been snatched. Azumaya is a newbie actor with a 3-year debut, who uses his sincere sparkling smile to blackmail Takato into silence.

Release Date

October 5, 2018

Creator

Yoshimi Narita

Cast

Yuki Ono , Hiroki Takahashi , Satoshi Hino

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

1 Season

Producer

Tomoyo Kamiji, Narumi Odagiri, Miho Kikoshi, Yasushi Yoshida

Production Company

A-1 Pictures, Aniplex, CloverWorks

Number of Episodes

13 Episodes

Takato is a professional actor who has been in the business since he was a child. He's held the title of Sexiest Man of the Year for five consecutive years but finds himself usurped by an up-and-coming actor named Junta.

When Takato and Junta star alongside each other in a new project, Junta begins to pursue Takato, confessing his feelings for him. Junta is a devilish angel who charms everyone around him. Although Takato first views him as competition, he eventually warms to Junta, and their relationship unfolds. Dakaichi is available for streaming on Crunchyroll and Funimation.

6 Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi: The World's Greatest First Love Reunites A Young Man With His High School Sweetheart

Available On: Funimation & Crunchyroll

The World's Greatest First Love

TV-MA

Comedy

Romance

Ritsu Onodera and Masamune Takano try to sort their feelings from their past relationship.

Release Date

April 9, 2011

Creator

Rika Nakase

Cast

Katsuyuki Konishi , Takashi Kondô , Yuichi Nakamura

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

2 Seasons

Production Company

Studio DEEN

Number of Episodes

24 Episodes

The World's Greatest First Love focuses on the stories of three same-sex couples. The relationship highlighted the most in the series is the one between Ritsu Onodera and Masamune Takano. Onodera begins working as an editor under Takano in the shojo manga department.

Unbeknownst to Onodera, Takano is actually the first person he fell in love with in high school. While Onodera has tried to forget about their time together, Takano still has feelings for Onodera and makes it his mission to get Onodera to fall in love with him again. Two seasons of The World's Greatest First Love are available for streaming on Funimation and Crunchyroll.

5 Hitorijime My Hero Follows The Budding Relationship Between A High School Boy & The Man He Calls A Hero

Available On: Amazon Prime Video

Hitorijime My Hero

TV-14

Drama

Romance

Masahiro Setagawa, a high school student, is protected from bullies by Kosuke Oshiba, a teacher, in Hitorijime My Hero.

Release Date

July 8, 2017

Main Genre

Anime

Main Cast

Tomoaki Maeno, Toshiki Matsuda, Shinnosuke Tachibana, Yoshitsuga Matsuoka, Daman Mills, Alejandro Saab, David Matranga, and Austin Tindle

Seasons

1

Production Company

Encourage Films

Masahiro has a less-than-ideal home life, with a mom who is in an unsavory line of work. He ends up joining a gang, and that's where his trouble begins. Masahiro serves as an errand boy for the gang and is constantly bullied by the other members.

When Masahiro meets Kousuke, his life dramatically changes. Kousuke becomes Masahiro's hero, saving him from his life in the gang and promising to protect him. The two discover, however, that they mean more to each other than they are willing to admit. Hitorijime My Hero is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

4 Banana Fish Is A Groundbreaking Series That Influenced BL Anime

Available On: Amazon Prime Video

Banana Fish

TV-MA

Action

The story captures the war between a mafia boss named Dino and a young gang leader searching for redemption.

Release Date

July 5, 2018

Creator

Akimi Yoshida

Cast

Toshiyuki Morikawa , Yuma Uchida , Makoto Furukawa , Yoshimasa Hosoya , Jun Fukuyama , Hiroaki Hirata , Unshô Ishizuka , Kenji Nojima , Shinji Kawada

Main Genre

Action

Seasons

1

Studio

MAPPA

Number of Episodes

24

Banana Fish isn't technically a Boy's Love, but the series definitely influenced the genre with its depiction of homosexuality and homoeroticism. Furthermore, the relationship that develops between Ash and Eiji may not be romantic love, but one that is definitely based on mutual love and respect for one another.

The pureness of their relationship works in juxtaposition with the harsh realities around them. The series has received critical acclaim and has been globally syndicated on Amazon Prime Video, where it is available for streaming currently.

3 Spiritpact (Ling Qi) Tells An Unexpected Romance Between An Exorcist & A Spirit

Available On: Crunchyroll

Spiritpact

TV-14

Comedy

Drama

You Keika is heir of Exorcists, stricken with poverty and computer tech, until one night he gets hit by car and become a ghost. Tanmoku Ki appears and asks him to make a pact to fight Evil Spirits. Here starts the friendship of our heroes.

Release Date

June 21, 2016

Creator

Zi Ping

Main Genre

Action

Seasons

2 Seasons

Characters By

Shunsuke Takeuchi, Yûichi Iguchi, Lanling Li

Production Company

Emon Animation Company, Garden Culture, Haoliners Animation, Tencent Animation & Comics

Number of Episodes

22 Episodes

Spiritpact is actually a Chinese donghua that falls into the Boy's Love category. The story centers around Tanmoku, a Youmeishi, who is the head of the most powerful exorcist family, and his spirit shadow You.

The Youmeishi and their spirit shadow work together to defeat evil spirits. As You and Tanmoku learn more about each other working side by side, their partnership develops into something more. Two seasons of Spiritpact are available to stream on Crunchyroll.

2 Yuri!!! On ICE Is A Fan-Favorite Series Starring One Of BL's Healthiest Couples

Available On: Crunchyroll & Funimation

Yuri on Ice

TV-14

Anime

Drama

Romantic Comedy

After suffering defeat, Yuri Katsuki hangs up his ice skates for good. But will an encounter with two top skaters reignite his passion?

Release Date

October 5, 2016

Cast

Toshiyuki Toyonaga , Jun'ichi Suwabe , Jerry Jewell , Jessie James Grelle

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

1

Studio

MAPPA

In Yuri!!! On ICE, Yuri Katsuki is a figure skater who, after losing at the Grand Prix Final, takes some time off from skating. When a video of him skating gets uploaded online, Yuri lands himself a new coach, his fashionable figure skating idol, Victor Nikiforov.

Under Victor's coaching, Yuri grows more confident, and Victor rediscovers his passion for skating. Although Victor only plans to stick around until the Grand Prix Final, the two realize their relationship is not one they are willing to let go of. The award-winning series is available to stream on Crunchyroll and Funimation.

1 Given Is A Complex & Emotional Tale Of Love, Loss, & Overcoming Grief

Available On: Crunchyroll & Amazon Prime Video

Given

Animation

Drama

The life and loves of the rock band Given, and the romantic relationships that develops between its members.

Release Date

July 12, 2019

Studio

Lerche

Main Cast

Jessie James Grelle, Brandon McInnis, Jonah Scott, Yung-I Chang, Yuma Uchida, Shogo Yano, Masatomo Nakazawa and Takuya Eguchi

Given follows high school student Mafuyu Sato as he deals with the complicated emotions following the death of his first love. He carries around a guitar with rusty strings, the only thing he possesses from his ex-boyfriend.

Mafuyu meets Ritsuka one day at school and ends up joining his band. The series deals with heavy issues about love, loss, and moving on in a really genuine way. Although there is a slow build-up, the relationship unfolds in a very real way. There is one season and a movie of Given available to stream on Crunchyroll and Amazon Prime, for an additional fee.