Upcoming, Interesting, and new BL releases of 2025

Looking at 16 upcoming (and recently released) series from January 2025 and beyond that I find interesting, and maybe you will too!

Alright, I've done a round-up of upcoming shoujo/josei and shounen/seinen manga (and not manga) releases. Now, it's time to do one for BL releases! This article will be slightly different from my usual upcoming roundups. I will be listing series that are out now along with series that are to be released this summer and later this year. Take this article as a reminder of what's out there now and what's coming soonish. Are any of these series on your TBR?

Comics featured: Ask and You Will Receive; Omega Megaera; Wet Sand; The Stranger in the Hoarding House

Available Now

Palace of the Omega by Fumi Tsuyuhisa (2 vols, complete, mature-rated)

For anyone keeping score, Palace of the Omega is SuBLime's third omegaverse manga right after Scattering His Virgin Bloom and Megumi & Tsugumi. We're definitely getting spoiled now that SuBLime is on the omegaverse train! This series is a drama fantasy about an arranged political marriage.

SuBLime describes the story:

Ilia, the 13th prince of a small kingdom, was born an unexpected—and very much unwanted—omega whose birth brought shame upon his royal family. As the lowest-ranking member and an omega, he is destined for a political marriage meant to improve his kingdom’s standing.

Resigned to his fate, Prince Ilia travels to his new faraway home. Upon entering the king’s gilded palace, where he’s expecting to meet his future husband, he instead finds a mysterious young boy with an unsettling message.

As of this article, the series is complete in two volumes, and both volumes are available now in print and digital. So, you have no excuse to check it out here.

Ask and You Will Receive by Niyama (3 vols, ongoing, mature-rated)

ShuCream BL's digital-first series finally makes its way to print! For the uninitiated, ShuCream is a Japanese manga publisher that has been in business for over 30 years. ShuCream has been releasing manga from boys-love comic labels such as "from RED," "moment," and "Ameiro" in English worldwide since 2022, and it joins other digital-only companies like Animate International in publishing more BL in English. Most of ShuCream BL's catalog has gone to Tokyopop for print. Ask and You Will Receive is the only ShuCream BL manga in SuBLime's catalog to date. (Fingers crossed for more!)

SuBLime describes the office romcom:

It doesn’t take much to get Hikaru into bed. He’s surprisingly responsive to Shinobu’s every touch, and Shinobu’s plan of loving and leaving hits a setback when he can’t get enough of his prissy coworker. As one night turns into many, Shinobu starts to wonder if this is still revenge or if it’s turned into something sweeter…

SuBLime released the first volume in April. The second volume will be released next month in July. The cover and ShuCream BL's description and editorial notes sold me on the premise. I'm looking forward to reading it soon! You can check out the print version via SuBLime's website here.

Murderous Lewellyn’s Candlelit Dinner by MUK_BU, 0L, and Sumnagi (90 chs, complete, manwha)

Another Lezhin US digital title makes its debut in print! Yen Press announced this title along with other popular BL novels and comics for its Ize Press imprint at New York Comic Con 2024. (Yep, this is not a manga.) Murderous Lewellyn's Candelit Dinner caught my eye for one reason and one reason only. It's a crime thriller, and we don't get enough of those!

Yen Press describes the story:

“There’s a high chance that my neighbor is the wanted serial killer.”

A string of local homicides has left the residents of Ira Street on edge— everyone but Shavonne. The penniless author is too preoccupied with his next paycheck… well, that and his strange new neighbor Lewellyn, who spends his days peeling onions at Shavonne’s doorstep and has an annoyingly cute smile. But when he stumbles upon a gruesome sight while sharing a candlelit dinner at Lewellyn’s place, he quickly realizes he can no longer dismiss the murders—not when he might be next!

The Murderous Lewellyn's Candelit Dinner comic is based on the novel of the same name, which has yet to be licensed and published in English. (Maybe Yen Press will pick that up too?) The comic is rendered in full color and complete in 90 chapters, and it's still available to read on Lezhin here. (The first two chapters are free to read right now, no login required!) I'm not sure how many volumes 90 chapters translates to, but right now, Yen Press has three volumes listed on the site. The first volume was released in May, and the second volume will be released on August 19. The third volume is set to be released around Thanksgiving on November 25. (Nice! XD) Check out the series in print here.

Wet Sand by DOYAK (5 vols, ongoing, manwha, mature-rated)

Another popular manwha makes its PRINT debut in English courtesy of Inklore. Inklore is an imprint of Penguin Random House, and the newest kid on the block. Their whole shtick is publishing popular online comics from the romance, fantasy, science-fiction, horror, and slice-of-life genres in print. Wet Sand is far from the only BL that Inklore will publish this year, but it is one of the few that caught my eye...because of the plot.

Inklore describes the story:

In this mature-rated drama, three men collide in a tangled web of love, power, and crime.

When a chance encounter brings earnest photographer Jo into the orbit of the aloof and gorgeous Ian, Jo falls hard. An undeniable attraction simmers between them, and Jo is determined to break through Ian’s indifferent façade. But Ian’s life isn’t made for romance. As he works to free himself from his past life as a high-profile member of a dangerous gang—and from TJ, his on-again, off-again lover—a power struggle threatens to erupt within the crime syndicate. If Ian isn’t careful, events might spiral out of control, dragging him back into a world of corruption and murder.

Volume 1 collects episodes 1-13 of the webcomic Wet Sand.

Alright, all joking aside. I am a fan of crime dramas, and the previews scream "right up my alley." The first book was released on May 6, and the second book will be released on September 23. Inklore is releasing this book in full color paperback and digitally, and TappyToon has 73+ chapters to read. So, you have choices. Check out the print version here, and check out the TappyToon version here.

Coming Soon

SANCTIFY: Lost Paradise by Godsstation (1 vol, complete, manhua, mature-rated)

Tokyopop has released all three volumes of the supernatural mystery BL manhua Sanctify. Now, the publisher is releasing the spinoff bonus volume! The manga will be released on July 1, and I can't wait to finally read it!

Tokyopop describes the spinoff manga:

Happiness slips through our fingers the moment we reach for it... And once it's gone, it's lost forever.

Two years after Gilbert's demise, Lance is plagued by visions of his partner. Unable to reconcile the truth of their past lives with the tangled tragedy of their present, Lance has pushed himself to the absolute limits of his power as an Exorcist... and his body bears the scars of his self-destruction.

 Called to investigate a new string of serial murders, Lance discovers a connection to The List of Hell: a sinister artifact similar to that which consumed Gilbert. With nothing left to lose, Lance charges towards the center of the case, but a familiar foe threatens to derail the course of its conclusion... In the end, can long-lost promises ever be fulfilled?

Check it out here.

The Desert Butterfly Yearns to Be Caught by Kaede Yunami (1 vol, complete, mature-rated)

If you're looking for another fantasy BL about a royal and his bodyguard, then you might want to look into this manga.

Tokyopop describes the story:

As lord of a thriving desert country, Seth is responsible for the prosperity and protection of his people... even if that means occasionally putting himself at risk. Fortunately, Seth's bodyguard, Kyle, is ready to yank his master out of harm's way... whether Seth likes it or not.

In the decade since Seth bought him out of servitude, Kyle has become a dogged, dedicated (obsessive, overbearing) bodyguard, willing to sacrifice everything for the safety of his master. Seth, however, resents feeling caged by Kyle's constant controlling attentions...

When Kyle finally crosses the line, will it be enough to capture his master's heart...?

The oneshot will be released on July 22. Check it out here.

The Feisty Omega and His Twin Mates by Ryo Ayamine (5 vols, ongoing, mature-rated)

ANOTHER ONE!

The Fiesty Omega and His Twin Mates is far from being the only omegaverse title that Seven Seas will release this year. Between Seven Seas, SuBLime, and Kodansha, there are so many omegaverse series being released IN PRINT this year that you can make a whole article out of it. (I dunno. Maybe I will.)

Seven Seas describes the manga:

When one omega is rescued by a set of alpha twins, he finds his whole life turned upside down in this omegaverse BL manga!

Takahina Natsuo is an omega who has lived a life pretending to be a beta to protect himself from the predatory alphas around him. Despite his precautions, Natsuo suddenly goes into heat on his way to a job interview and is nearly attacked! Thankfully, a pair of elite alpha twins, Togasaki and Tomoya, manage to save him in the nick of time. However, instead of feeling at ease, Nastuo can’t resist the intense attraction he feels around these two brothers–which means that he’s found his fated mate! Problem is…which one of them is it?! A sexy BL omegaverse romp where a reluctant omega learns that two lovers are better than one!

Sounds raunchy and fun. The first volume will be released on July 8. Check it out here.

Koh-Boku by Sonoo Michiru (1 vol, complete, mature-rated)

Koh-Boku is making its print debut sometime this July courtesy of Manga Planet! That's right. We're getting old man yaoi IN PRINT now! Per the press release, Koh-Boku will be released exclusively through Kinokuniya USA for its initial release. If you don't live near a Kinokuniya, don't panic. The bookstore chain does ship. There is no exact release date yet. (The announcement was made on June 14.) I suggest following the mangaka, Manga Planet, and/or Kinokuniya USA on socials to stay informed. (Also, you can just follow me on X/Twitter. :) )

Manga Planet describes the story:

Tasuku Kashiwagi and Kyu Imamiya are public servants, working for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Imamiya thinks his reliable junior should hurry up and get himself some new friends and a lover already - but Kashiwagi just insists on doting over him...almost like some loving wife.

The manga is still available to read digitally on Manga Planet. Check it out here. Kinokuniya has two listings for the series. The limited edition is listed here, and the regular edition is listed here. Happy reading!

A Man Who Defies the World of BL by Konkici (5 vols, ongoing, mature-rated)

I remember this title was announced at SuBLime's industry panel last year at Citrus Con 2024, and I have bookmarked it ever since. According to SuBLime, this manga is a bit of a departure from their usual offerings as this manga is more of a parody/send up/love letter to BL than a straight-up BL title.

SuBLime describes the story:

Our straight-as-an-arrow protagonist has figured out that he lives in a BL-manga world. So as a means of evading all the hotties after him for some of that sweet, sweet lovin’, he studies every BL manga he can get his hands on to become a master of spotting their tropes. His evasive maneuvers prove effective…for now. But this is the world of boys’ love!

I enjoy comedies and "BL-adjacent" fare so I will be checking out this title soonish. The first volume is set to be released on August 12. Check it out here.

The Stranger in the Hoarding House by Joe Aruko (1 vol, complete)

Here's another manga to mark on your calenders for August 12. The Stranger in the Hoarding House is Joe Aruko's debut BL manga in Japan, and now we're getting it here!

Tokyopop describes the story:

Burnt out by his job, Kamakura has shut himself away in his home and let the garbage pile up around him. One day, when a friendly neighbor sets foot inside, time which had come to a stop for Kamakura begins to tick forward again, in a story of love and rehabilitation after trauma.

Check it out here.

Coming This Fall

Shoot Juliet Down By Komachi Katsura (1 vol, ongoing, mature-rated)

Alright, the art caught my eye, and the title sounds intriguing too! Calling it now, but this along with another BL title will be the rare Kodansha wins this year.

Kodansha describes the story:

Love is a brutal battle between vanity and desire.

Amidst the dark glamor of host club Velvet Kiss, Juri—also called Juliet—commands a vice-like grip on the number one position. Impressed by this poker-faced beauty’s supreme reign, newbie and number-two host Akatsuki decides he must learn Juliet's secrets—and shoot him down from the top of the pack. But Akatsuki's first up-close taste of Juliet’s intoxicating charm leaves him craving more than he’d expected. And as he may soon learn, some secrets are better left in their bottles, and the bullet that shoots through one heart might take out more than it bargained for…

The first volume will be released on October 28. Check it out here.

Omega Megaera By Maki Marukido (10 vols, complete, mature-rated)

Another Kodansha manga and a rare Kodansha win in my book. Serialized in Itan magazine before moving online to Comic Days, Omega Megaera is a "genre-defining" omegaverse manga. Omega Maegara recently completed its run in Japan, and now, we're getting this masterpiece!

Kodansha describes the story:

The highly-anticipated, genre-defining omegaverse manga, in English at last! From beloved BL author Maki Marukido (Pornographer) comes a story steeped in secrets, lies, and family drama. Saimon, an omega, is shunned by his husband’s family for being unable to bear children. But when his father-in-law tasks with a special favor, it pushes Saimon to spin a tangled web of deception--all to keep his place in the family.

In a world where people have one of three genders—alpha, beta, or omega—in addition to being male or female, alphas have pushed their way to the top. Omegas are oppressed, their status determined by whether or not they successfully bear alpha children. An omega named Saimon marries into the prolific Hanabusa family, a major conglomerate, but is unable to produce an heir for his alpha husband Seijuro, and is shunned as a “Megaera,” a creature that brings ill fortune. One day, Saimon is summoned by the family patriarch Zenjiro and ordered to locate the man’s illegitimate son. Saimon finds the boy, Mamiya, who has been making a life for himself on the streets while hiding the fact that he’s an omega. Desperate to regain his position as Seijuro’s top spouse, Saimon proposes an audacious plan: pass Mamiya off as an alpha heir and try to gain the headship of the Hanabusa family.

Omega Megaera is my #1 most anticipated BL and omegaverse title this year. As an omegaverse fan, I'm looking forward to Marukido's dramatic and thought-provoking story and take on the genre. What I am NOT looking forward to is the inevitable wonk think pieces and online discussions that will surround this manga. I'm NOT looking forward to people who haven't engaged with the omegaverse genre putting this manga on a pedestal saying, "Why can't all omegaverse stories be like this?!"Those sorts of discussions will make me want to drink to oblivion. Omegaverse stories always have gender, sex, society, class, and other serious themes in them. They're just hidden underneath the erotica. (Reminder, the omegaverse genre originated from erotica.) Heaven forbid, girls just want to have fun.

Rant aside. If you're looking for what could be "the best" omegaverse story available in English, Omega Megaera is the one. If you're only going to read one omegaverse story, Omega Megaera is the one. The first volume drops on November 25, 2025. Check it out here.

Inklore

Heaven's Official Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, STARember (101 chapters, ongoing, manhua)

Based on the popular danmei of the same name, Inklore is releasing the comic version of Heaven's Official Blessing in hardcover this year. It just won't be any old hardcover release. The Billibilli-produced comic will feature sprayed edges, endpapers, deluxe jacket, signature from the artist, and a case stamp with gold foil. I have heard of MXTX's books thanks to fans hyping it up online and breaking Seven Seas' records. Offline, I witnessed coworkers and random strangers reading this in public. All of them had great things to say about the danmei. As of this post, I haven't had the pleasure of reading them, but I can't ignore a monumental series doing numbers. (Maybe it's about time I joined the danmei and manhua party?)

Inklore describes the series:

Xie Lian, once the darling of the heavens, is a twice-banished god infamous for his fall from grace. Eight hundred years have passed since his mortal life as the Crown Prince of Xianle, and he’s now the laughingstock of the three realms. So when he ascends to godhood for a third time, it causes an uproar among his divine peers. Ascension may be nothing new to Xie Lian, but this time he has no followers, little power, and less luck. To repay his heavenly debts, Xie Lian must descend to the Mortal Realm to hunt ghosts that prey upon the living. There, he encounters a mysterious stranger—but is this newcomer friend or foe . . . or something else entirely?

Volume 1 includes the prologue and episodes 1–14 of the original webcomic based on the webnovel Tian Guan Ci Fu published on JJWXC.

The first book will hit store shelves on December 2. Check it out here.

Heaven's Official Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (vol 1-6, complete, manhua)

Alright, worth noting, indie publisher Aloha Comics is also publishing Heaven's Official Blessing in English. This will be a boxset with extra cool features like dust jackets with gold foil, golden edges that form the inscription, "With Heaven's blessing, no obstacle is too high," and full color pages. However, this is a printed manhua adaptation of the donghua (Chinese animation).

The pre-order link is up, and the boxset will be available sometime after July 2025. Check it out here. If you're too impatient, you can buy the whole series as individual books right now via Aloha Comics' site here.

Lovers on the Last Train by Dayoo (1 vol, complete)

This sweet romance drama is complete in one volume and will arrive on store shelves in time for the holidays on December 16.

Seven Seas describes the story:

Finding love in your 40s can be tough, but when two total opposites match on a dating app, they’ll have a one way ticket to romance in this Boys’ Love manga.

Harue and Fujishima are complete opposites with the same problem: they both work in fast-paced industries and have little time to date. But when they match with each other on a dating app, they take the time to get to know each other and soon, they’re falling hard! Could this be their chance at a romantic connection and more?

Check it out here.

Honorable Mentions

Keep an eye on Seven Seas.

Seven Seas has expanded its BL catalog by a fuck ton over the past 5 years. In addition to more BL manga goodness like Demon Under the Waxing Moon by Fumi Tsuyuhisa (coming October 2025), SMELL by Nagabe (also coming October 2025), and No God in Eden by Yuma Ichinose (coming August 2025), the company has expanded into BL novels, manwha, manhua, webtoons, and beyond. The company plans to release the MXTX novels in hardcover so if you held off on reading, buying, or collecting them, you may want to take a second look now. Also, Seven Seas recently picked up Little Mushroom and The Golden Terrace danmei novels for 2026. So, if you missed out on the Peach Flower House versions, you now have a second chance. (And if my experience with In The Dark is anything to go by, Seven Seas' versions will be the superior versions.) The full BL catalog can be viewed via this link.

New publishers are stepping up.

A lot of indie publishers have burst onto the scene within the past several years, and they are filling the gaps that big publishers won't fill. BluPetal is the latest publisher arriving on the scene. In addition to publishing BL titles and other gay works, the company promises to publish shoujo, josei, TL, and yuri comics, and I cannot wait to see what they will do. The company hasn't announced their lineup yet, and they won't be announcing anything at Anime Expo this year. Hopefully, they'll have enough cooking by Anime NYC.

Additionally, Star Fruit Books is publishing more BL manga. The latest title is The Next Life by Yamazaki. The book is promised to be released sometime in 2025. Also, the company will be releasing the third installment of When the Pink Rain Falls.

Lastly, while Irodori Comics is mostly a digital doujinshi publisher, the company is starting to print more of its catalog. Check out the BL releases here (NSFW).

Comics featured: Shoot Juliet Down; Koh-Boku; Sanctify: Paradise Lost

Conclusion

Alright, there you have it. 16 titles and some honorable mentions to keep you reading in 2025. What's on your reading list? If you're looking for even more BL releases, check out the list I did in 2022. Remember, recs don't expire, only licenses do. 🥲 Happy reading!

(NOTE: release dates are subject to change. As of this post, the release dates are accurate.)