If you want bl animes like given, start with the part of Given that stayed with you most: the slow romance, the grief, the band atmosphere, or the quiet healing. For a gentle next watch, choose Sasaki and Miyano; for a close school-life movie, choose Doukyuusei; for something more bittersweet, choose The Stranger by the Shore.
Best BL anime like Given
The best follow-up depends on whether you want the same emotional ache or just the same sincerity. Given works because the romance is tied to grief, friendship, creativity, and the fear of saying things out loud. The titles here each carry one of those strengths without feeling like a copy.
Sasaki and Miyano
Sasaki and Miyano is the safest first pick if you want warmth after Given. It is a slow school romance with awkward sweetness, patient feelings, and very little emotional cruelty.
Choose this when you want something comforting rather than heavy. It still cares about identity and emotional honesty, but it will not leave you with the same grief-heavy feeling that Given can.
Doukyuusei
Doukyuusei -Classmates- is probably the closest choice if you want a quiet, grounded BL movie. Two classmates grow closer through music practice, and the romance builds through glances, pauses, and small changes in trust.
Its short runtime is a strength. If you only have one evening and want something complete, intimate, and beautifully restrained, this is a better pick than starting another full series.
The Stranger by the Shore
The Stranger by the Shore, also known as Umibe no Étranger, is the one to choose when you want emotional healing with a sharper edge. It deals with loneliness, distance, family pressure, and the difficulty of letting someone love you.
- Best for: viewers who liked the pain-and-recovery side of Given.
- Less ideal for: anyone looking for pure comfort or easy fluff.
- Watch mood: bittersweet, reflective, and tender.
Twilight Out of Focus
Twilight Out of Focus is a strong match if the creative side of Given mattered to you. Music is replaced by filmmaking, but the idea is similar: art becomes a way for characters to reveal feelings they struggle to say directly.
It also works well if you want more than one couple dynamic. Some viewers prefer one central romance, but if you like ensemble stories with different types of tension, this gives you more variety.
Cherry Magic!
Cherry Magic! is the best change of pace on this list. It moves away from school life and grief into adult romance, workplace insecurity, kindness, and quiet emotional reassurance.
The mind-reading premise could have felt silly, but the story uses it to explore self-doubt and affection. Pick this if you want BL that feels soft and mature rather than dramatic.
Which anime is most similar to Given?
No single anime repeats everything Given does. The closest match changes depending on whether you mean romance, school realism, emotional pain, or performance as a way of expressing love.
| If you miss this part of Given | Start with | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Gentle romantic build-up | Sasaki and Miyano | Soft, patient, and emotionally safe |
| Quiet school-life intimacy | Doukyuusei | Short, grounded, and subtle |
| Healing after emotional pain | The Stranger by the Shore | Bittersweet without feeling hollow |
| Creativity shaping romance | Twilight Out of Focus | Uses filmmaking the way Given uses music |
| Emotion through performance | Yuri on Ice | Romantic feeling is carried through skating |
Best anime like Given by mood
Mood matters more than matching the genre label perfectly. A viewer who wants comfort after Given should not pick the same title as someone who wants another painful, cathartic romance.
- Sasaki and Miyano for wholesome romance: Best when you want soft school romance, low stress, and steady emotional safety.
- Doukyuusei for quiet emotion: Best for a short, delicate movie that feels intimate without becoming melodramatic.
- The Stranger by the Shore for bittersweet drama: Best when you want loneliness, healing, and a romance with emotional weight.
- Cherry Magic! for adult romance: Best if you want older characters, workplace feelings, and a gentler landing after heavier BL.
- Twilight Out of Focus for multiple couples: Best when one central couple is not enough and you want different romantic dynamics in the same creative setting.
- No. 6 for darker suspense: Best if you want queer-coded emotional intensity with danger, dystopia, and a less conventional romance path.
How to choose your next BL anime
Pick based on emotional energy first, format second, and setting third. That order helps you avoid the common mistake of choosing something that looks similar to Given on paper but feels completely wrong for your current mood.
Pick light or heavy drama
If you want light drama, start with Sasaki and Miyano or Cherry Magic!. If you want heavier feelings, choose The Stranger by the Shore; if you want tension outside a normal romance structure, consider No. 6.
Choose a movie or series
Choose a movie when you want a complete emotional arc in one sitting. Doukyuusei and The Stranger by the Shore are easy to finish in an evening and work well when you do not want to commit to multiple episodes.
Choose a series when you want to spend more time with the characters. Sasaki and Miyano, Cherry Magic!, and Twilight Out of Focus give the relationships more room to breathe.
Choose school or adult romance
School romance usually brings first love, hesitation, self-discovery, and social awkwardness. Adult romance tends to feel calmer but can bring different insecurities, especially around work, self-worth, and emotional maturity.
- Choose school romance: Sasaki and Miyano, Doukyuusei, or Twilight Out of Focus.
- Choose adult romance: Cherry Magic!.
- Choose something outside both lanes: Yuri on Ice for sports performance or No. 6 for suspense.
Decide how much heartbreak you want
Be honest about whether you want another emotional hit. If Given left you drained, do not force yourself into the saddest option just because it is highly recommended.
For a gentler recovery watch, pick Sasaki and Miyano. For a controlled dose of sadness with a healing tone, pick The Stranger by the Shore. For darker emotional pressure, No. 6 is better suited to viewers who do not mind suspense and danger mixed into the relationship.
Check for a happy or bittersweet tone
The ending tone is worth checking before you start, especially if you are avoiding heavy themes. Look at a spoiler-free summary or content note if family rejection, grief, or intense emotional frustration is something you would rather skip right now.
- Name the feeling you want: comfort, ache, suspense, adult tenderness, or creative energy.
- Pick the format: movie for one sitting, series for slower attachment.
- Check the setting: school, workplace, creative club, sports, or dystopian world.
- Avoid the common mistake: do not choose the "closest" title if its mood is the opposite of what you need.
Conclusion
The best next watch is not automatically the most famous BL title; it is the one that matches what you miss from Given. Choose Sasaki and Miyano for comfort, Doukyuusei for quiet school emotion, The Stranger by the Shore for bittersweet healing, and Twilight Out of Focus or Yuri on Ice if creative expression is the part you want to follow.
