I'm looking for a shounen-ai manga that even a straight guy can like. Why? because when I'm searching for a manga, I exclude yaoi and shounen-ai, while I know that there's a lot of shounen-ai mangas with great story. I've tried reading yaois (from recommendations), but I can't like them (no offense, I have no problem with it IRL).

Please give me your suggestions. Shounen-ais that you think a straight guy can enjoy. Thank you.

for example, I like Let Dai, Zankoku na Kami ga Shihaisuru, Banana Fish, Nabari no Ou, and A Night of a Thousand Dreams.

Last edited by pshomid at 5:55 am, Jan 26 2011

If you like Zankoku na Kami ga Shihaisuru, you should check out the other shounen-ai series of Hagio Moto, like Marginal, Thomas no Shinzou, Poe no Ichizoku, and A, A'. They're all great.

You might also like From Eroica With Love. I've heard it called a beginner BL because its campiness is more like the American idea of gaiety... and there really isn't that much shounen-ai in it. There is, however, loads of hilariousness.

Check out some of Nakamura Asumiko's earlier works, too, like Barairo no Hoo no Koro, Coponicus no Kokyuu, and J no Subete. They're dark and psychological and gothic and her art style is amazing.

Edit:
How could I forget MW? Definitely the kind of shounen-ai a typical straight guy would like (although your taste doesn't seem too typical). It's awesome, dark gekiga.

Last edited by akari_mizunashi at 11:56 am, Jan 23 2011

Kuroshitsuji
Not a real shounen-ai, but about the same level as Nabari No Ou

Great suggestions. Thank you, akari_mizunashi and unusuallove . From Eroica With Love is good! - and I've read Kuroshitsuji.

Last edited by pshomid at 12:05 pm, Jan 23 2011

Earthian is one of my favourite manga of all time

Hanamatsuri is very cute

Arashi no Destiny im not sure if its translated at all...if it is or you know japanese read it...its very good

Patalliro Saiyuki ! is extreamly funny...not sure if the manga is translated...the anime is

i guess all incarnations of Patalliro! are funny but Saiyuki is my favorite


and another thing... Nabari no Ou is not in ur face shounen ai
Kuroshitsuji on the other hand SCREAMS BL

Maybe Uraboku, althought it is labeled shoujo. It is shounen-ai. Komatta and G-Defend are also famous sh-ais.

As a whole among the BL groups Storm In Heaven have most sh-ai titles.

I suggest you Junjou Romantica but the anime, not the manga (it is graphical). The anime could be enjoyed from everyone imo. Togainu no Chi the anime is good too,

I admire your act! I'm also het and I tried few yuri bc I'm open minded. Love is love and could be enjoyed in every form.

One more title: Silver Diamond.

________________


Ruler of the Yaoi world

Antique Bakery
bokurani matsuwaru etc. - this.
bokutachi otoko no ko - feels like shoujo
boy princess
dog style - yaoi, but funny. still, it's probably too much for a guy.
earthian - like shoujo
reverse!? - this.
shounen zanzou - this too.

________________
I´m NOT an alien!

Yami no Matsuei
Komatta Toki ni wa Hoshi ni Kike! maybe?
Gorgeous Carat probably?
Rust Blaster I haven't read this one in a while so I can't be 100% sure but...I know it at least hints at shounen-ai.
God Child

oh, I love banana fish too~!
Komatta Toki ni wa Hoshi ni Kike!
Koori no Mamono no Monogatari
Silver Diamond
07-Ghost -not shounen-ai but you can see subtle hints (well many people see it..)
Kyou kara Ma no Tsuku Jiyuugyou! the tags used to say shounen-ai but..
I'm at End of Your Sight -I like this one
Togainu no Chi -very popular series..I'm surprised no one mentioned it..
Totally Captivatedmaybe? it's yaoi though..
edit--> oh i for got to mention [m]Switch[/m]

Last edited by sweetnsour321 at 7:39 pm, Jan 23 2011

________________
]
I hear you say "Why?" Always "Why?" You see things; and you say "Why?" But I dream things that never were; and I say "Why not?"

Thanks, everyone! ..hee, there are a lot of interesting mangas that I've never seen before. I'll try to read them. I really appreciate the suggestions

edit 2 : I've read Togainu no Chi, 07 Ghost, God Child, and Coponicus no Kokyuu.
And I've started reading Komatta Toki ni wa Hoshi ni Kike!.

Last edited by pshomid at 7:00 am, Jan 24 2011

I mentioned it, the anime thought. I've heard the manga is not even BL.

Asterisk also could be suggested imo.

Wild Adapter and its prequel Shiritsu Araiso Koutou Gakkou Seitokai Shikkoubu

From the animes there are lot of slashable ones like Glass Fleet, Weiss Kreuz and X.

________________


Ruler of the Yaoi world

Wow! You are such a unique person! You must be one of the few straight guys I've ever seen (in RL or online) who doesn't say "BL should go burn in hell"...

I dunno why, though. There are plenty of straight girls who aren't the least bit opposed to GL - like me, for example XD

And now I'm straying from the topic...

How come no one mentioned Kinou Nani Tabeta? Heck, the demographic is even seinen! So - no bishounen; and it has a really nice, quiet, slice-of-life feeling. And definitely nothing 'physical' - they don't so much as touch each other!

And of course, MW and Eroica Yori Ai wo Komete, as akari_mizunashi mentioned. Definitely titles that spring to mind when you say "a great story with shounen-ai elements".

How about Golden Days? It's nice, non-sexual, and more about friendship than romance. I must warn you that the first volume is a tad sappy, and you'll hate the secondary protagonist, Jin. But keep reading and by the end of book two, you'll understand his situation and won't dislike him at all anymore.

Kyou kara Ma no Tsuku Jiyuugyou! - Watch the anime, 'cause it's a better adaptation of the novel than the manga is, imo. Not really BL - only slash and a few silly gay jokes. The story is pretty interesting.

I've heard rumours that Wild Adapter is forever in the "Is it BL or not?" debating grounds, so you might like it. Haven't read it myself, though.

And - this is something I'm really not sure about, but maybe Hana wa Saku ka. I'm afraid it is focused on the romance, and I don't know what'll happen between them in the future, but this is just so different from normal shounen-ai manga that I just had to suggest it. I think you should read the first few chapters and see.

And I second Hanamatsuri - it doesn't have much in the way of a plot 'cause it's a slice-of-life, but if you like quiet, everyday-life type stories, it's definitely worth a go. I actually disagree that it's a BL, by the way. Seems more like shoujo to me.

This hasn't been scanned in over two years, but the first few chapters of Yami no Kodou were really interesting. Storm in Heaven haven't said they're going to drop it, but....

And Aegis is good as well. Only one guy's self-sacrificing unrequited love in this one, btw. No reciprocated feelings.

If you liked Let Dai, you're sure to enjoy Do Whatever You Want - which is a much nicer, less angsty version of LD with no BL; just really close male-male friendships (sort of like in Nabari no Ou).

That's all I've got for now (phew!), but I'll add more later if I remember.


Edit - You should also try X and RG Veda. Possibly Seimaden and Cantarella as well, since the canon romances there are hetero and the shounen-ai is mostly unrequited, but still very...there.

Kyuuketsu Yuugi has a shounen-ai subplot, but the main couple is a straight one.

I forgot to second Silver Diamond and Jinjuu Houretsuden. Only very vaguely implied shounen-ai, nothing to worry about ^^

Oh - and Switch isn't BL at all. I don't even consider it as slash...

Edit # 2 - Can't believe I forgot to mentione Concrete Garden! This has a really smart plot, and will surely keep you wondering about what the heck is going on, what with all the time travel and the parallel universes...

Last edited by calstine at 9:56 am, Jan 24 2011

Thanks, calstine -- Great recommendations! ; I'll try them out. I've read/in the process of reading some of them. For all the suggestion-givers, you have my gratitude.

I'm digressing a bit : Would a straight female enjoy reading a shoujo-ai manga that has a good story like Honey & Honey or Pieta (imo) ?

You're very welcome I don't like yaoi either (yep, really!), so I've gone through the trials and tribulations of trying to find decent shounen-ai myself. The amount of shounen-ai that gets scanlated is appallingly low compared to yaoi. Which is sad 'cause I've seen a ton of really cool-looking unscanlated shounen-ai out there...

To answer your question - I love Pieta! While Honey & Honey isn't quite in the same vein, I really enjoyed that one as well. It's sooo funny! (Kind of like the GL equivalent of Kinou nani Tabeta, imo)

Another favourite of mine is Sasameki Koto. Very slow and simple, but compelling (Komatta is practically its BL equivalent, but for some reason I don't like it anywhere near as much as I like SK).
Aoi Hana didn't quite cut it for me; it's too damn melodramatic. (If you're a fan of that one, I hope you won't take offense ^^)

Claudine...! was nice (tragic and realistic romances are my favourite kind), and I'm going to read Paros no Ken and Venus Versus Virus soon. Otome Cake was cute enough for a bunch of one-shots. Clover (OTSU Hiyori) was fine. I'm liking Flower Flower so far.

I've read more, but that's about all I can remember off the top of my head.

I enjoy implied-but-not-really-shoujo-ai manga like Hayate x Blade as well.

I'd like to read Girl Friends - but it's yuri, and well, I'm not really into that - the same way I'm not into yaoi...

I hope I answered your question right! Might have gotten a little side-tracked at some point, though And I can't speak for all straight women - just for myself. I know there are plenty of hetero females who can't stand GL. It's just not as frequent as men who hate BL, that's all.

Oh - and I just remembered two really nice one-shots with unrequited BL - The Love Letter and Pokerface. Try them - you're sure to like 'em! And maybe The Visitor as well, but I'm not so sure about that one. Still, it's only 10 pages and the ending is very unexpected, so you have nothing to lose by checking it out ^_^

Last edited by calstine at 11:06 am, Jan 24 2011

Kunisaki Izumo no Jijou might be along the line of shounen-ai with a touch of harem and comdey.