ik there's like misconceptions that bl/"yaoi" is just plain rape/noncon and bad, but like. i'm EXTREMELY selective and critical of the literature i consume. i physically cannot read something i consider bad unless i have to, ofc based on my preferences.

the discourse on this is also very nuanced, be more open-minded please.

also, those in with checkmarks √ are highly recommended, those in italics i are personal favorites

more notes at the end

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bl

• ✔ 10 dance
• ameiro paradox
• blue sky complex (ESP the drama cd)
• ✔ bokura ga koi wo ushinau riyuu
• bukatsu no kouhai ni semarareteimasu
• ✔ canis
• colorful line
• ✔ doukyuusei
• ✔ gambare nakamura-kun
• hana no mizo shiru
• ✔ hidamari ga kikoeru
• itoshi no nekokke
• ✔ king's maker (has yuri themes as well! excellent, really well done)
• kocchi muite waratte
• koi wo suru tsumori wa nakatta
• ✔ koimonogatari
• konomi ja naka to
• konya mo nemurenai
• natura-turaly
• no color
• ✔ on or off / work love balance
• ore to joushi no kakushigoto
• ✔ park hanhoo's manager
• ✔ semantic error (this is my all-time fave lol)
• seven days
• shinobeba koi
• sojou no koi wa nido haneru
• ✔ the good teacher
• ✔ umibe no etranger
• under the greenlight
• ✔ usagi no mori
• utsukushii koto
• ✔ walk on water
• also if you need info on tatsu's bl roles ive got your back

gl

• a girl like a pilgrim
• a yuri manga between a delinquent and a quiet girl that starts from a misunderstanding
• an absurd relationship
• ✔ crescent moon and doughtnuts
• ✔ dear noman
• fragtime
• ✔ futari wa daitai konna kanji (this is actually the fucking best read it right. now. good lord)
• galette
• hana ni arashi
• hana to hoshi
• i married my best friend to shut my parents up
• kami eshi ol to jk fujoshi
• less than friends
• ✔ love my life
• ✔ magan he danai
• ✔ moonlight flowers
• mentality
• octave
• philosophia
• ✔ qualia the purple
• sasameki koto
• so, do you want to go out?
• steps
• still sick
• ✔ tamen de gushi
• ✔ yamada to kase-san

hope u like the stuff i like as well! i promise they're good, i'm honestly pretty picky so yeah. but anyway yeah here's some rambling

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there is history behind the "problematic" themes bl can contain, and in order to critically consume this literature, it's important to understand that history as well as the culture the works are created in. it's why i can tolerate the existence of bl with these themes, tolerate when they appear in works i've come to actually like, even when i don't agree with them and personally don't want to see extreme depictions of them. of course not all works will run into this problem cos bl as a whole as grown and improved, but it's prevalent and needs mentioning.

yuri is different, its history is completely different from bl's. they aren't "counterparts" of each other. yuri is rooted in the history of japanese lesbianism. bl is rooted in the history of japanese women's societal repression of their sexuality. however bl is gradually being more inclusive towards gay people, more realistic/accurate depictions of gay relationships can be seen in more recent works.

following @_queerioes and @SamAburime for bl and @OkazuYuri for yuri may help in understanding the history around bl/gl and cultural differences you may encounter when reading works in these genres.

my favorite bl works actually don't usually have the issue of having those problematic themes/unrealistic depictions, as my selectiveness/taste won't allow it, but i've come to understand and respect those works w/them. i personally won't touch them if they're not well-done, no offense, but i won't condemn consumers of them.

why? fiction is fiction. it's not reality. automatically assuming ill of creators/consumers of works with problematic themes is hypocritical. chances are you watch crime films, but you don't want to become a criminal yourself. fiction serving the purpose of exploring one's humanity is something i wish people acknowledged more. there will be weirdos out there with weird needs but most people are not like that. there's always more to it than what meets the eye.

in short, wag assuming. lol