1.
boys' love; BL; male-male romance genre
A genre of fiction, manga, anime, and other media depicting romantic or sexual relationships between male characters. Primarily created by and for women. Commonly abbreviated as BL.
A wasei-eigo (Japanese-coined English) term. The English words 'boys' love' are not used this way in English-speaking countries, where the Japanese abbreviation BL is often used instead. The genre has roots in the 少年愛 (shōnen-ai) and やおい movements of the 1970s-80s manga scene.
The genre is distinct from real-life LGBTQ+ representation. BL is a fiction genre with its own conventions and is primarily produced by and consumed by women, though readership has diversified.
Usage
The abbreviation BL (ビーエル) is far more common in casual speech and writing than the full form ボーイズラブ. The full form appears in more formal or explanatory contexts.