2025 was a phenomenal year for Japanese BLs. We saw a vast variety of shows, spanning across different genres and tropes. Some were emotionally clandestine, some portrayed sensuality and others had splendid storytelling moments. So, we took it upon ourselves to choose the juiciest Japanese BLs in 2025!!

Chosen Home

Kindness comes in many forms. “Chosen Home” portrays an unlikely household involving a clumsy romantic, an aloof teacher and a troubled teen. What are the odds of these three different people coming together? Genichi Hatano (Mitsuhiro Oikawa) is a worker at an animal shelter and has a quirky character. In his 40s, he is still searching for emotional stability, while seeking a like-minded partner. The only glitch is that he is gay and being in a closeted society doesn’t help his situation. By accident, Hatano, meets Saku Sakuta (Yuya Tegoshi), who is gay and happens to be the teacher of Hatano’s neighbor, Hotaru Kusunoki (Tamaki Shiratori). Their worlds collide when Hotaru seeks Genichi’s help and asks him to pretend to be her father. Genichi’s pretense falls apart soon, but they continue working as a family unit, where Genichi & Hotaru try their best to advise Hotaru. In the midst of all this turmoil, they also manage to fall in love. A heartwarming story of trust and acceptance!!

Therapy Game

What happens when a gay man with a bro-complex meets a straight, heartbroken man? It is utter chaos and highly entertaining. Minato (Kida Naoya) is gorgeous, vain yet quite bold. His only weakness is an intense attachment to his elder brother. He quickly shuns his brother’s partners and doesn’t seem to like them much. Until his brother finds true love and Minato is left bitterly alone. Surprisingly, the same night, he meets a drunk man named Shizuma (Tomita Yuki) at a bar. Shizuma is heartbroken and Minato is instantly drawn to the kind man. Unfortunately, after spending a passionate night together, Shizuma remembers nothing in the morning. Enraged, Minato vows to seduce him and make him fall in love, only to dump him later. However, as they spend time together, Minato slowly falls in love with Shizuma’s naïveté and his innocence. Kida & Tomita have a natural chemistry, watching their romance unfold onscreen was a unique experience!!

School Trip: Joined A Group I’m Not Close to

A high school trip could go one way or another, if you don’t have a steady group of friends. A sentiment that Hioki (Fujimoto Kodai) might understand very well. He is a second-year-high-school student who gets separated from his close friends in class and finds himself alone when it comes to deciding on groups for the school trip. Shockingly, he is invited to join a group of four handsome guys. At first, Hioki is confused by the popularity of the school’s four members, who are known as the “Four Heavenly Kings.” However, one of the four, Watarai (Kan Hideyoshi), always looks out for Hioki, and they gradually become closer. From protecting him to taking care of Hioki when they are on the school trip, Watarai’s unwavering devotion wins your heart. Gradually, they fall in love as the school trip ends. “School Trip: Joined A Group I’m Not Close to” is a typical teenage romance heightened by the simmering tension between the main leads, who have incomparable chemistry!!

When It Rains, It Pours

Desire and sex often define most relationships. Can you imagine a relationship devoid of passion? Hagiwara Kazuaki (Muto Jun) lives a life without intimacy with his girlfriend, who avoids having sex. Frustrated & annoyed, one day he mistakenly sends an email to his coworker Nakarai Sei (Ito Asahi). They are odd acquaintances, who have barely spoken to each other in office. Nakarai lives with his boyfriend Fujisawa Kazuaki, who seems equally disinterested in intimacy. While Kazuaki’s girlfriend struggles with physical intimacy and is unable to voice her opinion, Fujisawa subtly uses manipulation or violence to exert control over Sei. Driven by their need for intimacy, trust and open communication, Hagiwara & Nakarai continue to have random communication through email, until they finally recognize each other’s identities. Does that recognition drive them to cheat on their partners? Is their need for sex a feasible way to get out of a miserable relationship? This show tries to answer these questions, with a subtlety that is honest & realistic!

The Journey to Killing You

A mafia romance with a twist, “The Journey to Killing You” depicts a devoted young boss and a gang member burdened with a secret mission. The young boss Kataoka (Wada Masanari), who is deeply compassionate and has a strong sense of chivalry, is loved by many members. Kataoka gets into trouble and is ordered by the family head’s biological son, Kiriei to go into hiding until things calm down. The one entrusted with taking care of Kataoka during this time is the member, Odajima (Takahashi Hirota), who had previously served as the family head’s aide. Odajima takes on the role of driver and assistant, and sometimes handles sexual needs, carrying out his duties without emotion. Beneath this veneer, Odajima is carrying out a secret mission- has been given strict orders by Kiriei to ‘kill’ Kataoka, who is a nuisance in the succession struggle. Odajima also mistakenly believes that Kataoka was involved in the death of his close friend. Disguised as a bodyguard, Odajima stays close to Kataoka, looking for a chance to kill him. But as they spend time together, Odajima starts falling in love with Kataoka and decides to protect him instead. Masanari & Hirota have a combustible chemistry, so much so, that a sequel for this show has been announced.

Keep watching this space for the next Feature!