You should see the expression on my face as I write this post. I’m beside myself with giddiness and excitement that I’m finally, actually, really writing this post. Besides my Yuri on Ice posts, I haven’t really written any BL-centric posts here. I’m remedying that and will start posting more BL content from now on. Yay yay!
But I’ll take it easy for this post, so as not to shock you too much with the hardcore stuff that I usually read. More of that coming soon. The following are my top 4 recommended shounen-ai manga. Shounen-ai focuses more on the love and friendship between two male protagonists, as opposed to the sexual relations usually found in yaoi. So these 4 manga are more for the pure-hearted. (wink wink) They are my absolute favourites. I highly recommend all of them.
Arria’s Top 4 Shounen-Ai Manga
4. Koori no Mamono no Monogatari (冰之魔物語)
By Sugiura Shiho (杉浦志保). This manga is very shoujo-esque in the sense that Ishuca, the protagonist, is too much of a martyr. I wasn’t immediately sold into the story, but as I read more chapters, I found myself liking it more and more. Ishuca is portrayed as an airhead and clumsy most times—very typical of shoujo heroines—but since he’s selfless, he’s oddly charismatic. The other protagonist, Blood, is a hot demon. The angel and the demon—that’s basically what this manga is about. Ishuca and Blood’s relationship starts from uneasy friendship and then it’s up to you whether to interpret the blossoming of their connection to romance. I would suggest to give this manga the benefit of the doubt as it won’t absorb you immediately…at least, it didn’t for me. However, it has some quite emotional scenes that may move you to tears. Definitely worth reading.
3. Silver Diamond (シルバーダイヤモンド)
By Sugiura Shiho (杉浦志保). An absolute favourite. I read this 3 times. As you may have noticed, it’s created by the same mangaka as Koori no Mamono no Monogatari. But Silver Diamond has nicer art style, more solid characters and storyline, perhaps because it’s Sugiura-sensei’s later work. The characters are definitely hotter compared to Koori no Mamono no Monogatari. Yay! The story premise is a bit weird, but a good kind of weird. Rakan, the main protagonist, is also selfless but I like that he has spunk and more spine compared to Ishuca. Not to mention that he’s manlier in the effeminate bishounen way. The other protagonist, Chigusa, is (oh my gosh) so freaking hot! As a matter of fact, it seems that most of the characters in this manga are hot bishies. Definitely a treat for the eyes.
Silver Diamond also has a lot of comedy scenes, mostly because of Chigusa. He’s a pervert but in an adorable way. You’ll see what I mean when you read this. The relationship between Rakan and Chigusa starts from friendship that deepens as they spend more time and go through dangerous situations together with their other bishie friends. As a treat, I’ll tell you that this has a happy and quite satisfying ending. I highly recommend this manga.
2. Doukyuusei (同級生)
By Nakamura Asumiko (中村明日美子). A lot of my pals who are also BL fans have been recommending this manga to me for quite some time. Their insistence increased when the film adaptation released in early 2016. I was very noncommittal as I wasn’t really that much of a BL fan during that time, but as some of you noticed recently, I’m hardcore now. It’s only literally last week that I decided to follow their advice and read the manga…and oh boy…I wanted to kick myself in the head for waiting this long. Doukyuusei is so beautiful! So pure! I almost feel like someone like me shouldn’t be reading/watching something as pure as this. It’s very short but sweet…and oh so romantic. I also recommend that you watch the anime film. It’s really good. And for fellow Kamiya Hiroshi fans like myself, yes! Kamiya Hiroshi voices Kusakabe in the film. Yay yay! I was squealing like a pig giving birth while watching…okay, that was an ugly description, but you get what I mean.
The art style is very unique but beautiful. Kusakabe and Sajou’s relationship makes me envious…in a good way. They’re so adorable. Their story will make your heart sing with joy but also clench because of their sweetness. Ah! You must read this manga or better yet, watch the film! Highly recommended!
Fun fact: I originally planned this as a Top 3 Shounen-Ai Manga list, but when I read and watched Doukyuusei literally just last week, I know that I had to revise this list in order to include it. And so it became a Top 4 Shounen-Ai Manga list.
1. Komatta Toki ni wa Hoshi ni Kike! (困った時には星に聞け！)
By Abe Miyuki (阿部美幸). Same creator of Hakkenden -Touhou Hakken Ibun- (八犬伝 -東方八犬異聞-) & Super Lovers (スーパーラヴァーズ), both have their own anime adaptations.
Komatta Toki ni wa Hoshi ni Kike! is my #1 favourite shounen-ai manga. I’ve read this about 5 times already! It’s so GOOD! I love that the main protagonist, Takara, is manly even if he looks like a cute girl. In fact, the funny part is that people are deceived by his fragile-looking girly appearance when the truth is he can beat up a group of thugs by himself…in the coolest way possible to boot. The other protagonist, Kiyomine, is (of course) super hot. At first, Takara and Kiyomine don’t get along but they form an unlikely friendship until other characters automically consider them as a set, incomplete without the other.
The story is really good, plus it has lots of bad-ass fight scenes that I love rereading as much as the lovey-dovey scenes. I would go as far to say that this is the best shounen-ai manga that I’ve ever read so far. The setting of this manga is the same as the one in Abe-sensei’s other work, Super Lovers. The school that Takara and Kiyomine attend here is the same school that Ren attends in Super Lovers. And the lawyer named Kashiwagi Mikiko in Super Lovers is probably Kiyomine’s mom. So if you’re a fan of Super Lovers (like myself), then reading Komatta Toki ni wa Hoshi ni Kike! is a must. Don’t expect sex like in Super Lovers, though. Just pure friendship and barely-there romance…but let me tell you that things can get quite intense. I wish that they would make an anime adaptation of this manga. A super-duper highly recommended MUST-READ!!!
That’s it for my Top 4 Shounen-Ai Manga. I have watched a lot of shounen-ai anime that are really good, but since I haven’t read their original manga sources, I didn’t include them here. If you’re new to the BL world and still testing the waters, I recommend these 4 titles as they’re not too intense compared to yaoi, yet you’ll still get great stories with beautiful and meaningful relationships between the male protagonists.
Now for my fellow hardcore BL fans, I know that you’ll want more, so please stay tuned. I promise that I’ll post more BL content here…and yes, including the hardcore stuff. Things are going to get hot, sweaty, and crazy, folks! Fujinsei is becoming SINFUL. Watch out.
Have a delicious day. (wink wink)
/Wild Arria fled/
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