Boys Love is a genre of Japanese media that focuses on romantic relationships between two male characters. It has been around since the early 1900s and has grown in popularity in recent years, despite its controversial nature. Boys Love is divided into several genres that focus on innocent romance, explicit sexual content, or feature strong friendships between two male protagonists. Popular titles include Gravitation by Maki Murakami, Loveless by Yun Kouga, Junjou Romantica by Shungiku Nakamura, among many others. It appeals to fans who enjoy exploring themes such as forbidden romance and LGBTQ+ issues without having to experience them firsthand themselves. However, it is also criticized for promoting unhealthy stereotypes about homosexuality or being too sexually explicit for younger audiences. Despite this criticism, boys love continues to be popular among fans both inside and outside Japan with fan conventions dedicated solely to celebrating boys love media titles held annually around the world.