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.

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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.

Updated June 10th, 2024, by Ahmed Rehan Nasir: While “BL” and “yaoi” are often treated as interchangeable terms, the latter is more heavy on explicit content. However, a focus on the raunchy side of things doesn’t always equate to a neglected plot, and these yaoi manhwa prove this notion through their engaging storylines. With manhwa becoming increasingly popular in recent years, the demand for yaoi narratives has skyrocketed. Luckily, newer manhwa continue to populate the yaoi landscape every year with novel takes on this audacious theme. For fans who have exhausted their yaoi libraries, this list has been updated with a few more steamy options to check out.

13 No Love Zone

Anime-Planet Rating: 3.83/5

No Love Zone is a yaoi rendition of the classic office romance trope between an intern and his new boss. As with any affair with a power dynamic, Eunkyum’s relationship with his boss can be a bit controversial, especially with the manhwa’s running theme of forceful intimacy.

Due to their deep-rooted history, Jihyuk can be petty at times, both on the office floor and in bed. While this aspect of his personality makes him a bit unpalatable, his eventual growth redeems him to an extent.

12 Killing Stalking

Anime-Planet Rating: 3.98/5

Killing Stalking doesn’t follow any of the genre’s usual tropes and archetypes. Instead, it treads into controversial themes with two borderline psychopaths at the helm. One is a stalker and the other is a serial killer, and though it might seem like a match made in heaven, their pairing is extremely unhealthy and problematic.

Despite their flaws, Yoon Bum and Sangwoo are intriguing characters, and their growth through each chapter forces readers to stay for the plot. The intimate scenes can be a bit too graphic, with physical abuse and torture being prominent themes. For those willing to explore the dark side of the yaoi landscape, Killing Stalking is the perfect manhwa to test the waters.

11 Monstrous Heart

Anime-Planet Score: 4.1/5

Jonathan is the first-year student 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.

10 Mad Dog

Anime-Planet Score: 4.2/5

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 rescued 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.

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Though they are opposites at first glance, Hamin and Sehyuk start finding things in common with each other as they grow closer. Mad Dog is available to read on Lezhin.

9 Walk On Water

Anime-Planet Rating: 4.21/5

With a focus on the pornography industry, most would expect this manhwa to be teeming with provocative scenes and risqué encounters. However, Walk on Water pleasantly surprises readers with a nuanced take that sheds light on the stigma associated with this shunned profession.

Ed and Glenn are exceptional characters, and their struggles as they make sense of this industry make the manhwa quite profound. Considering the theme, explicit scenes are commonplace in this yaoi manhwa, although they are organically tied in to supplement the storyline.

8 Shutline

Anime-Planet Rating: 4.30/5

Shutline follows the story of a mechanic on the streets of Manhattan who unknowingly gets mixed up with Jake, a member of one of New York’s most powerful gangs. While the premise might not be anything new, the dynamic chemistry between the characters is what sets the manhwa apart.

The intimate moments between Shin and Jake aren’t merely for fan service, as each scene only furthers the narrative and showcases the growing fondness between the two. Jake’s transition from using Shin for pleasure to genuine affection is a twist that seals the deal. Their strong personalities often clash, yet this very friction is what leads to such a passionate and intense affair.

7 Murderous Lewellyn's Candlelit Dinner

Anime-Planet Score: 4.3/5

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?

6 Salt Friend

Anime-Planet Score: 4.3/5

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.

5 Between The Lines

Anime-Planet Rating: 4.32/5

Baek Dohu is a college student who writes BL novels on the side, and his favorite character archetype is trashy, manipulative scumbags. When he finds out that the nice-guy Juheon is actually a jerk, Dohu becomes obsessed with making him his muse for his novel.

While Juheon starts off as a problematic character, he softens up to Dohu as their unconventional acquaintanceship starts turning into something much deeper. Even as a yaoi manhwa with plenty of explicit scenes, Between the Lines is largely a wholesome account of two men gently falling in love.

4 Killer Crush

Anime-Planet Score: 4.3/5

Taeman is a killer for hire, and a good one at that. 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.

3 Under the Greenlight

Anime-Planet Rating: 4.34

Matthew is a student sculptor looking for the perfect muse for his art, something he stumbles upon in the form of Jin. However, preserving Jin’s body in the form of a sculpture isn’t Matthew’s only intention, kicking off a tempestuous affair that subverts expectations in all the right ways.

Staying true to its yaoi roots, Under the Greenlight goes overboard with its explicit scenes, exploring themes that are innovative to say the least. The dark art style complements the storyline, reflecting not just the narrative but also the characters’ personas.

2 Uncanny Charm

Anime-Planet Score: 4.4/5

When Yoon Jae meets his new neighbor, things aren't all that they appear. Amidst his moving boxes is a box covered in talismans, 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?

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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: 4.4/5

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.

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