Gay Anime: The Best BL, Yuri and Queer Series to Watch

Start with Yuri!!! on Ice for competitive skating and romantic tension, Given for music and first love, or Tokyo Godfathers for a movie night with a trans heroine. The best gay anime reaches well beyond one genre: this list also includes girls’ love, crime thrillers, workplace romances and stories about growing up trans.

Some of these shows put a relationship right at the center. Others, including Liz and the Blue Bird, leave room for a queer reading without naming the characters’ identities. That distinction matters when you are looking for a love story that actually delivers. The notes below also flag heavier themes, because a comforting romance and Banana Fish are very different evenings.

What BL, Yaoi and Yuri Mean

BL means “boys’ love,” a publishing and fandom label for stories about romance between male characters. It covers a broad range of tones and audiences. You will also encounter yaoi, an overlapping term whose meaning varies between communities and eras; it is often associated with more sexually explicit work. Neither label, by itself, tells you a title’s age rating or how it handles consent.

Yuri and GL, or “girls’ love,” describe stories about relationships between female characters. Queer anime is a wider umbrella: a film with a trans protagonist need not be a romance, and a sports or science-fiction series can have a queer relationship without being marketed as BL or GL. Read the premise and content notes as well as the category.

Gay Anime at a Glance

OVA means original video animation, a release made for home video rather than a regular television season. The years above refer to the first anime release listed, not the original manga. Streaming rights vary by country and change, so check the distributor’s current listing before settling in.

BL and Queer Anime With Adult Leads

‘Yuri!!! on Ice’ (2016)

Yuri Katsuki suffers a crushing setback on the ice, goes home to Japan, and finds his skating idol, Victor Nikiforov, offering to coach him. That is a lot to process before the next competition. The 12-episode series gives its adult leads room for nerves, ambition and a relationship that becomes inseparable from their skating. A good first stop if you want something exuberant.

‘The World’s Greatest First Love’ (2011)

Ritsu Onodera takes a job at a publishing company and lands in the last department he wanted: shojo manga. His difficult new boss, Masamune Takano, also happens to be his first love. The series combines deadline panic with unresolved feelings. It is an older BL romance, with pushy behavior and workplace power dynamics that deserve a content note rather than a free pass.

‘Yes, No, or Maybe?’ (2020)

TV announcer Kei Kunieda has a polished public face and a much less agreeable private one. When animator Ushio Tsuzuki meets him off duty, Kei gives a false name, then discovers how much he enjoys dropping the performance. Masahiro Takata’s 53-minute film turns that double life into a compact adult romance. Check the sexual-content and consent notes if those are a deciding factor for you.

‘Antique Bakery’ (2008)

The pastries are beautiful; the people making them have considerably messier lives. A cake-shop owner hires Yusuke Ono, a gifted, openly gay pastry chef with whom he has a painful history. Nippon Animation and Shirogumi’s series follows the shop’s four-man ensemble through comedy and darker material. Come for the cakes, but expect references to childhood trauma and kidnapping.

‘Tokyo Godfathers’ (2003)

On Christmas Eve, Hana, Gin and teenage runaway Miyuki find an abandoned baby in Tokyo. Hana, a trans woman, insists on helping the child, sending the unlikely trio through an increasingly chaotic night. Satoshi Kon’s film is a found-family adventure with real affection for people living at the city’s margins. Some jokes and language about Hana’s gender are dated; she is still a character with agency, flaws and a huge heart.

A Queer Crime Thriller

‘Banana Fish’ (2018)

Ash Lynx, a teenage gang leader in New York, becomes entangled in a dangerous mystery; visiting photographer’s assistant Eiji Okumura becomes the person he trusts. MAPPA’s adaptation of Akimi Yoshida’s manga is driven by their bond, but it is a violent crime drama, not a gentle dating story. Expect abuse, sexual exploitation, grief and a devastating emotional toll. Debates about genre labels do not erase the depth of the relationship on screen.

BL Anime About First Love

‘Given’ (2019)

Ritsuka Uenoyama has lost some of his enthusiasm for guitar. Then he meets Mafuyu Sato, whose damaged instrument and remarkable singing voice pull him back toward music. Given follows the boys and their bandmates through attraction, awkward conversations and bereavement. Start with the television series before the films. Content note: suicide and grief are central to the story.

‘Sasaki and Miyano’ (2022)

Miyano loves reading BL manga. Sasaki starts borrowing it, then finds himself more interested in Miyano than in discussing the next volume. Their school romance takes its time, letting uncertainty and affection develop in ordinary conversations. The follow-up film, Sasaki and Miyano: Graduation, continues the relationship. Pick this one when you want a softer landing.

‘Doukyusei (Classmates)’ (2016)

A rock-band guitarist and a studious classmate get to know each other while preparing for a school chorus festival. Shouko Nakamura’s film adaptation keeps its focus on the nervous, uneven business of first love. The loose lines and watercolor look make it stand apart from a typical television romance. It is an easy choice when you want a self-contained film.

Yuri, Girls’ Love and Sapphic Stories

‘Revolutionary Girl Utena’ (1997)

Utena wants to become a prince. At Ohtori Academy, she is drawn into duels over Anthy, the “Rose Bride,” and into a story that keeps questioning who gets to rescue whom. The television series is theatrical, surreal and increasingly disturbing, with abuse and sexual violence among its themes. Kunihiko Ikuhara’s 1999 film, Adolescence of Utena, offers a separate, visually extravagant take on the characters.

‘Bloom Into You’ (2018)

Yuu expects a confession of love to feel like the ones in her favorite manga. When it does not, she wonders what she is missing. Her connection with student council member Touko complicates the question. Bloom Into You is interested in the gap between what people expect romance to feel like and what they actually experience. Its questions can resonate with ace and aro viewers without making a definitive identity label for Yuu.

‘Kase-san and Morning Glories’ (2018)

Yui Yamada tends the school’s plants; Tomoka Kase is a track star. They are already dating in this OVA, which gives them something more interesting to work through than an endless almost-confession. How do two very different people get comfortable together, especially with college decisions looming? It is a small, affectionate story about learning how to be a couple.

‘Liz and the Blue Bird’ (2018)

Mizore plays oboe and Nozomi plays flute in their school concert band. A duet and the approach of graduation expose how differently the friends imagine their futures. Naoko Yamada’s film rewards attention to pauses, footsteps and tiny changes in expression. It belongs here for its emotional intimacy and queer subtext; do not go in expecting the explicit couple narrative of Kase-san.

‘Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury’ (2022)

Suletta Mercury arrives at a school where mobile-suit duels can determine far more than bragging rights. Winning one entangles her with Miorine Rembran, whose father heads a powerful corporate group. Their engagement sits at the center of this Gundam story, alongside corporate maneuvering, family pressure and spectacular machines. You can start here without working through decades of earlier Gundam series. Expect violence as the stakes rise.

Trans and Gender-Diverse Anime

‘Wandering Son’ (2011)

Based on Takako Shimura’s manga, Wandering Son follows Shuichi Nitori and Yoshino Takatsuki through school, puberty and questions about gender. Shuichi is a trans girl; Yoshino’s exploration is a story of its own, especially across the longer manga. The anime pays attention to uniforms, friendships and the fear of being seen differently. Expect bullying and dysphoria, as well as terminology that can feel dated.

Choose Your First Watch

For a warm introduction, try Yuri!!! on Ice or Sasaki and Miyano. For one movie, choose Tokyo Godfathers or Doukyusei. Pick Utena when you want something strange enough to argue about afterward, and save Banana Fish for a night when a happy ending is not the requirement.

For live-action stories about queer women, explore our lesbian and sapphic movie guide.

Gay Anime FAQ

What is the difference between BL and yaoi?

BL is a broad label for stories about romance between male characters. Yaoi overlaps with it and is often associated with more sexually explicit work, but usage varies. Check each title’s age rating and content notes.

What does yuri mean in anime?

Yuri, also called girls’ love or GL, refers to stories about relationships between female characters. Some works depict an explicit romance; others leave more room for interpretation.

Are there gay anime with adult leads?

Yes. Yuri!!! on Ice, The World’s Greatest First Love, Yes, No, or Maybe? and Antique Bakery feature adult leads. Tokyo Godfathers also has adult protagonists, including a trans woman.

Is Banana Fish a light romance?

No. Ash and Eiji’s bond is central, but the series is a crime thriller with violence, abuse, sexual exploitation and grief. It is a very different choice from a gentle school romance.

Which yuri anime is a good starting point?

Try Bloom Into You for a thoughtful school romance, Kase-san and Morning Glories for a short story about an existing couple, or The Witch from Mercury for science fiction with a sapphic relationship.