Criminally Underrated BL

Why the low rating?
Unlikeable/selfish characters, romance seems one sided, story isn't about falling in love so much as what happens after a relationship begins

Why it's worth your time:
Demonstrates an adult understanding of relationships; eschews over the top romance for more mundane realism; about two characters with pretty normal foibles; drama is organic and unforced; the characters seem like real people; emotional complexity with a well-earned happy resolution

Why the low rating?
About moving on from one love to another; married man having an affair with a colleague; finding love with the son once the father has passed away,
atypical (some would say subpar) art, no sex depicted
Why it's worth your time:
Rare mature manga that explores grief; exemplary depiction of developing a new relationship after losing someone; explores the frustration of never being able to be acknowledged as a lover; excellent writing (and some humor); one of the best all around

Why the low rating?
"cheating," lack of the usual romantic BL tropes
Why it's worth your time:
No huge misunderstandings, blowout arguments, profound realizations, or tearful confessions; a mosaic of individual incidents that shows a relationship developing; reads like a glimpse into the lives of two very ordinary students bumbling their way through a casual sexual relationship that may not actually be as casual as they think it is; great mood & atmosphere

Why the low rating:
??? I genuinely have no idea
Why its worth your time:
Well-developed, mature characters; brilliant use of symbolism and visual storytelling; coherent themes; rare love story about established adults struggling with adult problems; good atmosphere
**
The low rating confuses me. It doesn't have any of the story elements that instantly turn mainstream BL fans off a manga (no "cheating," none of the characters are hard to like, it's a sweet story, it's got great art).

Why the low rating:
??? If I had to speculate, doesn't follow the BL formula
Why its worth your time:
Well-written, non-formulaic BL; nuanced and intelligent writing and visual storytelling; stunning art; novel European settings with great local texture

Why the low rating?
Unusually emotional, clingy seme, whom readers find annoying (I personally suspect it's because readers just don't find the seme attractive), occasionally uneven art
Why it's worth your time:
Captures the awkwardness of the transition from being a teenager into being an adult; an insecure seme who overthinks things paired with a sensible, straightforward uke; healthy relationship with deep mutual affection; refreshing, atypical dynamic for a BL; sweet story overall

Why the low rating?
"cheating," sex is relatively casual

Why it's worth your time:
Not the most profound story, but has a fun premise - UFOs, spirits, organized crime, what's not to love!; good development from sex friends to partners with refreshing lack of drama; mysteries are foregrounded; also has a cat

Why the low rating?
All the mangaka's works tend to get lower ratings - probably a combination of art (not standard BL style, a little basic, samey characters) and subject matter (not usual BL character types)

Why it's worth your time:
Nuanced presentation of adult relationship with an unusual dynamic; strong writing; non-creepy boss/subordinate story; a good intro to mangaka's works - while not her absolute best, has a lot of her usual themes/tropes without being too challengin

All the mangaka's works tend to get lower ratings - probably a combination of art (not standard BL style, a little basic, samey characters) and subject matter (not usual BL character types). In this case, added ambiguity of supernatural elements.

Why it's worth your time: exquisitely paced mystery with excellent writing and some well-used supernatural elements (a rare feature in manga). It's genuinely moving and, I think, numbers among the author's best (which is saying something).

Why the low rating: Little sex, hard to follow (?), lack of the usual BL style closure

Why its worth your time: It's not actually hard to follow; a mature, intelligent story featuring down-to-earth, realistic characters that are genuinely flawed and genuinely likeable; focuses on the inner lives and struggles of the characters as they learn and grow; has a happy ending - highly recommended