What is this genre all about? Shounen Ai means boys love, and thus explores what happens when two boys (or men) fall in love. This is not to be mistaken for Yaoi which is (or, at least, how this term is often used by the western audience) used in adult works. This is not; that means there is no graphical sex.
The female version is Shoujo Ai.
We present you the list of Shounen Ai manga you should read right now.
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Top 20 Shounen Ai manga you should read right now. [2026 List]
- 20. Nae Yakonjaneun Kkonminam
- 19. Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu
- 18. Iutjim Guild-won
- 17. Kimi Dake ga Hontou
- 16. Xiao Mogu
- 15. Koisuru (Otome) no Tsukurikata
- 14. Ganbare! Nakamura-kun!!
- 13. Here U Are
- 12. My Girlfriend Is a Real Man
- 11. Seeing Double
- 10. Tensei Shitara Party ga Otokonoko Darake datta kedo Danjite Ore wa Shotacon Janai!
- 9. Heartstopper
- 8. Eren Xiang Yao Qiangjiu Yixia
- 7. Shimanami Tasogare
- 6. The Third Ending
- 5. Kimi ni Yoseru Blue
- 4. Tian Guan Ci Fu
- 3. Kiss Me Princess
- 2. YOU ARE MY BFF
- 1. Matbol Su Eomneun Namja
20. Nae Yakonjaneun Kkonminam
Woojoo's parents have always been a little kooky, but this time they've clearly outdone themselves!
When Woojoo begrudgingly comes back home after running away for the Nth time, he finds out he has a fiance. Lucky for Woojoo, he now has to share his room with the guy - a fairytale prince, yes, but a straight one.
My Gorgeous Fiance has finished publishing and it has 58 Chapters. It is also Known as: My Fiance is a Handsome Boy, My Fiancé Is a Hottie, 俺の婚約者は超イケメン御曹司, 我的美男未婚夫
19. Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu
"So, Hikaru is no more... If that's true then..."
Yoshiki and Hikaru are two boys who live in a certain village. They're the same age and have always been together growing up. But one day, Yoshiki noticed that "something else" has taken Hikaru's place. Even after learning of this, Yoshiki still wants them to be together. And so, his life with the "something" that looks like his friend begins.
At the same time, strange incidents keep occurring in the village...
The Summer Hikaru Died is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: 光が死んだ夏, Hikari ga Shinda Natsu, The Summer Hikaru is Dead, The Summer the Light is Dead
18. Iutjim Guild-won
After a stalking incident, Yoon Ji-gu has become understandably wary of strangers. So when an odd man moves in next door, he immediately suspects the worst. Little does he know, Yeowoon is just a regular guy trying to land a job and enjoy his free time—until he finds himself dealing with a hostile neighbor. As their real-life misunderstandings escalate, the two unknowingly team up in their favorite online game, forming an unexpected duo. Get ready to log in to a new adventure full of hilarious mix-ups, a distrustful tsundere, and an unwitting flirt with a heart of gold.
Note: Season 2 is rated R19
Virtual Strangers is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: Guild Member Next Door, My Guildmate Next Door, Neighbor BF, 鄰居是公會成員, 隣のギルメン, 求饶不成就求婚, Vecinos Virtuales
17. Kimi Dake ga Hontou
High school boy, Rikimaru, is unable to touch women due to childhood trauma. He has a pair of childhood friends who are siblings. The older sister, Kagami, and then the younger brother, Kyou. Between the two of them they share a similar height and appearance. Under these circumstances a unique twin love romance begins to bloom.
Kimi Dake ga Hontou has finished publishing and it has 13 Chapters. It is also Known as: きみだけがほんとう, Kimi Dake ga Hontou
16. Xiao Mogu
“Until the day humanity falls.”
In the year 2020, Earth’s magnetic poles disappeared and humankind was nearly wiped out by cosmic radiation. Within the span of a hundred years, living creatures began to mutate and devour each other while the remaining humans, numbering in the tens of thousands, struggled bitterly in their man-made bases.
In the Abyss, home to the mutated xenogenics, there lived a sentient little mushroom. Because it had been nourished by the blood and flesh of the deceased human An Ze, not only did it take on a similar-looking human form, but a similar name as well: An Zhe.
An Zhe is determined to go to the human base to search for his spore, which had been harvested by humans. Once there, however, he faces the omnipresent risk of discovery and certain death as he tries to keep his non-human nature hidden from the Judges, whose responsibility is to inspect for and eliminate xenogenics like himself. And of all the Judges, Colonel Lu Feng is the most perceptive and merciless—as soon as he determines that someone is a xenogenic, he will execute that person on the spot.
But An Zhe’s mutation goes undetected by Lu Feng’s eyes, and so a tale of humans and xenogenics unfolds…
Note: Silver Award winner at the 12th Chinese Nebula Awards for Chinese Science Fiction
Xiao Mogu is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: Little Mushroom, Small Mushroom, Wrong But Still Right, Xiao Mo Gu, Xiǎo Mó Gū
15. Koisuru (Otome) no Tsukurikata
A popular guy that's secretly interested in cosmetics asks to practice makeup on his dull childhood friend and he ends up looking cute?!
Koisuru (Otome) no Tsukurikata is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: 恋する（おとめ）の作り方, How to Make a "Girl" Fall in Love, I turned my childhood friend (♂) into a girl, Osananajimi(♂) wo Onnanoko ni Shiteshimatta Hanashi, Transformei meu amigo de infância (♂) em uma garota, Gue Mengubah Teman Masa Kecil (♂) Gue Jadi Cewek, Convertí a my amigo de la infancia (♂) en una chica
14. Ganbare! Nakamura-kun!!
Nakamura is a shy boy who falls in love at first sight with one of his classmates–his dreamy high school classmate, Hirose. But there’s a problem: they haven’t met yet. And Nakamura is a total klutz who might bungle things before they even begin!
Go For It, Nakamura! has finished publishing and it has 11 Chapters. It is also Known as: ガンバレ！中村くん!!, Ganbare! Nakamura-kun!!
13. Here U Are
Receiving the newcomers is a task for Yu Yang, and he ends up helping the unsociable and towering Li Huan, the kind of person that does everything to be disliked. But after better knowing each other, he discovers that the giant isn't that bad of a person at all...
Note: Includes 20 extra chapters.
Here U Are has finished publishing and it has 157 Chapters. It is also Known as: You are here, You're here
12. My Girlfriend Is a Real Man
"One day, my girlfriend suddenly transformed into a man?!"
A romantic comedy about a guy whose girlfriend turned into a boy and the messy antics that follow suit.
My Girlfriend Is a Real Man has finished publishing and it has 146 Chapters. It is also Known as: My Girlfriend Is a Manly Man
11. Seeing Double
Seo-Woo reunited with Raon, whom he had a crush on in school. However, due to his introverted personality, he asks his twin brother, Jae-Woo, to flirt with him in his stead. But then the once uninterested Jae-Woo fell in love with Raon too... A sparkling triangle that started with sweet unrequited love.
Who will get Raon's heart?
Seeing Double has finished publishing and it has 58 Chapters. It is also Known as: Raonui Namja, Raon's Man
10. Tensei Shitara Party ga Otokonoko Darake datta kedo Danjite Ore wa Shotacon Janai!
One day, high school student Kakeru had met the end of his life in a traffic accident.
But he noticed he was reincarnated into a fantasy world,
Moreover, it was a village full of shota without women and adults!
After Reincarnation, My Party Was Full of Boys, but I'm Not a Shotacon! has finished publishing and it has 46 Chapters. It is also Known as: 転生したらパーティが男の子だらけだったけど断じて俺はショタコンじゃない!, Absolutely I'm Not Shotacon!, After Reincarnation My Party Was Full of Traps, but I'm Not a Shotacon!, Absolutely I'm not Shotacon!
9. Heartstopper
Charlie, a highly-strung, openly gay over-thinker, and Nick, a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player, meet at a British all-boys grammar school. Friendship blooms quickly, but could there be something more...?
Heartstopper is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: Heartstopper
8. Eren Xiang Yao Qiangjiu Yixia
A true villain needs to be ruthless, evil, and self-destructive! After torturing the protagonist to hell and back, they will exit the scene fabulously with a bang as their work is done. Wang Yi was determined to act that kind of villain. Unfortunately… His male lead could read minds. (:з)∠*)“You mongrel!” Mr. Yi chuckled as he looked down on the novel’s male lead.Suddenly, a thought bubble filled with cute emojis (⁄ ⁄ ⁄ω⁄ ⁄ ⁄) with the words “You’re so cute…” appeared in front of Qin.Qin: ?
I Want to Be a Big Baddie is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: I Have To Be A Great Villain, 我要当个大坏蛋, Wo Yao Dang Ge Da Huai Dan, The Wicked Want to Rescue, I Am Going to Be a Bastard, I Want to Be a Scoundrel, I'm Going to Be a Great Villain, I'm Going to Be a Villain, The Wicked Want to Rescue, The Wicked Wants to Rescue
7. Shimanami Tasogare
After recently moving to Onomichi, Hiroshima, high school student Tasuku Kaname is thrown into despair at the possibility that he may have been outed for being gay. Convinced his life is over, his despair turns into shock when he sees a woman jump out of a window of a nearby house. Tasuku races to the house in a panic only to discover that it's a public meeting lounge owned by the woman he saw before. Tasuku comes face to face with the woman as she walks past him unharmed, but not before she implies that she had been watching him from afar. Confused, Tasuku follows her up to the top of a steep hill where she offers to briefly listen to what's on his mind. Although Tasuku doesn't go into too much detail, he later accepts her invitation to come to the lounge to meet others with similar troubles.
Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare has finished publishing and it has 23 Chapters. It is also Known as: しまなみ誰そ彼, Shimanami Tasogare
6. The Third Ending
Seo Yoon Seul, who's lived a perfect life so far, becomes a wreck when he starts having nightmares of a boy whom he coldly rejected when he was a student. The nightmares get even worse when he reunites with Kang Joon. Following his advice on becoming a good person to avoid nightmares, Yoon Seul approaches him to win his favor.
Note: from season 2 (chapter 36) this becomes Mature (R19), Season 1 is All-Age (R15) Note: Chapter count includes a 3-chapter side story and 2 episodes that were a Christmas special
The Third Ending has finished publishing and it has 72 Chapters. It is also Known as: The Third Ending
5. Kimi ni Yoseru Blue
1. Other Blue
2. Other Blue Kazemachi (Other Blue, Waiting for the Favorable Wind)
3. Kimi ni Yoseru Blue (Under the Blue Sky)
4. Night & Go
5. Fuki no Mori (The Never Come Back Forest)
6. Ame no Yume Furu (Give Up a Rainy Dream)
Kimi ni Yoseru Blue has finished publishing and it has 6 Chapters. It is also Known as: 君によせるブルー, Azaburu, Other Blue, Other Blue Kazemachi, Waiting for the Favorable Wind, Under the Blue Sky, Night & Go, Night and Go, Fuki no Mori, The Never Come Back Forest, Ame no Yume Furu, Give up a Rainy Dream
4. Tian Guan Ci Fu
Among the gods, there is a laughing stock of the three realms.
He soared and became a god three times.
The first time: he became the martial emperor’s most trusted, but was forced down into the mortal world as punishment for interfering with mortal affairs.
The second time: he started fighting the martial emperor the moment he soared and was kicked out of the heavens, shattering records, and became the most short lived god ever.
The third time: well, it’s this time…nothing will go wrong this time right? JK, he fell into debt of 8,880,000 merits the moment he stepped into the heavens…
Heaven Official's Blessing has finished publishing and it has 252 Chapters. It is also Known as: Heavenly Blessing, La Bendicion Oficial Del Cielo, Tiān Guān Cì Fú
3. Kiss Me Princess
When a prince's soon-to-be-bride elopes two days before their wedding, her desperate family dress up their young son and send him to get married in her place. With his deep blue eyes and flowing blond hair (and strategically placed apples), nobody bats an eye at the pretty pubescent standing before them. But how long can he keep up the charade. Despite the odds stacked against them, the two princes share adventures and intimacies.
Source: animenewsnetwork
Boy Princess has finished publishing and it has 63 Chapters. It is also Known as: Kiss me 프린세스, Kiss Me Princess
2. YOU ARE MY BFF
How two best friends became a couple.
YOU ARE MY BFF is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: YOU ARE MY BFF (LGBTQ+)
1. Matbol Su Eomneun Namja
After food critic Jiho’s first meeting with novelist Inwoo ends in disappointment, he vows never to work with him. That is until Inwoo offers to buy him dinner. It’s then that he learns that Inwoo is unable to experience one of life’s basic joys – taste – and needs someone to describe flavors to him for his next novel. The more they meet, the more Jiho finds himself being drawn to Inwoo... but why? Is it because he too harbors a secret of his own?
Source: Tapas
The Insatiable Man has finished publishing and it has 91 Chapters. It is also Known as: The Man Who Can't Taste, A Man Who Can't Taste
