BL Manhwa to read for art

Key things

• Originating in Japan, the BL genre has evolved into a revolutionary and popular genre with high quality art in Korean manhwas.
• BL manhwa now explores deep themes beyond simple romance, offering diverse stories with unique art styles that appeal to a wide audience.
• Recent BL manhwas like
  Pirouette to my heart
  and
  Touch your world
  to showcase meaningful relationships and captivating artwork, elevating the genre.

boy love often referred to as “BL” or “Yaoi”, it is a controversial genre for some and revolutionary for many. She puts LGBTQ+ romance and characters at the forefront of her storytelling, often highlighting queer communities and culture in the process. Despite their Japanese origins, BL manhwas (Korean manga) are becoming increasingly popular among BL fans.

Although it usually caters to female fans and found its origins as a shojo subgenre, BL attracts a wide audience. In addition, BL has developed into a popular genre that occupies a large portion of space on webcomic sites such as Lezhin and Tapas. Now the BL creators are doing some of the best art you can find in manhwa.

Updated on December 4, 2024 by Fatima Naeem: The manhwa industry is really stepping up their game with BL stories that go beyond simple romance. These stories delve into different themes and offer more than just surface level relationships. When these deep stories are combined with a great art style, the entire reading experience is taken to the next level. The latest updates to this list show just how diverse the BL genre is, with unique art styles that match the different themes. Whether it's a sad, emotional story with dark, gritty artwork or a fun, light-hearted plot with lots of pink and pastel colors, BL manhwa has made a big impact on the industry.

11 Pirouette to my heart

Art Style: Colorful And Cozy

• Creator: Jing Shuibian and Tang Luizang
• Release date: October 2, 2019
• Position: Completed

This is a Chinese manhwa or manhua about a ballet dancer named Shen and his relationship with the boxer Jinyi next door. The two meet when they are 12 and become fast friends as their respective classes are in the same building. As they get older, their relationship becomes more complicated, but they always support their dreams above all else.

Pirouette to my heart is more about chasing your dreams than love, but the story between Shen and Jinyi is heartwarming nonetheless.

10 Touch your world

Art Style: As if seeing color for the first time

• Creator: Tang Man Hua
• Release date: 2020
• Position: Completed

When Xie Cheng, who literally sees the world in black and white, encounters a colored man, he immediately tries to approach him. Unfortunately for famous designer Bai Lu, the man in question, Xie Cheng bumps into him in the bathroom and the reporters pounce. Now the two have a questionable photo of them online.

Although Bai Lu initially mistakes Xie Cheng for a stalker, they quickly bond despite Bai Lu's apparent distrust of people. Xie Cheng just wants to know why he is seeing someone in color for the first time. This manhua by Tang Man Hua, Zhi Wen, and Chen Xiaoke is in the classic manhua art style and is intended for adults.

9 Have dinner with a vampire

Art Style: Gory And Traditional

• Creator: Pangin and PINKO
• Release date: March 21, 2021
• Position: Completed

Have dinner with a vampire is a dark tale of love and revenge. When Sooin meets a vampire named Chi-hwan, who usually despises human blood, she gets a chance to escape her abusive relationship. Chi-hwan is ready to make a deal with Sooin in exchange for his blood. What will Sooin do?

This 18+ manhwa displays mature themes and it's worth checking out the content warning before reading it. That being said, PINKO's art is beautiful and PANGIN's story is exceptional. further Have dinner with a vampire it generally shows these acts as despicable and not something to be taken lightly, which isn't always the case with BL manhwa.

8 Who can define popularity?

Art Style: Bright and fantastical

• Creator: Yes
• Release date: May 9, 2020
• Position: Completed

A love-at-the-lost story, if done right, can turn out to be one of the funniest romantic tropes ever. A comprehensive approach to this would be a point of conflict between the main characters, their visceral hatred for the other and their uncontrollable attraction to the other.

Who can define popularity? is a BL comedy romance that revolves around the concepts of rivalry, envy, respect and ultimately love. It follows Siwon, a formerly timid boy who does a complete 180 by constantly working on himself. Siwon's hard work pays off in college and he becomes one of the most popular kids on campus. However, his thunder is very soon stolen by another guy, Daun, who is everything Siwon is, but better.

7 By the way Dyed By Spring's Love

Art Style: Classic yet unique

• Creator: Ji-yeon Park
• Release date: 2021
• Position: Completed

Park Ji-yeon's latest manhwa, By the way Dyed By Spring's Love tells the story of hard-working Shim Cheongsun who crosses paths with wealthy piano genius Gonghyun. It is best to go into this story without any spoilers as plot twists are an integral part of the story.

By the way Dyed By Spring's Love is a completed work by the same manhwa artist as Wolf In The House and Momentum. It has a teen version and an adult version, so readers can just choose which iteration they want to consume. Both are pretty good at what they're trying to be, and benefit from consistently great art that brings Shim Cheongsun and Gonghyun's relationship to life.

6 Hate a friend

Art style: unpredictable and memorable

• Creator: Rec
• Release date: December 18, 2016
• Position: Completed

Hate a friend is the frustrating story of Subin, a gay man who confesses to his straight friend during a drunken night together. The two break up as their friendship is strained and Subin's unrequited feelings go nowhere. This story features a love triangle or two that will make fans' hearts ache. Despite all of this, the art is so beautiful that it's hard to put it down.

Created by RECK, known for Body complex, Hate Mate is available at Tapas for all ages.

Although available to all ages, it still contains sexual content without graphic images.

5 Degrees between us

Art style: Elegant, soft and minimalistic

• Creator: Yeoro and Sovoro
• Release date: November 21, 2020
• Position: Completed

Degrees between us is the perfect series for readers looking for a perfectly wholesome, gentle and natural BL romance story. It follows the budding romance of two opposite people who initially have no plans to fall in love. The unexpectedness and novelty of their romance, in addition to their cute “first time” moments, would make any heart cry.

Yeonwoo is an extremely popular high school student, known on his campus for being bright, charming, and utterly magnetic. It doesn't help that he is also the representative of his class and is also quite smart. However, the truth is that Yeonwoo is very bored with life and is actively looking for some kind of excitement. Enter Dojin, a brooding and dark boy from Yeonwoo's class who promises to make life fun from now on.

4 Shuttle line

Art style: Masculine and cocky

• Creator: KYOU
• Release date: April 16, 2021
• Position: In progress

So this is another unpredictable plot with lots of steamy scenes that tugged at the heartstrings for more than one reason. This is an action manhwa with really good writing and perfect art. It follows a “rogue street mechanic” who meets a wealthy mobster, and soon their stories and bodies become intertwined.

While it might stick to the typical gangster x poor orphan trope, Shuttle line it is thoughtful and unique to the subgenre and is definitely intended for an adult audience. That said, the relationship manhwa is quite positive compared to other BL manhwas, choosing to portray a relationship based on tension but not exploitation. The art is naturally great.

3 Digitalis

Art Style: Dark And Grungy

• Creator: Seol and Reck
• Release date: July 19, 2018
• Position: Completed

One of the most heartbreaking romantic tropes is the combination of fated lovers and unrequited love, where the protagonists deeply desire each other but are unable to act on their feelings due to circumstances. Digitalis is a reincarnation of fated manhwa lovers that is as heartbreaking as it is beautifully drawn.

The story centers on a man who has lived countless lives in search of his true love. In his current incarnation, he is known as Jinwoo, a white-collar office worker who leads a boring, uneventful life. To make matters worse, his destined love feels as unattainable in this life as it has in all past lives. This time, his fateful soulmate is a close friend of his biological sister, making it much more awkward for Jinwoo to continue the relationship.

2 On or Off

Art Style: Classic Comic Heaven

• Creator: A1
• Release date: February 1, 2019
• Position: Completed

On or Off is another 18+ title, but this time it's a workplace romance about a business manager named Kang Daehyung and a young aspiring developer named Ahn Yiyoung. Kang Daehyung looks like Clark Kent and has a similar upright appearance. Yiyoung is a charming, likeable character with a solid group of friends. Together, the two create a relationship that is enviable to say the least.

Created by A1, this manhwa is great for fans of non-toxic relationships, with questionable scenes at a minimum. The art is memorable and different from typical manhwa.

1 Mad dog

Art Style: Yaoi Perfection

• Creator: Haribo
• Release date: June 17, 2021
• Position: In progress

Hamin, the heir to a mafia family, rejects his family ties and tries to live a normal life. Unfortunately, there is a conflict between his family and rival gangs, so he is kidnapped and they try to use him for information about his father.

That's when the seemingly deranged Kwon Seyhyuk steps in and brutally rescues Hamin. Now the two are bound together by the orders of Hama's father. Mad dog is a violent story for adults and adults. Created by Haribo, it features beautiful art.