10 Must-Read Boys Love Manhwa That Will Hook You Instantly!

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Summary

  • The BL genre is vast, evolving past basic romance to encompass nearly every other genre for complex narratives.
  • Wholesome, innocent romances are great starting points for BL beginners to learn common themes and build preferences.
  • BL manhwa range from traditional childhood friend romances to fun stories featuring two adult gamers, offering a variety for all.

Despite being a relatively niche genre, the world of Boys’ Love is actually quite vast because it includes everything centered around two men in a relationship. BL has evolved past basic romance stories and has encompassed nearly every other genre to create more complex narratives. However, that doesn’t mean basic romance is bad.

In fact, a wholesome, innocent romance is a great place for beginners to start in BL manhwa. Not only can readers start learning common themes and archetypes in the genre, they can also start building preferences as they go. BL often extends to much more mature and explicit content, portraying dark ideas, behaviors, and situations that may not be appropriate for everyone, so it’s better for people to start with more palatable stories.

1. Heesu In Class 2

An Innocent School Love Story

  • MyAnimeList Score: 8.14
  • Published: 2017 to 2019
  • Chapters: 81
  • Genres/Themes: Boys Love, School
  • Author: Lily
  • Illustrator: Lily

Innocent school loves are a staple in any romance genre, and Heesu In Class 2 is a perfectly wholesome BL that fits that to a tee. In this manhwa, Heesu has a crush on his best friend Chanyoung, but he keeps it a secret to preserve their relationship. Things begin to change when a rumor about Heesu starts going around, and suddenly people are going to him for dating advice, even though he has no experience himself.

Unrequited love stories are a dime a dozen, but they’re popular because they’re so relatable. Almost everyone has had a crush on someone they would never actually date, and as a romance between students, this manhwa encapsulates the growth people go through as they begin to explore their own emotions, including the awkward and embarrassing parts.

2. Cherry Blossoms After Winter

A Traditional Childhood Friends Romance

  • MyAnimeList Score: N/A
  • Published: 2017 to 2022
  • Chapters: 145
  • Genres/Themes: Boys Love, School
  • Author: Bamwoo
  • Illustrator: Bamwoo

In BL, childhood friends-to-lovers stories appear quite often, but this manhwa is a bit different. Haebom’s parents died when he was young, so he’s been living with his mom’s friend and her son Taesung since he was seven. He and Taesung had been friends, but over the last ten years, they drifted apart despite being in the same house. Now in their first year of high school, Haebom and Taesung are in the same class for once, which leads to a change in their current relationship.

The heartwarming tale titled “Cherry Blossoms After Winter” showcases well-developed characters and its conventional approach to BL romances is compensated by its engaging writing style. Despite the existence of four seasons, only the first two are significant as the subsequent ones mainly contribute a change in rating from general to 18+ with minimal impact on the narrative’s progression.

3. Guildmate Nextdoor

A Fun BL Featuring Two Gamers

  • MyAnimeList Score: 8.15
  • Published: 2023 to Present
  • Genres/Themes: Boys Love, Comedy, Adult Cast, Video Game
  • Author: Honeytrap
  • Illustrator: Bijak

Guildmate Nextdoor is a relatively recent manhwa, but it’s a great example of a good BL romantic comedy. Lee Yeo-woon loves to play games, but after trying so many buggy games, he decides to play the MMO Illusion Online. Unfortunately, after requesting a guild invite, he’s immediately killed by a player named “Ji9Star,” who then proceeds to harass him for the rest of the day. What Yeo-woon doesn’t know is that Ji9Star is actually his neighbor.

This manhwa is a fun and refreshing romance that features two adults. It’s a slow burn that spends a lot of time building Yeo-woon and Ji-gu’s relationship before anything gets romantic. Other manhwa with an adult cast usually include heavy angst and drama, which can be pretty intense, especially for someone new to BL.

4. The Third Ending

A Requited Unrequited Love Story

  • MyAnimeList Score: N/A
  • Published: 2021 to 2024
  • Chapters: 76
  • Genres/Themes: Boys Love, Comedy, Adult Cast
  • Author: Chobom
  • Illustrator: Chobom

In many BL stories, characters often meet their unrequited loves again as adults many years later, leading to a relationship. In this case, Suh Yoonseul begins having dreams of the boy who confessed to him while they were in school, and by coincidence, he meets Kang Jun at a local bakery. To get the dreams to stop, Yoonseul befriends Kang Jun, but soon their relationship becomes much more intimate than he thought it would.

The Third Ending is a short but sweet romance that presents a slightly more complex narrative than other similar stories. It’s a good introduction to problematic protagonists and characters that make the wrong choices without going over the top. The story is also very well-written, specifically the first season. The second season does add some interesting things, but it’s mostly explicit scenes.

5. Out Of Control

A BL That Breaks The Mold

  • MyAnimeList Score: 7.77
  • Published: 2013 to 2019
  • Chapters: 95
  • Genres/Themes: Boys Love, School
  • Author: Bboong
  • Illustrator: Bboong

As one of the oldest BL manhwa, Out Of Control stands out for telling a story with unconventional characters. This high school romance is about the relationship between Yuri and Jaerim. Yuri is popular, charismatic, and above all, handsome. Jaerim is the opposite, and Yuri never lets him forget it. Though the two start as enemies, they are able to gain common ground and slowly build a relationship and understand each other.

Even today, Out of Control is one of the only manhwa to use a protagonist that isn’t conventionally attractive. Even when they’re not supposed to be, many male leads appear flawless, so Jaerim’s appearance in the story is incredibly impactful for the genre as a whole. The lesson it shares about judging others is simple but important.

6. Unintentional Love Story

A Classic BL Manhwa

  • MyAnimeList Score: 7.91
  • Published: 2018 to 2020
  • Chapters: 58
  • Genres/Themes: Boys Love
  • Author: Pibi
  • Illustrator: Pibi

Unintentional Love Story can be considered a classic in BL manhwa as it has been well-loved for a very long time. The story follows Ji Wonyoung, who has just lost his job, and in his desperation, he offers to find a reclusive artist for his boss. The artist, Yoon Taejun, is found in a small town running a pottery shop with no desire for attention. Wonyoung decides to spy on him for the time being, but soon he starts questioning his sexuality as his feelings for Taejun grow stronger.

As an older manhwa, Unintentional Love Story could be seen as a bit cliché or basic by today’s standards, but it’s still a great story to read. It has amazing emotional buildup and character growth that keeps the plot going even though not much is happening, and an incredibly satisfying conclusion. It shows how a simple story can have a great payoff when done right.

7. At The End Of The Road

A Mystery Reincarnation Manhwa With Some BL

  • MyAnimeList Score: 7.72
  • Published: 2016 to 2018
  • Chapters: 26
  • Genres/Themes: Boys Love, Drama, Suspense, Psychological, Reincarnation, School
  • Author: Haribo
  • Illustrator: Haribo

There are many fantasy stories within the BL genre as it’s one of the few ways to make stories more interesting. In this manhwa, Yoon Taemin dies in an accident and his soul is put into the body of the hospitalized Han Siwon, a student being bullied at school. Refusing to tolerate any harassment, he begins fighting back, and his odd behavior attracts the interest of the mysterious Min Siwoon. As the two get more involved, secrets are uncovered, revealing what happened to Han Siwon.

At The End Of The Road is a fantastic mystery manhwa with plenty of great twists and turns. Each character feels important, since they all have such complicated pasts and motives that move the plot forward. This story handles a lot of dark themes, which can be triggering for some people. However, nothing is shown and there aren’t really any explicit scenes, so it’s still SFW.

8. Sign

A Café Romance With Unique Characters

  • MyAnimeList Score: 8.10
  • Published: 2017 to 2020
  • Chapters: 115
  • Genres/Themes: Boys Love, Erotica, Workplace
  • Author: Ker
  • Illustrator: Ker

Sign is an older manhwa that many people have loved for its well-rounded characters and great storytelling. It follows Kang Soohwa as he searches for a part-time job and stumbles upon Café Goyo. After a little begging, he gets the job, but he’s also required to learn sign language as the owner, Go Yohan, is deaf. This isn’t really a problem, but when Yohan offers to teach him personally, Soohwa realizes he may be attracted to his boss.

There aren’t many manhwa that feature characters with disabilities, so Sign stands out as one of the select few even now. The author does a great job of making Yohan’s deafness a trait and not a personality, so he feels like a real person. For the most part, this story is sweet and wholesome, but there are quite a few NSFW scenes, especially in the latter half. Fortunately, they can be skipped without missing any of the plot.

9. Killer Crush

A Fun Love Story With A Not-So-Deadly Protagonist

  • MyAnimeList Score: 8.09
  • Published: 2021 to 2024
  • Chapters: 77
  • Genres/Themes: Boys Love, Comedy, Adult Cast, Organized Crime
  • Author: Eresemo
  • Illustrator: Eresemo

BL manhwa comes in many different forms, but no other story sits at the intersection of wholesome and mature, like Killer Crush. In this manhwa, Joo Taemin has been a hired killer for fourteen years, expertly completing missions without getting caught. However, he makes the mistake of falling in love with Kang Dahyeok, a heartthrob actor looking to change his image. While Dahyeok wants advice on being stoic and serious, Taemin is worried about hiding his job from his crush.

Killer Crush can be seen as a parody of popular romances where the protagonist often falls in love with a dangerous person, and while it works to that effect, it’s also just a cute and funny story with some extra excitement. This manhwa is a great example for beginners because it spans the entire spectrum of BL, from fluffy romances to gritty dramas.

10. Semantic Error

A Fantastic Opposites-Attract Romance

  • MyAnimeList Score: 8.22
  • Published: 2020 to 2023
  • Chapters: 95
  • Genres/Themes: Boys Love
  • Author: J. Soori
  • Illustrator: Angy

For people who prefer more mature stories, Semantic Error presents a realistic romance that shows how much effort is needed in a relationship. In this manhwa, Jang Jaeyoung loses his chance to study abroad because Chu Sangwoo removes his name from a group project. To get revenge, he notes all of Sangwoo’s habits and works to disrupt his daily life. However, he starts to develop feelings through their constant interactions.

At its core, Semantic Error is just a college romance story, and while the premise isn’t groundbreaking, its execution is definitely fantastic. From the characters to the plot to the illustrations, everything works together to create a cohesive narrative that is romantic but still grounded. It shows that even the most basic ideas can still produce brilliant and memorable stories.

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2025-03-15 21:24