Yaoi, or boys’ love (BL) anime, has evolved from niche genres to mainstream favorites, yet there are still remarkable shows that fail to receive the recognition they deserve. Following my previous post on underrated yuri anime, here’s a look at 10 underrated yaoi series that merit more attention.
1. Mignon
This South Korean original yaoi anime from ABJ Company premiered on Vimeo in August 2023, and many people missed it due to it being temporarily removed because of content concerns before being restored.
The show follows Mignon, a charming mechanic who also works as a boxer in an illegal underground arena, wholly devoted to Oh Young-One, the doctor of the arena, who harbors his own dark secrets.
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What makes the anime regrettably underrated is its mature storytelling that doesn’t shy away from gritty crime elements while developing a genuinely moving romance. Director Bboong Bbang Kkyu, acclaimed for works like Hyperventilation and Unbelievable Space Love, has been pioneering groundbreaking yaoi works since 2017, and this one combines atmospheric animation with a noir-like feel that diverges from typical fluffy yaoi.
2. Tadaima, Okaeri
Tadaima, Okaeri became the first ever omegaverse yaoi anime to air on television when it premiered in April 2024, yet somehow it went largely unnoticed. Studio Deen adapted Ichi Ichikawa’s manga about a married couple, Masaki and Hiromu, raising their baby Hikari in a warm domestic environment.
Unlike conventional yaoi, the focus is on established relationship dynamics and family life rather than the chase and confession drama that typically defines this genre. The 12-episode series wrapped up in June 2024 on Crunchyroll. While most associate the genre with something more explicit or dramatic, this anime offers a heartwarming slice of life instead of the usual toxic relationship portrayals.
3. Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!
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Studio Satelight produced this 2024 adaptation of Yuu Toyota’s manga, and despite the success of a preceding live-action drama, the anime version received far less hype than it warranted. The concept is intriguing: 30-year-old virgin Adachi suddenly acquires the ability to read minds through touch and realizes that his attractive colleague Kurosawa has had feelings for him all along.
Interestingly, Cherry Magic! sidesteps typical yaoi melodrama by concentrating on workplace romance between two awkward adults who respect each other. The series aired from January to March 2024, blending humor and heart into the mind-reading concept without veering into creepy or intrusive territory.
4. Hirano and Kagiura
Another Studio Deen yaoi treasure, Hirano and Kagiura is a short film that was screened alongside the Sasaki and Miyano movie in February 2023, which led to its relative obscurity since most viewers only focused on the main feature. Kagiura is a first-year student who moves into the dorms with seemingly a troubled upperclassman Hirano, only to uncover that his roommate is actually a considerate and nurturing figure.
This spinoff from Sho Harusono’s manga delves into unreciprocated feelings expressed with such gentle patience that it resonates in the best sense. After living together for six months, Kagiura completely falls for Hirano, who cares for him with protective affection.
5. Hybrid Child
Based on the manga by Shungiku Nakamura, the creator of Junjou Romantica and Sekaichi Hatsukoi, this four-episode OVA series examines three relationships involving Hybrid Children, androids that develop according to the love they receive, alongside their human guardians.
The narrative hits hard emotionally as viewers become aware that these dolls possess limited life spans despite their ability to experience deep emotions and growth. Unlike Nakamura’s other creations, this series adopts a more contemplative tone, blending emotional storytelling with subtle science fiction elements. The anthology format allows each couple’s tragedy to unfold uniquely, culminating in heart-wrenching conclusions that leave you weeping and pondering the essence of consciousness and devotion.
6. Tasogare Out Focus
A summer 2024 yaoi series, Tasogare Out Focus also got overshadowed by the plethora of other seasonal releases. Film club member Mao Tsuchiya and his roommate Hisashi Otomo establish three promises: Mao will keep Hisashi’s orientation a secret, Hisashi won’t act on any feelings for Mao, and they will respect each other’s personal space.
The meta brilliance lies in watching Mao film a yaoi story for his club while unintentionally developing feelings for his off-limits roommate. As the main photographer composing each intimate scene between the male leads, Mao inadvertently directs romantic moments while grappling with his own burgeoning feelings.
7. Beryl and Sapphire
Beryl and Sapphire is a Chinese donghua that began airing in 2018 and follows the hilarious exploits of the gentle Beryl (Green) and the shy Sapphire (Blue) across various alternate universes and scenarios. Each episode serves as a sketch comedy taking place in a completely new universe where the relationship dynamic between the two changes, sometimes as childhood friends, other times as lovers, and occasionally as rivals.
Based on artist Ocarina’s well-known manhua, each episode showcases different kinds of relationships between the characters, allowing viewers to experience a variety of dynamics without adhering to a single storyline. Unfortunately, the show remains significantly underrated in English-speaking yaoi communities because most fans hesitate to delve into Chinese yaoi animation, potentially due to preconceived notions about language barriers or different storytelling styles lacking appeal.
8. Embracing Love: A Cicada in Winter
Historical yaoi resonates deeply when executed correctly, and this three-episode OVA illustrates why period dramas can elevate romance to authentic tragedy. Studio Venet adapted Youka Nitta’s spinoff from the primary Embracing Love series, crafting one of the most emotionally gripping yaoi anime that has regrettably faded from discussions.
Set during the late Tokugawa period, Touma Kusaka secretly learns English with hopes of fostering positive foreign relations while political conflicts between the Bakufu and Choshu clan escalate around him. His forbidden romance with Akizuki Keiichirou becomes as fragile as the cicada shells they find together, doomed amidst the nation’s violent transformation.
9. Quiet Please!
Quiet Please’s premise resembles a sitcom setup: a guy moves into his first apartment dreaming of independence yet is driven to madness by his noisy neighbor, ultimately punching him upon their first face-to-face encounter. QMENG’s 2025 series runs only five episodes at six minutes each, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it lacks substance. Yi-hyuk exhausts all attempts to quell the noise, from childish pranks to literally begging on his knees, and watching his dignity deteriorate is comedic.
The escalating rivalry between the neighbors surprisingly evolves into attraction, as one might expect, but the Korean production nails comedic timing so effectively that the transition from enemies to lovers feels earned rather than contrived. Many viewers scroll past anything under ten minutes per episode, assuming a lack of depth, which is why this gem, bursting with more personality than entire 12-episode seasons, is frequently overlooked.
10. Twittering Birds Never Fly
Kou Yoneda’s manga about the yakuza boss Yashiro and his bodyguard Doumeki finally received the anime adaptation it deserved; however, tragically, Studio GRIZZLY dissolved in 2025, leaving the planned trilogy in jeopardy. The first film, The Clouds Gather, premiered in Japan in February 2020, presenting one of the most psychologically complex relationships in yaoi with raw honesty about trauma, sexuality, and self-destruction.
Yashiro is a masochistic high-ranking yakuza in a hyper-masculine criminal environment, who grows increasingly attracted to his newly-assigned bodyguard. Director Kaori Makita, who previously worked on Yuri!! On Ice and Banana Fish, delivers an uncompromising portrayal of how wounded individuals connect in messy, uncomfortable ways. Despite critical acclaim, the trilogy’s incomplete nature may make emotional investment feel futile if closure remains elusive. Nevertheless, it’s worth monitoring to see if another studio takes up the mantle to complete this remarkable work.
