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The premise is mafia/organized crime, with some light? S&M play going on. This introduces you to every concept in yaoi; from threesomes to Stockholm syndrome.
The dynamics between the Seme and Uke here is legendary. I can honestly say that this is my favorite couple.
This is the yaoi series that keeps on giving. I can reread this many times without being bored and while waiting for new updates, the fanfics on AO3 is worth a read.
This yaoi manga won an award for the best new yaoi work at the end of last year.
Themes: prostitution / dark yaoi
It is the love story between a prostitute and a hit man.
This is a must read. The plot follows like a drama and it is incredibly sad but with a good ending.
This is probably the fluffiest manga on this list, but depending on how you interprete the ending, it may not be so happy. I found the story absolutely adorable.
This is story of a boy who wakes up in the future and an AI was created to replace his lover.
themes: robotic lover / replacement lover / science fiction / hurt & comfort
This is the story of child abuse and the aftermath. The artwork is very old but very charming and it is one of the most realistic and saddest mangas I've ever read.
Themes: hardcore sadism / child abuse / shotacon / depression / psychological trauma
This yaoi series is set in the Omegaverse, an upcoming branch of BL that is gaining popularity in Japan after starting in western fandoms like Supernatural. Yoha's one of my favorite mangaka who draws this genre. She does it incredibly well and makes the problems real.
Themes: rape / tragedy / implied mpreg / multiple partners / schoolife
Yoha has gorgeous artwork and this one is my particular favorite because it just so tragic. The cover can tell you right away the tone of this story.
Same as Sayonara koibito, mata kite tomodachi; this story is also set in the Omegaverse albeit with older characters and a lighter theme.
Themes: courtship / marriage / mpreg / omegaverse / domesticlife
The main character is looking to be married to someone who can love and cherish him.
This is technically a Shonen-Ai but I think there are scenes that definitely beats out even most yaoi. The story is set in the past, and the artwork is just gorgeous. This series reads like a crime / mystery manga with small arcs in between.
Themes: illegal drugs / murder / mystery / death / ancient Asia clothing / fantasy / shotacon / trap
Sumomo is the prequel to yatamomo.
I honestly love Harada's work but this series truly stands out in my mind. Yatamomo is a gorgeous love story about past abuse, redemption, jealous ex lovers and the adventures of a truly endearing prostitute.
tags: prostitution/ dark past / psychological abuse
This is the prequel that sets up yatamomo. It has a different tone than Yatamomo (which is meant to be more comedic). It is incredibly sad and shows you sneak peek into Momo's horrifying childhood.
Tag: multiple partners / shotacon / prostitution
This is a mafia story. I was shocked by how real the feelings in this story are. Unfortunately, someone screwed up the order of the chapters, and there's a one -shot in the middle that is actually a prequel so there is some figuring out for you to do.
Themes: unrequited love / criminal activities / dark past
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