One of the main appeals of reading manga, as opposed to Western comics, is the more diverse subject matter, especially when it comes to sexuality. While Marvel, DC, and others have slowly made progress with LGBTQ+ content over the last 15 years or so, gay manga (also known as yaoi manga) has been popular in Japan for decades. That means, though, that there’s a lot of manga to choose from. Which ones are the best? Are there any that cater to my tastes? What are some surprising examples? Here is a list of ten of the best, of varying genres, to introduce you to the best gay manga.
1. Crossplay Love: Otaku x Punk
Synopsis
A comedy romance manga that could be thought of in some ways as a cross-dressing Comedy of Errors, the story follows the protagonists Yuuma Hanae and Shuumei Satogiri. Yuuma is a part time worker at a Taisho-era themed maid cafe, a role that requires him to cross-dress as “Hana.” After visiting the cafe, Shuumei believes that Yuuma truly is a girl, and falls head over heels – but he becomes too nervous to approach her as he is, and so adopts the feminine persona of Mei to get closer to Hana. Hana, in turn, falls in love with Mei, also believing her to be a woman.
This is a pretty big twist, but more than that, they revealed to each other their types, or rather, their red flags. Mei tells Hana that they cannot stand “gloomy” people, and Yuuma is a dour student at his high school. Conversely, Hana let’s Mei know that they dislike tough guy troublemakers, which is exactly the type of person that Shuumei is. Like an episode of Sister, Sister, each has to keep the other from discovering their real personalities, a task made harder given that they go to the same high school.
Our Rating
8/10.
This manga isn’t trying to take itself too seriously, and is a well-written, funny piece of work. If you’re looking for high-stakes drama, or something with a more serious bent you’re better off looking elsewhere, but for those who want easy-going, fun laughs and hijinx, this is an easy recommendation.
2. Minato’s Laundromat
Synopsis
An ongoing series that began in 2019, Minato’s Laundromat follows the life of Akira Minato, a man in his thirties who, unsatisfied with his life as a salaryman in bustling Tokyo, returns to his hometown to take over his grandfather’s coin laundromat. He soon strikes up a friendship with local teen Shintaro Katsuki, and when Akira lets slip that he is gay, Shintaro starts to try and work his romantic magic. Other characters include Shintaro’s family and classmates, and Akira’s former high school teacher and first love.
The series has been adapted into a live action TV show, which won critical praise.
Our Rating
7/10.
A more grounded and slower manga than our first entry, Minato’s Laundromat is a fairly simple story about both returning to a slower life, nostalgia for childhood, and growing into maturity. One concern that some readers have pointed out is that this series features a pretty significant age gap. While this is ameliorated to some extent by Shintaro being the pursuer and Akira being the pursued, and who has no power over Shintaro, potential readers should be aware that if differences in age over a decade are not to your liking, you might want to approach this with caution.
3. Welcome Home
Synopsis
An unusual slice-of-life manga, Welcome Home revolves around two married men, Hiromu and Masaki Fujiyoshi, who have a child named Hikari. This child was not adopted, but was born after Hiromu impregnated Masaki, and this is a possibility because the story is set in the ‘Omegaverse’, a sub genre of fiction that separates people into alphas, betas, and omegas, where alphas like Hiromu are dominant, omegas like Masaki are submissive and able to be impregnated by alphas, regardless of gender, and betas are essentially ‘normal’ humans.
Hiromu and Masaki face discrimination for marrying outside of their ‘type’, and must rely on their sympathetic friends and family to help them as they prepare to have their second child.
Our Rating
7/10.
How much you enjoy this manga will depend to a fair degree on your feelings concerning the ‘omegaverse’, a popular yet controversial topic among fandoms. Welcome Home is, appropriately, a very homely work, and the discrimination that the character faces can be read as allegory for the troubles that LGBTQ+ people in Japan and across the world face today. However, whether you think that using ‘alpha/omega/beta’ tropes is an appropriate way to tell such stories is up to the reader, and those who think it a bit tasteless will be less impressed.
4. Until I Meet My Husband
Synopsis
This manga is an illustrated memoir of Japanese gay rights activist Ryousuke Nanasaki, the first person in Japan to have a same-sex marriage recognized religiously. An adaptation of a series of essays Nanasaki wrote about his life, we move from his times as a young boy through to adolescence and adulthood, experiencing the changes, defeats, and victories that lead him to where he is today, as a high-profile LGBTQ+ figure, happily married to his husband.
Our Rating
10/10.
This is an easy recommendation for anyone even vaguely interested in gay manga. A true story of love, struggle, and the eventual happiness of a man living in modern Hokkaido, the story is as moving as it is insightful. No collection of gay manga is complete without this on the bookshelf.
5. Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!
Synopsis
Another romance comedy, Cherry Magic follows the exploits of Kiyoshi Adachi, who awakes on his thirtieth birthday to discover that he has developed a superpower as a result of having no romantic or sexual success during his lifetime. Now, he can read the thoughts of anyone he touches, and soon discovers that his handsome, intelligent and charming coworker, Yuichi Kurosawa, is desperately in love with him. Trying to work out how to handle this while becoming intrigued by his feelings before falling in love himself, Kiyoshi has to manage his powers, his feelings, and his work life.
Our Rating
8/10.
Our review of the anime adaptation can be found here, but the manga being essentially the same story, my thoughts are mostly the same. The premise is fun and original, and the execution on it is well done. I preferred the more comedic first few arcs to the more dramatic style that emerges, but overall it is a solid series which many will enjoy.
6. Ogi’s Summer Break
Synopsis
A rare manga that explores sexuality as well as disability, Ogi’s Summer Break tells the story of the titular Haruto Ogi, a university student who has a deep affection for adorable things and dressing in a feminine style, and Toga, a visually impaired high school student who exudes a free-spirited attitude while exploring the world with the aid of his cane. After Tago asks Ogi to date him during the summer holidays, despite never having been attracted to men before, Ogi is torn between his feelings of happiness and his fear that their relationship is fated to end.
Our Rating
7/10.
One recommendation that a lot of people will give is: try to power through the first few chapters. Tago’s outgoing personality can be more than a little forceful and aggressive than some readers are comfortable with, but there is a sweet story of self-discovery and opening to trust if you can overlook a slightly bumpy start.
7. What Did You Eat Yesterday?
Synopsis
This long-running, ongoing manga focuses on serious-minded lawyer Shiro Kakei and fun loving hairdresser Kenji Yabuki, a middle-aged couple who live together in Tokyo. Each chapter shows them navigating funny or serious issues, both separately and together, but the real hook (and the meaning behind the title) is that Shiro, a foodie, will cook a dish for him and Kenji to eat together: typically each meal will be thematically relevant to the issues discussed in the story.
Our Rating
10/10.
Another absolute classic that has been praised to heaven and back since its release. This is very much a slice-of-life manga looking at the joys and difficulties faced by middle-aged gay men in modern Tokyo. Originally begun in 2007, the manga is also somewhat unique as the characters age in real time, and are now in their early 60s. Another easy recommendation.
8. My Summer of You
Synopsis
Wataru Toda and Chiharu Saeki are friends who have one shared passion: they are both major cinephiles. In addition to going to the cinema every weekend, they plan a summer together to visit film sets. Before their departure, Chiharu confesses to Wataru that he is in love with him. Reassuring Wataru that he didn’t need the feelings to be reciprocated, just that he hopes that their travels together aren’t affected, Wataru reconsiders his relationship with Chiharu, and realises he may be harbouring romantic affections himself.
Our Rating
8/10.
A tale of young boys coming to terms with their feelings, My Summer of You is like a softer, more sensitive version of Ogi’s Summer Break. With their relationship framed through the lens of a passion for films being a fun draw, it has a slower, sweeter feeling than many yaoi manga. Only two volumes have been released so far, with a third in the way.
9. I Think Our Son is Gay
Synopsis
Hiroki Aoyama has a secret: true young high schooler is attracted to other boys. Or, rather, he thinks he has a secret: his mother, Tomoko, has been aware that her son is gay for a while, and is accepting of his sexuality, but doesn’t want to say anything about it directly, wanting Hiroki to tell her when he’s ready. His brother Yuri, who is disinterested in sex and romance, also knows, but their busy father Akiyoshi is unaware, and sometimes upsets Hiroki by being casually homophobic. The story explores what it’s like to try and keep a secret on one side, and carefully trying to negotiate the sensitivities of a loved one on the other.
Our Rating
9/10.
A sweet and topical story, trying to keep one’s sexuality a secret for fear of rejection will resonate with many readers, as will Tomoko’s support and acceptance paired with a desire not to push her son into doing anything he doesn’t want. Heartwarming and fun, this should be a must-read.
10. Gravitation
Synopsis
Shuichi Shindou is the lead singer of Bad Luck, a rock band trying to make it big in late 1990s Japan. One evening, notes of his lyrics are blown away as he is making revisions, and are intercepted by the handsome Eiri Yuki, a romance novelist who hits Shuichi with some hard truths: his lyrics are bad. The two continue to meet after this chance encounter, and soon become close as Shuichi’s impetuousness charms and intrigues the cool-headed Eiri.
Our Rating
9/10.
Older than any of the other manga on this list, Gravitation makes the top ten for its significance in introducing gay manga to the mainstream in the Anglosphere. At a time when most yaoi manga was only found through fan translations online, Gravitation made waves with its official English translation. Some issues like age gaps make it slightly more problematic than it was seen at the time, and there is, today, a much wider range of gay manga officially available, but for connoisseurs of the genre, this classic is still worth checking out.
Conclusion
This list of ten gay manga is just the tip of the iceberg – and includes only works officially translated into English. If your Japanese level is strong enough, you’ll find even more at your disposal, but if you’re still not there yet, there is plenty more to explore. As this list demonstrates, there are options for all ages and tastes, so you can rest assured you will be able to find something that tickles your fancy.