Start Your Boys Love Journey the Right Way!
If you’re new to the world of BL manhwa and not sure where to start, welcome! Whether you’re looking for sweet slow-burn romance, emotional drama, or steamy tension, this list has something for you. These titles are beginner-friendly, easy to follow, and totally addictive.
Let’s dive into my top picks for anyone starting their BL manhwa journey!
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1. Semantic Error
Genre: Enemies to lovers, college romance
A stubborn, rule-following computer science major clashes with a popular design student after messing up a group project. The tension between them is chef’s kiss. A modern BL classic.
🔥 Why Beginners Love It: Sharp art, strong characters, and a fun enemies-to-lovers vibe.
2. Cherry Blossoms After Winter
Genre: Childhood friends, slow burn
Hae Bom moves in with his childhood friend Tae Seong and starts to see him in a new light. This story is soft, emotional, and beautifully drawn.
🌸 Perfect if you love wholesome, emotional stories with a gentle build-up.
3. Here U Are
Genre: Slice of life, opposites attract, college romance
Yu Yang is outgoing and confident. Li Huan is quiet and reserved. Their personalities clash at first, but slowly they begin to understand and open up to each other in the most tender ways.
💘 This manhua (Chinese BL) is gentle, emotional, and deeply relatable. A must-read for soft romance lovers.
4. Sign
Genre: Workplace romance, disability rep
This sweet story follows a barista who is deaf and a delivery boy who falls for him. Heartwarming with just the right amount of spice.
💖 A gentle, emotional read with great communication representation.
5. Checkmate
Genre: High school, rivals to lovers, jealousy
Life gets complicated when chess genius Yiyoung finds himself at odds with the popular and unpredictable Saehyun. What starts as rivalry soon turns into something deeper and a lot messier.
♟️ Perfect if you like slow-burn enemies-to-lovers with emotional depth and a touch of chaos.
6. Pygmalion
Genre: Fantasy, comedy, knight x elf, soft top
Max was once the fearless captain of the Royal Knights… until he failed his quest to slay Medusa and was literally turned to stone. Eden, a mysterious elf from the mountains, decides to take him home.
⚔️ Perfect for fans of fantasy BL with quirky humor, emotional healing, and a soft-burn romance between total opposites.
7. Summertime
Genre: Friends to lovers, yandere, school life
Eunho thinks he knows his best friend Dohyeon like the back of his hand but he has no idea Dohyeon’s been harboring an obsessive, possessive crush on him for years.
💢 A must-read for fans of yandere BL, long-time pining, and messy emotional slow burns with possessive energy.
8. Lost in the Cloud
Genre: School life, rivals to lovers, obsession
Skylar has a secret: he’s been secretly snapping photos of his crush, Chan-il, and storing them in a private cloud folder. But when Cirrus discovers the stash, Skylar’s carefully hidden obsession spirals into a twisted game of power and desire.
🌩️ A dark, manipulative enemies-to-lovers story full of tension, secrets, and dangerously blurred lines.
9. Third Ending
Genre: Slice of life, one-sided love, comedy
Suh Yoonseul has always had it easy until the guy he once rejected, Kang Jun, starts haunting his dreams. Desperate to end the “jinx,” he tries to convince Jun he’s actually a nice guy. Simple, right? Not when unresolved feelings and awkward encounters keep getting in the way.
😵💫 A funny, heartfelt story about karma, second chances, and the chaos of pretending not to care when you clearly do.
10. The Dangerous Convenience Store
Genre: Gangsters, opposites attract
Yeo Eui-joon just wanted a quiet night shift job at a convenience store but instead, he ends up dealing with a gang of intimidating regulars. One of them, the cold and mysterious officer-manager Baek, starts to take a very personal interest in him.
🖤 A steamy, chaotic workplace romance with gangsters, sass, and way more tension than you’d expect from a snack aisle.
💬 Final Thoughts
There’s a whole world of BL manhwa out there, but these ten are a perfect starting point. Whether you love drama, fluff, angst, or spice. You’ll find something to fall in love with.
Have you read any of these? What was your first BL manhwa? Drop your thoughts in the comments your faves. I’m always down to gush!
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