Despite what some may have you think, Boy’s Love(BL), or yaoi is still a very niche genre within the broader anime community. Yes, there are shippers active for almost every major title, but they are still a minority amongst all the people that love to watch any given anime. But considering the lack of LGBTQ representation within anime at large, BL is still one of the few genres that actually offers any representation at all.
This anime season’s The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window is an odd case for BL. It is often more horror than BL, and it doesn’t feature actual romance, just a boatload of sexual innuendoes, and a very suggestive central relationship that starts off as toxic, with some non-consensual possession and scary yandere behavior. While the relationship dynamics will improve in the future, the series is not necessarily a model for a healthy relationship, and it doesn’t really inspire too much confidence in those that look for some positive representation in their BL content.
Last year had a better run, with the release of The Stranger by the Shore and Given’s film sequel, both are excellent films, and feature some much-needed healthy and/or complex same-sex relationships. But overall, positive portrayals are still quite lacking.
Admittedly, BL as a whole is grappling with problematic relationships, non-consensual and dub-con relationships are still dominant within the genre, as exemplified by the wild popularity of the Omegaverse trope. But many recent titles are starting to confront these issues in self-reflexive ways. For example, Tokyo in April by Haru is an excellent exploration of #metoo in Japan.
Anime studios usually use manga sales to determine which manga to adapt into anime, this is why the incredibly problematic Dakaichi was turned into anime so quickly. But studios may want to consider the message they are conveying when choosing certain projects.
There are also more optimistic signs from next year’s Sasaki and Miyano, which features an incredibly wholesome high school couple that builds their relationship through mutual understanding and respect, it is kind of a BL version of Kimi ni Todoke, and who doesn’t love that.
There are also so many more good Boy’s Love manga that deserves to be turned into anime, that feature realistic, complex but consensual, and relatively healthy relationships. Below is just to list a few that some studios could potentially be interested in adapting.
Escape Journey by Ogeretsu Tanaka
When high school lovers Hase Taichi and Hisami Naoto break up over a very small fight, things get awkward when they see each other again in college. This is a love story about break-ups, emotional traumas, and what happens when people who truly love each other still fail to communicate.
The characters in Escape Journey are flawed, often infuriating, but are painfully realistic in the way they often revert back to some bad habits. The way this series tackles issues like coming out and societal pressure is nuanced and mature. And unlike your typical BL, the female characters in Escape Journey are actually interesting and lovable. There are three long volumes of this manga, and it can be turned into a very well-paced seasonal anime.
I Hear the Sunspot by Yuki Fumino
This manga was adapted into a live-action film in 2016, but there is much more manga left, so it can definitely be turned into a full-length anime series. It tells the story of a near-deaf university student Sugihara Kohei who wants to hire a note-taker, and when he meets the optimistic Sagawa Taichi, Kohei’s world begins to open up.
The series features some very subtle but powerful portrayals about the isolation and depression related to becoming disabled, but also discussions about how one person’s positivity can completely change another’s life. On top of a supportive and loving central relationship, this series also features some very important and realistic deaf representations. And it is one of the more wholesome BL titles that can be a great hit with the general audience.
10 Dance by Inouesatoh
When Standard Ballroom Dancer Shinya Sugiki meets Latin Dancer Shinya Suzuki (yes, their names are intentionally similar), they form a dancing power couple that’s aiming for the World Championship. But before competing, they must master each other’s dance styles, and this proves to be a more difficult endeavor than they originally thought.
Besides the incredibly good-looking ballroom dancing sequences, the sexual tension between Sugiki and Suzuki is definitely the highlight for anyone who loves a good flirtatious relationship. It is also a respectful yet competitive relationship, Sugiki and Suzuki constantly challenge each other and make each other better dancers. But they still have to overcome their own pride before giving in to their passions. The series is still ongoing, but there is potential to turn this into the Yuri on Ice! for ballroom dancing.
Black or White By Sachimo
Himemiya Shin and Tatebayashi Kazushige are both up-and-coming actors, Shin is a character actor that's often relegated to playing the villain, while Kazushige is the typical heartthrob. But despite their differences, they share a secret: they have been dating ever since high school. Now that they are both celebrities, they must navigate the ruthless showbusiness while trying to maintain their relationship.
This series is a rarity among BL stories in that the main couple actually waited a long time before consummating their relationship. This means that their love is quite pure and innocent when it starts out, and it is also very consensual. But there are still plenty of personal dramas that feature jealousy, gossip, scandals, and much more.
Smells Like Green Spirit by Saburo Nagai
A heartbreaking tale about a rural gay high school student Mishima Futoshi who is bullied by his classmates for being effeminate, Mishima quietly accepts the bullying and finds comfort in cross-dressing. One day, he discovers that one of his bullies Kirino Makoto is actually also gay and a cross-dresser, so they form a secret friendship.
This is an in-depth exploration of sexuality, bigotry, the harm of suppressing one’s true self, and the beauty of acceptance. Mishima and Kirino are not a romantic couple, but their friendship is truly touching, and quite rare for any manga, let alone a BL manga. Yet the melancholic ending reminds us that the real world doesn’t always feature happy endings for everyone.
This series will make a refreshing addition to the genre of BL anime with its non-stereotypical characters, serious topics, and a very unique style that blends the absurd with the gut-wrenching reality of bigotry in rural Japan.
