Top 35 Best Yaoi Anime of All Time Ranked (BL 2023) Updated

Last updated on February 13th, 2023 at 21:00 pm

People on the internet may or have heard the word ‘Yaoi,’ but what does it stand for? Generally, it means Boys Love or BL and is also a genre in both manga and anime. Without a doubt, it has its own fan base. And in recent years, it has even taken to the mainstream media. Moreover, it doesn’t stick to romance only but covers various other genres like fantasy, a slice of life, action, and even psychological thriller.

Before delving further into the topic, we should discuss a bit about the difference between Yaoi and Shounen-ai. To make it simple, Shounen-ai depicts a romantic relationship between two males but without any NSFW content. And Yaoi is the opposite of it and will contain mature content. So, without delay, let’s know some of the Top 35 Best Yaoi Anime of all time.

Top 35 Best Yaoi Anime of All Time Ranked

35) Partner’s Territory (5.42)

Partner’s Territory is adapted from a Korean manhwa. It shows the romance between three very different men who find themselves attracted to one another. It can be counted as one of the best yaoi anime for its romance angle and the slice of life elements.

34) The Titan’s Bride (5.46)

One day high school student Kouichi Mizuki finds himself transported to the lands of giants, Tildant. Upon arriving in the fantasy world, he meets the Titan King, Caius Lao Bistail who summoned him to Tildant. Caius announces Kouichi as his new bride and asks him to bear his children. Now what will Kouichi do in this bizarre situation?

33) Fujimi 2-choume Koukyougakudan (5.47)

Yuuki Morimura is a high school music teacher and the concertmaster as well as the first violinist for Fujimi Orchestra. When musical genius Kei Tonoin joins the orchestra as the conductor, Yuuki begins to feel overshadowed by Tonoin’s talent and the respect he gets from others.

To top it off he also finds his longtime crush crushing on Tonoin instead. This prompts him to leave the orchestra but Tonoin stops him, declaring his love for the teacher.

32) 6 Lovers (5.53)

6 Lovers is an anthology of six short stories focusing on the relationship between six g*y couples. Each story has a different element but all of them show the bond of love between the men featured in the story. This makes it one of the best yaoi anime of all time.

31) Boku no Sexual Harassment (5.60)

Boku no Sexual Harassment shows Junya Mochizuki, a handsome young office-worker whose boss sexually harasses him. When Junya complains, his boss tells him that he should get used to it to climb up the corporate ladder. This prompts Junya to start sleeping with different people to gain advantage in his career.

30) Keiraku No Houteishiki Level-C (5.84)

When Kazuomi’s girlfriend kicks him out of their apartment, the man is left homeless. While trying to find some with whom he can stay, he sees a handsome young man.

The young man, Mizuki, is a fashion model and is approached by Kazuomi on the street. Kazuomi asks Mizuki to let him stay with him for s*x which Mizuki thinks is a joke. That is until they reach Mizuki’s apartment.

29) Papa To Kiss In The Dark (5.89)

15-years-old Mira Munakata is in love with his father, Kyosuke, a handsome and popular Hollywood actor. They are also secretly lovers.

As the story progresses, there are many adversaries in their way including Mira’s childhood friend liking him, talk of Kyosuke marrying an actress and that actress’ son taking an interest in Mira. But more importantly Mira learns that he’s adopted.

28) Yebisu Celebrities First (5.90)

Featuring the popular cliché of the romance between boss and employee, Yebisu Celebrities First has Haruka Fujinami joining Yebisu Graphics and falling under the temper of his surly boss, Takashi Daijou.

But as Daijou continues to berate Haruka, the employee finds himself attracted to the man, rather than hate him. Thus begins the push and pull between these two.

27) Even A Dad Still Wants It… (5.98)

College student Kouya Asami joins the Naruse family as Ichika’s babysitter. Keiichi Naruse is a single father juggling between work and his son while suffering from sexual frustration. As Kouya starts to have a crush on the father, will romance bloom between them? 

26) Reincarnated into Demon King Evelogia’s World (5.99)

Toshiaki is a petty criminal obsessed with a game and its villain, Demon King Evelogia. After getting killed, he finds himself in his favorite game with the task of killing the demon king.

But after meeting Evelogia who’s always lonely, Toshiaki discards his task and bonds with Evelogia instead. A fun Isekai story with colorful characters, Reincarnated into Demon King Evelogia’s World is one of the best yaoi anime of all time.

25) Kachou no Koi (6.10)

Not only does this OVA contain romance, but it also has comedy as its main genre. The story begins with a manager named Kazuhiko Odakara, who lives an ordinary life. In addition to that, he didn’t have any lover in his 33 years of life. But what happens when he meets Harada and realizes he is g*y?

24) No Money (6.16)

Ayase is sold off in an auction to the super-rich Kanou for 1.2 billion by Ayase’s cousin. Now becoming a slave to the man, Ayase has to sell his body to Kanou for 500,000 each time to pay off his debt and free himself from Kanou. On the other hand, Kanou seems to have a connection with Ayase in the past but the boy can’t remember. Will he find out?

Though this anime has plenty of shocking scenes, it stays one of the best yaoi anime of all time.

23) Yarichin☆Bi**h Club (6.17)

Takashi Toono, upon enrolling in Morimori Academy, ends up joining the Photography Club as a compulsory club policy. But soon finds out that the club is not normal at all,1 and finds himself in a nightmarish predicament. Join Takashi as he tries to save himself from the club members and live his normal school life.

22) Kizuna (6.21)

Kei, the illegitimate son of a yakuza boss, ends up having a crush on Ranmaru, a talented kendo prodigy. They soon become friends, their feelings deeping as they are forced to run away from the mafia.

The couple become lovers and begin to live together but there’s someone from Ranmaru’s past who can destroy the bond between them.

21) Zetsuai 1989 (6.33)

Not every love is sweet and healing. Love can also be obsessive and desperate as well as destructive. Kouji Nanjou, a popular Rockstar, finds that kind of love when he meets soccer player, Izumi Takuto.

Battling with the trauma of his mother killing his father out of her obsessive love, Izumi now finds himself the recipient of the same destructive love from Kouji.

20) Bronze: Zetsuai Since 1989 (6.36)

Love is never easy and that is certainly true in Bronze: Zetsuai Since 1989. It depicts the turbulent yet hopeful relationship between rockstar Kouji Nanjou and soccer player Izumi Takuto. Insecurity and obsession forces Kouji to go to extremes to keep the relationship which Izumi has to fight his own demons.

19) Finder Series (6.47)

Takaba Akihito isn’t one’s normal freelance photographer as he takes pictures of misdeed syndicates and their members. But one day on his attempt to get a bigger scoop ends up catching the attention of lord Asami Ryuichi. Will he be able to get out unscathed? And what will unfold when Fei Long also takes an interest in him?

18) Maiden Rose (6.51)

Maiden Rose is about Taki and Klaus, a commander and soldier respectively from warring countries. Klaus is short-tempered and violent, nicknamed “Mad Dog”, but he has pledged himself to Taki.

Despite their true feelings and deep bond, a romance between two enemies cannot go smoothly, as they find in this story. With a solid plot, it is one of the best yaoi anime of all time.

17) Saigo no Door wo Shimero! (6.53)

Atsushi is his best friend, Toshihisa’s best man when he suddenly realizes that he’s in love with his best friend. Now detesting the situation and Toshihisa’s new wife, he meets another guest named Kenzo at the wedding.

Will the new stranger make Atsushi forget about Toshihisa or will Atsushi now end up desiring both the men is what the story is about.

16) S*x Pistols (6.54)

The ordinary Norio suddenly finds a lot of people smitten by him. After his encounter with a handsome stranger, he discovers that the people after him have evolved from animals other than monkeys.

He also learns of his origin from a rare breed which makes his DNA very precious and sets the men after him. Now, what’s a guy to do? Very funny with an interesting concept and plenty of yaoi goodness, S*x Pistols is one of the best yaoi anime of all time.

15) Ai no Kusabi (2012) (6.57)

This is the 2012 version of Ai no Kusabi. The story is pretty much similar. It’s set in the futuristic planet Amoi where most of the population is men. In Amoi, the people with light hair are privileged while black-haired people or “mongrels” are treated badly.

They also have a tradition of the elites keeping mongrels as their pets for some time. Iason is one such elite who keeps Riki as his pets. But the more time they spend together, the more rumors begin to spread of Iason and Riki’s relationship.

14) Kizuna: Much Ado About Nothing (6.61)

This story centers around Kei Enjoji, who falls in love at first sight and begins a relationship with Ranmaru Samejima. Now they are both adults and settled in their lives.

But everything starts to change when one day, Kei returns home after a night out drinking with a client. Will their love stand strong, or will they crumble?

13) Kirepapa. (6.61)

Chisato Takatsukasa, an author, is often mistaken as a young man even though he is in his mid-thirties. Moreover, he is very much overprotective of his only son and will go as far as to ban his friends from entering their house. But soon, his life turns upside down when he meets his son’s best friend, Shunsuke Sakaki.

12) Sensitive P***ograph (6.66)

This OVA contains not one but two stories featuring two couples in it. The first story involves Seiji Yamada and Sono Hanasaki, and both of them fall for each other after a chance meeting.

And the second tale begins with Koji Ueno, a part-timer pet sitter, who gets hired to look after a rabbit. But meets an eccentric man named Aki.

11) Embracing Love (6.68)

Love can be found even in varied places. Both Kyousuke Iwaki and Youji Katou work as actors in the adult entertainment industry and are rivals. But Katou believes he loves Iwaki whereas the other totally denies it. And soon Iwaki’s life takes a turn when a new actor arrives and realizes his feelings for Katou.

10) Loveless (6.77)

Set in a fantasy world where every person is born with cat ears and a tail which only disappears after having s*x, Loveless shows Ritsuka suffering from amnesia and his brother’s recent day.

One day when he meets Agatsuma, his brother’s former partner, he sets out with the man to find the mystery of his brother’s death. The duo soon becomes closer than they intended, though.

9) A Foreign Love Affair (6.93)

Another anime that is counted as one of the best yaoi anime of all time is A Foreign Love Affair. Being drunk has its own consequences and the same goes for the Yakuza clan heir Ranmaru.

He marries on a cruise ship just for the sake of an appearance but ends up spending the night with ship captain Albert. But when Ranmaru thinks of it as a one-time occurrence, he meets him again in Italy. And soon their love story begins.

8) Hey, Class President! (6.93)

The plot revolves around the student council president Kokusai and vice president Chiga. Kokusai is from the countryside and is simple in everything but Chiga is the complete opposite of him in terms of looks and intelligence. As the saying goes opposite attracts, Chiga finds himself slowly falling for his strength and power.

7) Gravitation (6.94)

Gravitation is a sweet love story between an aspiring musician and a novelist, and also is one of the best yaoi anime. It centers around Shuichi who can’t find the inspiration to finish his lyrics while the deadline looms over. One day the page he was writing his lyrics on flies over to a handsome man, Eiri Yuki who is a famous novelist.

As Yuki admonishes Shuichi’s lack of talent, the musician vows to prove him wrong. He finishes his lyrics in a stroke of inspiration that may be because of his pride or maybe the reason is love.

6) The Tyrant Falls In Love (6.95)

Even though it follows a cliché trope, it is still one of the well-known anime. Love can make someone fall for anyone and Tetsuhiro Morinaga manages to fall in love with Souichi Tatsumi.

And even confesses his love to him but ends up learning he fell for the  “walking personality disorder”, who is also a loud-spoken aggressive homophobe. But one unfortunate accident brings both of them closer. Will it bring them closer, or will it drive a wedge between them?

5) Ai no Kusabi (7.07)

One of the Yaoi anime created in the 20th century and contains the Sci-Fi genre. The story is set on a planet named Amoi where the hair color represents the status of everyone.

People with blonde hair are of higher status and dark-haired humans live in the slum Ceres. Riki, leader of the Bison, gets kidnapped by the elite Iason and endures various blows to his pride. After three years, he is back in the slums, but there is danger everywhere and one can sell him out anytime.

4) Hyperventilation (7.16)

We have now entered in the top three and though this anime is fairly new being released in late 2017 it was well-received by the viewers. Lee Myeongyi often feels like an outcast due to his pneumothorax, a collapsed lung, and often receives pity from his classmates.

But that is not the life he wants, he also wants to enjoy life like others. And that opportunity arrived when Han Seonho befriends him and shows understanding.

Myeongyi soon forms a crush on him. Nine years later, he has the chance to confirm Han’s feelings for him but his hope diminishes after seeing a ring on his finger.

3) Spiritpact (7.18)

Spiritpact is a Chinese animation series and is later adapted into a manga. It features You Keika, a young man swimming in poverty, and Tanmoku Ki, an exorcist from an eminent family. After encountering Ki, Keika dies mysteriously, turning into a spirit.

Ki promises to protect Keika from humans but in exchange of becoming his shadow spirit, a protector of sorts. Thus begins their journey to fight dangerous spirits and falling in love along the way.

2) Saezuru Tori wa Habatakanai: The Clouds Gather (7.42)

Yashiro is the young president of the Shinseikai Enterprise, but he hides a secret from everyone, i.e., he leads a double life. Enter Doumeki Chikara, who works as a bodyguard for him and learns of his secret. But he declines Yashiro’s advances for his own mysterious reason. What will become of these two men? Will they fall in love?

1) Embracing Love: A Cicada in Winter (7.47)

The plot is set in a historical setting in the early Meiji Period and has the Romeo-Juliet setting. The story focuses on Akizuki Keiichirou and Kusaka Touma and both of them are from opposite enemy factions. Despite the ongoing war, they fall in love with each other. And thus begins a story of love, friendship, and sacrifice.

An exceptionally beautiful story, Embracing Love: A Cicada in Winter is the best yaoi anime of all time.

And here we will conclude the Top 35 Best Yaoi Anime of all time. The list was created and ranked according to our research and their ratings. GRIZZLY studio’s anime, as anticipated, took second place as it was well-favored by the audiences, and it even has a sequel. There are other anime out there, so fans can also give them a try. We will be back with more recommendations. Till then, stay tuned.

Do small things with great love.

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Anamika Das

Anamika loves words and stories and putting them to pages. She also loves anime, manga, books, movies and everything fantasy. She has been a fan of anime since childhood and her admiration for it only grew with years. Her passion for writing is even more elevated by writing about the things she loves.