BL anime can mean a straightforward boys’ love romance, a queer-centered coming-of-age story, or a drama whose central male relationship is romantic without being marketed primarily as BL. This list includes all three, with the classification made clear where it matters.
The streaming information below is for the United States and was checked against listings available in late July 2026. Catalogs change by country and by licensing deal, so verify a title in your preferred service before subscribing. A “Crunchyroll Amazon Channel” listing refers to the separate Prime Video add-on, not a standard Crunchyroll subscription.
The best BL anime to watch first
If you want a starting point rather than a chronological tour of the genre, begin with Given, Sasaki and Miyano, The Stranger by the Shore, or Cherry Magic!. They offer very different versions of BL: music drama, gentle school romance, a compact seaside film, and supernatural workplace comedy.
1. Given
Given is a music-centered romance involving Mafuyu and Ritsuka. Its emotional conflicts are tied closely to performance, grief, friendship, and the pressure of turning personal feelings into music. It is one of the strongest all-purpose recommendations on this list.
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Where to watch in the U.S.: Crunchyroll and the Crunchyroll Amazon Channel. Digital purchase is listed through Amazon Video and the Apple TV Store.
2. Given: The Movie
This film shifts much of its attention toward Haruki, Akihiko, and Ugetsu. It is not the ideal entry point for someone who has never seen the series, but it adds important emotional context to the wider Given story.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll and YouTube TV. Rental or purchase is listed through the Apple TV Store.
3. Given The Movie: Hiiragi Mix
Hiiragi Mix continues the film side of the franchise and should be watched after the first Given movie. Treat the films as separate listings when checking a streaming service; access to the television series does not automatically mean every film is included.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll and the Crunchyroll Amazon Channel.
4. Sasaki and Miyano
This is a comparatively gentle high-school romance, notable for making BL-manga fandom part of the story itself. The series takes a gradual approach to its relationship and is a good choice for viewers who prefer warmth and awkwardness over heavy melodrama.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll and the Crunchyroll Amazon Channel. Digital purchase is listed on Amazon Video and the Apple TV Store.
5. Sasaki and Miyano: Graduation
The film follows the television series, with Sasaki preparing for college entrance exams. It works best as a continuation rather than a standalone introduction.
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Where to watch: Crunchyroll and the Crunchyroll Amazon Channel.
6. The Stranger by the Shore
Also known by its Japanese title, Umibe no Étranger, this is a compact seaside romance. Its film length makes it an accessible choice when you want a complete BL story without committing to a full season.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll and the Crunchyroll Amazon Channel. Rental or purchase is listed through Amazon Video and the Apple TV Store.
7. Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!
The premise turns a supernatural ability into a route toward romance: reaching thirty without sexual experience allows the protagonist to read other people’s thoughts by touching them. The anime is a workplace romantic comedy and should not be confused with the separate live-action adaptation.
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8. Twilight Out of Focus
Set around a school film club, Twilight Out of Focus contains three interconnected boys’ romantic storylines. Its structure makes it a useful pick for viewers who enjoy an ensemble cast rather than one relationship occupying the entire narrative.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll and the Crunchyroll Amazon Channel. Digital purchase is listed through Amazon Video and the Apple TV Store.
BL-adjacent anime with strong queer or romantic elements
These titles are frequently included in BL recommendations, but their primary genres may be crime, sports, horror, or science fiction. That distinction is useful: a viewer looking for a conventional romance may have a very different experience from someone looking for an emotionally intense queer-centered story.
9. Banana Fish
Banana Fish is fundamentally a crime drama, with a central male relationship that gives the story much of its emotional force. It is commonly recommended alongside BL anime, but it is not structured as a conventional BL romance and carries serious content warnings for violence, abuse, trafficking, and trauma.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
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10. Yuri!!! on Ice
This sports anime follows figure skater Yuri Katsuki and coach Victor Nikiforov. Competition and athletic ambition drive the plot, while the relationship between the two men supplies its romantic center.
Where to watch: Hulu, Crunchyroll, and the Crunchyroll Amazon Channel. Digital purchase is listed through the Apple TV Store.
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The Summer Hikaru Died is queer horror rather than conventional BL. Yoshiki’s relationship with the entity resembling Hikaru drives the story, giving the series an unsettling mixture of grief, attachment, identity, and supernatural dread.
Where to watch: Netflix and Netflix Standard with Ads.
12. The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window
This supernatural mystery uses romantic and erotic undertones alongside its paranormal investigation. It is a darker choice than a school romance and is best approached as queer-inflected supernatural drama rather than a light BL series.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll and the Crunchyroll Amazon Channel. The live-action film is a separate work and is not currently listed as available in the U.S.
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Spiritpact is a Chinese animated series presented across two seasons. Its central male partnership and romantic framing have led to frequent BL classification, although it is also strongly defined by supernatural action and fantasy.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll and the Crunchyroll Amazon Channel.
14. No. 6
This dystopian science-fiction series centers on a strongly queer relationship within a larger story about an authoritarian city and social inequality. It is better described as queer-centered science fiction or BL-adjacent than as a standard romance series.
Where to watch: U.S. listings are inconsistent. JustWatch’s page simultaneously reports no U.S. availability while naming Hulu and other services in its offer data. Check the current listing manually before relying on any platform claim.
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Classic and foundational BL anime
15. Love Stage!!
Love Stage!! is a romantic comedy set against the entertainment industry. When searching, use the anime title carefully: the 2020 live-action film is a separate production and is not the same listing.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll, the Crunchyroll Amazon Channel, and the HIDIVE Amazon Channel. Digital purchase is listed through Amazon Video.
16. Gravitation
Originally released in 2000, Gravitation is a foundational music-industry BL anime. Its older visual style and heightened melodrama make it a snapshot of an earlier era of the genre, while the performer-focused setting connects it naturally to later music anime such as Given.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll and the Crunchyroll Amazon Channel. It is also listed free with ads on RetroCrush, with digital purchase through the Apple TV Store.
17. Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi: The World’s Greatest First Love
This series follows multiple interconnected couples working in manga publishing. The professional setting gives the romances a shared world and makes the show a good choice for viewers who enjoy ensemble storytelling and overlapping relationships.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll and the Crunchyroll Amazon Channel. Digital purchase is listed through the Apple TV Store.
18. Sekaiichi Hatsukoi Movie
The film focuses on Yokozawa and Kirishima. It is not simply a direct continuation of the main couple’s television storyline, so viewers should expect a different emphasis within the same broader universe.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll and the Crunchyroll Amazon Channel.
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19. Junjo Romantica
Junjo Romantica is one of the genre’s established multi-couple series. Availability is uneven across seasons: Season 1 is currently listed with a Crunchyroll subscription, while Season 3 is listed as purchase-only in the U.S.
Where to watch: Season 1 is on Crunchyroll and the Crunchyroll Amazon Channel, with digital purchase through the Apple TV Store. Do not assume that all three seasons are included under one current subscription.
20. SUPER LOVERS
SUPER LOVERS combines family drama and romance around an age-gap and adoptive-family setup. That premise can be uncomfortable for many viewers, so it is worth checking the content and relationship dynamics before starting.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll and the Crunchyroll Amazon Channel. Digital purchase is listed through the Apple TV Store.
Shorter, more specialized, or harder-to-find titles
21. The Titan’s Bride
This short-form fantasy BL series is sexually explicit and rated TV-MA. It is a title for viewers specifically looking for adult fantasy BL, not a general recommendation for newcomers.
Where to watch: Not currently listed as streaming in the United States. JustWatch lists availability in other markets, including U-NEXT and the Anime Times Amazon Channel.
22. The Perfect Prince Loves Me, the Side Character?!
This short-form series uses an isekai-style premise in which a side character becomes the object of a prince’s affection. Episodes are approximately seven minutes long, making it suitable for viewers who want a brief, episodic watch rather than a conventional twenty-four-minute series.
Where to watch: U.S. digital purchase through Amazon Video. No current U.S. subscription stream or free option is listed.
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23. This Boy Caught a Merman
A 28-minute fantasy romance from the Kono Danshi series, This Boy Caught a Merman is a concise option with a more unusual supernatural premise. It is best treated as a standalone short rather than a full-length television series.
Where to watch: Not currently listed as streaming in the United States. Japanese listings include U-NEXT and Amazon Video.
24. Embracing Love: A Cicada in Winter
Also known as Winter Cicada, this historical drama and romance is one of the more difficult titles on the list to locate legally online.
Where to watch: No current U.S. online stream is listed. DVD purchase is available according to the cited listing.
Quick U.S. availability guide
| Title | Format | U.S. status |
|---|---|---|
| Given | Series | Crunchyroll; digital purchase |
| Given films | Films | Crunchyroll, with separate rights by film |
| Sasaki and Miyano | Series and film | Crunchyroll |
| The Stranger by the Shore | Film | Crunchyroll; rental/purchase |
| Cherry Magic! | Series | Crunchyroll; Rakuten Viki free with ads |
| Banana Fish | Series | Amazon Prime Video |
| Gravitation | Series | Crunchyroll; RetroCrush free with ads |
| Hitorijime My Hero | Series | No current U.S. streaming listing |
| The Titan’s Bride | Short-form series | No current U.S. streaming listing |
| This Boy Caught a Merman | Short film | No current U.S. streaming listing |
Hitorijime My Hero is included here as a watchlist title because it is frequently suggested in BL lists, but it is not currently available to stream in the U.S. Do not rely on older pages claiming that it is on Crunchyroll.
How to choose your next BL anime
- For a gentle school romance: start with Sasaki and Miyano, then watch Sasaki and Miyano: Graduation.
- For music and emotional drama: choose Given. Watch the television series before the films.
- For a single-sitting film: try The Stranger by the Shore.
- For workplace comedy and supernatural romance: pick Cherry Magic!.
- For darker material: choose Banana Fish, The Summer Hikaru Died, or The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window, but check content warnings first.
- For older genre history: watch Gravitation, Junjo Romantica, or Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi.
- For short or adult-oriented fantasy: look at The Perfect Prince Loves Me, the Side Character?! or The Titan’s Bride, noting their different availability and content levels.
FAQ
What is the best BL anime for beginners?
Sasaki and Miyano is a gentle starting point, while Given is a stronger choice if you prefer music and emotional drama. The Stranger by the Shore is the easiest entry if you want a single film.
Where can I watch BL anime in the United States?
Crunchyroll carries many of the titles on this list, including Given, Sasaki and Miyano, Cherry Magic!, and Gravitation. Other options include Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten Viki, RetroCrush, and digital stores. Availability differs by title.
Are Banana Fish and Yuri!!! on Ice BL anime?
They are often included in BL recommendations, but both are better described with additional context. Banana Fish is primarily a crime drama, while Yuri!!! on Ice is a sports anime with a central romance.
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No. The television series and films have separate listings and rights. Check each film individually, especially Given: The Movie and Given The Movie: Hiiragi Mix.
The Bottom Line
The strongest first choices are Given for music-driven drama, Sasaki and Miyano for a soft school romance, The Stranger by the Shore for a compact film, and Cherry Magic! for supernatural workplace comedy. For darker or less conventional stories, try Banana Fish, The Summer Hikaru Died, or No. 6. Before watching, check the individual U.S. listing: seasons, films, and regional rights are not interchangeable.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
