Once upon a time,boys love animehad a fairly negative reputation for emphasizing taboo relationships and shock value above everything else. Just to be clear, some of these older series are entertaining in their own right, but they are products of a bygone age. In the last few years, the genre has shifted toward stories that focus on mature, realistic, and (sometimes) healthy romances. An argument could be made that the 2020s represent the golden age of BL anime.
2024 mostly succeeded in maintaining this recent run of good form. Except for Fall, every season contained one memorable series that explored the theme. While not exactly plentiful, the year certainly offered quantity, serving up multiple shows that are suitable entry points for newcomers to Yaoi romances. Simply put, thebest 2024 BL animeare also among the genre’s greatest-ever efforts.
To qualify, an anime has to have a boys love relationship. No shows that hint at BL but do not pull the trigger.
Updated on June 14, 2025, by Mark Sammut:Unfortunately,Winter 2025 only has one boys love anime, and it is a better dark comedy than a BL romance. Therefore, to help fill the time until the year finally starts to produce some great entries in the genre, a section dedicated to non-BL 2024 anime that fans might enjoy has been added at the end of the article.
For the most part, boys love anime exist in an identifiable bubble, and these types of relationships are rarely explored by shows that are not specifically advertised as part of the genre.Senpai is an Otokonokoexplores gender fluidity through Makoto,a male teenager who feels far more comfortable dressed in female clothing. While not accepted at home, Makoto is willing to risk backlash at school, and his crossdressing leads to ostracization at first. However, he is supported by his childhood friend Ryuuji and eventually befriends a younger schoolmate named Saki, with the trio forming a charming dynamic and a few lopsided crushes.
As the story progresses,Senpai is an Otokonokosets up Ryuuji and Makoto as a couple, and they even start to date. However, the anime makes it clear that the romantic interest is still one-sided, with Makoto mostly regarding Ryuuji as an important friend rather than anything more intimate. As such,Senpai is an Otokonokois not an excellent pick for viewers specifically craving boys love; however, it is a terrific coming-of-age story that explores gender identity and other tough subjects like neglect.
A well-rounded experience,Twilight Out of Focusis essentially ananthology animethat shifts between three couples who are all connected somewhat through a school’s film club. Each pairing takes center stage for a handful of episodes, and their dynamics are unique enough from each other to stand out. Before even getting into the romance,Twilight Out of Focusshould be praised for its top-notch presentation, with constantly stellar animation, voice acting, and music. Honestly, thebest2024 boys love animeall have high production value.
While all three couples are lovable, Mao and Hisashi are the highlight, to the point of receiving more dedicated episodes than Giichi and Jin or Rei and Shion. Starting as roommates, the two students have a cute but slightly awkward connection, one that steadily transforms as Mao realizes that he might have feelings for Hisashi. The latter identifies as LGBTQ+ but prefers to keep that a secret, especially since he is stuck in and coming out of an unhealthy relationship. As they become closer, both characters grow more confident and comfortable, not only with each other but also with themselves. Their journey is heartwarming.
Now, that is an eye-catching title that might also put off a few people who are not already invested in BL stories.Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!sounds pretty dumb, but the series uses its ludicrous premise to cleverly explore stereotypes and archetypes. Due to being a 30-year-old virgin, Adachi picks up theability to read minds, which causes him to learn that his super-cool and popular colleague, Kurosawa, has a big crush on him. As he never really considered going in this direction, Adachi does not know how to process this information, and he ends up incapable of deciding whether to get closer to Kurosawa or keep his distance.
Kurosawa is the star of the show. Adachi’s ability provides deep insight into his coworker’s psyche and struggles, peeling away the “public” persona that Kurosawa presents.Cherry Magicfeatures multiple scenes that feel like throwbacks to the aggressive BL anime of yesteryear that involved one dominant partner, but they are subverted through Kurosawa’s thought process that emphasizes his insecurity, fear, and kind nature. Adachi and Kurosawa’s friendship and eventual romance develop surprisingly naturally considering the bizarre psychic element, and they are notCherry Magic’s only BL dynamic.
The anime’s ending has an unnecessary and rushed time jump, suggesting a sequel is unlikely to happen. This is disappointing. Fortunately, the manga is ongoing, though.
Givenis not only one of the best boys love anime of all time, but also arguably helped trigger thegenre’s current renaissance period alongsideSasaki and Miyano. The 2019 show is incredible, and the same can be said for the 2020 movie sequel. In 2024, the series was brought back for two follow-up movies, withHiiragi Mixdebuting at the beginning of the year in Japan. Like with its predecessor, the film pushes one of the secondary couples to the forefront; in this case, Hiiragi and Shizu receive the most attention, although not at the expense of the other characters.
All ofGiven’s characters are processing past trauma to an extent, and that theme remains central inHiiragi Mix. Hiiragi recruits Ritsuki to help finish a demo that Yuki worked on before his tragic death, and the song is inspired by the latter’s love for Mafuyu. In the meantime, Given could be set to go pro, although not every member of the band is 100% confident about embracing this future.
Although Ritsuki and Mafuyu’s relationship undergoes some fascinating development, the movie primarily focuses on Hiiragi and Shizu, who have yet to confess their feelings for each other. Before that can happen, the former has to challenge his complicated feelings for both Yuki and Mafuyu, which is handled well by the anime.
For the most part, boys love anime fall within the romance genre. They often involve confessions, grandiose declarations of love, and personal awakenings. All great stuff, but there is something to be said about a low-key story that just follows an established couple as they go through their daily lives.Welcome Homeis specifically that, and it is fantastic.
The anime is set withinthe Omegaverse, which imagines a world where individuals can have two sexes. While the concept is nuanced and is utilized in plenty of works, the most important detail to know is that people can be classified as the following:
Welcome Homefollows Masaki, an Omega, and Hiromu, an Alpha, as they start a family and take care of their young children. By the start of the story, these two have already been together for years, and their relationship is perfectly demonstrated through adorable and poignant scenes. Most episodes highlight an average day in the pair’s lives as they deal with an energetic toddler and a new baby, all the while getting to know their neighbors.
While mostly wholesome,Welcome Homealso explores subjects like prejudice, specifically through Masaki’s internalized hatred stemming from experiences of discrimination. Omegas are generally looked down upon, and Masaki fears that his children could suffer the same fate. Crucially, he is also scared that he might transfer his insecurities and trauma to them.
Non-BL 2024 Anime That Fans Might Enjoy
BL had a fantastic 2024, arguably its strongest and most consistent year to date. However, these shows are still niche and, ultimately, rare. Most seasons contain one or, at most, two boys love stories, and lineups without any series are not unusual either. As such, fans will run out of content pretty quickly, even if they decide to go beyond 2024 and check out thebest boys love anime of all time.
As Winter 2025 was not great for BL content, and Spring 2025 does not seem set to be much better, let’s highlight a few other 2024 anime that might be able to scratch similar itches.
These upcoming series are not boys love, but they focus on friendships between male characters (or something similar).
Ashi Productions
Manga by Nana Aokawa
This is a romance anime revolving around three new couples, all of whom are male and female. However, the latter work at a cross-dressing bar, and they tend to dress like men outside that setting. The anime emphasizes acceptance, and the cross-dressing aspect is never used as a punchline.
Nut
Original Anime
As he will be dying soon, Tsunehiro has mostly given up and is spiraling, acquiring a massive debt in the process. Through a peculiar turn of events, he ends up joining a group of friends who love fishing, to the point of even working at a store dedicated to the activity. Tsunehiro not only finds a new lease on life, but he also strikes endearing friendships with Hana and Takaaki. He ends up living with the latter too.
MAPPA
Manga by Eko Mikawa
Getting off to a pretty rough start,Oblivion Battery’s early episodes are defined by an annoying protagonist with a polarizing sense of humor. However, the sports anime improves considerably after a while, particularly once the team adds a few players. More importantly,Oblivion Batteryis all about male friendships, particularly the unbreakable bond between Kei and Haruka.
Diomedéa
Manga by Akira Amano
A mystery anime about an ordinary detective working with a super-genius who is blacklisted,Ron Kamonohashi’s Forbidden Deductionsis just plain-old entertaining. While they might not be a couple, Ron and Toto complement each other perfectly.
Madhouse
Manga by Riichiro Inagaki
Haru and Gaku are aiming to make a trillion dollars, and they will take on all corporations to achieve that dream. One is quiet and reserved, while the other is boisterous and outgoing; together, they are a formidable duo who can inspire others to follow in their footsteps.
