My Top 6 Favourite BL Mangas
I love BL.
I feel like it's necessary for me to share some of my favourite BL mangas (might do one for manhwas and manhuas in the future). I'm also going to give my thoughts for each of them. Please take into consideration that I'm not a professional reviewer, so I'm just going to write whatever I want lol, but don't worry as I'm not going to give any spoilers.
Without any further ado, here they are:
- Hana no Mizo Shiru by Takarai Rihito (COMPLETED)
Takarai Rihito's best work and one of the best BL manga of all time. I have reread this so many times and it still gives me butterflies. Takarai Rihito has one of my favourite art ever, the characters are always so beautifully drawn. The relationship between the two main characters, from how they first met to when they eventually fell in love, progresses very naturally and doesn't feel rushed even though the manga is quite short. The story has a good balance of fluff, spiciness and angst. I just love everything about it. (10/10)
2. Life: Senjou no Bokura by Tokokura Miya (COMPLETED)
Life: Senjou no Bokura is basically what you get if you combine Nicholas Sparks and BL. The story is short (only 5 chapters), but the story-telling and brilliant pacing will leave you feeling like you just watched a 2-hour long movie. It is both heart-warming and heart-breaking at the same time. I shed so many tears while reading this. Life Senjou is best when you just go in blind, so I'm not going to say anything more about it to avoid any spoiler. Totally recommended, everyone should read this! (10/10)
3. Tadaima, Okaeri by Ichikawa Ichi (ON-GOING)
I love a good omegaverse, and Tadaima, Okaeri is probably the most wholesome out of them all. It tells the daily life of house-husband Misaki, office-worker Hiromu and their adorable son, Hikari. I love how this omegaverse focuses more on the familial aspect, rather than just the romance between Misaki and Hiromu. Hikari is the most precious thing ever, be prepared for a lot of tooth-rotting fluff! The side-characters are all very lovable, there's no one you can hate in this manga! A very easy and heartwarming read. (8.5/10)
4. Hatsukoi by Kazuki Rai (COMPLETED)
If you think the characters look like Hinata and Kageyama from Haikyuu!!, that is probably because this is written by Bubunhanten, the legendary KageHina doujin artist. But these two are NOT KageHina, they have different personalities and a complicated back story. If I'm not mistaken, this is Bubunhanten/Kazuki Rai's first original story and the only thing I can say is that it is very well-written. The story goes quite in-depth into the past and current relationship of the two main characters. Bubunhanten's stories are usually more fluffy, but this one has a lot of angst and is quite an emotional ride. Somehow, this one really exceeded my expectations, I really enjoyed it! (8.5/10)
5. Seven Days by Takarai Rihito (COMPLETED)
Another great work by Takarai Rihito. I've read this one before Hana no Mizo Shiru and this one is a lot lighter. It's a story about two popular male students who decided to date for seven days and would broke up after the seven days are over. Obviously things did not go as planned, and they both started having feelings for each other during those seven days. Takarai Rihito did such a great job showing the chemistry of these two boys, you just can't help rooting for them! I felt very empty after finishing it because of how much I love the two main characters. It's super cute and romantic, perfect BL for beginners! (9/10)
6. Kieta Hatsukoi by Hinekure Wataru & Aruko (ON-GOING)
Ah yes, this manga. I started reading this because of the live action and I totally get why this is adapted, it is just SO CUTE. This and Seven Days have a similar feel, where both boys were presumably 'straight' in the beginning, but then gradually fell in love with each other due certain circumstances. Kieta Hatsukoi is a lot funnier though, and Aoki's expressions are just top tier. It also tackles more real-life situations - the insecurities, fear of being found out, being discriminated, etc. Also, their love for each other is so pure, and you can't help but squeal at every moments they have because they're that adorable. STAN IDAOKI. (9.5/10)
So, there you go, my top 6 BL mangas. Hopefully, this can be a helpful recommendation for some people lol. My next post is going to be all about Kiekoi, because I have a lot of feelings towards that show and I want to pour everything out. Until then, ciao for now!