Boys' Love is an anime genre that explores the male-to-male relationship in manga or anime. It is sometimes known as Yaoi, but BL leans more toward Shounen Ai, where there’s no graphic sex shown. In this list, we've selected some wholesome BL anime without smut, nudity, or other explicit scenes.
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Doukyuusei
Doukyuusei, or Classmates in English, is a BL anime film that focuses on the budding relationship between high school students Hikaru Kusakabe and Rihito Sajou.
Hikaru and Rihito are like night and day because their interests are so disparate.
Rihito is an honor student with excellent exam results, whereas Hikaru is a popular student who plays guitar in his band. Will they end up together?
Given
Natsuki Kizu's Given revolves around Mafuyu Sato and Ritsuka Uenoyama's relationship.
When the two of them happened to meet in a quiet corner of the gymnasium, Ritsuka couldn't help but chastise Mafuyu for neglecting his Gibson guitar.
Eventually, Mafuyu and Ritsuka help each other as they form a band and perform live on the school's stage.
Sasaki and Miyano
Sasaki and Miyano, one of the cutest BL anime on this list, follows the developing romance of two characters with opposing interests and personalities.
While Miyano is a fan of anything BL-related (or a "fudanshi" in slang), Sasaki is clueless about BL.
Despite saying that he has zero feelings for guys, Miyano begins to see Sasaki in a new light after spending so much time getting to know him.
Hitorijime My Hero
A hopeless teenager named Masahiro Setagawa lives a miserable life, running errands for the neighborhood bullies and hoping that one day someone will save him.
A man known as the "Bear Killer" emerges out of nowhere and rescues him from the local gangs. The man's name is Kousuke Ohshiba, and he will be his math instructor at school.
While Masahiro admires Kousuke, the latter develops an odd desire to protect the former at all costs.
Spiritpact
Next on the list is Spiritpact, a Chinese BL anime that depicts the two main characters' master-servant relationship.
It is also an action-packed BL anime with supernatural elements, primarily ghosts and evil spirits.
The story begins with Keika You, the heir to a famous family of exorcists, whose life is turned upside down when his parents die.
One night, Keika comes across a mysterious yet charismatic exorcist named Ki Tanmoki, who is fighting an evil spirit.
Fate intervenes, and Keika is killed in a car accident and turns into a ghost. Ki then enters the picture and asks Keika to make a pact with him.
No. 6
This BL anime is set in a dystopian and post-apocalyptic world where a perfect city known as No. 6 exists. It is a place where citizens are shaped into obedient and submissive subjects in exchange for a life free of constraint or despair.
Sion is a No. 6 citizen who is highly educated, talented, and lives comfortably within the ideal city's walls.
However, Sion's life changes when he meets an escaped convict named Nezumi.
Not only did Sion lose his rights as a citizen of No. 6, but he was also sent to the lower town to live and become a normal citizen.
When Sion meets Nezumi four years later, he finds himself in yet another perilous situation.
Antique Bakery
Antique Bakery delves into themes of friendship, acceptance, and the pursuit of happiness through the characters' perspectives and experiences in the series.
It follows four hopeful characters from different walks of life who share the same goal of running a bakery together.
The story starts with Keisuke Tachibana, a former boxer who wants to turn his family's antique business into a bakery in order to escape his terrible past.
Look, I Can See Your Ears!
Look, I Can See Your Ears! is a short but cute BL anime that combines fantasy, romance, comedy, and slice-of-life elements with an interspecies relationship.
The anime follows Daisuu, an orphaned young man and manga creator whose work does not sell well in public.
Daisuu's mundane life changes when he meets Myou, a strange man with cat ears.
Daisuu gradually realizes that spending time with Myou warms his heart, despite the latter getting into trouble every day.
Sukisho
Sukisho follows Sora Hashiba, an amnesiac high school student who is hospitalized after falling from the fourth floor of his school building.
When Sora returns to his dormitory, he discovers a strange boy calling him Yoru. Ran, the strange boy, introduces himself and claims to be his new roommate.
The next day, Sora meets Fujimori Sunao, his new roommate and yet another childhood friend, according to the dorm manager Matsuri Honjou.
The strange thing is that Ran is an alternate personality inhabiting Sunao's body!
Nonetheless, Sora strives to recall all of his lost memories to comprehend what is going on around him.
Gakuen Heaven
Gakuen Heaven, a 13-episode BL anime released in the spring of 2006, follows Keika Ito, an ordinary high school student who is surprisingly accepted into the elite and prestigious boarding school, Bell Liberty Academy.
Only the very best students with exceptional skills and talents are admitted to Bell Liberty Academy.
However, unlike the other students, Keika has only average grades and no special skills, making his admission to the academy a mystery.
In a sea of talented and intelligent young men, Keika struggles to discover what distinguishes him and how he can compete with the other students at the academy.
Mask Danshi: This Shouldn't Lead to Love
Studio Fusion’s Mask Danshi: This Shouldn’t Lead to Love was released in the Fall of 2023. It revolves around two high school students, the pessimistic and aloof Sayama and the most popular boy in class, Saikawa.
They are polar opposites, but Saikawa took a liking to Sayama after a harsh encounter. Sayama always wears masks to school, so Saikawa took it upon himself to rip them off.
From here on, Saikawa offered his tutoring services to Sayama in exchange for doing anything he liked underneath the latter’s mask!
Loveless
Loveless is a BL anime that combines elements of drama, fantasy, josei, and romance.
The plot revolves around Ritsuka Aoyagi, a hopeless young boy who was left alone by his mother and brother in a cruel world. He also loses his memories as he has nowhere to flee or hide.
Fortunately, Soubi Agatsuma, a mysterious man, appears and assures Ritsuka that he will do anything for him because he loves him.
Ritsuka, along with Soubi, wanders through a world of intrigue and magic, attempting to find his brother's killer while remembering his lost memories.
SK8 the Infinity
While SK8 the Infinity is not exactly a BL anime, it does feature a lot of romantic tension between the two male protagonists.
This original anime follows Reki and Langa, two high school students who end up competing in S, a dangerous, top-secret, and no-holds-barred downhill underground skateboard competition.
Reki and Langa become entangled in the S Race, where they experience thrilling skateboarding battles and limitless possibilities.
Monochrome Factor
Monochrome Factor, a BL anime with many supernatural elements, introduces Akira Nikaido, a high school student who is said to be the reincarnation of Ryuko, the former Royal Direct Rei King.
In a world where beings called Kokuchi invade humanity, Akira forms a pact with the handsome and affectionate Shirogane to thwart their evil plans.
Akira and Shirogane become shadow partners, tracking down stray Kokuchi whenever possible.
Antidote
What happens when a good-for-nothing young master is evicted from his family home and forced to live with a gangster landlord?
In Antidote, a young master named Cheng Ke is found outside his home with nothing but his clothes on.
With no one to turn to and unable to care for himself, Cheng Ke meets Jiang Yuduo, a street thug who, despite his violent tendencies and dark childhood plagued by mental illness, offers him comfort.
Cheng Ke and Jiang Yuduo become closer as they get to know each other.
After fighting behind a dumpster, Cheng Ke and Jiang Yuduo fell in love.
Unbelievable Space Love
Unbelievable Space Love is a short but enchanting BL Korean anime, with some episodes lasting barely 30 seconds each. It has a melancholy and nostalgic ambiance that is ideal for a Friday night or weekend watch.
The anime follows a young man who discovers a strange man seated beside him, claiming that they are having a dream together. He has no memories, but the strange man tells him they've been together for seven years!
Is he speaking the truth, or is there more to the story?
Beryl and Sapphire
Beryl and Sapphire is a BL anime that follows the mild-mannered Beryl and the easily embarrassed Sapphire in various scenarios that encompass many genres such as comedy and drama.
Beryl and Sapphire is an episodic anime that takes a unique approach to the BL and slice-of-life genres.
Every episode places Beryl and Sapphire in different worlds where they cross paths numerous times.
The only consistent plot narrative carried by Beryl and Sapphire is their jobs, as Beryl is a Brunhild Tech developer and Sapphire is a Hyperion representative and technician.
Hirano and Kagiura
Hirano and Kagiura has a very simple narrative for a BL anime. It’s all about two roommates getting closer as they spend time together in the dorms.
So, expect a lot of fluff and simple moments between the characters that will tug at your hearts!
This BL anime explores the relationship between a diligent high school freshman named Akira Kagiura and his senior roommate, Taiga Hirano.
They have been roommates for quite a long time now, but in the last six months that they will be together, Kagiura will stop at nothing to finally confess his feelings to Hirano!
Will Kagura be able to do it before they part ways for good?
Caramel Honey
This cute but short BL anime titled Caramel Honey will give you the most diabetically enticing moments!
Caramel Honey is full of fluff; you will crave more! The only issue we have with Caramel Honey is its short length.
Caramel Honey revolves around a timid transfer student named Ayato Nakasone.
He transfers to a new school in the hopes of having a fresh start, only to find out that his new school is full of delinquents!
But most notably, the delinquents, particularly Yuusei Horiguchi, are extremely smitten with Ayato, especially when he removes his glasses!
Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard
In this new BL anime, a 30-year-old virgin named Adachi discovers that he has powers!
However, he gets more than he bargained for when this power leads him to discover that his highly capable colleague has a huge crush on him!
Adachi has the power to read the minds of all the people he touches, but he doesn’t know how to use it properly.
Will this newfound power give him the love he deserves or perhaps get him into messy situations with his handsome colleague?
My New Boss Is Goofy
In this work-life and comedy anime produced during the Fall of 2023, Momose quits his job and transfers to a new advertising agency, which he thinks would treat him better.
In his past job, Momose was often the receiving end of his power-harassing boss, which in turn broke his health and even his spirit.
Now looking for a new opportunity with a better atmosphere, Momose meets his new boss, Shirosaki, who seems intimidating but goofy in reality.
Tadaima, Okaeri
In this upcoming BL anime, a male Omega named Masaki is married to a male Alpha named Hiromu. They have a child together, and they just moved into their new home after leaving the discrimination and judgment they faced in their previous neighborhood.
Tadaima, Okaeri shows Hiromu and Masaki’s married life as they try to give their child the safe and warm environment that he deserves. They will make new acquaintances and, hopefully, create unforgettable memories.
19 Days
If you want to watch a BL anime that is both wholesome and entertaining, add 19 days to your watch list right now!
19 Days follows the daily lives of a group of hot-blooded teenagers, particularly the couples Jian Yi and Zhan Zheng Xi and He Tian and Mo Guan Shan.
Not only will viewers relate to their banter, but they will also have a great time laughing at their funny antics.
Marginal Prince
This BL anime is set in the secretive St. Alfonso Academy, which is located on a small island in the Atlantic Ocean.
Yuuta, a young man who has recently entered the Academy, lives with five handsome Marginal Princes: student representative Joshua Grant, movie star Alfred Visconti, otaku Sylvain Clark, bespectacled Haruya Kobayashi, and Henri-Hughes de Saint Germaine.
Yuuta, who is cut off from the outside world, gets to participate in various classes, musical events, and even private investigations with his handsome friends.
Do you have any BL anime recommendations? Let us know in the comments below.
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