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 19 Shounen Ai manga you should read right now. [2025 List]
- 19. Take Off
- 18. Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu
- 17. Kimi Dake ga Hontou
- 16. Semantic Error
- 15. Koisuru (Otome) no Tsukurikata
- 14. Ao Ge Si De Faze
- 13. Eren Xiang Yao Qiangjiu Yixia
- 12. Lang Lang Shang Kou
- 11. Neighbor Guild Member
- 10. Here U Are
- 9. Unintentional Love Story
- 8. Zhujiao Zhi Xiang Tan Lianai
- 7. There's Something Wrong With My Popularity
- 6. King's Maker: Triple Crown
- 5. Haeui Heunjeok
- 4. Heeojimui Bangbeop
- 3. Keullaudeu
- 2. Marginal
- 1. Night Walkers
19. Take Off
Two men on a plane, what could possibly go wrong?
Take Off is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: Take Off
18. 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
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. Semantic Error
You're an error in my perfect world.
Sang-U Chu is a stickler for rules. So when his classmates free-ride on a group project, he doesn't credit them. But this prevents one senior, Jae-Yeong Jang, from graduating. And like oil and water, Sang-U and Jae-Yeong don't mix. Can Sang-U debug Jae-Yeong — a semantic error in his perfect life?
Note: Chapter count includes a Christmas Special.
Semantic Error has finished publishing and it has 94 Chapters. It is also Known as: Semantic Error
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. Ao Ge Si De Faze
Su Yuan, a poor student, is accidentally admitted to Ogus Academy in order to release burden for the family. However, it is found that the college is set up to protect half-demons. The weak human begins must team with a half-demon pal (partner) for saving their lives. Su Yuan attracts many pal seekers due to his special smell and suffers various attacks at the same time. Until the day he saved a bloody fox, he found out...
Ogus's Laws has finished publishing and it has 155 Chapters. It is also Known as: A Lei De Ogus, Augus' Law, Ley De Ogus, Monstrous HeartA Lei De Ogus, Augs' Law, La loi d'Ogus, Ley De Ogus, Monstrous Heart, Ogus Law, Ogus' Gesetze, オーガスの法則, オーガス学院の秘密, 奥格斯的法则
13. 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
12. Lang Lang Shang Kou
New and budding actor, Yu Nian, never imagined that his idol, the top actor in the industry, would one day walk down the red carpet with him. This single event then stirs the scandal of the century. However, that's not all. Yu Nian finds out an even more baffling secret. A-list actor, Xie Youjun, turns into a wolf during a full moon. Besides that, this stunning star even ends up biting him and tells him that he has the smell of an Omega. Out of the blue, Yu Nian finds himself taking a step into the mysterious Omegaverse.
The Bite of a Wolf has finished publishing and it has 84 Chapters. It is also Known as: Alpha Omega-Beta, Gebissen vom Wolf, Je suis mordu par un loup-garou, Láng Láng Shàng Kǒu, 月夜の狼
11. Neighbor Guild Member
After suffering from a stalker, Yoon Ji-gu becomes extremely wary of people. Just in time, a man with a strange sexual orientation moved into the neighbor's house...?
"Looks like there's a pervert living next door..."
In reality, Lee Yeo-woon and Yoon Ji-gu are suspicious neighbors who are full of misunderstandings.
In the game, the couple neutaaaa (Lee Yeo-woon) and ji9byeol.
How will the relationship between the two change in and out of the game and reality?
Neighbor Guild Member is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: Guild Member Next Door, My Guildmate Next Door, Neighbor BF, 邻家公会成员
10. 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
9. Unintentional Love Story
Won-Young gets unjustly suspended from work after getting caught up in a corruption scandal. But when he accidentally discovers the chairman's favorite artist Yoon Tae-Jun living under an alias, he is tasked with a tricky new mission. Could this be Won-Young's chance to get his job back?
Note: Includes 13 extra chapters.
Unintentional Love Story has finished publishing and it has 71 Chapters. It is also Known as: 非意図的恋愛談
8. Zhujiao Zhi Xiang Tan Lianai
System 067 encountered 13 awakened self-awareness systems, and as a supervisor, arranged for each awakened self-awareness system to go to a different novel, changing the original storyline of the protagonist of the novel. If the mission is successfully completed, the awakened self-aware system can become a “real person”.
Zhujiao Zhi Xiang Tan Lianai is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: The Protagonist Just Wants to Be in Love, The Protagonist Just Wants To Falling In Love, Zhǔjiǎo Zhǐ Xiǎng Tán Liàn'ài
7. There's Something Wrong With My Popularity
He earned it; his rival was born with it. A boy defined by past experiences, remakes himself into a popular hot-guy as high school comes around. Only to be challenged by a new, over-eager rival. How will Siwon deal with this newfound rivalry for attention? Will he push Daun away or give in?
Note: chapter count includes 16 side story chapters.
There's Something Wrong With My Popularity has finished publishing and it has 86 Chapters. It is also Known as: There's Something Wrong With My Popularity
6. King's Maker: Triple Crown
The King is back. With the defeat of his father, Wolfgang Goldenleonard has achieved all that he's sought — the love of Shin Soohyuk, the power of the throne, and vengeance over the kingdom's tyrannical ruler. But, Soohyuk, a "possession" of the former king, views their rocky relationship as one of war trophy and victor, despite Wolfgang showering him with affection. As uncertainty grows in the royal courts, forces beyond their control are preparing a second coup d'etat. Will these two be able to keep a grasp on the throne and on each other?
King's Maker: Triple Crown has finished publishing and it has 149 Chapters. It is also Known as: King's Maker Season 2, 킹스메이커 트리플 크라운
5. Haeui Heunjeok
I can help you kill your friends.
Strange dungeons have started appearing all over the world and wreaking havoc. I-Seon, a guy with the power to rebuild cities, witnesses his friends being turned into the undead. Hyeon, a powerful hunter, comes to him with an interesting proposition. I-seon has no choice but to accept his offer.
Traces of the Sun has finished publishing and it has 95 Chapters. It is also Known as: A Trace of the Wonder
4. Heeojimui Bangbeop
A war correspondence photographer, Jo-Yoon Ha, wakes up from a five-year-long coma after being shot in a war zone while covering a story. He wakes up only to find that his boyfriend had moved on and found another partner. While Yoon Ha was able to recover from his war zone injuries, he's not sure if he can recover from the heartbreak over his lost love. He tries to get past the heartbreak by meeting other people platonically or sexually.
The story is a tale of a journey to find healing for a broken heart. Will it become reality?
A Life Without You has finished publishing and it has 65 Chapters. It is also Known as: Maneras de Partir, Ways of Parting
3. Keullaudeu
Skylar has a secret hobby - taking photos of his crush, Chan-il. But when Cirrus stumbles upon Skylar's cloud storage with its impressive collection of Chan-il's photos, things escalate pretty quickly. At first confident his secret is safe with Cirrus, Skylar continuously finds himself in compromising situations, making him question Cirrus' true motives.
Source: Lezhin
Lost in the Cloud has finished publishing and it has 131 Chapters. It is also Known as: Keullaudeu
2. Marginal
In the year 2999, only eleven cities still survive on Earth. The climate has changed drastically, and a biochemical apocalypse has made women extinct. For centuries, the male population of Earth has survived by depending on only one woman, called the Holy Mother, whose ova are harvested to create genetically engineered children. By now, any concept of a world in which women exist as ordinary people is long gone. Society has re-structured itself around all-male families, and relationships between men and adolescent boys have become the norm.
At the beginning of Marginal, the Holy Mother is assassinated by a terrorist known as Grinja. The government in power doesn't want to start a mass panic, so it pretends that the Holy Mother has only shed her vessel, and that she will be miraculously "reborn" in the near future. The public, which is superstitious and devout, believes this easily. Only government officials know that behind the scenes, there is a frantic effort to create a being able to give birth.
The manga's story revolves around Kira, who becomes involved in a three-way relationship with Grinja, the aforementioned terrorist, and Ashijin, a young man who calls himself Kira's owner. A complex plot and flawless world-building make the story irresistible, and Kira's search for freedom is as symbolic as it is gripping.
Marginal has finished publishing and it has 24 Chapters. It is also Known as: Maajinaru, マージナル, Maajinare
1. Night Walkers
The death of his mother leads to Tomoki living with Murakami-san, the Prime Minister. However Tomoki soon learns that nothing is what it seems, least of all Murakami-san himself.
Night Walkers has finished publishing and it has Chapters. It is also Known as: NIGHT WALKERS -ナイトウォーカーズ-, Night Walkers
