A Man Who Defies the World of BL, Vol. 1

by Konkici

What would you do if you suddenly realized you were living in the world of boys’ love?! Could you avoid the tropes?

It’s a BL-manga world, and unfortunately for our straight-as-an-arrow protagonist, he has only just discovered this! 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, and fancy footwork can only get you so far!
Could you avoid the tropes?

Genres: Manga, LGBT, Boys Love, Fiction, Comedy, Graphic Novels, Humor

136 pages, Paperback

Published August 19, 2025

Reviews

[Susanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A crash course into tropes of high school BL manga. The nameless protagonist knows he's a background character in a boylove manga. Hows and whys aren't brought up, but it's not a transmigration story, just a fact of his life. The idea that he might end up in a relationship with a guy like all his classmates horrifies him, ostensibly because someone needs to give his parents a grandchild, after his little brother is swept away by a BL trope too. So he studies all manga tropes and sets out to avoid situations where he might end up being a protagonist.

Chapters are short slice-of-life stories of tropes his classmates are caught up in, all of which the MC of the manga observes from the sidelines. They're kind of amusing, but very hasty, and the characters come and go without making a deeper impression. The only constant is the MC, but he's so detached from the story that I almost didn't notice he'd switched from a high schooler to a college student. I kept waiting for the tropes to catch up with him and the story to begin, but that never happened. He never even gains a name. It was fun for one volume, but I'm not sure I'd read more of the same. Something needs to change.

Bonus story is from the pov of MC's little brother about how his BL romance started. Art was ok, but I had great trouble telling the characters apart at times.

I received a free copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

[Katie Slater · Rating 3 out of 5]

a tongue in cheek take on bl that i genuinely found really funny and i’m very happy it’s my final book of the year

[Kimberlee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was fine, just kind of boring. I thought the meta bl premise could carry it through, but this is another episodic manga that doesn't really have a moving plot.

[☽｡⋆ Naidah ₊˚ෆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man that was hilarious. It reminded me of Drastic Life of Saiki K and how he’s aware that he’s in an anime/manga. It’s meta but it was very accurate for BL tropes and the main character just had me laughing in so many scenes - fav was when he was like “could that back drop be any more obvious” (when he was trying to guess who his bros LI was)

Lowkey tho I want the protagonist to end up with someone… maybe Tojo? Unless Tojo really is the protag’s little bros love interest.

Overall, this story is just a collection of short stories with varying BL tropes while having the “background” character aware that he’s in a BL world. I really want to read the next one to see how that plays out

[Tiffany Seward · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐ Manga | Comedy | BL Meta-Parody

Thank you to SuBLime for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

A Man Who Defies the World of BL, Vol. 1 wastes no time setting the tone, the very first page is comical, with the main character immediately breaking the fourth wall. He’s fully aware that he’s living inside a BL world, and he absolutely refuses to play along with its rules.

The MC doesn’t consider himself attractive, which, ironically, makes him believe he’s the perfect protagonist for a BL story. He’s convinced that readers want “average-looking guys,” and this belief fuels his detached, IDGAF attitude that initially drew me in just from the cover art.

I went in not knowing exactly what to expect, and that unpredictability ended up being part of the fun. This manga is essentially a satire of BL tropes. The MC actively recognizes common setups, clichés, and romantic flags, and does everything in his power to avoid them. Watching him dodge situations that would normally lead to romantic tension is what makes the story so amusing. It’s self-aware, clever, and clearly written with longtime BL readers in mind.

Overall, A Man Who Defies the World of BL, Vol. 1 is a humorous, meta take on the genre that pokes fun at how BL stories are constructed. A great pick for readers who enjoy comedy, genre-savvy storytelling.

[estherbookster · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMFG YOU NEEEEED TO READ, NO, YOU MUST READ THIS MANGA!! It's by far the most realistically accurate depiction and reaction to everything BL! Super hilarious, the tropes are troping (definitely verb-ified that hehehe). The protagonist is so for real and his little brother Ayato just landed himself into one of my favorite types of tropes: the yearning and pining for you type. Of course there will be another volume because how can there not be!! Loved this book, the illustrations and panels, super funny and laugh-out-loud worthy, and I just cannot exclaim how quickly I read through it and couldn't put it down. I'm curious to see if our protagonist will actually produce a grandkid for his parents like he hopes he would. I'm suspicious of the cat, thinking that maybe that might actually be not-a-cat. I don't know what to expect but I'll be looking forward to the next volume! Would abso-effing-lutely recommend this read.

[Alexander · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll be honest, based on the first book alone I'm not sure how exactly I feel about the start of this series. On one hand, I appreciate the humor that went into writing it - as it reminds me of series like "The High School Life of a Fudanshi" and "I Got Reincarnated in a (BL) World of Big (Man) Boobs" which I did enjoy to a degree; while on the other hand I'm left a little apprehensive. The humor of being aware to every little trope signaling off around you is silly, but it is still entertaining regardless, and leaves one to wonder if this will have an ending similar to how "The High School Life of a Fudanshi" was, or if there will be a more conclusive and close-ended one.

[Breanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher for the DRC!

This was an enjoyable, quick read. We follow our protagonist as he dodges standard BL tropes and see other men embodying those tropes from his perspective. Instead of the more narrative format I was expecting, this was very fractured and episodic in nature. There isn't a major story happening, except for our main character's effort to dodge BL tropes and stay out of relationships with men. It's light-hearted and funny, especially for folks who regularly read BL, and it's easy to breeze through.

[Cassie Renais · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was funny, but it doesn't really have any overarching plot or emotional connection to get invested in. It's more like a series of satirical comics about common BL tropes - always spot on, but they're all only a couple of pages long, with no follow through, so the jokes don't last. The MC is always an observer, not an active participant in all of these tropes, so there's a level of distance for the reader.

Overall, funny, but easy to put down and pick up. I think it would actually be more fun reading it as an occasional drop on SM rather than bound up in a single volume like this.

[Zephorah Dove · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pure satirical comedy and I need a show out of this. I found myself laughing at our MC's dry humor and deadpan face so many times throughout. This is such a fresh take on the BL genre and although its satirical in nature, there aren't issues of homophobia or anything.
How many more BL situations will we get to see him avoid??

Thanks to Edelweiss and Viz Media for the DRC. Can't wait for the next one.

[Rebecca Whaley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. This boy is stuck in a bl manga and he is just trying to avoid being caught in a bl romance. It's in his favor in a way that he's rather plain in looks. He knows what pitfalls to avoid in bl mangas that start romances. It's cute and entertaining and I'm just wondering when he'll get bit by the bl bug. He can't avoid it forever or can he lol. I definitely want to read more.

[Chelsea 🏳️‍🌈 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty cute!

The live action is pretty much shot for shot the same, except s1 ends a little after this volume does, so I know what happens in the next volume already. Having read as much BL as I have (which is a lot) this was pretty amusing. I called a lot of the plots ahead of time.

Not spectacular, but entertaining enough to get me to read vol 2.

[Yona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genuinely funny, though I have trouble imagining how it can sustain itself as an entire series when it's really just a tour of popular BL tropes. I enjoyed the main character's fourth wall-breaking genre-savviness and dogged resolution to remain a background character. I wonder if that can last!

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not a fan of boy love mangas, but I do love humor that explores conventions, and overly aware protagonists. This was a lot of fun, and I’ll probably pick up another.

[Karu · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a good book, saying that it includes man ways of romance and just a an understanding on how life will be like if we were in a world of BL.

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this series!

[Hayeley Norris · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[isabella. · Rating 4 out of 5]

actual rating : 3.5 stars

[Kai · Rating 1 out of 5]

To be honest I find it disappointing and boring, feel like it makes fun of BL and gay community with over done characters and drama.

[Thesincouch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A meta series on BL - the main character has realised he is living in a BL world and, after studying up on it, does everything possible not to fall into a BL plot. Supper funny.

[Bug Silliman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It honestly wasn’t great but it did make me giggle so 🤷

[Annu · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this very boring. I think I expected a funnier parody of the romance tropes. Instead weird scenes just happen and are flatly narrated.

[fuzzy.bookdragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obviously this is going to be a lot funnier if you’ve ever dipped a toe into the waters of BL fandom, but I think I would still generally recommend it as being an enjoyable read.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very silly

[Lesbiantoinette · Rating 5 out of 5]

ai vey muito bom KKKKKKKKK

[LelandraTheLazyReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

meta "survival" guide, reminds me a little of Handa-Kun. I can't wait to see if he stumbles. 👀

[Emma Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[✧･ﾟ: *✧aj✧*:･ﾟ✧ · Rating 2 out of 5]

actual rating: 2.5

[Liv (LivTheBookNerd) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Peacefulbookery · Rating 5 out of 5]

This appears to be 絶対BLになる世界 VS 絶対BLになりたくない男 1 Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai Vs Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko 1 by Konkichi.

It's a lighthearted, self-aware, situational comedy set in a world that runs on BL tropes. Recommended for BL readers who enjoy meta commentary and importantly, don't mind if the main character doesn't end up in a romantic relationship.

This series is about BL tropes, and the author clearly loves and respects these tropes. But shipping the MC isn't the point of this series - the comedy is.