Best Boys Love Manga of 2008

A deep love bubbles beneath the surface, and a gentle touch is all Hikaru Kusakabe and Rihito Sajou need to release it. Sajou, studious and reserved, is yet to be accustomed to such strong feelings for Kusakabe, making him overthink and insecure. In contrast, Kusakabe, straightforward and bold, does not restrain himself from showing intimate affection. While Kusakabe reveals his dream to one day become a professional musician, Sajou is tirelessly preparing for college. Their differing goals bring an unspoken, heavy cloud over their relationship: as the boys approach their graduation, it is unclear what awaits their romance. Nevertheless, their love warms them in the coldest winter and brings hope that, eventually, they will find the answer to their uncertain future together.

In a bleak city where gangs hold more authority than the law, Yukio "Yuki" Kousei and his close friend Tetsushi "Tetsu" deal fake drugs in the back alleys to earn some cash. However, with a chronically ill little brother in need of hospitalization, Yuki and Tetsu set their sights on a vault located in the office of the Seidoukai—a well-known yakuza group—in hopes of acquiring a large sum of untraceable money. Their plan does not pan out, but Yuki catches the interest of the young boss, Kazutaka Hyodo, who promises to take care of his brother's hospital bills and let them go unpunished. But as all deals come with a price, Hyodo tells him to come to his office alone once a week—without fail. With his brother's health as his first priority, Yuki accepts without hesitation and begins to keep his end of the bargain, all while tension brews between Seidoukai and a rising gang thirsty for power.

Isaka is secretly in love with his caretaker and former childhood friend Asahina. However, Asahina is obsessed with Isaka's father...or so it seems.

Hopeless about the future, 18-year-old Han Soo-Bum prepares to jump off a building. Suddenly blinded by a flash, he notices an unfamiliar man taking pictures of him. As he is about to complain, police officers storm the rooftop, declaring the stranger, Lee Hyuk-Soo, as the prime suspect in a murder case. In the midst of the chaos, Soo-Bum is taken hostage and finds himself on the road with the 25-year-old fugitive. A fearless captive and a falsely accused man on the run, the polar opposites begin to ignite hope in each other's pitiful yet complex lives.

A bookstore employee, Serizawa—a short, comical, and adorable young man—spots Keito—an immensely tall and intense-eyed man—in the store. It was a love at first sight for Serizawa! However, Serizawa realizes that Keito is extremely shy and meek. What's holding him back? Can Keito overcome his shyness and show his true feelings?