New Years is the perfect time to look back on the last twelve months and think to yourself… “What was the best BL manga I read in 2023?” Best-of lists are common this time of year, so we wanted to get in on the action and make a list of our staff’s favorite BL titles a la Chill Chill’s BL Awards. However, our list is less a ranking of the absolute top popular titles as voted by our users (you can find that by checking the “best sellers” list), and more just us—as a team of BL fans—wanting to celebrate some of our favorite titles that were added to the Renta! site this year. (The 2024 Chill Chill BL Awards should be happening again in march, with people already discussing the nominees, so let’s look forward to that in the coming months!)
Without further ado, the categories are…
Favorite New Series
Favorite Continuing Series
Favorite Seme
Favorite Uke
Favorite Up-And-Coming Author
Amazing Art
Favorite Renta! Title
Favorite Cover
Favorite Couple
To make sure it wasn’t just our main blog team pushing our favs we’ve already talked about at length, we also invited Nan, Agedashi, Anne, and Snow from our Japanese side to share some of their favorite titles they got to work with this year!
For each category there’s a good mix of responses, showing just how varied BL fans are in their tastes. However, in the spirit of not making this post too ridiculously long, we’ll just highlight two or three staff comments for each and then list the rest of the choices below.
Favorite New Series
Whether they’re fully new series localized and released in-house, or great new contracts with partners like TOKYOPOP, DE, Animate International, etc. there are a lot of wonderful new BL worth celebrating on Renta! this year! It’s always our aim to make sure the BL localized overseas is more varied and accessible, so in 2024 we hope to continue strengthening bonds with overseas partners and Japanese publishers alike. Please look forward to all the great stuff we have planned for the coming year. 😘 We’ve got some stuff on the way I know you’re all gonna love.
Until then, though, let’s have a look at our staff’s 2023 faves…
Welcome Back, Aureole by Takatsu
Agedashi: “An absolute masterpiece! I’m so happy we were able to bring this title to Renta! this year. I’m sorry (?) to report to the BLog’s readers that there isn’t much ero in this series, but the character’s emotions were portrayed with so much warmth and care, so I still can’t recommend this enough!! It’s also a great starter for people who don’t really read BL—though maybe that doesn’t really apply to those who already read the BLog lol.”
Love, Illness, Or Destiny? by KAZZU
Snow: “When I was reading this, I wanted to throw my hands up in the air and shout to the heavens, ‘I love pitiful older uke!!!’ It’s so cute how Yanagi panics whenever the dirty thoughts enter his mind. Plus, I love how the seme Sakaida has such a cute babyface, you’d never realize what a pervert he is. Please look forward to chapter four, where Sakaida is determined to finally start properly pursuing Yanagi. It’s so good!”
Pittosporum by Shino Mikami
Ames: “This story has a lot of very common tropes in BL—it takes place at a boys’ dorm, it’s about high schoolers, it deals with an awkward poor virgin uke and a rich hotshot playboy seme. But, as much as I like those tropes even in their purest form, this series turns those tropes on their head in a way that I found really surprising and enjoyable. Yano may be an awkward virgin, but he’s emotionally incredibly strong, having been raised by a family that loves and accepts him. Odajima, on the other hand, initially seems so cool and perfect but he’s shouldering a lifetime of parental trauma that caused him to hide himself away in his ‘don’t give a fuck’ persona. I can’t say too much about this series without giving away the twists, but it’s SO good and SO emotionally rewarding.”
Other faves:
FAKE FACT LIPS by Machi Suehiro
Kabukicho Bad Trip by Eiji Nagisa
Chew Me Up And Teach Me About Love by Pokerou
Double Beastly Trouble by yanase seno
My 2024 BL New Years resolution is to branch out more and read more VertiComix-style stuff. We recently got a lot of really interesting-looking titles ( looking at you, The Story of a 30-Year-Old Gay Bachelor…) I’m dying to check out. How about you?
Favorite Continuing Series
These are the series that we already knew about or started reading last year, but either we were lucky enough for the manga to receive a continuation or finish up in 2023. Or perhaps it’s just a reaaally long story (which I highly recommend sitting down to read with a hot cup of tea or cocoa during this cold winter break 😉) that’s kept us company over these last twelve months.
The Foxy Mouse’s Romance by HANASAWA NAMIO
Alice: “It’s the first BL series I read after joining Renta! that got me hooked. Knowing that HANASAWA-sensei is planning a third season just has me even more excited. I support these two so much.” (Ames: Good news, Alice—the much-anticipated third season officially starts in this months volume of Tulle, releasing 12/30!)
World’s End Blue Bird by Anji Seina
Sou: “The detailed worldbuilding had me hooked on this series from the beginning, and this year we really got to see the story amp up — in drama, action, and of course, romance. Anji Seina’s art also only continues to get more breathtaking as more sides to the mysterious setting are revealed. This year saw the first major ‘arc’ come to a satisfying close, but you can tell there’s still so much more to go from here, and I am SAT to read more.”
Sit. Good Job. by Yoko Misumi
Agedashi: “I’d already read this before in Japanese, but I’m so glad the incredibly touching last chapter is finally on Renta! For those who’ve still only read until the first volume, please make sure to read the continuation. And for those who have yet to even read a single chapter: please read this manga.”
Other faves:
I’m Banging My Rival in a Parallel World!? by Yuo Yodogawa
My Darling Has My Favorite by Tsutako Tsurusawa
Cradled By The Wild Blue Yonder by Nikke Taino
Favorite Seme
What kind of seme do you like? Perhaps you like them a bit stupid, like the puppydog seme trope? Or do you prefer a bad boy, like the sadistic boyfriend trope? Everyone has their set preferences about the type of type they want to read about—from his appearance to his personality to the way he treats his boyfriend, the seme is an integral part to most any BL. How likable the seme is can make or break your enjoyment of the story, so it’s always a blessing to find one you really love.
Here are a few of our staff’s favorite seme characters from 2023!
Mizuki (Kabukicho Bad Trip by Eiji Nagisa)
Anne: “An incredibly hot male model hiding behind a sweet, gentle mask, you can’t help but be charmed when he actually shows his sadistic side. I can’t get enough of the fact that even though he’s a hardcore sadist, he’s incredibly loving and dotes on his boyfriend!”
Seiji (You’re Definitely The Cuter One by Roji Akira)
Snow: “The continuation of You Know You’re Cuter! I love seme characters who have a poker face while flowers and sparkles appear around them to show their true feelings—sometimes over the tiniest and most absurd things. It’s so cute how Seiji loves Kazuki so much but it barely shows on his face at all.”
Aki (Marchentic Bazooka by Hiroto Kujirada)
Ames: “The Crème de la Men of hot guys, I like Aki a lot because he’s just such a loser. I’ve never been big on the cool, controlled, badass seme trope, so of course I would love Aki—who couldn’t be referred to by ANY of those traits. He’s so desperately in love with Haru, and so pitiful with his absurd jokes and skintight nipple-window swimsuit. When you see a man this pathetic, doesn’t it just make you want to cheer him on?? His face is so beautiful and I love when he blushes, but it’s truly the single braincell that sells it for me.”
Other Faves:
Manabu Tengoku (Heaven and Demon by Oyoshikawa Kyoko & NAOMI AGA)
Masachika (My Darling Has My Favorite by Tsutako Tsurusawa)
Ukano (The Foxy Mouse’s Romance HANASAWA NAMIO)
Ayafumi (Back-Alley Pussycat by Yuji Toriba)
Favorite Uke
Similar to seme characters, the uke character can make or break a BL manga. Some prefer a very boyish, masculine character to bottom, while some prefer a cuter, smaller guy. Others don’t care what he looks like as long as he fills certain roles, such as the arrogant bottom, or perhaps a nice tsundere vibe.
Hitomi (Chew Me Up And Teach Me About Love by Pokerou)
Sou: “I could write a whole dissertation about how much I love this twink. I just adore his character design (I’m a sucker for little beady-eyed weirdos 
) and I like that he shows initiative in his relationship. He may look like a little unassuming soft boi, but he’ll, quite literally, put his life on the line to get what he wants — some of that WEREWOLF DICK!
“
Zen Shito (FAKE FACT LIPS by Machi Suehiro)
Agedashi: “In the past I’ve always preferred cynical, belligerent, older uke characters, but recently I’ve found myself leaning more into hard-working, sincere guys like Zen. Also, he’s got such a cute face lol.”
Anne: “I like that even though he’s the uke, he’s strong-willed enough to show the seme who’s boss. Not to mention, it makes it even cuter when he finally shows his soft, sweet side.”
Nao Nimiya (Hotaru Dies Tomorrow by Fuyu Saikawa)
Ames: “There’s a trope I love in BL called “純情ビッチ,” or the “pure-hearted slut.” This trope is generally a pure-hearted or even virgin guy who pretends to be promiscuous and cold (or is mistaken to be based off his appearance) in order to appeal to his love interest in some way. I love this trope because it creates a lot of emotional drama about the importance of being loved and seen for who you are, and Nao is the EPITOME of this trope—in reality sweet, gentle, and reserved, he completely changes himself to appeal to Saneatsu. I’m so glad he gets the good end he very much deserved!”
Other Faves:
Sachio (The Foxy Mouse’s Romance by HANASAWA NAMIO)
Kaoru (Don’t Get in the Way of Shun’s Romance by namagomi)
Favorite Up-and-Coming Author
It’s always good to have those tried and true artists you already love and will obsessively read every single release by, but there’s just something special about discovering someone new to worship, whether for their god-tier storytelling, stunning artwork, incredibly comedic timing, or ability to convey cute, enjoyable characters. Plus, sometimes you get lucky and find a new artist who can do all of the above!
Here are some of the artists who’re new to Renta! this year—hopefully we can help introduce you to someone new to love as well!
Himemiko
Alice: “Their art is gorgeous beyond words, and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us.”
Toworu Miyata
Sou: “I’m so glad we were able to welcome some of Miyata-sensei’s works to Renta! this year through our partnership with Animate International. I hope it helps introduce an even wider audience to their wonderfully soft art style and heartwarming storytelling!”
Uri
Agedashi: “Uri’s work are so cute and just a joy to read—I love them. SHOCK! My Favorite Online Beauty Streamer Showed Up at My Work, and What Happened Next…, which was released this year, includes so many cute otaku moments such as screaming internally over his oshi, or the word vomit when they finally meet—which also made me wonder if it was difficult to localize. How small they had to make the font whenever the MC had an otaku moment made me laugh.”
Snow: “The way the seme in SHOCK! absolutely worshipped the uke was so over the top cringe that it somehow did a 360 into being cute again. All the comedic parts made reading the story really fun. Also, the gap between the older uke being sexy and confident, but fretting over what to wear for meetings and work was super endearing. I wish these two had a couple vlog channel!”
Other Faves:
Amazing Art
Art isn’t everything when it comes to manga—there are many things that go into it, like good storytelling, character development, etc. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t feel incredibly satisfying to find a manga where the art itself just blows you away. As Ames has admitted to doing previously, sometimes you just constantly go back to a page to look at the scene, the artwork, the posing, the characters’ expressions… Few things beat getting to feast your eyes upon something stunning and masterful.
SMOKY NECTAR by Akira Minazuki
Sou: “The beautiful and dynamic art style is just a treat to behold throughout the manga. Plus it’s every bit as erotic as you’d hope a vampire BL to be!”
Alice: “The shonen manga-esque aesthetic won this title for me, because Minazuki-sensei shows that they could draw anything they want, without breaking a sweat. Romance, mystery, spice, action, action, action, they can do it all.”
Sweet Blood by Nene Shakeda
Anne: “The linework reminds me of a shojo manga with how soft and beautiful and clean everything looks. I particularly love the way Nene Shakeda draws hair.”
Hotaru Dies Tomorrow by Fuyu Saikawa
Snow: “Fuyu Saikawa’s art captures Nao’s ephemeral sensuality perfectly. The artwork masterfully conveys the mystery behind Nao, to the point where it feels like you’re watching a film. I couldn’t help feeling like I’d stumbled on something amazing after reading this—it’s just so completely satisfying to look at!”
Other Faves:
That Time a Gangster Was Reincarnated into a Historical Era -Nobunaga Wants to Make Me His Page!?- by Sato Tomi
SHOCK! My Favorite Online Beauty Streamer Showed Up at My Work, and What Happened Next… by Uri
Loved Circus by NEMUI ASADA
Favorite Renta! Title
As Ames eloquently described in this detailed explanation of why many of our series’ English titles are so unhinged yet strangely PG, Renta! has become somewhat famous for our whacky titles. And so, I proposed we make a whole category dedicated to some of the most attention-grabbing, creative, or just plain funny titles we welcomed to the site this year. Some are beautiful, some are horny, but they’re all undeniably very “Renta!” 
Red-Light Trouble by Pzou Nicoyama
Agedashi: “I’m not a native English speaker, so I thought this title was interesting from a Japanese speaker’s perspective. The color has changed from the original title (Pink Work Trouble)…! In Japan, pink is the color associated with eroticism, but it seems that it differs from country to country. By the way, both commando hotpot and uniform shows are real red-light establishments… shockingly…”
Precious Boy Wants to Be Degraded by Mumumu Momo
Ames: “I mean, what more could you ask for? He’s a precious boy. He wants to be degraded. It tells you everything you need to know. If you want to read about a precious boy getting degraded, boy howdy, I got just the manga for you.”
Other Faves:
Kaoru On An Emotional Rollercoaster by Ichigo Satou
Heaven and Demon by Oyoshikawa Kyoko ＆ NAOMI AGA
The “Growth” Progress Of The Sexy Helper Dog by Chiku Nii
Favorite Cover
They say “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” and I definitely believe there’s some truth to that — I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been surprised by how much I enjoyed a manga that I didn’t think would be my cup of tea at first glance. But still, there’s no denying that cover art is an essential part of manga, both in print and digital — it can make or break your first impression of a manga, and be a deciding factor in whether or not you pick up the book — or, in the case of digital books, click on it to learn more.
We got to see lots of amazing covers this year as well, with BL mangaka just knocking it out of the park with their artistic talents. We’d like to share some of our personal favorites here — if they don’t inspire you to check out the series with a single glance, at the very least they’re a treat just to behold!
The Monster & The Ghost by Himemiko
Alice: “That painting-like cover is mesmerizing to look at.”
Agedashi: “It looks like a painting. It’s so cool! The coloring and composition are so stylish. This series has a lot of power not just in its art but also its story, and I look forward to reading more of it.”
Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide by Mone Sorai (Click to see the full images!)
Snow: “The covers look like a travel book or album, and the bright colors are nice and stylish. I like road trip media, so I loved the story too! I wish I could join them on their trip around the world!
Anne: “Each volume has a wonderful cover that really makes you feel like you’re traveling the world. My favorite is the cover for volume 4, with the Salar de Uyuni!”
Twilight Out of Focus by Jyanome
Ames: “Jyanome’s art is already incredibly expressive and beautiful, but mixed with the gentle, bright coloring and mood, along with the way Mao and Hisashi are holding each other gently in the shadows while the bright gold shines in the distance… Perfection. It absolutely highlights their relationship, as well as the vibe of the story within, and it’s just a joy to look at. I would gladly hang this on my wall, and every time I see it I’m reminded of how much I love this story.”
Other Faves:
(Please click to see the full images! They’re too beautiful not to admire in their full glory 
)
FANGS by Billy Balibally
ENOUGH by Fuyu Saikawa
Favorite Couple
I think the true joy of being a BL fan is finding that ONE couple that makes you want to shout how much they belong together from the mountaintops and internally explode at their every interaction. If you read enough BL, you might be lucky enough to have several such pairs. I know I do — and that made choosing a single couple for this category quite the challenge for me and my fellow fujin staff. But there were a few couples that stood out this year. Namely…
Sen and Amatatsu (I’m Banging My Rival in a Parallel World!? and featured in Fooling Around While The Zombies Roam by Yuo Yodogawa)
Sou: “These dorks won me over right from the start, and I was over the moon to learn that their adventures together continued in a second volume!! Their chemistry, both in and out of the bedroom, is, dare I say it… out of this world! *badum-tiss 
*”
Anne: “[By reading both IBMRIAPW and FAWTZR,] you can see two different versions of the couple from different timelines, and either version of them is very charming. You just want them to be cute together in every world and timeline!”
Sachio and Ukano (The Foxy Mouse’s Romance by HANASAWA NAMIO)
Alice: “Again, I could not support these two more than I already do. Ukano having this slightly yandere-esque obsession with Sachio, while also being so soft and caring, and then Sachio being so conflicted yet also so in love, what is there not to support here?”
Shinya Sugiki & Shinya Suzuki (10 Dance by Inouesatoh)
Snow: “If you like couples that start out hating each other but are fascinated by one another’s skill and gradually become drawn to each other, you absolutely MUST read this series! The scenes where the two are just radiating joy through dance together are extremely moving.”
Other faves:
Kyotaro & Yoshiyuki (Happy Shitty Life by Harada)
Shinya & Haru (Kabukicho Cat Honey by Nekojita Udon & Toriumemaru)
———
———
We hope you liked our picks, and that you’ll check out any titles that caught your eye that you might’ve missed in 2023!
All in all, it was quite the year for us here at Renta! — we got to add a whole bunch of great new BL manga and webtoons to our catalog, and discovering new series and creators to love was a wonderful experience for us BL fans on the staff. I look forward to seeing what 2024 has to offer the BL world!
We also got to launch this BLog this year, which has been an adventure all on its own — a big thanks to all of you reading this, and we hope you’ll stick around to join us in the new year! 
By the way, my emoji of the year was definitely “
,” what was yours?? Also, what were your favorite BL stories/characters/experiences of 2023? Let us know in the comments, and have a very Happy New Year!! 
rentaBLog 
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