Hello friends, today’s article will mainly focus on one of the categories of Manga. We hope you know what Manga means. And if you don’t, worry not! We have got you covered. Manga refers to Japanese graphic or picture comic books. These books are for both adults as well as children. One of the categories of Manga is BL Manga which stands for boys’ love manga.
In this blog, we will cover the information about boys’ love manga. So do not forget to read this article till the end to know about this interesting manga.
INTRODUCTION TO BL MANGA
In BL manga, ‘BL’ stands for boys’ love. This category features the romance and relationship between men. Generally, the genre of romance features cute and sweet sort of stories. However, some may contain spice and flavour along with sweetness. This category we are talking about offers everything you want. It can be sweet, it can be spicy…or both!
Moreover, it can feature real life dramas as well as fantasy and fiction.
The most interesting fact of BL manga is that it is create by straight women. Additionally, this category features romantic relationships between men and the target audience is straight women. Sounds interesting and weird right? This category of manga captures romance and love between homosexual guys.
BL TERMINOLOGY
This category is create from the shojo genre. Therefore, it is create and read both by women. This bl collected various labels which you might have heard of if you are a following manga from a long time. These labels are –
Shonen ai : when we translate this term, we get “boy love” but historically, this word is associated with the term ‘pedophilia’. However, in the terms of Manga, this term typically hints towards the romance between beautiful men.
Tanbi : this is also a beautiful word just like Shonen ai. This terms usually refers to the stories in which older men and younger lovers are featured. The chinese translation of this word is ‘Danmei’. Danmei is the Chinese genre which features romance between boys. Aren’t you all surprised to know this? Such a fun fact!
Yaoi : Yaoi is basically the synonym for boys’ love manga.
The romantic and sexual roles in bl category are strictly codified. This codification is often criticised by English readers. The relationship described in these comics can cause problems sometimes. The kind of relationships depicted in BL comics are not always problematic, but most of the times they are!
Two terms that you must know if you read BL manga are –
Uke : The bottom and the chased in a relationship.
Seme : the top and the chaser in a relationship.
These terms can sometimes cause problems as they codify the relationship and sexual roles.
10 BL MANGA WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Not all BL works are available in English volumes. So here we are mentioning 10 best bl books that are available in English transaction for English readers.
FANGS
It features the story of vampires. The cute and sweet romance is not really a part of this book. Moreover, satisfying urges and hunger by blood sharing is mostly shown as the romance between two vampires. The English publisher of this book is Tokyopop. It is recommended for readers who are 18+.
10 COUNT
It is about two people who fall for each other and overcome the fears they are surrounded with. The English publisher is SuBlime. Readers should be aged 18 or above.
GIVEN
It is a teenage book which has 8 English Volumes. It features the relationship between members of a band. SuBlime is the English publisher.
FINDER
This bl book contains romance, mafia and full-pack action. It is not for BL beginners. This book features the developing relationship between a photographer and a mafioso. If you are fond of ‘enemies-to-lovers’ stories, then this book is for you. SuBlime is the English publisher.
DOUKYESEI
The english name of this term is ‘Classmates’. English Publisher – Seven Seas Entertainment. As suggested by the English translation, it is a high school romance targeted for older teenagers. New BL readers can read this book. It features wholesome romance.
THERAPY GAME
It is a story of finding love to overcome heartbreak and trauma. It is suggested for people above 18. English publisher – SuBlime.
OGI’s SUMMER BREAK
Boys’s love story where two men find each other at the right time. The two men explore their sexuality together. The age rating is 16+.
‘OUR NOT SO LONELY PLANET TRAVEL GUIDE’
Two men decide ok travelling the world together. It is a story about travelling and love. It is an adult story which does not walk on the boundaries of sex. The age rating is 13+ .
TWITTERING BIRDS NEVER FLY
First time BL readers are not suggested to begin with this one. It might disturb some readers with its violent scenes. The english publisher is June, Digital Media. Age rating – 18+ .
LINKS
It features the lives of many homosexual couples that are linked to one another. It is published in English by SuBlime. Older teenagers and above can read this book.
ENDING THE ARTICLE
BL Manga is one of the categories of Japanese Manga. It features the romantic and sexual relationships between men. While it is based on homosexual men, the category is made by straight women for straight women. We hope you enjoyed this article. For more such articles, like and share. Till then, you can enjoy reading the BL book suggestions.