all time highs (gl/bl)

a perfect way to start this list: a patient, introspective, but mildly apathetic MC and a ML with nothing going for him but financial stability and autistic swag. excellent neurodivergent rep for both leads. a true comedy.

a fantastic 80s romcom (complete with a delicious classic manga artstyle) between an old-fashioned gal delinquent and an honest-to-god silly goose of a girl! yet another shining example of Autistic Swag. a comedy with fantastic action sequences and adorable characters.

this is easily one of my favorite manhwa of all time, if not my favorite. such an interesting and subversive take on the concept of the “yandere”, mental health and relationships, and how important it is to treat those we don’t understand with empathy, not fear. and it manages to do all that while still being incredibly campy and fun and romantic, and the art is so unique and adorable.

possibly my all-time favorite. a period piece romance between a victorian english noblewoman hiding her true self, and her Japanese maid who dreams of being an author someday. i cry every time i finish this one.

i know it’s insane to follow the emotional bomb that is sayonara rose garden with. a title like THAT. but you gotta trust me. it’s a tongue-in-cheek BL office romance satire with an insane premise that eventually becomes a weirdly grounded and touching love story. watch the anime (dub) and drama (both versions)- they’re all great in their own distinct cross-cultural way! also fun fact, this is the first ever yaoi/shounen ai manga to be adapted into a live musical!

there needs to be more childcare/single parent yuri. enough said- very short, though.

with a bit of an bizarre premise at first, i fell in love with this manga as a soft, heartfelt exploration of gayness, acceptance, and found family. there’s something insanely comforting and soft about this one- easily one of my favorite shounen ai ever.

i always end up coming back to this one- without spoiling anything, it’s better the more you reread it. it's twisty, melancholy, and full of deep emotion, like a fairytale.

a self-aware yuri satire from the perspective of an author who clearly loves the genre, as well as a dive into how fictional depictions of queerness and its tropes impacts a young person’s real-world understanding of queerness. also just funny as hell

i’m a sucker for the amnesia trope. while predictable, the story is executed flawlessly- and knowing how the story ends doesn’t take away from watching it unfold.