Here, we have an anime about Shindou Shuichi, an aspiring pop idol, who struggles to make the deadlines for his debut with chart-topping songs. Shuichi meets Yuki Eiri, who crushes his dreams by saying Shuichi is talentless. Initially, propelled by a thirst for revenge, Shuichi completes his song but ends up diving deeper into a relationship with Yuki. There’s no need to defend why Gravitation makes the top 10 list. As a Shounen-ai fan, this anime was probably the first boy-on-boy anime you’d encountered as you began your BL journey. With its adorable pairings and storyline set in the music-industry, Gravitation sets the bar high for the rest of the Shounen-ai anime to come.

High school setting, student council involvement, uniformed boys, this anime is simply waiting for you to gobble it up. It has almost every element a typical harem anime would, which entails drama, miscommunication and romance. Plot-twist: the protagonist is a guy and so are all the characters vying for his attention. While there are multiple manga volumes that predict different outcomes for the main character, Itou Keita, the anime only chooses one pairing to focus on. Gakuen Heaven makes the 9th spot on our list because there are lots of bishounen in school uniforms. If that doesn't take the cake, then the storyline is also quite entertaining. The protagonist struggles to find his uniqueness to belong in the school and along the way, he creates intense relationships with the others. He will end up falling for the right guy (if you are rooting for the right team). Not to mention, the OP is incredibly catchy.

Manga turned anime, Tight-Rope is one of Natsume Isaku’s popular creations. Natsume sensei’s manga are always delightful to read with her aggressive seme’s and reluctant uke’s. Tight-Rope tells a story set in the world of the yakuza where the heir of a yakuza family, Oohara Ryunosuke, rejects his inheritance to protect his childhood friend, Satoya Naoki. If you like Shounen-Ai, you cannot miss this anime. The boys remain quite brutish as they are yakuza and speak with a refreshing Kansai accent! Nevertheless, audiences still get to enjoy boy-on-boy heated make-out sessions that are dribbled through out the anime. With only two episodes, Tight-Rope leaves us begging for more and we can only hope to see more of Natsume sensei’s works adapted into anime in the future!

Here is an anime that focuses beyond its Shounen-ai genre. Loveless features a twelve year-old, Aoyagi Ritsuka who loses his older brother mysteriously. Ritsuka then meets Agatsuma Soubi and uncovers his brother’s involvement in a fighting pair. Soubi being the “Fighter,” needs Ritsuka to inherit his older brother’s role as the “Sacrifice.” Their relationship develops beyond that of just a fighting pair. The art in Loveless is plain beautiful, making it delightful to watch. However, this anime makes top 7 because it goes beyond its shounen-ai genre. Instead of a typical romance tale, Loveless features supernatural elements and its characters are extremely layered (like a freaking onion). This is certainly one to check out even if you're not a shounen-ai fan as it actually has a plot-line.

Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shiteru is an anime about Giou Yuki who has a supernatural ability to read people’s emotions. He becomes troubled with his mysterious powers and meets Crosszeria Luka, a sexy demon (dura). The boy-love tones exist but you really have to dig deep and read between the lines. Marking the midpoint of our top 10 list is Uraboku, short for its long title. Uraboku has almost all the elements of a good anime. It has sexy demons, save-the-world drama, fighting, adventure and (gay) romance. Plus, lots and lots of bishounens, AKA beautiful boys. Although the plot-line leaves much to be desired. So if eye candy is not enough for you, then pack your bags and head out.

So, Nakamura Shungiku probably outdid herself this time, with a short series about android dolls and their relationship with their masters. While the doll and master spiel is not new, Hybrid Child stands out as it tells the story of three interconnected pairs in the most dramatic and tear-jerking way. The first two stories revolve around the struggle between the masters and their android to find love – both incredibly sweet and typical of Nakamura sensei. However, the last story is one to remember. Set in a historical background, this arc is about the android creator, Kuroda, and his regretful love with Tsukishima, a fallen swordsman. Be warned: there’ll be sand in your eyes.

If you haven’t watched Patalliro!, you definitely must check it out. Patalliro! is an anime about the boy-king, Patalliro, of the country of Marinera. With the sudden death of his father, Patalliro becomes the heir and faces many threats to his life. As he attempts to evade death, a gorgeous English M16 agent, Major Jack Bancoran joins him. The two make a dynamic pair which is hard to find in today’s anime. Spearheading the dawn of shounen-ai in anime, Patalliro! has a comedic story with lots of bishounen. With all the current anime styles, Patalliro!’s art style is indeed unique and gives audiences a blast from the past. Not sold yet? The boys wear purple eyeshadow and they have hair so long that it touches the floor. Also, Patalliro is so sassy and witty, his gags are sure to make you laugh out loud.

Love Stage!! is one of the many lovechildren between Eiki Eiki and Taishi Zaou. Adapted from its popular running manga, Love Stage!! is an anime about handsome pop idols, super stars and a shy but talented budding actor. If you like Gravitation, you’ll probably enjoy Love Stage!! as well. The crisp and bright artwork elevates the shounen-ai genre. Now, we’re in a new playing field of character development and comedic relief. Sexually tame but fear note, there’ll be plenty of kissing. So, let your imaginations run wild. I’m sure we’re all hoping there’ll be a season 2 in the making!

Finally, top 2 of our list is most likely the king of shounen-ai. With three different arcs interchanging throughout the anime, Junjou Romantica features pairings that are not only unique in their own ways, but also hilarious to cheer on. This gift bestowed upon us by Nakamura Shungiku features three strong pairs that reveal their glorious boy-on-boy loving through much obstacles and drama. The main pair being Usami Akihiko and Takahashi Misaki, shows the most drama as Misaki fervently tries to evade Usami’s advances and hides his growing feelings. This anime is in its third season, so HURRAH! I hope it never ends. If you’re new to shounen-ai, go forth and binge away.

Sekaiichi Hatsukoi tops the list with not much gap between Junjou Romantica. Both creations of Nakamura sensei, Sekaiichi continues to take place in the publishing world of Marukawa Shoten. True to its title, this anime is about the rekindled first love between Onodera Ritsu and Takano Masamune. Both characters, though an unfortunate misunderstanding, separated in their high-school years, but are unexpectedly reunited in their publishing office as boss and subordinate. Why is Sekaiichi placed first? Most likely due to the way the story draws back into both characters’ paths and reveals their suppressed feelings towards each other. Seeing a rekindled relationship come to life is incredibly satisfying, albeit it drags out a little. Nevertheless, Masamune is the ultimate seme and it’s nice to see such an aggressive yet stoic character fall deeply in love. As for Ritsu, the way his resolve crumbles is simply satisfying to watch.