Shounen-Ai anime, commonly known as Boys’ Love or BL in Japan, concentrates on the romantic interactions between men and is created for women by women. Whether the connection is sexual, the category represents homosexual relationships in general, with an emphasis on the affection between guys. While Shounen-Ai anime focuses mostly on the emotional components of a relationship, yaoi anime addresses the sexual parts.
The genre portrays boys’ love with charming characters and a light-hearted plot that the viewer may fully enjoy. The anime world is an intriguing area to explore, and it would be much better if more characters like these appeared in the Shounen-Ai genre. So, in order to learn more about Shounen-Ai anime, fans should check out these fantastic shows and characters.
5/5 Hitorijime My Hero
The series is about a high school student named Masahiro Setagawa. He has stopped believing in heroes because the world seems determined to show him only the worst things it has to offer. His mother regularly brings her “customers” home, causing Masahiro to spend his evenings on the streets, where he is “adopted” by a bunch of local thugs.
However, his luck changes when the notorious street vigilante Kousuke Ooshiba, the “Bear Killer”, rescues him and makes him his subordinate. Kousuke is also the elder brother of Masahiro’s closest buddy and his homeroom instructor. Suddenly, Masahiro begins to believe that heroes may exist after all, but it seems that his emotions for Kousuke are stronger than either of them realize. Perhaps Kousuke feels the same way as well? In addition, there is a Shounen-Ai plot involving Masahiro’s closest buddy Kensuke and his childhood friend Asaya Hasekura.
4/5 Love Stage!!
Izumi is a college student from a well-known family. However, he has no desire to join the celebrity industry like his parents and brother did. In reality, he is an otaku who is obsessed with anime and wants to get his manga published. His disinterest in entertainment may be traced back to his early childhood, when he was compelled to crossdress in a commercial, embarrassing himself greatly.
However, he will have to face the possible embarrassment once again when he appears in a special 10th-anniversary commercial. He has it bad enough that his childhood co-star Ryouma, who is now one of the most famous TV stars in Japan, thinks he is a girl and is in love with him. Now, Ryouma and Izumi will have to determine whether being a man is significant to them when it comes to love.
3/5 Dakaretai Otoko 1-i ni Odosarete Imasu.
This anime follows two attractive actors, Takato Saijou and Junta Azumaya. Takato, a 28-year-old professional actor, has claimed the title of “most huggable” (which really means “sexiest guy”) for five consecutive years. Just as he was about to win for the sixth year in a row though, rookie actor Junta was voted in first, and Takato had to settle for second place.
Takato feels devastated and resentful. After all, how can a rookie with three years of experience take his place? As he is struggling to cope with the severe shock, Azumaya declares that he wants to seize Takato and make him his. Things get tricky when they begin costarring in the same play, and a fresh love tale starts as they strive against several challenges.
2/5 Sekaiichi Hatsukoi
Produced by the same studio as Junjou Romantica, this animation explores the romantic relationship of three couples: Masamune Takano and Ritsu Onodera, Yoshiyuki Hatori and Chiaki Yoshino, and Kou Yukina and Shouta Kisa. However, the major plot revolves around the developing romance between Onodera and Takano. They meet when Onodera gets a job as an editor at a company that publishes shoujo manga.
The second story is about Chiaki, a manga artist, and Hatori, who has been his editor since he was a child. Chiaki starts to get the wrong idea about how Hatori and his friend Yuu feel about each other. Hatori has to clear things up, but that means he has to admit feelings he has been hiding for years. The last arc focuses on the weary character of Shouta, a manga editor in his thirties who is drawn to attractive people but never experiences true love. That might all change when he meets a charming book salesperson who loves shoujo manga.
1/5 Given
This anime centers on two high school students named Uenoyama and Mafuyu. They become buddies after a random encounter at school. Uenoyama is a skilled musician who enjoys playing basketball with his pals. Mafuyu, on the other hand, is a boy who always has a guitar with him even though he can’t play it. They meet as a consequence of Mafuyu sleeping in Uenoyama’s usual sleeping area, and it’s the guitar that gets them talking in the first place. After that, Mafuyu meets Uenoyama’s bandmates.
They teach him how to play the guitar, and when they hear him sing, they ask him to join the band. At the beginning of the series, both Mafuyu and Uenoyama are pretty lost, but for very different reasons. Considering this fact, most of the plot focuses on the characters’ feelings and the inner agony they experience. Furthermore, the plot moves slowly, but each stage takes the viewer closer to a satisfying end.