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. [2024 List]
- 20. Semantic Error
- 19. Koisuru (Otome) no Tsukurikata
- 18. Shou Shou Bu Qin
- 17. The Third Ending
- 16. Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu
- 15. Boyfriends.
- 14. Keullaudeu
- 13. Matbol Su Eomneun Namja
- 12. No Way, Vampires Don't Exist!
- 11. Neighbor Guild Member
- 10. Downpour
- 9. Out of Control
- 8. One Take
- 7. Prunus Girl
- 6. Kimi ni wa Todokanai.
- 5. Au Nuo
- 4. Otoko no Ko Tsuma
- 3. You Bei Nanshen Liao Shang Resou
- 2. Vampire Heart
- 1. Salt Friend
20. 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
19. 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
18. Shou Shou Bu Qin
Formerly a genius hunter, Bai Mu is now a third-rate celebrity. In a moment of carelessness, he was captured by his childhood playmate who turned out to be a vampire. From then on, he found it impossible to get away from his aggressively possessive childhood friend.
My Vampire My Hunter has finished publishing and it has 166 Chapters. It is also Known as: Zero Hunting, Intimate Hunter, 제로헌팅, 消えた約束のしがらみ
17. 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
16. 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
15. Boyfriends.
A comic about getting yourself a boyfriend... or multiple boyfriends! Four college students begin a polyamorous relationship and navigate the adventure that is their dating life!
Boyfriends. is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: Boyfriends.
14. 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 is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: Keullaudeu
13. 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 is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: The Man Who Can't Taste, A Man Who Can't Taste
12. No Way, Vampires Don't Exist!
Four college housemates — Juwon, Eunho, Seongjae, and Gyumin — are in desperate need of a fifth person to fill a vacant room in their place. But their main concern isn’t about paying rent: they’re ravenous vampires, dying to sink their teeth into a fresh, live human! So they can’t believe their luck when Dongha, who grew up isolated from society, eagerly moves in with no idea of what awaits him. To the vampires’ dismay, however, Dongha doesn’t weigh enough for them to suck his blood! As they shower their unsuspecting new housemate with food and attention to fatten him up, have they gotten too attached to their would-be prey? And is there more to sweet, naive Dongha than meets the hungry vampires’ eyes?
Note: Chapter count includes 18 extra chapters.
No Way, Vampires Don't Exist! has finished publishing and it has 80 Chapters. It is also Known as: Roomshare shitara, Zen'in Kyuuketsuki datta, ルームシェアしたら、全員吸血鬼だった, When I Shared My Room, Everyone Was a Vampire, Liar, Where Are Vampires!
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. Downpour
Having been outed at work, shoe designer Park Seok-Yeon is forced to start all over. He gets a new job at “Youm,” an up-and-coming brand with an accepting work environment and generous perks. It seems like the perfect company until Seok-Yeon finds out that the CEO is none other than his former crush, Jin Yeowon, the cold-hearted jerk who nearly drove him to end his own life. Now, they must work together, but will old feelings well up? Like a sudden downpour, love appears when you least expect it.
Downpour is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: Raining Cats and Dogs, Cloudburst, Raining Cats and Dogs, 爱如急雨, 爱的阵雨
9. Out of Control
Yuri, one of the school's most handsome guys, and Jaerim, one of the school's ugliest, collide!...or don't they...Can't understand what's going on between these two! It's Out of Control!!
Out of Control has finished publishing and it has 85 Chapters. It is also Known as: Never Understand
8. One Take
Former rising star, current no-name actor Jang Seungmin’s lucked out. Not only has he nabbed a role in a TV show, but he’s also getting to work with the biggest star in the country, Ha Hyunje. Charismatic, handsome, but also a little bit of a jerk, Hyunje has a magnetic presence that draws everyone in. Before Seungmin knows it, he’s become yet another Ha Hyunje fanboy. Seungmin’s satisfied with keeping a safe distance between himself and Hyunje, but...why is Hyunje so interested in Seungmin? More importantly, what does "the incident" that happened 7 years ago have to do with anything?
Notes: The chapter count includes a prologue.
One Take has finished publishing and it has 50 Chapters. It is also Known as: Wonteikeu, 一镜到底
7. Prunus Girl
Maki-kun goes to look at the results of his high school entrance exam and meets a beautiful girl. Could this be a fated encounter? He's thrilled to find out that the same girl, Aikawa Kizuna, not only ends up going to his school, but is in his class. However, he's not so thrilled to find out that Aikawa is really a guy!
Prunus Girl has finished publishing and it has 43 Chapters. It is also Known as: プラナス・ガール, Prunus Girl
6. Kimi ni wa Todokanai.
The differences between Yamato and Kakeru couldn't be more obvious. Yamato gets good grades, while Kakeru's are less than average. And while Yamato is very attractive, Kakeru's looks are perfectly average. Not a problem—unless you're in love with your childhood best friend…How in the world can Kakeru make Yamato look at him when Yamato is completely out of his league?!
I Cannot Reach You is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: 君には届かない。, I Can't Reach You, I Will Not Reach You
5. Au Nuo
An Nuo is known to have no superpowers, but in truth his power is to read minds. He wished to escape the research facility, but the top evolver, Jing Ye, hinders his plan. In a world where superpowers reign supreme, will An Nuo survive with the help of Jing Ye?
The Promise has finished publishing and it has 41 Chapters. It is also Known as: A Secure Promise, Annuo, The Promise (Heaney)
4. Otoko no Ko Tsuma
The manga follows the daily lives of Kou, a slightly quirky man, and his wife, Yukio (often called Yuki), who is a cross dressing man. Read as this married couple handles the trouble that comes with cross dressing in modern Japanese society.
My Wife is a Man has finished publishing and it has 44 Chapters. It is also Known as: おとこのこ妻, Otoko no Ko Zuma, Otokonoko Zuma
3. You Bei Nanshen Liao Shang Resou
The first time Yu Bei, a D-list actor made it to the trending topic was because of his McDreamy. He thought his eight years secret crush would go in vain in the end, but to his surprise, his crush began to pursue him! "People thought I was his sugar baby, but actually he's my lawful husband~"
Source: MangaToon
I’ve Gone Viral Thanks to My Crush is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: Hottest Topics, Hot Search Again Because Of The Male God, I Got Teased By Mr. Wonderful On Hot Search Again, Mr. McDreamy Makes Me a Trending Topic Again
2. Vampire Heart
On the night of a full moon, Dokyung runs into a vampire with blood dripping from the corners of his mouth. Haunted by the encounter, he tries to dismiss it as a dream...but not only does the vampire go to the same school as him, he begins following him around everywhere! Dokyung is horrified of course, but as time passes, he discovers some peculiar quirks about the creature: he prefers his meat well done, flinches at the sight of cats, and loves to cuddle. Who is this mysterious vampire, and why is he so fixated on Dokyung?
Vampire Heart has finished publishing and it has 92 Chapters. It is also Known as: 悪戯なアイツは吸血鬼？, Bottomless Swamp, Neupui Nalag, Neup-ui Nalag
1. Salt Friend
The bad boy who looks fierce on the outside is a crybaby that hides his true nature on the inside?! The good school bully is actually just an illusion in order not to be laughed at! His only choice is to play this role all the time...
Source: MU
Salt Friend is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: Salt Friend
