My Fave Is Problematic: Free
Its March 2013, and Kyoto Animation has dropped a new 30-second advertisement. Unlike the regular shorts that showcase the studios animation and feature petite girls, it focuses on four swimsuit-clad boys cavorting by the pool. In just 48 hours, this short, dubbed the Swimming Anime spreads throughout the anime community like wildfire, with its own fanfiction, AMVs, and even a petition by Crunchyroll to have an anime released. Lo and behold, only a few short months later, Kyoto Animation releases a full-length series featuring those same swimmers titled Free! Iwatobi Swim Club.
I didnt experience it for myself until a few years later, when the sequel series Eternal Summer was airing. Once I caved to the shows immense popularity and watched it in its entirety, I too came to understand what the hype was about. As a teenager, I was enamored with these beautiful boys and the melodrama surrounding them. It became my comfort anime, as I found it to be a fun and relaxing watch during those bad days. Re-watching the anime as an adult, however, made me realize that the show that brought me such comfort over the years has quite a few things amiss.
One of the biggest gripes I have now with Free! is the amount of fanservice the show throws at you. While the perfectly sculpted muscles of the main male cast is what led to the shows boom in popularity, it has also caused harm for the show.
Sousuke Yamazaki X Makoto Tachibana
First up weve got a pairing that those outside of the Free! fandom just might not get. After all, Sousuke and Makotos canon interaction in the anime series is pretty much limited to the Free! Eternal Summer Special. However, precisely because theres such little canon material, the pairing is totally open for interpretation, and theres just something that makes SouMako one of the most popular pairings amongst fans.
Its hinted in their interaction in the special episode that they might have actually had some off-screen time together – either that, or they feel comfortable enough around each other without having interacted much. How do we know this? Well, Sousuke immediately tells Mako to call him by his first name, prompting Mako to do the same. Anyone who knows Japanese honorifics and anime character tropes can see that this goes against both of their personalities if they didnt get on.
SouMako is pretty aesthetically pleasing, too. Whereas most characters in Free! have different body types, Sousuke and Makoto are both gentle giants. They also have just the right balance of similar and different personality traits to make a relationship work. Theyre both kindhearted caretakers with childhood best friends, but whereas Mako is warm and openly loving, Sousuke is cold and reserved, earning them the title of swimming mum and dad within the fandom.
Saezuru Tori Wa Habatakanai: The Clouds Gather
Saezuru Tori Wa Habatakanai: The Clouds Gather is the top-rated Yaoi anime. It got released in 2020 and got more than 17000 positive reviews.
The reason it ranked highest was because of splendid direction. It was set on a perfect theme. The theme being modern-day slavery which many fail to recognize.
Another factor that led to its success was the corporate backdrop of the plot. It showed abuse of power and modern-day slavery.
Everyone thinks that a rich mans life is very comfortable. This anime just proves it wrong by showing what reality looks like.
It shows the conflicts and pressure they go through. People around these people also become victims of their behavior.
Though they look inferior, they wield a powerful influence.
Double lives and split personalities are the next thrilling part of this. The deviant acts and cruelty meted take this to another level.
You can say the success of this anime was because its story connects with the real world.
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Papa To Kiss In The Dark
Papa to Kiss in the Dark was a Yaoi anime, produced by TNK. It came out in 2005 first, over OVA.
However, it was based on the light novel in the same name. If youre looking for romance and drama, this anime is for you!
Apart from romance, a lot of twists make the central theme. It deals with the oedipal complex, infidelity, and conflict in a family.
The things that go behind the scenes make it even thrilling to watch.
The crossrelationships that go on without any problem, create havoc suddenly. A lot is at stake and the story then goes on to show the problems in store.
Yebisu Celebrities 1st is an adaptation of its Manga comic. It is a single-episode series.
It got released in 2013 on OVA and got close to 8000 reviews. If youre looking for a pure entertainer, this is a must-watch.
Yebisu Graphics is the firm where this story starts. Haruka Fujinami, the new employee is getting accustomed to it.
He reports to Daijou, whos a very cruel and merciless boss. Daijou abuses and harasses Haruka a lot. He assigns the most menial tasks to Haruku.
Daijou is behind Haruka to get him to surrender. But, Haruka understands that and realizes the real cause behind his troubles.
Now, he is in confusion? Should he co-operate or rebel?
Ikoku Irokoi Romantan is a story set in the Yakuza world. It first came out in 2007 over OVA and got mixed reviews. It was a mix of realism and drama.
Ranmaru Oumi, the son of a yakuza leader wishes to marry his friend Kaoru.
Keiraku No Houteishiki Level
Keiraku no Houteishiki Level-C is an entertaining drama anime. It got released in 1995 on OVA after it was taken from its Manga comic.
It got around 13,000 reviews and became popular.
It tells the tale of Mizuki and Kazuomi. Mizuki lives in a good flat and has all privileges.
Kazuomi on the other hand is struggling to make ends meet. His life goes so bad that his girlfriend kicks him out of their flat.
He meets Mizuki who promises a place in his flat if he agreed to get into a relationship.
Kazuomi thinks that hes joking and agreeing But, Mizuki was gay and Kazuomi does not know it. What will happen to him? Will he stay or leave?
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Yaoi Anime: Top 50+ Yaoi Anime
This list covers the best 50 yaoi anime shows for you to watch and enjoy. If you are new to the genre of yaoi anime, it can be defined as the male equivalent of yuri anime, that is to say it focuses on guy-on-guy stories and scenes.Yaoi anime by its name means the target audience for these shows are girls, but that doesnt made you wont also enjoy them if youre male. Many shows on this list intersect with different sub-genres depending on the characteristics of their storyline and what kind content is shown on the scenes. Some of the famous shows in the yaoi category are Junjou Romantica and Doukyuusei. To find out what anime fans think are the greatest yaoi anime of all time, you can scroll down the list and start watching to find out which ones you personally like the best.
After a crushing defeat in the Grand Prix Final and other competition losses, 23-year-old Japanese figure skater Yuri Katsuki develops mixed feelings about skating and puts his career on hold returning to his hometown of Hasetsu
Rin Matsuoka X Haruka Nanase
In at number one we have RinHaru, also known as Sharkbait. Everything Free! began and ended with these two. The entire first season is about their relationship, and the final fight in the Eternal Summer Special is between them. RinHaru may not have the years of friendship that MakoHaru and SouRin have behind them – but thats what makes them such an amazing pairing. Within just a short few months in the last term of their last year of elementary school, Rin and Haru became an unforgettable presence in each others lives.
If MakoHaru is pure, RinHaru is fierce. What Rin and Haru lack in understanding, they make up for in intensity. In middle school, Haru was so upset about hurting Rin that he gave up the thing he loves the most, meanwhile Rin didnt give up swimming exactly because of his obsession with Haru. They get into misunderstandings, fight, hurt each other – they mess up, and then they fix it. They think about each other more than what is possibly healthy, worry over what the other is thinking, what theyre doing, if theyll still be able to be together in years to come. Thats what makes Rin and Harus relationship so raw and realistic.
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Saigo No Door Wo Shimero
Saigo no Door wo Shimero! was a Yaoi anime set in a cultural backdrop. It was released on OVA in 2007 and was the only episode of the series.
This anime is a must-watch for those who love comedy dramas.
The plot is about a wedding event that takes place. The grooms best friend realizes that hes in love with the groom.
On the other hand, the groom begins to hate the bride. Thats where the third person enters the story.
The drunken groom is now caught between his best friend and the third person. It has an unexpected ending with a dramatic finish.
The supernatural drama is the specialty of Sex Pistols. Yaoi happens to be a subplot to the main one.
It was popular enough to gain 26000 reviews with the 2 episodes. The first one was released in 2010.
We all believe that we evolved from monkeys. What if you realized that you originated from something different? Wouldnt your features be different?
Norio is such a character and he struggles to survive in the modern jungle. He makes contact with a stranger who opens new doors for him.
He soon learns that he has a different set of challenges to face as he moves.
Hyakujitsu no Bara is a war anime of 2009. The 2 episodes focus on how the Yaoi theme is looked down on with disgust in battle.
The tale is about a hard-to-solve crisis that is like a maze.
Its based on the manga which shows the relation between two soldiers. They are from different fronts and this makes the events interesting.
Ouran High School Host Club
Ouran High School Host Club focuses on Haruhi Fujioka, a high school freshman attending the prestigious school on scholarship. Haruhi discovers the Ouran Host Club, in which handsome boys play romantic hosts to girls of the school. The boys of the host club think shes a boy at first, but her ID says female. Haruhi is happiest in neutral clothing, joins the host club, and entertains girls. There are several other characters in the show who are LGBTQ+, including Haruhis father, a bisexual drag queen who prefers to be called Ranka.
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Top 5 Free Yaoi/bl Pairings
With its range of unique and believable characters, realistic angsty teenage relationships, and more than just a pinch of fanservice, you cant deny that Free! was put on this earth for yaoi/BL fans. As if the first season, Free! Iwatobi Swim Club, didnt provide enough boys love leanings, we were even graced with a second season, Free! Eternal Summer, and a handful of new, shippable boys along with it.
Free! is also heaven for multi-shippers. Each of the boys interact with each other in such different ways and have such unique dynamics between them that it feels possible to ship any pair that so much as looks at each other – and oh, do we ship them. Due to Free! Not being canon BL it also escapes the tropes that many yaoi and shounen-ai series fall into. This means its harder to pin seme and uke roles on any particular character, leaving fujoshi, fudanshi, and other BL fans free to swap the roles of pairings as they see fit.
Anything goes when it comes to Free! yaoi/BL pairings, but which ships are the most popular in the fandom? In this article, well be looking at the most shippable swimming boys – expect multiships, the most canon couple around, and to start off with, a well-loved wild card Watch out for sharks and spoilers!
From The 1980s To The 1990s
| Redo of Healer | Despite also partaking in abusing Keyaru, unlike Flare and Blade, Bullet actually has feelings for him, with his way of abusing Keyaru being more passionate than out of detest. | |
| KÅichi Mizuki | The Titan’s Bride | High school basketball player KÅichi Mizuki is suddenly summoned to a world populated by giants. He is met by Caius Lao Vistaille, the prince of the world, who immediately asks KÅichi to marry him. |
| Caius Lao Bistail | ||
| Yashiro, a masochist and yakuza boss warms up to his new bodyguard, Chikara Doumeki. As his entreaties fail, he discovers why his bodyguard only wants to stay at “arm’s length” to himself, rather than get involved in a relationship. An anime film with these characters was released on February 15, 2020 titled Twittering Birds Never Fly â The Clouds Gather while an OAD will be released on March 1, 2021 titled Twittering Birds Never Fly â Don’t Stay Gold, along with two upcoming films, one of which is titled Twittering Birds Never Fly â The Storm Breaks. |
…Kudo continues to pine for Suetake
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Uragiri Wa Boku No Namae O Shitteiru
Sakurai Yuki is a teenager with a mysterious power. He was abandoned at birth near the Asahi orphanage. Because of that event, Yuki strives for independence. He hates being a burden to anyone near him, but at the same time, he is afraid of being
Dramatical Murder is a Japanese BL visual novel developed and published by Nitro+chiral. It was originally released on March 23, 2012 for Windows PCs as a first press edition, with a regular
Prince Of Stride: Alternative
Free! is about swimming, while Prince of Stride is about stride. Both shows begin with friends who come together to form a club in their school, and the sudden threat of closure of the club springs them into action.
Both anime focus on building trust, teamwork and friendship, and together these beautiful young boys work hard and overcome obstacles in order to bring pride and respect back to the names of their school clubs. Prince of Stride is more lighthearted than Free! so its a good watching for those wanting something less serious after watching Free!
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Bl Moments That Completely Caught Us Off Guard
Not even long-time Yaoi veterans saw these romantic moments coming!
BL or Boys’ Love is a genre that comes with varying degrees of intimacy. Fujoshi who are reading this will understand, but for those dipping their toes into this genre for the first time, here’s a brief rundown. BL is primarily comprised of two categories: Yaoi – homoerotic relationships between male characters, and shnen-ai – a romance between male characters geared towards a female audience.
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Yaoi is steam certified, while shnen-ai is warm and fluffy. We know what we’re getting into when venturing into a BL anime, but even the most hardcore of us can be caught off guard. See what BL anime moments will make even the most experienced Fuijoshis do a double-take!
The 15 Coolest Lgbt Relationships In Anime
If you’re an LGBT fan of animation, you know visibility is important. These couples were the Romeo and Juliet we never had.
If youre an LGBT kid that grew up with anime, you probably found a show or two that had some pretty validating characters when it came to gender and sexuality. There were some anime couples out there that represented us is different ways and had the romances that we really wanted. In honor of Sailor Moon Crystal getting green-lit for a fourth season, lets go back to the sweet, terrifying, and heartbreaking LGBT couples from animes past.
We are well aware that some of these couples are still in the ambiguous non-canon category because the nature of their relationship has not been revealed by writers or explicitly mentioned in the anime itself. However, not everything has to be said, and were basing a few of these entries on very clear body language, actions, and behaviors between characters.
There may be a few little spoilers here and there throughout this list, so be wary!
Here are The 15 Coolest LGBT Couples In Anime.
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Bronze: Zetsuai Since 1989
This is also a single-episode anime. It was released in 1996 to give more context to the previous Series.
The tale of conflict in the soccer career rips apart Koji. He has to make some decisions soon before more complications arise.
He is also confused about Izumu, whom he loves. This is the only aspect where its revealed to be Yaoi.
Another interesting part is how the family dynamics are shown. The conflict between the characters and the family pressure makes it a mustwatch.
The other popularity point of this was Music. It had a good soundtrack.
Hybrid Child is a four-episode-long anime series. The source material for this is the Manga comics.
Each episode is around 25 minutes and its an action thriller. It was first released in 2014 on OVA.
Kuroda, a skilled artisan builds dolls with lives. They are called Hybrid Child. They can feel all human emotions and feelings.
They also have their own conscience and require love.
Izumi, a kid from the noble family gets a Hybrid Child and takes it home.
The family tries to discard Hazuki, the Hybrid Child. But, by then it becomes impossible as Izumi falls in love with Hazuki.
Finder Series was a popular anime of 2012 and got more than 16000 reviews. It was an action anime made from its manga.
The Yaoi element is a central part of this story.
The anime is crafted well for action lovers. It involves realistic fights and stunts to convey the storyline well.