If you’re a fluff addict like me, you’re likely no stranger to the “fathers” trope in BL. Stories centered around two men in love raising a child together are bound to put a smile on your face — though they have plenty of dramatic potential as well.

What is the appeal of dads in BL?

I personally enjoy BL featuring fathers because parenthood is a unique role that puts the nurturing side of the characters on full display. It’s like a comfortable trope I always seem to come back to when I’m in the mood for something uplifting and heartwarming. 

In honor of Father’s Day, I’d like to introduce two BL series centered around dads that I found especially endearing!

First up is a lovely story overflowing with adorable found family vibes:

I first read this story a few years ago in its original Japanese and was thrilled to see that we offer it in English on Renta! (A full-color vertical comic version is also newly being released if you’d like an even more vibrant, scrolling experience!)

The story centers on Chiaki and Kazuma, a couple who suddenly find themselves the guardians of their good friend’s daughter Ayu. Though they’re wildly unprepared for parenthood, they do their best to raise the little girl — and become stronger as a couple along the way.

I have a soft spot for “established relationship” BL which focuses not on the couple getting together in the first place, but rather growing closer as they encounter new developments in their lives, and this story makes full use of that appeal. The rapport between childhood friends-turned-lovers Chiaki and Kazuma is entertaining and feels natural of a couple that’s been together for years.

Kazuma, a total softie under his rough exterior, and Chiaki, a fluffy-haired himbo who wears his heart on his sleeve, together make a great pair of doting fathers to their new daughter Ayu. Whether it be balancing childcare with work or facing outdated views of what a family should look like, they overcome challenges and manage to build a warm home with their undefeatable love for one another and their daughter. Ayu is a treat to watch as well, having a mind of her own as she grows into an energetic little girl.

I also appreciate how Ayu’s mother, a childhood friend of the couple, is a character in her own right, and presented sympathetically as a loving parent who wants the best for her kid. Ayu’s connection to both her mom and her two daddies shows that families can take different forms and still be perfectly functional and fulfilling.

This book is a great standalone read for the family dynamic; but if you’re like me and can’t get enough of Chiaki and Kazuma’s chemistry as a couple, I highly recommend the prequel to this story, Someday I’ll Fall for You, which shows how the two first got together — also available on Renta!

And, if you find yourself enamored with Tomo Kurahashi’s gorgeously soft art and touching storytelling, you’ll be very pleased to discover that there are several other titles of theirs available on Renta! right now for you to enjoy!

While family-centered BL tends to be on the sweeter side, it’s important to remember that parents are still their own people, with their own needs. That idea comes to the forefront in my next recommendation…

This spicy BL series is about divorced single father Naruse and his relationship with his part-time housekeeper Asumi. Though their relationship starts as strictly physical, as a way for Naruse to release his pent-up sexual frustration, before long the two grow closer as Asumi spends more time with Naruse and his young son Ichika.

(This is another series I’ve been following even since before joining Renta! and I don’t get enough chances to recommend it…!)

As you might expect from a manga whose hook is “college student housekeeper seduces repressed hot single dad,” this manga definitely delivers on ero, and if that’s what you’re looking for, Serina Seo’s sensual art is sure to please. Ever the responsible father, Naruse is reserved at first, but when he lets loose and allows himself to indulge in the pleasures of adulthood, he’s as sultry as they come (and if anyone deserves the DILF title, it’s him). Seeing housekeeper/homemaker Asumi’s possessive side come out as he becomes more and more attached to his employer is exciting as well.

It’s delightful to watch Naruse and Asumi’s relationship develop beyond their initial arrangement and blossom into true love. Also, Naruse’s toddler son Ichika is one of the cutest child characters I’ve encountered in manga thus far, and it’s easy to see how Asumi finds himself wanting to step up as an extra parental figure to him. I love the scenes of the three of them going about their daily lives as a newly formed family.

The “aww”-inducing family aspect is a major bonus for this initially H-driven story, especially as the series progresses and Asumi increasingly becomes an important part of Naruse and Ichika’s lives. There’s also some intriguing drama as Asumi and Naruse try to figure out their relationship to one another, and later on as new characters enter the mix. Overall, each installment in the series promises tooth-rotting cuteness and steamy bedroom scenes which make it hard to put down.

The series is currently ongoing, and I for one can’t wait to see where Naruse, Asumi, and Ichika’s story goes from here!

These two daddy-centered BL stories paint different but equally interesting pictures of navigating parenthood while nurturing a romantic relationship — I hope you’ll check them out if you haven’t already, and take a moment to appreciate the loving and hardworking dads of BL.

If you’re in the mood for even more BL stories centered on dads, found family, and the like, be sure to check out the BL “family life” tag on Renta!