Ah, yaoi. The bishounen. The angst. The creepy I-love-you, rape-as-romance themes. While still considered a niche genre in comparison to more mainstream anime, yaoi has gained a significantly larger following than yuri and has an extremely passionate fanbase. There are also copious amounts of anime titles that don’t specifically fit into the yaoi genre, but which nonetheless either imply or leave the possibility open for male/male pairings – often as a kind of female-orientated fanservice. Every now and then though, a yaoi title comes along that manages to break the mold and present a genuinely thoughtful, creative, or (somebody pinch me) realistic love story.
As with last week’s article on yuri anime, I’ve chosen not to include titles in this list that are not explicitly canon, as well as those that don’t include at least one male/male pairing as a main couple of the show. Regardless of how popular they may be, anime such as Antique Bakery, Cardcaptor Sakura, Kuroshitsuji, and Ouran High School Host Club have therefore not been considered here.
Hyakujitsu no Bara/Maiden Rose
The first thing you should know about Maiden Rose is that it’s not your typical drama/comedy/romance yaoi fare – it’s actually quite a serious title set in an alternative universe against a backdrop of war. While the anime never tries to explain exactly why there’s a war going on or how these characters ended up on their side of it, this is in my opinion a very wise move; at only two episodes, the production would no doubt have felt extremely rushed and slap-dash had they tried to cram that all in. Instead, what we’re left with is a snapshot of the lives of two men and their relationship with each other, as well as how they deal with that relationship in the midst of their chaotic surroundings. The fact that said relationship isn’t a particularly healthy one (to say the least) adds to the drama – and because the anime makes no attempt at either justifying it or presenting it in a positive light, I don’t feel that sexual abuse is being glorified or romanticised as it is in so many other yaoi titles. It’s not a pornographic work and there’s nothing here that will shock anyone even remotely familiar with the yaoi genre, but at the same time, the fact that Taki is being raped is no secret. Essentially, the audience is shown this extremely complex connection between Klaus and Taki and is then left to decide what to make of it on their own. For this, I can only applaud the title. As far as the technical details in Maiden Rose go, I also have no complaints. Both the animation and artwork quality are safely above average, and I personally felt the character designs were very good. This anime would absolutely not make a good entry point into the genre, but it’s easily one of the best yaoi anime out there.
Ai no Kusabi
Ai no Kusabi is one of those titles that manage to stand out from most other yaoi anime in nearly every way possible. The setting is alternate-universe science-fiction, and quite an intricate one at that. There are no big sparkly eyes or overly dramatic facial expressions, and the sex scenes most certainly don’t come with perfectly tousled hair or declarations of undying love. You won’t see the traditional seme/uke pattern here either. Iason’s a sadistic arsehole, and Riki spends most of his time chained up, but since Riki is just as proud a man as Iason, and since Iason is obsessed with Riki to the point where he’s willing to bend the rules of his own social system, it’s far from your conventional yaoi relationship. I feel like with this title, the less you know about it before watching the better, but I will say that it’s considered a classic and the “magnum opus” of the yaoi genre for a reason. Don’t be too put off by the animation and artwork – while a little clunky at times given it’s age, there’s nothing here that should detract from the title as an overall piece. Despite its short length, Ai no Kusabi is a high-quality production with plenty of intelligent things to say. The 2012 remake, while not a complete story, is also worth checking out; obviously its artwork is much more pleasing to the eye, and the narrative remains very true to the original.
Loveless
It’s a shame that Loveless never got another season or at least a more conclusive wrap-up (clearly this is a running theme with yaoi anime), but even so there’s quite a lot here for fans to appreciate. This series is probably one of the most compelling and intelligent yaoi anime I’ve seen – not only is there an extremely interesting and creative fantasy-orientated story, featuring several psychologically fascinating characters of both genders, this is also a title that delves into some dark themes including memory loss, self-worth, domestic violence, sexual abuse, and a whole host of other very real social issues. The age gap between main couple Soubi and Ritsuka is one that I feel is dealt with tastefully, and it certainly helps that their relationship is more a tense undercurrent than anything the audience sees on screen. I also like that these characters, while obviously attracted to each other for various reasons, are not necessarily good for each other. Loveless isn’t and doesn’t try to be about idyllic romance or healthy relationships – it’s about loss of innocence and the pain of adulthood. While there are a few funnier scenes, most of what’s presented here is complex drama with a lot of very raw edges. Making the series even better is the truly lovely artwork, which is fluid and somehow reminiscent of watercolour – easily some of the loveliest I’ve seen from any yaoi title. The music is gorgeous too, with some moody piano pieces and a catchy opening theme song composed by none other than goddess Kajiura Yuki.
Fuyu no Semi/Winter Cicada
Getting to something more lighthearted in just a moment, I promise. Fuyu no Semi, however, is most definitely not your average lighthearted yaoi anime. It’s not even the fact that it’s serious or dark – it’s a flat-out tragedy in the traditional sense of the word. Now that I’ve completely ruined the ending for you, here’s why you should still watch it if you’re into yaoi: it’s a complete story with a definite conclusion, it’s the only yaoi anime I can think of that’s set in the 1800s (1862–1869 to be exact), and it features the most realistic male/male couple I’ve seen in any yaoi anime to date. Kusaka and Akizuki don’t act like overly dramatic bishounen – they act like two men in their social positions would be expected to, despite being very much in love with one another. Needless to say, their sexual actions have consequences and just as the audience can predict, their romance is doomed to failure from the beginning; much like a Shakespearean tragedy, you know exactly where this story is heading from the start. This predictability doesn’t stop Fuyu no Semi from being an excellent drama though, and better yet, one that’s based on mutual friendship and respect as well as love. Also a big point in its favour is that the drama isn’t exaggerated to the point where things get silly – in fact, it’s actually one of the more understated yaoi titles out there. It might be depressing as hell, but the story is also touchingly and respectfully told, with none of the usual theatrical fanfare but all of the emotional impact.
Seito Kaichou ni Chuukoku/Hey Class President
Even though this story is obviously incomplete, it still manages to make this list because it’s without doubt the funniest yaoi anime I’ve seen. The story might not be particularly original – two high school boys who become friends (and later, friends with benefits) via their association with the school kendo club – but the awkward hilarity as both characters try to figure each other out is actually quite refreshing, especially since the seme character is just as unsure of himself as our resident uke for a change. The humor is definitely the highlight of this title, with some of the facial expressions, the internal monologuing, and the way a few scenes are timed making me laugh at loud more than the once. I tend to dislike anime with regular slice-of-life settings that attempt to take themselves too seriously, and I’m really glad that this one doesn’t. It’s simple, mostly high-spirited, and at times endearingly stupid. I’m also happy to report that the artwork fits the general tone of the piece fairly well; it’s clean, bright, and easy on the eyes. If you want some effortlessly digestible yaoi drama, something different from all the doom and gloom in those first four anime on this list, then this is the title you should be watching.
Question of the post: What’s the best and/or worst yaoi anime you’ve ever watched? Are there any guys reading this that have watched yaoi anime and still enjoyed the story, even if the guy/guy romance itself isn’t something that appealed?
OTAKU LOUNGE 
The only yaoi anime I’ve ever seen is Gravitation and I thought it was so painful I never even got passed the first episode. Most of my exposure to yaoi is through fanfiction rather than through anime. I’m tolerant of it in general, except when it gets, erm, physical. Then I just look away and pretend I saw nothing.
On another note, seeing as the only yaoi anime I actually know of are Gravitation and Junjou Romantica, what were your thoughts on them if you watched them?
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For many people, Gravitation was the gateway anime into the genre, so it’s importance to yaoi overall really can’t be overlooked. That said, I also think it’s a fairly bad anime, with production values that are subpar at best and a story that’s neither original nor intelligent. I can’t say I’d ever recommend it to anyone. Junjou Romantica is a lot better I think, but still uses pretty much every cliché in the yaoi book to tell its story. It’s saving grace though is that it does actually manage to be funny a lot of the time, so it functions as a genuinely amusing comedy title as well as a your typical drama-filled yaoi anime.
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Interesting. I have a starting point now. Though I’m a little worried if Loveless is one of the better entries because I took a peek at that show when it first aired and it creeped me the hell out. Though I did say I wanted to give this genre a shot, so I guess I’m gonna have to swallow my pride (and homophobia) and give one of these a shot.
Just not Loveless. *shudders*
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Honestly, I think Loveless is at least in some respects intentionally creepy. I view that anime as more of a psychological drama than a romance, and since many of the themes it deals with are fairly dark, the atmosphere seems purposefully designed to be distinctly unsettling.
I think it’s admirable that you’re going a little (or possibly a lot) outside of your comfort zone. Of course, at the end of the day people simply like what they like and dislike what they don’t, and there’s nothing wrong with that. If I may make a suggestion – assuming you’re serious about traversing into yaoi territory but have real problems dealing with the on-screen depiction of two males in a sexual relationship, I’d be more inclined to start off with something that’s yaoi-friendly but not specifically yaoi material before starting to wade deeper. You might find it incredibly dull if you naturally lean towards more action orientated anime, but if you don’t mind plain slice-of-life or drama then I’d recommend something like Antique Bakery first, which has one outwardly gay main character but isn’t actually a yaoi anime.
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Oh, or else try a yaoi anime that has an easily digestible storyline and is very light on the sexual yaoi content, like Sekai-Ichi Hatsukoi.
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Out of the few yaoi anime I’ve watched, Fuju no semi is my favourite. Loveless comes second, even though I found it creepy it’s good for the reasons you describe. I did try Ai no kusabi but I only watched about 20 minutes before I dropped it. You make want to give it another chance.
I have one more yaoi anime left by my ex on my computer, I tried watching it last week, but I didn’t like it. I have already forgotten it’s title, it’s about two actors – I think one is supposed to be a “serious” actor while the other is a porn actor – who are lovers in a movie but don’t like each other that much in real life, or maybe they do. Well… I get that they are sort of rivals as actors and that there’s a lot of prestige involved (who gets to play the main character, who has the better future as an actor, things like that) but I think the plot sounded more interesting in theory. During the first 30 minutes, I found the characters boring and the plot predictable, and the sex scenes completely uninteresting, so I dropped it. (There was also a ridicilous scene where the director of the movie wanted to do research for a novel by switching partners, but changed his mind when he saw one of the actors on top of his young lover. For some reason this scene made me laugh, I don’t think that was the intention.) But as far as I saw before I dropped it, there was no actual rape involved, which is a good thing.
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Hmm… maybe the one you’re talking about is Haru wo Daiteita (Embracing Love)? I only have really vague memories of that, but from what I recall I didn’t like it much either. Fuyu no Semi (Winter Cicada), which is very loosely based on that manga series, is far better.
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if u love fuyu no semi, i guess u’ll know haru wo daiteita since they were from the same mangaka nitta youka. if you check the characters’ detailed figures they were almost look alike. blonde man and black hair man and the black hair man is always uke no matter his shoulder broader than the blonde one. i read once that this author chose not to determine seme or uke from their figures.
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Yes, I did know that. Funnily enough, I wasn’t such a huge fan of Haru wo Daiteita. I didn’t hate it, but it did absolutely nothing for me.
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In my opinion sekaiichi hatsukoi is the best yaoi anime. The stories of all three couples (especially the m ain one are great, and its not ‘too’ sexual,plus its really funny and the characters are great too
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I honestly thought Sekaiichi Hatsukoi was pretty bland in terms of story and characters. I didn’t dislike the series. but I also didn’t find it especially interesting or exciting.
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Well Gravitation was my first light-hearted romp into yaoi (incidentally, have you ever heard anyone Japanese say that out loud? I speak Japanese but I’m always reluctant to say yaoi because it just sounds ridiculous…). Anyway, Ai no Kusabi was the first time I really dived in. I even bought the book in Book Off! One of many waiting to be read ><
Oh, and there was a pretty graphic one called Legend of the Blue Wolves and a messed up one called Fujimi Orchestra that my friend practically smuggled to me when I was a teenager. Seem to recall a grainy, arty France-based shonen-ai too. The worst I've ever seen was called Papa To Kiss in the Dark with just about the most incestuous relationship ever which turns out not to be QUITE SO incestuous which is somehow a negative thing for one of the characters.
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I’ve heard both ‘BL’ and ‘yaoi’ used by Japanese people, but ‘BL’ seems to be the much more common term – at least these days.
I honestly don’t have a lot of experience with yaoi manga, mostly just because my main interest is in anime. I sometimes read the odd light novel though.
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Apologies for the lack of timeliness on my part. A very interesting post. Not all highlights I’d agree with, but well thought out and explained nonetheless. They’ve all still got their problematic aspects, but at least it’s a step in the right direction for a genre laden with unfortunate implications.
I personally would highlight No. 6. While it’s in desperate need of a twelfth episode to iron out the curveballs of its completely bonkers plot, it’s one of the first BL anime that achieves what I’ve always been looking for. The romance is an important part of both main characters’ arcs, but there’s also a science fiction plot going on that doesn’t hinge on some pained confession. Nor is there the eyerolling ‘oh dear manlust’ internal monologue or the fetishization of the forbidden love aspect. It’s presented as a valid romance in the same way that a heterosexual romance would be, and it’s so refreshing that I could kiss the development team across their bewildered mouths, plot oddities be damned.
A second special nod to From the New World, which also attempted normalized queer relationships (m/m and f/f) if with the unconfortable subtext that they would normally be expected to ‘grow out of it’ (what with the sci fi post apocalyptic population being rather alarmingly low).
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Not at all – late comments are just as welcome as any other. And I couldn’t agree more, the yaoi genre really does have its work cut out for it just to get past its (seemingly inherent) problems, let alone actually produce any outstanding titles. I have yet to see any yaoi-specific title that I’d rate as being truly excellent.
I also definitely agree that No. 6’s male/male couple is one of the best I’ve seen in any anime, for the very fact that it generally doesn’t fall into the same cliche traps that are so abundant in yaoi shows. While I concur that the execution of No. 6’s story (particularly in those last few episodes) left a great deal to be desired, the relationship between Shion and Nezumi was wonderfully portrayed. That said, I wouldn’t categorise No. 6 as a yaoi-specific title, in the same way that I also wouldn’t consider From the New World (or Antique Bakery, or any other anime that happens to include male/male romance without it making up the bulk of the story) as being yaoi-specific. Nonetheless, you make some great points, so thank you.
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That does seem fair enough. I think the first truly necessary step is to pull away far enough that your definition is actually applicable – wherein BL and GL are a subset of romance rather than a pigeonhole. I don’t think it’s yet the case, and most producers seem to find greater lucrative finance by playing coy plausible deniability a la Tiger & Bunny and Madoka (though at least the former has an abundance of creator commentary, including one using the civilian term for ‘partner’ from Barnaby to Kotetsu). I believe I’ve made myself a bit depressed. Look forward to your future posts.
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*nods* I’d like to see more anime along the same lines of No. 6 and From the New World, where male/male and female/female couples are treated with more realism and genuineness. At the moment, I think that most anime that do only imply same-sex relationships are more likely to be used as a kind of fanservice than out of any actual respect for plot or characterisation. Still, the fact that there are such anime out there, albeit few of them, gives me some hope.
On a different note, I hope you don’t mind me saying that I also look forward to your future posts as well. You write very well, and I think we may have some similar tastes. 🙂
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I am one of those rare gay men who’s really into shonen ai and yaoi. I got interested back in the late nineties and while my interest has waned a bit I still have a good collection of manga and anime. I have seen a couple you profiled here and will have to check out the others. I think what makes me different is I am attracted to bishonen type guys in real life, you know the long hair pretty boy type. I can’t explain it but I guess you only know that you find someone attractive, not always why. I am convinced that one of my , “inner children,” is a teen fan girl. I know I am a hopeless romantic so that definitely plays into it as I now read many of the gay romance books that have really taken off in the last decade. I am also into the wider anime genre and am an “Asiaphile.” I traveled and lived in Asia while volunteering as a college student and that is what kicked off my interest. Anyway, thanks for the recommendations and for your blog.
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Thank you for your comment! I’m glad you found the recommendations useful and/or enjoyable – hopefully you find something there that tickles your fancy. 🙂
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I’d like to know, how do you find a gay romance book, besides a manga? i’ve read one that has a little gay, but….
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There are quite a few titles available under the category of gay romance. I have a Kindle Fire so I read books that way and the selection is bigger than physical books but there are plenty of titles. Go to Amazon and search for Gay romance. You should get plenty of choices. If your interested in young adult gay titles there are quite a few of those as well.
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I am awfully late here… LOL
I just read this article and loved it. I’ve watched almost all animes on this list and liked them (some more than other).
But honestly… I’ve been looking for sometime now for a less romantic and more dark/mature/graphic Yaoi anime. I know there are some, like “Ai No Kusabi”, which is pretty graphic and has a good story… but I don’t know, I still feel it a little “girly” (this is just my opinion).
I guess I’m looking for something more “Bible Black” style… where we can watch graphic penetration and fit guys having sex… as well as a good, interesting story that catches our attention.
If anyone has a recommendation… I’d be very thankful.
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I definitely recommend the remake of Ai no Kusabi if you’re looking for something darker and more graphic. It works a lot better than the original version on that front because of the updated artwork, and I feel that it’s also more sexually explicit.
I’m afraid I don’t know of any yaoi anime that are in the style of Bible Black – but if I’m hearing you right, I’m assuming you want something that’s more about the sex than the romance, and probably in the pornographic department. That being the case, have you tried Sensitive Pornograph? Unfortunately it’s only a single-episode OVA that’s divided into two separate stories, but it’s probably the most explicit yaoi anime I’ve ever seen.
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Thank you so much for your quick response, Artemis.
I’ll look into both your recommendations. 🙂
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Hi, nice post. 😀
I am die hard yaoi fan XD.
The first ever BL anime that I watched is Kyou Kara Maou and I was hooked.
I will definitely watch the Maiden Rose and Hey Class President(I had already watched the other three though I stopped watching Loveless since it was “weird”).
I also watched Gravitaion and the story was OK. It is also one of my favorite BL anime. On the other hand Embracing Love is so-so.
I like it best when one of the main character looks like a female since it’s better.
I’m really not good with remembering titles but I would suggest you to watch Sekaiichi Hatsukoi. It also has a “crossover” with Junjou Romantica . You might also consider watching Sex Pistol since the plot is cute. 😀
P.S. I will comment again. I will check on the title of this one yaoi anime that I recently watched.
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Thank you for commenting. Actually though, I’ve already seen all those anime titles you’ve suggested.
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I would have also added “betrayal knows my name”, the very first Yaoi anime I ever saw and got me hooked. The story line was absolutely amazing even though it was a rather light Shounen-ai.
But I do agree with some other commentors on here in relation to the guy on guy, since I am a gay guy I sometimes find it overly fictionalized that these men in the animes don’t end up becoming emotionally intimate at the least with one another or kiss or something, except for the rare few that are sexually explicit… No. 6 (on the other hand) which I found extremely romantic lacked the plot which other more intense yaoi animes hace, it was so confusing I just didn’t understand it at all. This is probably due to Japan’s censorship anyway because the actual Mangas are much more explicit. Even so, an anime with a guy desiring another guy (at least the way it’s portrayed in the mangas) can become PG-ish or PG-13ish without altering and deleting the “passion” between the characters … Just a bit of criticism there with the quality of yaoi anime in general or Shounen-ai anime.
The remake of Ai No Kusabi was fantastic, they’re missing another 8 or so episodes they’ve promised to make through the years.
I have yet to see loveless or gravitation, I don’t know why they’ve never particularly interested me maybe because I’m a hard core “action movie fanatic” 😡 but one day I’ll watch them.
I think another anime which was really good was 07-ghost, the characters you wished would also become attracted to one another more than portrayed, reminded me of “betrayal knows my name”.
Thanks for sharing this article, you brought up a few animes I haven’t seen yet :D.
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I actually thought Betrayal Knows My Name and 07-Ghost were really bad – awful pacing, poor characterisation, and full of hackneyed stereotypes. No. 6 on the other hand could have been really great, but the insanely rushed ending basically ruined the entire thing for me, even though I found the relationships dynamics incredibly interesting and quite well done for the most part. I agree with you that the Ai no Kusabi re-make was very good though – I only hope it actually ends up being finished at some point.
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Oi! I’ll have to say that my so-called “gateway” into the yaoi genre happened to be a real doozy: LEGEND OF THE BLUE WOLVES. I’m supposed to do a blog post on this one some time back but haven’t gotten to it yet. I stumbled across this one kind of on accident. I was actually searching for more M/M stories and I was curious to see if there were any in the anime/manga sphere. My Google search lead me to BLUE WOLVES and that was pretty much it. I found the uploaded vid on VEOH and curled up in my bed and watched it. It’s an example of ‘hard’ yaoi or hentai yaoi– it’s actually more along the lines of bara. There is only one episode, out of the 4 proposed and that’s because the production company went under and the project was never finished. It’s not an easy watch to say the least, but the one ‘romantic’ sex scene toward the end makes watching it worth it— the ending devastated the crap out of me, leaving me a crying heap in my bed. So, I guess that’s what I call jumping into the pool with both feet, instead of dipping a toe in first. But I’ve been hooked on yaoi every since. And I love, love, LOVE Ai no Kusabi! It’s one of my favorites.
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I’d definitely call Legend of the Blue Wolves bara as opposed to yuri – but yeah, that makes for a pretty interesting introduction to m/m anime!
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I have only watched 3 yaoi anime at the moment and I find that junjou romantica the best that I watched it through twice but only my favourite couple which Is Miskai and Usagi and am currently reading all the completed fan fiction on it because I’m growing obsessed and I know because it took me away from reading yu-gi-oh fan fiction and also stopped me writing my first story. I also find gravitation ok but it gets on my nerves when they keep on getting back together or breaking up I mean at the end I think that got back together. The last is gakuen heaven witch to me doesn’t have enough action with only one kiss etc but don’t take offence if you like it but in my personal opinion it wasn’t that great I mean I is a good story line with the whole child hood friends thing but that was about it and it was kind of predictable but that just might be me.
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Wait I have also watched beboy kidnappin’ idol which I found alright but there wasn’t a defined ending they kissed once then he saved the younger then the drove off into the sunset cliche much. There is also Okane Ga Nai which means apparently no money where a university student is sold by his cousin which he won’t believe and the man that buys him is actually in love with him it has sex scenes with invisible dicks as the reviewers said but it was hard to find so I ended up watching it on YouTube it is not the best but you might like it or not we all have our own opinions
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I’ve seen all of the titles you’ve mentioned – some of them I ended up using as texts for my PhD. I liked some and disliked others, as I do with all genres of anime.
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umm..hello.. I’m an yaoi fan too…well some of the title posts is very familiar but I haven’t watch Loveless, Gravitation and Legend of Blue Wolves..But I already watch Okane ga Nai, Hey, Mr. President, Ikoko Romantan, Maiden Rose etc…but I think I’ll try watching some..
Thanks for this..<3
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You’re welcome – I’m glad you found this post useful.
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I’ve watched a pretty good amount, but I NEEEEEEDDDDd more ones with good art…. I’ve watched Yami No matsue(Not amazing art, but it’s okay),Sekai Icchi Hatsuekoi(pretty great art, they were sexy, but not much visible sex seens-_-), Junjo Romantica(Great anime, great art…. It was very good.. in manga version, the “seens” are much more graphic..),gravitation(alright art,the art seems to get better in my opinion once you get used to it… not visible “seens),Uragiri wa boku no namae wo shitteiru(no sex seens, no kissing, which they should’ve, but greeaat art),lovless(great art, only kissinga bit, but no sex..), love stage(great art,sex seen at last episode, but some stuff happens before that :)),togainu no chi(ok art, but no sex seens, and i don’t think any kissing.), kiri papa(great art, and yes, the seens YAY), Gakuen heaven( no sex, only a kiss at the end… great art),Ikoku irokoi romantan(yes, the sex, and great art), angels feather*alright art, no sex seens, but kisses and a few touches),princess princess( OH MY GOD, SOO SEXY, BUT NO SEX, ONLY A KISS :(),papa to kiss in the dark(great art, sex and kisses:)), mirage of blaze(good art, no sex)
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Boka no Pico. ( shudders )
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Boku no Pico, i mean. Sorry.
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Hi
I have watched Gravitation, Ai no Kusabi, Loveless and a few yaoi anime that I don’t remember the title anymore.
However, as yaoi fan, I actually don’t like yaoi anime. What I really like is yaoi fanfiction. Strange, huh? Especially considering the fact, that those pairing in the fanfiction aren’t canon pairing. Let’s say Kuroba Kaito and Kudo Shinichi from Detective Conan.
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I don’t think it’s all that strange to dislike yaoi anime but enjoy yaoi fanfiction – there’s comparatively very few yaoi anime titles out there after all, and many of them aren’t considered particularly good even by yaoi fans. Fanfiction, on the other hand, is a great deal more easier to come by, and there’s enough variety to cater to pretty much every taste. 🙂
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I’m the same as you,though I do read yaoi mangas as well. I did watch a few yaoi which I don’t remember either. One that I do recall is “papa to kiss in the dark” or something like that. Don’t really remember what it was about only the main characters, a middle or high school student and his father who isn’t really his father, I think.
(My Reading Manga.info has all kinds of yaoi if you don’t mind the visual images)
Detective Conan is my favourite non yaoi anime after naruto that is. I like shinichi to be on top more but most fanfiction that I find always have kaito as the seme. I mean kaito is soo cute don’t you think.
I might watch some of the above mentioned anime if I have nothing to do or just want a little change .
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I’m afraid I haven’t watched much of Detective Conan, although I have seen a good chunk of Magic Kaito 1412 so I know the characters you’re talking about. I know Papa to Kiss in the Dark very well though – I actually used that as a text in my PhD, so Id say I’m all too familiar with that particular anime…
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I’ve just finished watching junjou romantica and I’m totally satisfied !!! oh myyy this is my first time i watched yaoi this far, and i like it, no! I love it
I read your post and i’m curious hmm which one is (rather has ‘strong’ yaoi content) better to watch ? stronger than junjou romantica but less than maiden rose >///< and on top of that, with a very good looking appearance, any titles you recommended?
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Of the titles listed here, I’d recommend Seito Kaichou ni Chuukoku/Hey Class President for something in between Junjou Romantica and Maiden Rose in terms of sexual content. It’s only two episodes which is a shame, but it’s not too shabby in the artwork/animation department either.
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Lets see, my gateway yaoi was Junjou Romantica which I really like. It also introduced me to some other yaoi anime like Sekaiichi Hatsukoi which I also really enjoy. I’ve watched most of the ‘popular’ yaoi anime like Hey! Class President, Kirepapa, Loveless, Ikoku Irokoi Romantan etc. but I couldn’t really get into any of them.
I’ve found that I prefer yaoi manga to anime for some reason, haha. Right now I’m currently on a yaoi manga binge and I’ve found a bunch that I really like, the ones that I’ve really enjoyed reading are Himegoto Asobi(the characters are really likable and the plot is really enjoyable, plus the ‘uke’ isn’t completely girly.), Otokogokoro(which is just really fluffy and cute, characters are really well design.), and Koicha no Osahou( the art isn’t half bad and the main characters are really funny.)
What I enjoy in a yaoi is good art, or at least decent art. I also like yaoi where the uke isn’t girly and instead can act, i don’t know, manly? I also prefer if it has a plot and is of a decent length since I hate it when a manga ends abrubtly.
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I’ve definitely noticed that Junjou Romantica has become the new Gravitation, in that it’s a yaoi title which fans newer to the genre find very accessible and can lead them onto other titles.
Personally I don’t really read manga as such, yaoi or otherwise, so I’m afraid I can’t comment on those titles you’ve mentioned here. I can appreciate the sentiment though – especially since most yaoi anime titles aren’t exactly known for their long episode count or manly ukes.
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Oh my god I totally agree with you! Maiden Rose is my all time favorite, and not long ago I just watched the remake of Ai no Kusabi and it became my second fav. I love love loveeee how rape is NOT glorified in Maiden rose, when most of the yaoi stories glorifies non-con and dub-con elements which I completely disagree on. RAPE should never equal love, EVER. I also read the manga of Maiden Rose and it’s awesome, you get to understand the relationship between Klaus and Taki a lot more and get to know why their relationship came to be such a dysfunctional one. It’s so bittersweet and painful and realistic, I love it. The only down part I find about Maiden Rose is during the sex scenes in the manga, Taki tend to be drawn with a really ‘girly’ body type..? which I don’t really like, because realistically he’s a soldier he’s got to have more meat than that.
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I agree, it’s extremely refreshing to see that rape is not excused away in Maiden Rose as some kind of acceptable form of love. Ditto with Ai no Kusabi, too. These relationships are indeed dysfunctional and are presented as such rather than held up as a good or healthy example of what love between two men (or between anyone for that matter) should look like. Coming from a yaoi anime, that strikes me as being incredibly rare.
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The one yaoi anime I’ve come to love a lot is Love Stage! because the characters together discover how they feel and after some time they can’t keep their feelings inside and the animation is just beautiful and Izumi the main character is to die for!!! He is so cute!! I loved the manga as well and I think it’s still ongoing. I love sekaiichi hatsukoi a lot as well.
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I haven’t read the Love Stage manga, but the anime was fun enough. I thought the artwork was about average to be honest, but it was nice to see both characters being honest with their feelings for a change – not something that seems to happen too often in BL anime.
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woahhh glad to find this recommendation. i just finished both manga n anime of sekaichi hatsukoi n i love it since it’s my first yaoi thing i give a try. i heard people think hatsukoi is too much drama, do u think so? i really want to try love stage, maiden rose and hey mr. president after seeing those comment by other fellas here.
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To be honest I’m not a huge fan of Hatsukoi – not because of all the drama, but mostly because I just didn’t care that much for any of the characters or pairings. To each their own though, and I’m glad you found this article and some of the comments helpful. 🙂
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I have yet to read the manga for sekaiichi hatsukoi but im looking forward to it. I personally love the angst and drama in sekaiichi hatsukoi and how it’s so obvious that onodera is still in love with his old senpai. I agree with Artemis about the fact that it is nice to see when the characters are honest with themselves and each other it’s refreshing and it makes it more exciting. I wish more yaoi manga would be turned into anime it’s frustrating.
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Hey!
I just read your blog and I loved it!
I’m also a HUGE fan of yaoi, though I’m not much into the manga.
I would like to know if there are any good (yaoi) animes that have scenes similar to rape, but not as explicit as Level C! Did anyone watch that? I swear I was scarred for life!
But what I mean by rape is more like Mirage Of Blaze and less like Okuna Ga Nai (did I spell it right?).
I’d be very grateful for any recommendations.
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Thank you for saying so – I’m glad you like the blog.
Ah, you mean Okane ga Nai (No Money) I assume, which yes, is incredibly rape-focused. If all you’re looking for is something explicitly sexual but that isn’t as creepy as that, then I’d recommend Junjou Romantica for something on the lighter/more comedic side and Maiden Rose for something more serious. It’s possible you may also enjoy Ikoku Irokoi Romantan (A Foreign Love Affair), which I guess sits somewhere between the two.
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I have seen all these anime so if you don’t mind listing some more, well if you can please. I’ve been interested in yaoi anime for a while now and now I’m worried that I might have seen them all.
So if you don’t mind I would really appreciate it if you would help me out a little.
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The yaoi anime genre is pretty small, so you may well have seen them all by now. And I’m sorry to say it, but the vast majority of yaoi anime titles currently out there are what I’d deem average at best, and at worst… well, I’d rather not talk about that. Have a look on MAL under the yaoi genre tag though, you may find some stuff you haven’t yet watched.
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OK no ones ganna help me well that’s fine il look for answers else where
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you get impatient after waiting just 2 hours? good gods. you can always google, too. there aren’t many yaoi anime out there but there are plenty. (majority are not very good)
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Somewhere else*
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*elsewhere* is correct. however, (aside from punctuation… not being there…) *ones* should be *one’s*, *ganna* = *gonna*, *il* = *i’ll*
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Hybrid child is another BL anime set during the late Edo period. I’m rather surprised to see it hasn’t been mentioned in the comments.
The animation quality of Hybrid Child is high, the plot is tragic and beautiful, and it really gives the feels. There’s also a A.I.-like scifi element in the story, making the viewer wonder the concepts of humanity and love. It’s my number one tear-jerker out of all anime., and the characters are beautiful.
On a side note, I disliked Huyu no semi. I didn’t like the character design, they looked unattractively clinical and the sex scenes were made uncomfortable to watch. I also prefer stories where the ones left behind find a way to deal with their loss and live on. That being said, I would’ve probably liked Huyu no semi more if the characters and animation had pleased my aesthetic eye.
Anyway, go watch Hybrid Child! It stands out.
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I don’t think Hybrid Child had been released at the time I made this post, so it’s probably not that surprising it wasn’t mentioned in the comments. I personally didn’t mind Hybrid Child but felt it was fairly uneven – some stories were definitely better than others and I’d rather watch something consistent.
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Another amazing anime/manga that fits into this category is No. 6. If you like sci-fi and action this one is perfect! It’s also very short.
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As much as I enjoyed (most) of No. 6, I absolutely wouldn’t class it as a yaoi title. Imo the anime industry could use more male/male relationships that aren’t unhealthy and unrealistic, purely fetishized pairings for female viewers, but with a few notable exceptions that’s exactly what yaoi anime is all about. Titles like No. 6 are an entirely different kettle of fish.
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When I was a preteen my best friend at the time used to send me to the local comic shop to rent yaoi anime and buy her graphic yaoi manga. One of the owners would try to strike conversation with me about various titles and I’d nervously respond vaguely. I really couldn’t get into it, One of my biggest issues is that the fetishism associated with most titles reinforces certain stereotypes that are frowned upon in western society. As a child I was sexually assaulted by my babysitter who was in his 20’s and it was anything but ice cream and long walks in the forest. Then, as a teenager, I ended up working at the aforementioned comic store. The owner I had mentioned prior spent about 3 months subtly grooming me by buying me lunch, lending me comics, and giving me TONS of free products – I just didn’t realize it came with a price. He invited me over to play video games and it kind of went downhill from there. I’m not necessarily traumatized by these incidents, but for a long time I resented other gay men because I assumed this sort of behaviour was normal. I can’t imagine the average gay man in Japan would be able to relate to any of this content and it clearly shows the industry is aware of where the money actually lies.
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Yeah, BL and yaoi content is generally created by and for women rather than gay men, so it’s no wonder it’s so fetishized. Personally I’d like to see something more from the genre besides the usual unrealistic situations and cliches, but clearly the typical Japanese consumer doesn’t feel that way. And as you point out, at the end of the day it’s about making money more than anything else as far as the industry as a whole is concerned. I’ve basically resigned myself to that by now, though every now and again a new title comes along that manages to surprise me.
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have you watched No.6? it is set in a dystopian future and is more action based, but the romance between the two main characters is always present, if not overpowering. i find it to be a good starting point for people who are not so interested in a more physical relationship.
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Yes, I did watch that one. Despite the clearly rushed and pretty unsatisfying ending, I quite enjoyed the series overall. I wouldn’t call it a BL/yaoi series, but I did very much enjoy the way the romance between the two main characters was portrayed.
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Thank you for such an interesting entry! And is it weird that I’m finding immense pleasure in reading the comments above…? I found out quite a lot of things, not to forget there were quite a few giggles involved.
Aha, I’ve been introduced to the World of Anime (and Manga) recently by a good friend, and am broadening my ‘horizons’… Seems I’m really having fun watching Anime.
(Of course, it’d only be fair if I thanked the commentators also! So, again- Thank you.)
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You’re welcome – I’m glad you got something out of the post and hope you have fun exploring. One of the great things about anime is that it’s virtually impossible to run out of things to watch. 🙂
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Thank you for the post, and sub-subsequent thread that occurred 😛
I’m starting to think I’ve hit a dead end with yaoi anime, seen them all, or at least all the good ones. My personal fav is Ai no Kusabi and Koisuru Bokun (which I actually read in manga because I loved it so much). Dysfunctional relationships are the best I think, it just shows you that being perfect isn’t the norm (although if you are ever in a relationship like that I mean … RUN!!!!! ^^) I have a hard time when one of the guys is too feminine, and I prefer graphic/violent themes.
A yaoi manga I would recommend for those out there interested is Count Zero. FREAKING AMAZING! Or my other personal fav Saezuru Tori wa Habatakanai. Be warned, both graphic, and the second one VERY VIOLENT. But sooooo worth it haha Both are still ongoing too 🙂
Anyways, if you have any yaoi animes that fit those descriptions, please let me know, I’m getting a bit depressed with nothing to watch!
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Incredibly, the four of these I recognize are awful and unimaginative anime that use the same basic dynamic (Big Blonde Aggressor Man sexually pursues the less interested darker haired man), with the only difference being the aesthetic. What, no Haru Wo Daiteita? I would think a fetishist like you would be really into it.
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Okay.
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No.6
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I watched and at least partially enjoyed the series, but personally speaking I really don’t consider it a yaoi title at all. It certainly has some yaoi elements here and there, but overall I mostly think of it as a dystopian sci-fi show with two male leads who just happen to be kinda into one another.
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