Anime has been an important piece of BL fandom for decades, and thanks to online streaming services, it’s now more accessible to overseas fans than ever! Plus, the popularization of simulcasts in recent years has made it so that fans the world over can watch shows basically in real time together each week, and revel in the joy of screaming their reactions with fellow fans over social media.
As much as I love reading the original manga of my favorite series, there’s just something so special about seeing the world in full color, hearing the characters speak, and getting new tunes in the form of those catchy OP and ED songs to add to your playlist each season!
When it comes to BL anime adaptations for television or the big screen, sadly the number of new works coming out each year is but a teeny tiny fraction of the plethora of manga being released, and they’re typically but a blip on the radar to anime fandom at large. However, that just makes it extra exciting when a new BL anime is released! Not only is it fun for established fans of a manga to see their favorite characters and scenes animated, but anime adaptations are also a great way to introduce even more people to the original series, thus adding to the overall hype for a title and growing the BL community as a whole. A win-win for everybody!
It’s a new year and a new anime season is upon us, so I figured I’d give a quick rundown of all the BL anime we can expect this year — as well as a few potential projects in the works that are definitely worth keeping your eye on 
–TV Anime 
–
Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!
Release Date: Jan 10, 2024
English release: Streaming NOW on Crunchyroll!
Summary (via Crunchyroll):
Adachi’s 30th birthday as a virgin came with the oddest gift—the ability to read the mind of anyone he touches. Pondering what to do with this mysterious power, he gets a lead when he accidentally reads his colleague Kurosawa’s mind. Turns out the handsome hotshot of the sales team has got a thing for him! How will Adachi respond to overhearing these affectionate thoughts?
This one’s been a long time coming — Yuu Toyota’s hilarious and heartwarming office romcom manga has been gaining attention since its 2018 launch, seeing a Japanese live-action drama series, followed by a full-length movie sequel, and more recently even a Thai BL drama adaptation. It was only a matter of time until we saw this beloved series become an anime to capture even more hearts. I’m personally a huge fan of the series, and have been looking forward to experience Adachi and Kurosawa’s romance bloom all over again, week-by-week. At the time of this writing, just one episode has been released, and after viewing it, I can tell that this anime is going to be a fun ride! I hope you’ll join in the fun this season so we can all squeal over these dorks together.
If you want to read the manga, Square Enix has been releasing it in English, in both print and digital format! By the way, Toyota-sensei’s other series Papa and Daddy’s Home Cooking (not a BL per se, but a story of found family between two single dads and their kiddos, with delicious recipes to boot) is available on Renta! as well!
Tadaima, Okaeri
Release Date: TBD (slated for sometime in 2024)
English release: TBD, but I have high hopes for a simulcast…!
Summary:
Adapted from Ichi Ichikawa’s manga, this soulful slice-of-life family drama tells the story of Masaki, a stay-at-home dad with no self-confidence, his hotshot businessman husband Hiromu, and their adorable 2-year-old son Hikari.
To my knowledge, this is the first-ever Omegaverse anime — which just goes to show how popular the trend has become in BL over the past 10 years or so. I was honestly surprised to see what I thought was somewhat a niche corner of BL become “mainstream” enough that enough suits deemed it worthy of getting its own anime adaptation. I’m personally thrilled to see what impact this will have on BL and anime fandom at large (and to have a whole new audience introduced to the wonderful world of mpreg — sorry, not sorry 
).
–Theatrical Anime 
–
Given: Hiiragi Mix
Release Date: Jan 27, 2024 (in Japanese theaters)
English release: TBD (The original Given anime series, OVA, and first movie were released by Crunchyroll, so let’s have hope that they jump on this one quickly as well!)
Summary: This movie, the first of two announced that will see us to the end of the Given manga, takes off right where the last one left off, following the big music competition. But this time, as hinted by the title of the film, the focus will shift to Mafuyu’s childhood friend Hiiragi, who must confront his own feelings for his bandmate and longtime crush Shizusumi, all in the wake of their band’s professional debut.
It’s been over 3 years since the last Given anime release, and it already feels so long ago. I know I’m ready to see my BOYS back on the big stage (er, screen), and get myself another earful of that wonderful in-universe rock music. If you haven’t jumped on the Given train yet, I’d say there’s no better time than now to dive in — that way, you can get caught up by the time the second movie part rolls around, and we can all cry together at seeing the conclusion animated 
In the meantime, I’ll be playing the official Given playlist on repeat in anticipation 
–Other (Possibly) Upcoming Projects –
Twilight Out of Focus
Jyanome’s BL set in a all-boys’ school has recently made its way to Renta!, much to the delight of Ames, who has already written about it on this BLog twice.
Summary (via Kodansha):
Second-years Mao Tsuchiya and Hisashi Otomo make three promises: 1) That Mao will never tell anyone that Hisashi is gay and has a boyfriend, 2) That Hisashi will never think of Mao “in that way,” and 3) That they’ll always knock before entering, in case someone is having some “private time.” The two’s ground rules should ensure a peaceful life together in their dorm, but life is never as simple as it should be, and some things are not so easily promised…
The series is at times comical, at times poignant, and all around a (both visually and emotionally) stunning story of young love. That’s why I’m thrilled that a TV anime adaptation for the manga has been officially announced, with popular seiyuu Yoshitsugu Matsuoka and Yūma Uchida reprising their roles from the drama CD as Mao and Hisashi, respectively.
Perhaps 2024 is a bit early to hope for this adaptation to hit our screens, but it’s not totally out of the realm of possibility! I’ll be eagerly checking for updates on the project this year, but for now, please peep this beautiful drawing by Jyanome-sensei celebrating the anime’s announcement.
Ten Count
An anime film adaptation of Rihito Takarai’s hit BL manga was announced to be hitting theaters in 2023, but unfortunately 2023 has come and gone with no further updates… I haven’t lost hope, though! Maybe 2024 will be the year we get to see this romance between a germaphobic secretary and his smooth-talking therapist on the big screen.
While we wait for more news of this adaptation, though, why not get acquainted with the series now (or give it a reread)? The entire series is now available in English, in both print and digital format, through SuBLime.
(Note added 1/19/24: The official production team for the Ten Count anime just announced they’re pausing production for the film for the foreseen future. A bummer for sure, but at least we’ll always have the manga!!)
Twittering Birds Never Fly
Kou Yoneda’s gritty yakuza BL took to the silver screen when the anime film “Twittering Birds Never Fly ~Clouds Gather~” hit theaters in 2020. With the film ending on a cliffhanger, audiences (including myself) were relieved to hear news that two more movies were in the making, with the second titled “The Storm Breaks” — there were even some sneak preview shots of the second movie on the official website.
However, ever since then, there’s been nary a peep (hehe get it? 
) regarding the next installment’s development. I’m sure there are good reasons for the delay, and hopefully in the near future we’ll get to see our grim-faced gangsters grace the big screen once again, and be treated to some more of that wonderful, oh-so-jazzy soundtrack
If you haven’t yet been captivated by this story, we’re proud to offer the original manga on Renta! — and if you’d prefer the Anime Experience™, the first movie “The Clouds Gather,” as well as the OVA “Don’t Stay Gold” are available to stream on HiDive.
–Adult-Only Anime 
–
For the 18+ crowd who enjoy a good animated romp (in the sack, that is), the folks over at Anime Festa are once again bringing some steamy BL manga to animated life.
You may recognize their other adaptations of manga such as as The Titan’s Bride, Even a Dad Still Wants It…, and Caressing the Nipples of My Hibernating Bear — the original works of which we’re happy to host on Renta!
The above anime (and more!) are all available to watch over at Coolmic (must be 18+ and log in to view series), including both “censored” (SFW) and “uncensored” (NSFW) versions.
Anime Festa recently announced that they’re working on a new project adapting Ao Yuki’s The Perfect Prince Loves Me, His Rival?!
I’ve only read a few chapters of this series so far (I just couldn’t resist the adorable art… and dem tiddies on the cover 
), but it seems like a fluffy BL isekai love story between a cute twink and a suave prince. It’s also very sexy, and I can’t wait to see how the eroticism is elevated through the anime medium!
The release date is TBD, but you can follow Coolmic’s English promo Twitter for updates on the English release.
While we’re on the topic of adult-oriented anime, I want to give a shoutout to Ascendant Animation, a studio that has dubbed a handful of the above mentioned series and more into English, with award-winning quality! You can find links on their site’s store to stream the series on Amazon, or buy their physical releases (which include the full uncensored versions 
). You can also check out their YouTube channel, which has trailers for all their series, and can give you a feel for their work.
I know the bad rap anime (and especially hentai) dubs get in the fan community, but I will die on the hill that dubs are a force of Good when done right, and I love to see fan communities worldwide get excited over getting to hear their favorite characters speaking a variety of languages. I’m glad Ascendant Animation has stepped up to meet the needs of the somewhat niche but very passionate corner of fandom that is female-oriented adult anime.
New Year, New BL Anime! Let’s Goooo
This list is admittedly shorter than I was personally hoping for (because I just can’t get enough of that gay anime 
), but I’m looking forward to each and every one of them. The one good point about BL anime releases being rather few and far between is that I’m bound to check out just about any that do come out — some of which are adaptations of titles I’m yet unfamiliar with, what with how vast the sea of BL manga is — and this has introduced me to many a beloved series. I hope whether it’s a highly-anticipated adaptation of a series you already love, or a pleasant surprise that introduces you to a new fave, all you fellow BL anime fans out there find something you enjoy this year.
Now, I’m going to go sit in a corner and wish upon a star that the Yuri!!! on ICE movie once slated for a 2019 release somehow finds its way into the universe… one day… (I will wait, I will wait for you…)
Do you like BL anime adaptations? What’s your favorite? What BL anime are YOU looking forward to this year? Or, what series do you desperately hope gets an anime adaptation? Let us know in the comments!
rentaBLog 
3 thoughts on “BL Anime to Look Forward to in 2024”