Best Boys Love Manhua

Summary

• Manhua features popular Boys Love narratives with wholesome romance, political intrigue, & mature themes.
• Titles like “Whose Baby Is It?” & “Pirouette Into My Heart” showcase nuanced BL relationships.
• Emerging classic Boys Love manhua meld fantasy, political drama, and everyday life for compelling narratives.

Originating in China, “manhua” is an emerging comic format that has seen a surge in popularity in recent years. Among the many themes that populate the manhua landscape, Boys Love narratives are arguably the most popular genre, even rivaling their manhwa counterparts. Known as danmei novels, these manhua present romantic relationships between men that are laced with nuance.

Due to censorship laws, manhua are usually light on the explicit side of things, keeping the romance wholesome and heartwarming. Some Boys Love manhua have cemented themselves as classics in the genre, while others are emerging titles, each one promising a thrilling, amorous epic.

Updated February 10, 2025 by Ahmed Rehan Nasir: Boy’s Love manhua, otherwise known as Danmei Novels, are a popular niche within the manhua landscape. Despite same-sex relationships being somewhat frowned upon in their country of origin, manhua tend to embody the purest form of these romantic relationships. Due to the heavy censorship laws surrounding manhua, Danmei novels are forced to cut back on the explicit side of things, which has led to these narratives leaning towards rather wholesome storylines.

Each year brings an entirely new set of Boy’s Love stories to the manhua scene, with some being more romantic and compelling than others. For those looking for a few more Boy’s Love manhua to binge on, this list has been updated with a few more exciting entries.

13

The Prince’s First Love

A Forbidden Royal Romance

The Prince’s First Love is set in the fictional nation of Calais, a kingdom with a monarchy that has an ongoing power struggle. To gain the upper hand, Prince Nazaire transfers to Min Lan Academy to marry a chaebol’s daughter, yet he ends up falling for a delinquent named Cassius instead.

Despite being polar opposites, the prince and the commoner begin to grow closer, turning their hatred into a forbidden romance. The Prince’s First Love is a wholesome Boys Love manhua with a touch of political intrigue and royal drama, perfect for fans of these dynamic themes.

12

Whose Baby Is It?

A Childcare Manhua With A BL Twist

A fertility clinic mix-up leads to a heated custody battle between two men, with neither one backing down from giving up 4-year-old Rourou. The solution, however, is rather simple: instead of one father, Rourou gets to have two. This arrangement ends up bringing the two fathers together, with their relationship turning into something more than just acting as Rourou’s shared custodians.

Whose Baby Is It? is as wholesome as it gets, with a narrative dotted with comedy, romance, and heartwarming parenthood. With a childcare theme and a mature romance, this manhua presents a fresh take on the BL genre.

11

The Villain Emperor’s Gotta Charm The Male Lead To Survive!

A Novel Way to Escape a Villain’s Fate

The Villain Emperor’s Gotta Charm the Male Lead to Survive! is a classic transmigrated villain narrative with a Boys Love spin. An early death lands Yuan Xiao in the world of his favorite novel, albeit as the villain who rules the Northern Empire. With his fate already sealed, Yuan Xiao has no other choice but to seduce the novel’s protagonist to survive.

While the transmigration premise is similar to most otome villainess narratives, The Villain Emperor’s Gotta Charm the Male Lead to Survive! adds a novel touch through its ancient Chinese setting and mature romance. The manhua takes its time to flesh out its secondary characters, an element that adds a layer of depth to the premise.

10

Starting With A Lie

Friends-To-Lovers With A Fake Dating Twist

Starting With A Lie presents a wholesome yet comedic premise that leads to a budding romance between two men. Tang Tang and Chen Qingye’s romantic endeavours start off with a fake relationship, one that was meant to stave off confessions from girls to Tang Tang. However, things become more complicated as the two closeted characters begin to develop feelings for each other, yet their inability to express themselves lead to all sorts of dramatic affairs.

With a friends-to-loves theme, coupled with a fake dating twist, Starting With A Lie features the perfect blend of drama and romcom. While the two are eventually meant to end up with each other, their journey of discovering their feelings and understanding each other is quite nuanced and wholesome.

9

I Want To Be A Big Baddie

A Drama-Laden Isekai Transmigration BL

Following the tried-and-tested transmigrated villainess theme, Wang Yi finds himself in a novel as the antagonist. To ensure the protagonist ends up with the female lead, Wang Yi takes on the role of the villain rather earnestly. However, his plan backfires, as the protagonist has the ability to read his mind, which ends up bringing them closer.

The initial chapters of the manhua are riddled with abuse and violence, and while Wang Yi’s intentions might be pure, those panels can be rather distressing. I Want to Be a Big Baddie’s step-sibling romance is another audacious theme, though the plot certainly makes up for these controversies.

8

Kiss The Abyss

Fixing a Time Loop Through Unconventional Means

Kiss the Abyss’ initial premise leans on the darker side of things, with Wang Zixin, a game designer, being stuck in a death cycle after a video game character named Abyss stabs him in real life. To put an end to this cycle, Zixin has no other choice but to cross into the game and raise Abyss himself.

While the premise might seem rather bizarre, it’s certainly a first within the BL landscape. The theme of raising the game’s protagonist and then engaging in a romantic relationship with him might not sit right with many. However, the age gap eventually closes, taking away some of the controversy from their dynamic.

7

The Guy Inside Me

A BL Body Mix-Up Fiasco

The Guy Inside Me is a Boys Love romcom with a few supernatural elements at play, as two polar opposites mysteriously find themselves trapped inside each other’s bodies. The school’s bonafide delinquent always finds himself at odds with the straight-A student, yet fate brings them together in a bizarre body mix-up.

As the two boys make sense of their newfound lives and fill in each other’s shoes, they begin to see the true personalities behind their everyday facade, bringing the pair closer than ever. Brimming with comedy, drama, and heartwarming moments, this BL manhua has it all.

6

Indulge In Your Radiance

A Fated Encounter Reignites Lost Passion

Opposite characters bringing out the best in each other is a common trope in BL manhua, and Indulge in Your Radiance perfectly encapsulates this theme. Similar to Salad Days, Indulge in Your Radiance follows the story of a ballet dancer and a Chinese opera singer, two characters pursuing entirely different paths. However, their pairing brings out their vulnerable sides, as Shu Yun’s passion for ballet is reignited after his chance encounter with Tong Yang.

The same goes for the latter, who finally becomes comfortable performing Chinese opera after Shu Yun helps him get over his insecurities. With a mix of drama, performing arts, and wholesome boys’ love affairs, Indulge in Your Radiance is a perfect BL manhua for those looking for a lightweight yet wholesome read.

5

Touch Your World

Overcoming Trauma Through Love

While most BL manhua tend to be rather lightweight, Touch Your World takes on a more nuanced approach with several themes pertaining to mental health and psychological issues. The manhua follows the romance between Bai Lu and Xie Cheng, two characters who have lives riddled with trauma and despair. Xie Cheng suffers from colorblindness, and while he never lets himself be brought down by his disability, the discrimination that comes along with it manages to quell his spirits.

On the other hand, Bai Lu suffers from anxiety after an incident left him crippled with mental health issues. The manhua does an impressive job at presenting real-life psychological issues in such depth, along with balancing a slow-paced yet compelling relationship between the two characters.

4

Run Wild

A Touching Tale Of Finding Love

Abandoned by his adoptive family, Jiang Cheng’s life is upended after being forced to go back to his good-for-nothing biological father. With his life in shambles, he has nothing to look forward to. That is until a boy named Gu Fei shows up in his life.

From their friendship blossoms a gentle, innocent romance, one that serves as a ray of hope for both parties. Run Wild is a touching BL story about two boys finding refuge in each other’s company, and its realistic yet wholesome depiction of same-sex love is what truly captivates readers. The manhua’s art style is extremely vivid and detailed, with the illustrator’s artistic flair shining through in each panel.

3

19 Days

Everyday Lives Of Two “Best Friends”

19 Days revolves around the everyday adventures of two best friends, a dynamic that slowly but surely develops into something a bit more intimate. Despite comprising over four-hundred chapters, the manhua rarely feels repetitive or stretched-out, as every chapter presents an equally engaging premise.

Their relationship can be a bit controversial at first, with some hints of unhealthy dynamics, though as the manhua progresses, these elements eventually subside. 19 Days also has a secondary romantic subplot that focuses on a separate couple, adding to the manhua’s BL theme.

2

Pirouette Into My Heart

A Slow-Burn Wholesome BL Affair

Be it the meticulously detailed art or its realistic depiction of gay love, Pirouette into My Heart has cemented itself as one of the best BL storylines in the manhua landscape. Despite being worlds apart, a ballet dancer and a boxer foster a bond that defies societal constructs, leading to setbacks in their personal and professional lives.

As a slow-burn manhua, Pirouette into My Heart revolves around Shen and Jinyi’s struggles as they make sense of their relationship, all while striving to excel in their respective sports. Not many Boys Love narratives present such a nuanced take on love between men, especially with such fleshed-out leads at the helm.

1

Heaven Official’s Blessing

A Fantastical BL Account

Heaven Official’s Blessing is set in a fantasy world with a martial god at the forefront, albeit one who has been thrown out of heaven a handful of times. With his third banishment underway, Xie Lan gets entangled with a man in crimson known as the Ghost King, an entity feared by the heavens.

This chance encounter between a deity from heaven and an entity akin to a Demon Lord offsets an odd partnership, one that eventually treads into more intimate territory. With its fantasy setting influenced by ancient China, Heaven’s Official’s Blessing bridges the gap between history and modern fiction.