Anime gay
Illustrated by Chrys Marr (She/They)
**Trigger Warning: mentions of suicide**
Gays. Anime. Some may assume they don’t overlap, but in evidence, there is a rich division of anime known for and characterized by its LGBTQ+ themes. The last several years in particular have yielded some of the most refreshing and positive instances of advocacy within the genre. This series hopes to give a proper platform to those unique productions that take Gay representation out of the comfortable shadows of connotation or fetishization it typically resides in and present themselves as unapologetically, beautifully gay.
Now, it’s only fitting to start this series with the show that inspired it: the soul-wrenching, eleven episode phenomenon known as “Given.” Absolutely falling into the “beautiful” column of categorization, the original manga written and illustrated by Natsuki Kizu began publishing in 2013, and received an anime adaptation in 2019. The animated adaptation became the first explicitly queer series to gas on Noitamina, a programming block of Fuji TV reserved exclusively for anime. This in itself is a feat, as while the amount of same-sex attracted romance in anime is anything but
Welcome to Sunday’s Select Sevens at Anime Rants! Today we’ll stare at some LGBT+ pairs in anime. These aren’t necessarily my personal favorite couples or the best or the most remarkable. They’re just a sampling selected from the anime I’ve seen, which focus on these couples as the main characters.
1. Akuma no Riddle: Tokaku and Haru
Tokaku (blue hair) is novice assassin assigned to kill Haru (reddish hair). However, Tokaku instead feels attracted to Haru, and becomes her protector. They acquire some truly sweet and sexy moments in the show. It was highly enjoyable to view their interesting personalities interact, with Haru the sweet and kind one, and Tokaku the one who is quiet but intense.
2. Bloom Into You: Nanami and Yuu
For the next couple, we have Nanami (dark hair) and Yuu (light hair). This show did a excellent job portraying an LGBT+ couple. One of the most fascinating things about them is that Nanami is clearly sexually attracted to Yuu, who becomes romantically bonded to Nanami but does not feel comfortable with too much physical contact.
3. Given: Ritsuka and Mafuyu
Given provides another marvelous depiction of
From my memory, it always felt appreciate BL anime existed as a genre for as extended as I can remember. Before BL dramas or movies became mainstream, BL animes and mangas were like the first frontier, depicting male romances in fiction even when it was taboo in society.
In anime, the BL genre is closely comparable to yaoi or shounen ai, which are labels that describe a very similar type of story. Yaoi is more explicit, shounen ai is more innocent, and BL tends to be the best of both worlds. This genre is a popular niche among certain demographics. I don't love using the term fujoshi, which has somewhat negative connections. Let's just say that people with fine taste usually see BL animes!
Despite its long history, there is surprisingly not a lot of anime to view in this genre. Trust me, I've done my analyze on this topic, searching high and low for some BL anime recommendations. You'd be amazed and disappointed at how little the selection there is compared to all the other genres.
And since the selection is so petty, this makes it even harder for a good anime series to enter along. As uncommon as they may be, there're still some excellent options. BL Watcher has consumed them all and
The 20 Best (Healthy) BL Anime on Crunchyroll
The yaoi genre, also known as Boys' Love (BL), has taken off in popularity over the past limited years. It's had a cult following since it was first established in the 1960s, but now it's far more out in the open than it's ever been. Accepted anime streaming services all have at least some BL anime, and manga can be found in any bookstore shelved beside shōnen and shojo series. With this amount of attention, however, comes a clearer view of the genre's biggest problems.
A lot of BL can be uncomfortable to consume because the relationships too often fetishize predatory, non-consensual, harassing, and even abusive interactions. Popular BL like Dakaichi and The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window tolerate from this, as skillfully as classics like Junjou Romantica. As a fallout, many are seeking BL that don't strongly adhere to the common, and often toxic, tropes that dominate the genre. Crunchyroll has a handful of anime that portray a healthier relationship than the BL standard, arranged from lighter shōnen-ai that hint at yaoi content to full-on mature series.
Updated on May 12th, 2025 by Chelsea Steele: BL is a niche genre of anime