Waiting for the fruit to ripen…

I don't like abusive, dog-blood drama, and weak characterization. I don't like Imbalanced Couple where the Seme/Gong is too Overbearing. I don't like weak, femininized, Uninteresting/Lackluster Uke, or bratty/silly Shou whose IQ drop drastically when encountering the Gong.  ... more>>

So these are a few novels with good plots, and mainly consist of interesting MC and good ML I strongly recommend. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE NOVELS IN THIS LIST IS RANDOMLY LISTED WITHOUT FIXED RANKING, and also these are only novels that I HAVE READ. 
This list will randomly be updated if I find another worth noting novel. <<less

The title says it all. BLs with a healthy power dynamic (mostly, since those are pretty rare), well-developed leads, great storylines, almost no unhealthy and unrealistic characterisations like yandere MLs or MCs with questionable IQs. Some exceptions are there, though; I've added the novels I liked despite them having somewhat yandere character(s).... more>>

I've added all the novels that checked off most of the boxes and noted everything I might have liked/disliked about those novels while reading. 

The rankings on each novel don't really matter (except for the ones at the beginning). Don't forget the ones at the bottom, although they're the ones I personally didn't like much! But you might!  <<less

hhh so difficult to find good ones QAQ... more>>

here we have the rare delicacy of high-quality harem bl novels. may have subtle harems and/or (usually) 1v1 endings. kind-of, sort-of ranked?? adding descriptions as i go!

comment your thoughts and/or suggestions~

update: I'm back and ready to update the list! harem bl seems to have gotten more common/popular in general, wow! <<less

--"my most special person is you" feeling that goes both ways... more>>

-Dote on each other

-Actually COMMUNICATE with each other, like actual functioning human beings

-NO r*pe 

-We don't tolerate MCs or MLs who overstep boundaries

-Angst, only if it burns GOOD

-Place their trust in each other

-fluff all the wayyy

-It'll probably be sad how short this list might be

Someone once told me "Fluffy couples are boring. Isn't it much more interesting when they have drama and misunderstandings. Or when they both hate each other and their relationship is explosive" and I get the hype around that type of romance, but honestly, we need to start normalizing healthy and communicative relationships because it wasn't until I was 18 years old that I realized I've been reading a ton of abusive relationships (that authors painted off as romantic) and it was these FEW novels in this list that made me realize "this is what a loving relationship looks like, wtf have I been reading?" Plus, fluffy couples are not boring. There's a way to keep the reader intrigued; it's called plot. Personal recommendation: Governor's Illness. So many times I thought the protagonists would engage in a hate-love relationship, but they NEVER hold grudges against each other, even when it seemed like they were the cause of each other's issues. Instead, the writer is skilled and doesn't rely on petty drama. The plot itself is suspenseful. <<less

These novels are ranked according to the amount of readers they have. If you're suprised by the ranking, then trust me, I'm also suprised to begin with lmao. I thought some novels, such as 2ha and Silent Reading (because I hear about them EVERYWHERE), would rank a bit higher but the number of readers said otherwise. ... more>>

Not sure about Silent Reading, but in 2ha's case I believe it could be because, compared to other higher-ranked novels (like The Legendary Master's Wife, Quickly Wear the Face of the Devil etc etc), it's pretty new and once its popularity sky-rocketed, it got published with eng translations and the fan translation was removed, so about 40% of readers of this novel probably bought the novel instead of reading it on NU — which is why they didn't add it to their reading list and those readers weren't counted.  <<less

2023 updated list bio:
variety of genres, including but not limited to: historical, sci-fi, unlimited flow(thriller/horror), xianxia/wuxia/xuanhuan, (e)sports, mystery, psychological, supernatural, slice of life, school life, comedy, transmigration. PLOT HEAVY>>>... more>>

enjoy relatively balanced power dynamics between the two leads - especially in the more enemies to lovers novel e.g. ML insanely obsessive paired with a MC who knows his worth and will beat the sh*t out of ML if he tries anything weird

⚠️ NO MPREG, NO “UWU” MC, NO SEME PROTAGONIST, NO SHITTY TRANSLATION, NO BELOW 4.2 STARS

recs are welcomed!

notw: most reviews r very old and cringe… sorry <<less

<<  Shounen Ai & Yaoi novels  >>
Main Character wakes up / in another world / as someone else / in the past... more>>

- Good plot w/ Happy Endings?

- Check my reading lists cause they're all gathered there. 290+ BL novels and adding more everyday :) <<less

(Actively updated.) When I first started reading on NU, I wished that there was a rec list with long descriptions of the novels so I knew what I'm getting myself into instead of having to check the synopsis of each individual novel. Couldn't find any, so I created one. Here it is. Arranged from best > worst > boring reading experience.... more>>

Disclaimer; my "reviews" are my own personal, biased opinions. I'm terrible at being systematic & putting my thoughts into effective sentences, so 90% of the novel descriptions in here are just me rambling. I usually only drop & rate novels after I've read at least until c.35. Also, I like to change my ratings & reviews sporadically. Feel free to suggest more novels and/or argue with me.

[5/5] - Truck-kun would shed real man tears at these masterpieces.

Below [4.4/5] - Truck-kun would shed tears of a disappointed Asian parent.

[3/5] - Truck-kun would hit them (again), maybe then they'll transmigrate and become a better story. Replaceable at any time.

("|| STATUS: [ ]" is my reading status as of typing the novel's description.) <<less

1. ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ : definitely recommend
2. recommend
3. kinda recommend 
4. -- : undecided

All of these are, IMO, must-reads. Hands-down some of the best novels here. I've also included my own personal ratings and opinions of each of these novels. Well-written stories, great plots, characters, etc. I have relatively high standards for these to be my favorites, so these are all really high quality. I can't recommend them enough! coincidentally, all of them also have very high ratings (4.3-4.8)... more>>

Actively being updated. I haven't finished writing reviews/ratings for all of them yet, but I will in time. Meant to be ordered by highest personal ratings -> lowest personal ratings, but haven't had time to fix it yet. These are also my own opinions and feelings regarding each novel, so they won't be particularly eloquent, and you can definitely disagree. It's just me rambling.

Also added some ones I haven't read but will read and I know i will love. Feel free to recommend any danmei too!

...somehow, this also turned into a list of danmei I also want to read, not just a review of the ones I've read. I really can't control myself from looking for good danmei. Though, I'm sure I'll get to reviewing all of these someday <<less

Just BL without the stereotypical overbearing, abusive, rapist ML. Naturally they also have to be good reads (though this is subjective) to make this list. ... more>>

If you feel like something should or shouldn't be included in this list, let me know and I'll review the story in question. The books are in no particular order. <<less

LIST 1 - 10 ARE THE TOP 10 NOVELS I’VE READ. FYI, my standards are exquisite, meticulous and flawless. You can trust my list. ... more>>

SO FAR, I HAVEN’T READ THE REST AFTER #11 BUT THIS LIST GENERALLY HAS GOOD REVIEWS AND ABOVE 4 STAR RATINGS. 

#ANTI BRAINDEAD MCs ALLIANCE. 
#SOME ARE BL

#HANDSOME MALE PROTAGONISTS <<less

Note: All novels are rated above 4* and you can be rest assured to find some hidden gems here >o^... more>>

Okay, let's be realistic everyone~ ^v^ Human beings are not of the same mold, shape or size hence everyone's bound to have different preferences in some kind of form. Therefore, here I dutifully present to you my collection of novels that have had made the most impression on me and I can only hope that you may find THE ONE from this list.

PS. I personally love good quality reads that has a decent plot line and good character developments, as well as great translation work lest I have to destroy my brain cells haha Xd <<less

Endangered Translated Danmei (#UNRANKED) Part 1... more>>

PSW-Protected: CG (Chrysanthemum Garden), DN (Dummy Novels), Foxaholic, RMT (Rainbow Mushroom), TM (Tailor MTL), CGG (Chicken Gege), PP (Peach Pits), PD (Perpetual Daydreams), BT (Betwixted Butterfly)

Copy-Protection Only:  TTL (Travis Translation), SB (Strictly Bromance), ST (Sleepy Translation), ChiChi

Chapters Locked / Website Down:  KK Translates, Rrrrhexia, TPR (The Potato Room), Lianyin

Declared No Action: BlackBoxTL, WST (White Sky), IAB (IAmABanana)

Translators not mentioned are ones that have no announcement regarding this issue, therefore no action unless otherwise noted. But there is still the possibility that the translations might be taken down. <<less

don't you just hate it whenever you got transmigrate in a novel? especially a bl one? the feeling of adapting to a foreign place, with a golden finger- a whiny useless system? with your top notch acting skills, trying to not get killed but everyone falls in love with you suddenly? every single damn time, you just wanna go home but some hot pancakes tries to do you?! ah ah ah! what to do! this laozi just wanna go home!! send help uwu... more>>

ML: who are you talking to?

MC: AHHH STOP- DONT COME NEAR ME! THIS LAOZI WILL BEAT YOU TO DEATH!

ML: ...

ML: tie him up.

UWU <<less

I read everything with good plot. I've basically read every good yaoi manga out there. So I'm expanding to danmei. Lol... more>>

But no tragedy cause I hate it. And no ongoing story cause I hate waiting, I love to spoil myself of BE or HE. FYI I love HE and hates BE.

The type of story I like are : slice of life, underdog to riches, fluffy, funny, transmigration, romantic, etc. I also love papapa so every BL I've found has more or less papapa.

I create this list to commemorate every amazing danmei/BL novel I've found. Hopefully someone will notice my taste and give me suggestion of what to read next. (◕ᴗ◕) <<less

If you're looking for bl without all the abuse. Please note that not all novels will be fluffy or without uncomfortable content, because this list instead focuses on the main couple and how they interact with each other (i.e. healthy main romance).... more>>

Does not include: unequal power dynamics like student/teacher or in*est, pe*ophilia or predatory age gaps, manipulative or controlling love interests, r*pe/s*xual assault/dubious consent, physical or emotional abuse

List will update as I get far enough into the novels to be sure of their content. 

Please let me know if you have any suggestions or disagree and I will rethink my additions!

edit: sorry for any confusion about the list recently! updates to the list system knocked out my description and I hadn't noticed <<less

ML protecting MC while MC doing his own things are nice yes, but right now I'm into mutual support and protecting. Teamwork makes dream work (?) ... more>>

Inspired by: 

"Xing conglian even wanted to laugh. He suddenly realized that the feeling of fighting side by side was better than one side protecting the other side." from criminal psychology  (Yes i mtl the novel and stumbled into this and got...inspired) <<less

Various BL novels that I've read so far and my opinions on them. I'll update this later, can't be bothered to remember and search for all the stuff I've read.  I've discovered that I love fluff and prefer healthy relationships so my comments reflect that but not all of the novels I like adhere to that and certainly not all the novels I've read.... more>>

It starts from the stuff I like (the order is based on themes, setting and genre not how much I like them), then goes into classics territory, then into "stuff that were kind of entertaining and okay but definitely not amazing" and then into "okay but kind of boring" and lastly into "I would rather have not wasted my time reading it but the ratings were good so some people may like it" (the ones here were either really bad or were good at first or in someway built expectation only to heavily disappoint). I've recently also added ones that were bad and had bad ratings which speaks for itself. Novels that aren't on NU but are interesting are in the comments.

I've removed most of the novels that were categorized as smut from this list but some of the yaoi (and also some of the shounen ai) stuff may still have some explicit scenes. 

Also, I really hate lecturing and virtue signaling in novels but I forgot to add comments for that and now I don't remember which ones were like that. If I remember I'll add that to my comments. <<less

I really like ✓unique (world building/game rule/setting), ✓logical development, ✓solid plot, ✓all character in the novel have a life of their own that not serve for the purpose of the plot and finally a ✓logical MC. If there are at least two of these qualities, LINNIL APPROVE!!... more>>

I like to read various genre I don't care if it's ✮shoujou, ✮shounen, ✮yaoi or ✮harem, if only there is my require qualities~

This list order by my like, it not depend on the novel quality though. >wOb <<less

Exactly as the name entails, BL.... more>>

Consists of transmigration, reborn etc. If it's BL it's here.

Have to add that I have a preference for transmigration and usually avoid slowburn romance, so if you want a slow paced novel, it's not here sweetie

Ranking based on:

Plot- Whether plot makes sense, and foreshadowing is given closure. All around just entertaining, and doesn't feel like a chore to read.

Characters- If the characters are fu cking tr*sh, the novel is tr*sh, 'nough said.

Translation quality- Many idioms in chinese novels tend to fly over people's head. And if the translator doesn't have an apt website, I will also find it a hassle to read. <<less

The bl novels that have good stories *only from the novels I read before*

There will be a mix of Bromance, Yaoi, or Romance and I usually don't read harem but sometimes there are exceptions.... more>>

Also, most of the genres in this list are reincarnation, Transmigration, Action, Adventures which I enjoy reading. Rather than reading weak dumb MC, I prefer cunning and calm although I don't mind being lazy lol XD.

I tried to read something new which is not my cup of tea and sometimes I came to like them so there will be mixing various genres in here.

I find these novels worth reading since they are well-built characters, have an interesting storyline, plot twists. At least, that is based on my opinion and taste. 

All of them are Not Ranked just in random order. I might update if I find something that suits my taste, I guess.

Some of the Links are dead so just copy the website link that I commented on and search on google/chrome or somewhere that you like. Anyways, Happy Reading guys!! <<less

A series of BL novels with varying plots and subgenres! Fluff, unlimited flow, xianxia, historical, quick transmigration, transmigration, supernatural, slow romance, comedy, mature (in terms of thinking and actions), etc. ... more>>

Minimal amount of angst and dogblood (if there's even any) (￣▽￣* )ゞ

Edit: I may have taken a bit of a liking towards angst nowadays... only a little. ( ˘︹˘ )

BL's I REALLY LIKE based on my own preference, and *coughs* I don't like s*upid MC's (*￣▽￣*)

Personally, I like MC's and ML's to have equal footing in terms of their overall personality, I don't like delicate shou tropes that much. 

And in my own, very subjective opinion, these novels have really good plots, or at least most of their logic is in the bounds of normal human logic. 

Note: Novels are not sorted according to rank, just depends on what I remembered first _(:3」∠)_ <<less