Boys' Love (BL)
Boys' love (BL) is a genre of manga and other fiction centred on romantic relationships between men, created mostly by and for women.
Where the word comes from
Wasei-eigo bōizu rabu. The older term yaoi, from a joking acronym for "no climax, no point, no meaning", is still used by some readers, especially for explicit works.
In depth
Boys' love tells romance stories between male characters. It ranges from sweet school romances to adult drama, and from chaste to explicit; publishers rate titles accordingly.
Origins
The genre's roots are in 1970s shōjo manga, particularly works by Keiko Takemiya and Moto Hagio such as Kaze to Ki no Uta (The Poem of Wind and Trees, 1976). The magazine June, launched in 1978, gave the stories a dedicated home, and BL became a large commercial category from the 1990s.
Today
BL is published as manga, light novels and, increasingly, Korean and Chinese webcomics and novels. Given by Natsuki Kizu and Sasaki and Miyano by Shō Harusono are widely read examples in English.
Range and ratings
BL includes everything from gentle romances with little more than a kiss to explicit adult works. English publishers usually rate titles on the back cover: general and teen-rated BL sits on our boys' love shelf, while titles marked for adults only sit on the 18+ shelf, which we do not advertise.
Where else to look
BL increasingly comes from Korea and China as well as Japan, often adapted from web novels. Many series are short and complete in one to three volumes, which makes them easy to start.
Where it appears
Given by Natsuki Kizu. BL about a band
Sasaki and Miyano by Shō Harusono. gentle school-life BL
What it means today
Ratings matter in BL: publishers mark explicit titles as mature. Our 18+ shelf holds the adult-only ones; the BL shelf holds the rest.
