Highlights
- Yaoi, or Boys Love, is a genre that focuses on romantic relationships between men, with various sub-genres such as supernatural and school-life.
- Shonen-ai is a sub-genre of yaoi that focuses on non-sexual relationships between male partners, often centering around emotional intimacy.
- Some top performing yaoi include shonen-ai stories, offering great tales of connection and romance, appealing to a wide range of readers and fans of the genre.
Yaoi, often referred to as BL or Boys Love, is a genre that focuses on romantic relationships between two men. Like any romance genre, there are various sub-genres, like supernatural yaoi, school-life yaoi, and comedy yaoi, to name a few. Within the yaoi category lies shonen-ai, a sub-genre that focuses on non-sexual relationships between same-gender male partners. While shonen-ai is notably less popular on reading platforms than pure yaoi, it features some great stories that center around connection and emotional intimacy or even consist of romantic subplots, having the story focus more on action or mystery.
Some top performing yaoi are shonen-ai because readers aren’t all that they’re stereotyped to be in the world of BL. From serial killer neighbors, to life-long friends turned something more, yaoi’s wholesome little brother has something to offer all readers and fans of the genre.
7 Monstrous Heart
Anime-Planet Score: 4.1
- Creator: SYball
- Genre: Supernatural
- Status: Completed
Jonathan is the freshman representative at Agustine academy, a prestigious and expensive private school that happens to be filled with monsters. Jonathan is one of the special few humans that was chosen to enter the monster school to help them assimilate to a life shared with humans after graduation. On his first day of classes, he is rudely awoken by a mysterious boy that he later meets in class. His name is Lucien.
Their worlds are full of secrets and violence, but sharing a life with someone makes it that much easier. Or does it? Monstrous Heart is available to read on Tapas.
6 Mad Dog
Anime-Planet Score: 4.2
- Creator: Haribo
- Genre: Crime Drama
- Status: Ongoing
Mad Dog details the life of an ex-delinquent and heir to a mob throne, Hamin, as he tries to stay uninvolved with his family business. Unfortunately, he is kidnapped by a rival gang hoping to get dirt on Hamin’s dad, and is rescues by a ruthless killer named Sehyuk Kwon. Now, on the orders of his father, Hamin must live with Sehyuk and allow him to be his bodyguard for the foreseeable future.
Though they are opposites at first glance, Hamin and Sehyuk start finding things in common with each other as they grow closer. It is available to read on Lezhin.
5 Murderous Lewellyn’s Candlelit Dinner
Anime-Planet Score: 4.3
- Creator: Sumnagi and Muk Bu
- Genre: Suspense
- Status: Completed
Murderous Lewellyn’s Candlelit Dinner is a historically set suspenseful drama. It centers around Shavonne, a ghostwriter working on a deadline, and Lewellyn, a new-in-town mysterious creep. Shavonne has been receiving spooky notes and knocks at his door at all hours, but when he goes to the police, they laugh him off due to there being a serial killer on the loose.
When Shavonne meets the raw-onion-eating Lewellyn, things don’t go as planned, and Lewellyn asks Shavonne over for dinner at his apartment. Will Shavonne come face to face with the local serial killer? It is available to read on Lezhin.
4 Salt Friend
Anime-Planet Score: 4.3
- Creator: Jing Jian
- Genre: School Life
- Status: Ongoing
Thomas is a ruffian who was suspended from school for fighting, and Zachary is at the top of the class in grades. When Zachary walks in on Thomas crying in PE class, Thomas fears that Zachary will tell the entire school that he was crying. After a day of anxiety about his secret being spread, Thomas decides to confront Zachary with bubble tea in hopes of fooling him into not saying a word. This plan backfires, and Thomas ends up doing Zachary’s homework.
This opposites attract school life romantic dramedy presents a bad boy and the top student as potential romantic partners. Only, Zachary’s reason for interacting with Thomas more than he had to is a little more complicated than it seems.
3 Killer Crush
Anime-Planet Score: 4.3
- Creator: Eresemo
- Genre: Comedy
- Status: Ongoing
Taeman is a killer for hire, and a good one at that. His expertise is leaving no traces behind. Dahyeok is an actor who recently switched over from being the male lead in romcoms, to wanting to be taken seriously as a dramatic actor. In order to expand his scope as an actor, Dahyeok looks to Taeman for inspiration. The only thing that could possibly ruin their mutually beneficial arrangement is if one of them fell for the other.
Killer Crush is an action comedy about two people from opposite worlds coming together for something totally epic. It is available to read on Lezhin.
2 Uncanny Charm
Anime-Planet Score: 4.4
- Creator: COM
- Genre: Supernatural
- Status: Completed
When Yoon Jae meets his new neighbor, things aren’t all that they appear. AMidst his moving boxes is a box covered in talismen, and when Yoon Jae falls near that box something strange happens. Now, Yoon Jae is being haunted by voices claiming to be his brother, sleep paralysis, and a dark shadow. Will his new neighbor be able to do something about the mysterious happenings?
Uncanny Charm is a supernatural drama about two college-aged men and their relationship as they deal with dark spirits. It is available to read on Lezhin.
1 Salad Days/ Pirouette Into My Heart
Anime-Planet Score: 4.4
Shen is a male ballerina and Jinyi is a boxer. They met at the age of 12 when their studios were next to each other, and hit it off despite their vast differences. Shen comes from a rural town and Jinyi comes from money. Both of their circumstances make them outcasts within their studios. Luckily, they have each other to lean on when things get tough.
Salad Days, also called Pirouette Into My Heart, follows Shen and Jinyi through adolescence, and explores their respective careers as the two support each other’s endeavors. It is available to read on Tapas.
