Discussion What do you like in a BL story?

could u recommend me the best original ones? I already snooped but im always cringed away by it...
im a type that likes stories that has fantasy or at least supernatural in it. Slice of life doesnt work with me. XD

 

I can use it to make straight guys cringe and amuse myself from doing it

 

I enjoy BL where the partners are equal in relationship, where there's not too much questionable stuff happening (i.e. rape, non-con, pedo etc), where the build up in romance or relationship isn't always focused on sex but on mundane every day things, AND THE PLOT. I guess I prefer all equal parts plot just as well as romance, as long as the story is still engaging and keep me wanting to read more.

The best example I've right now is Founder of Diabolism (I find the mystery element and the world building incredible. Every arc is linked with the main character's past. Although most of the story structure is focused on equal amounts of present time, there is considerable amount of focus on past and flashback scenes as well. Which doesn't bother me much) on this NU site.
In regards to the ever growing list of yaoi/shounen-ai works, I guess I'll say it's Sasaki and Miyano (the story is adorable, since it's more about falling in love and actually just focuses on the boys friendship) or Sekaiichi Hatsukoi Yokozawa novelization (I enjoy the story telling of these novels a lot. There's lots of build up on how they got together and how they decided to work out their fledgling relationships). There are probably more since I've been reading this genre for years and have encountered really well written manga but at the moment, those are on the top of my head.

When you mention genre, I used to follow a lot of high school stories, and then later on working adult stories and after a while, whichever dialogue or story plot interests me, I'd go for it. My interest is really varied as long as no extreme tragedies or mindbreaks are happening.

Pet peeves about the BL genre: nonsense sex, incest, the rape scenes, extreme characterization of characters that needed to show the readers that they top or bottom, dubious content in which there's coercion happening to get the characters to have sex, hating on women in the stories, stereotypical, adultery, sexual exploitation... the list keeps growing at this point.

I used to love Ten Count because the first half of the story focused a lot on letting the character overcome his anxiety and his obsessive behavior over clean hands. I thought the story would focus more on therapy and budding relationship. But then half way the story turned dark and questionable and really too much about power play. :/ well, it's not a manga I'd recommend for a first timer BL reader.

To be fair, I'm mostly inclined to read BL fanfiction of anime/manga series. Usually it's more because fanfiction writers tend to really hit the right kind of buttons for me whenever they weave stories. It's probably my love for reading fanfiction that made me still want to read at least one sweet BL story no matter which medium despite all the rather hypersexualized and fetishized the genre has grown to be today.

 

my favorite BL novel is quickly wear the face of the devil
because i love novel when we have a administration system and so many world in one story .
we can see how much mc and ml love each other even if they know or not who they are and help the world whith in same time slap the face of enemy .
for me mc need to be a bit double face and the ml to have a possessive character (but not to much)
smut and hot scene is a must too
if it's have all of this and not tragedy it's a homerun and would keep me immersed in the story .
so for me we need a plot but the story is focus in development on the romance.

 

Sure. I mostly only read fantasy anyway
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24468673-the-lightning-struck-heart
First off, this book is extremely funny. It's about a boy who's apprenticed to the Royal Wizard and his bffs Gary, the hornless gay unicorn, and a half-giant named Tiggy
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8017244-lord-of-the-white-hell-book-1
This one gives a harry potter vives. Set in a boarding school. Lots of character development
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27388497-tournament-of-losers
There's a competition every year called the tournament of losers and the top people who win get to become nobles. I think if you like wizard of bright isle you'll like this one too. If you decide to read and actually like this book, make sure to check the author's other stuff
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17730586-the-magpie-lord
Contains hot m/m sex between a deeply inappropriate earl and a very confused magician, dark plots in a magical version of Victorian England, family values (not the good kind), and a lot of swearing.

I think you should check these out and the ones I mentioned earlier, read the summary and decide if want to read any of them. If you don't, that's completely fine. If you're into darker stuff, just askYou can dm me for download links too

 

i tried and failed XD. Smw western novels and me seemed to be not fated for each other...... so sad Dx
Btw what ive noticed is..... that some of them aint really sequels but more spin offs....

Still thx in advance!

There was one western novel that started out good, eh.... it was sth sth mc is a jack of trades with magic and etc? and helps the supernatural for money

 

found the novel. Its https://www.goodreads.com/series/143366-the-enchanter

 

As someone else said, tired of dumb as bricks shous/nekos.
Tired of creepy, controlling, predatory gongs/tachis that push the lines of dub-con.
Tired of rampant misogyny too - can we get more cute, supportive, friendly women in BL? I've been really enjoying It’s Actually Not Easy Wanting to be a Supporting Male Lead because the FL always ends up being their supporter and is really nice and cute. Better female characters!

I like slowburn romance and 7:3 plot to romance ratio.
Enjoyed QWFOD because they're two formidable people approaching each other as equals and the shou MC is the romantic and sexual aggressor as many times as the gong ML.
Enjoying LMW because it fits my preferred plot-romance ratio and their relationship very slow and naturally develops over like a hundred chapters before they hook up, but I wish the MC was less ditzy.

 

Never really thought about it in detail but I guess I would hold BL to the same standard as I do any other romance stories, for lack of better way to put it I want a story to be balanced.
If it is all sex scenes or all romantic scenes I'm not really interested regardless of if it is BL/Yaoi, Yuri or any other type of romance, I want there to be some kind of plot running in the background at least that isn't solely about the characters getting laid, even if it is just slice of life.

 

Yep no point trying to force yourself to read something you won't enjoy

 

I'm don't read bl, though I admit that I love shipping boys from what I read/watch, and what I love is a good interaction between boys, something like from the Legend of the Sun Knight

 

( ͡o ͜ʖ ͡o)

Yes, I too enjoy watching both tops and bottoms.

 

drama I guess
similar with romance

 

- The first bl/yaoi I know is Gravitation anime. From there I started to read shonen ai/yaoi manga and watch anime.
Then I began reading fanfiction of anime and manga/TV show/idol boyband. And now I ventured into reading bl novel. I also write fanfiction of my favourite ship

- I like bl/yaoi with good story, couple who love each other.
The dislike: stupid too girly character, over the top and unrealistic storyline, violence.
One of my favourite bl manga is 'Seven Days'

- I also read a lot of fanfiction. There are many bad bad fanfic but the most outstanding one are really well written with superb story, good character and feelings. Chinese bl novels have a big difference with western style novel and at first I'm confused and not used with it.
My favourite fanfiction is this
https://archiveofourown.org/works/729134/chapters/1354275 Sherlock BBC fanfic

 

I got hooked to it because of a manga(I forgot the title now). The nosebleed inducing scenes give me the interest. Of course, curiosity and open mindedness made me start reading it.
I went to read novels and I got hooked real bad. BL characters have either strong personlities or too feminine personalities which I haven't seen in real life. The pictures/illustrations are very good to the point real life can't hold a candle.

 

No..... I don't like BL.

 

I actually always like a comedic undertone. I don't normally read stories that are 100% serious. The other thing I love is a doting seme.

I translated The Reader and Protagonist Definitely Have to Be in True Love because it's very meta to the end. It's about a fanboy who fell in love with his favorite fictional character... and how that fictional character fell in love with him. It's funny and heartwarming. There are also some *cough* spicy scenes.

A Guide to Raising Your Natural Enemy - This is one of my current favorites because it's funny and cute. The main character is a hamster, lol!

 

Things I want in BL: intriguing, smart and (mentally) strong characters. Consent in the relationship. Some fantastical element (world-hopping, second chance, rebirth, transmigration; modern slice of life bores me to tears). Mostly romance peppered with smut, but also needs a plot that's going somewhere. Revenge theme is always a go. Also, I do like it when the MC is already aware he's gay or bi or at least bi-curious. Forcefully converting a straight guy always seemed too creepy to me

Things I hate: rape, rapist ML who never realizes what a piece of shit he is, saintly victim pushover MC, strange plot progressions just to introduce hardship and drama, boring iceberg ML's who have absolutely no character to speak of...

 

Like what ludagad said, I like that the mc is not as weak or emotional as female mc

 

I used to love fluff stories with lots of pampering, in which the romance developtment is the main focus and happened right from the very beginning. Hence why most of the noves I recomended before were like that. For example: SPMW, Do You Remember My Name,etc.
This was also why I picked WFYO as my first project

But now my ineterest has shifted to novels with more plot-focused story. I prefer slow-built romance now, those that take their time to explain the world-building first, before continuing to develop the romance aspect slowly yet naturally. I also prefer strong, capable MC. Earth is Online is perfect example of the things I like now.

One thing remains the same: I dislike utterly naive MCs whose only ability is to cry, sell meng, and hold ML's thigh. It's fine if it's only at first, if there is character development throughout the story which in the end make MC capable of standing up on his own feet. Again, the reason why I like WFYO. It has plenty of fluff moments, yet He Jin isn't some damsel in distress MC. Yes, he might seem naive at times, but he is willing to learn and improve himself and in the end he'll manage to solve all of his problems on his own, without having to rely on ML.
MC in Lovable Package on the other hand is the perfect example of the kind of MCs that I hate.

Edit: dang wait, this is an old thread.....
ugh at least it won't count as necro