September 9 is the day of “BL”.
According to the concept of yin and yang, the male sex is categorized into yang, and 9 is a yang number. Due to the yang sex and double yang day, September 9 is said to be the day of “BL”. There is another theory that connects the origin with “Kiku no Sekku (CN: Chong Yang Festival, EN:Double Ninth Festival)”.

The works that depict relationships between male characters are called BL (Boys Love), and the genre has been attracting a lot of fans. As BL is also popular in the form of anime, various titles have been broadcast or published.

Therefore, Anime!Anime! conducted a reader survey titled “Speaking of a ‘motorcycle’, who comes to your mind?”. During the survey period from August 25 to September 1, a total of 136 responses were received. For the gender ratio, the females were the majority with about 90% while the males were about 10%. For the age distribution, we received the majority of responses from the young readers: about 45% were from teens, and 25% were from those in their 20s.

■The top 3 characters switched places!

1st Place

1st place went to “Given”. The support rating was about 22%, and it moved up from 3rd place last year.

This work is based on the manga written by Kizu Natsuki and serialized in “Chéri+”. The youth story follows members of a rock band, and it became a hot topic when it received the first anime adaptation in “Noitamina”, Fuji TV’s anime slot in the middle of the night.
The readers mentioned the characters’ singing voice as well as their relationships, saying “The psychological portrait is so wonderful that even beginners of BL can get into! Besides the anime itself, the insert songs have such a high degree of perfection, so I listen to them every day”, “I still remember the feeling that gave me goosebumps when listened to the insert song ‘Fuyu no Hanashi’, which seems like the protagonist Mafuyu-kun’s heart cry”.

2nd Place

2nd place went to “The World’s Greatest First Love”. Even though it failed to top the list for 2 years in a row, it had only a few votes behind the top.

This is based on the manga written by Nakamura Shungiku. With the story set in a publisher, the title has been adapted into various media, including \anime in 2011, TV, OVA, and film. The readers mentioned how wonderful it is to have a variety of characters, saying “There appear 4 couples, and each couple’s story is funny and makes my heart throb. I like a lot of amazing characters appearing besides the main characters”, “I was annoyed by the conflict of each couple… Such issues would be solved if they could be honest, but the story is perfect in that it made the viewers feel frustrated”.

3rd Place

3rd place went to “Dakaichi: I’m Being Harassed By the Sexiest Man of the Year”. The support rating was about 15%, and it remained within top 3 even though it slipped from 2nd place.

This is based on the manga written by Sakurabi Hashigo, and the story follows the relationship between Saijo Takato, a veteran actor, and Azumaya Junta, a rookie actor. The TV anime was broadcast in 2018, and “Dakaichi: Spain Arc” will be premiered on October 9, 2021.
The readers mentioned the gap between the characters at work and in their private life, saying “Even though Totaka is usually calm, he becomes tsundere when he is with Chunta. He is too cute!” and “I was attracted by the gap when I saw Takato-san being affectionate towards Junta”.

■Let’s introduce other comments!!

“Super Lovers”
“I expected the title to be a heartwarming story of the Kaido siblings, but the story makes me excited and has so much to see. The 4 siblings are all super cool, so I cannot take my eyes off them.”
“Mo Dao Zu Shi”
“I was watching this, not knowing it is Chinese BL. The complicated relationship between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji leaves a somewhat sorrowful impression, but I like it.”

“Junjo Romantica: Pure Romance”
“As there are many series other than ‘Romantica’ such as ‘Egoist’, ‘Terrorist’, and ‘Mistake’, I can enjoy various couplings.”
“Love Stage!!”
“This is the first BL anime for me, but I got engrossed in it as it was too funny. The original creator Eiki Eiki-san is a sister of the musician DAIGO. DAIGO-san appeared in anime as a voice actor, which was fantastic”.
The readers voted for various titles.

In the survey 2021, the characters in the top 3 remained the same, but their places have been switched. Also, “Mo Dao Zu Shi”, Japanese ver. of which was produced in 2021-2021, newly ranked in, which made the ranking with a wider variety.

■Ranking Top 10

[What is your favorite BL anime? 2021 Edition]
1. “Given”
2. “The World’s Greatest First Love”
3. “Dakaichi: I’m Being Harassed By the Sexiest Man of the Year”
4. “Junjo Romantica: Pure Romance”
5. “Mo Dao Zu Shi”
6. “Super Lovers”
6. “Hitorijime My Hero”
8. “Fucked by My Best Friend”
9. “Gravitation”
9. “Hybrid Child”
9. “Papa Datte, Shitai”
9. “Yarichin Bitch Club”

（Survey Period: August 25 – September 1, 2021）

*This survey is intended to research the readers’ “interest in anime and characters today”. It is not intended to discuss the relative merits of each character nor work. I would be glad if this article can help you develop an understanding and interest in the anime and characters.