I feel compelled to mention that so that it doesn’t make all the commenters below arguing the difference look like dicks, and I’m sure they are fine people.
This section about the difference between shounen ai and yaoi in particular was added after this article was initially published. While veterans can benefit from this list too, it was made for the newer watchers of the genre. That was a joke, of course, I just use yaoi specifically because it is typically what more novice fans know the boy’s love label to be. I use the term yaoi mostly here because I am what we in the very professional and serious anime blogging community refer to as a fuckface. While yaoi will also feature romance, they bear a bit more flesh. You get those lewd hand-holdies and maybe some kisses if you behave. It is easiest explained, for those who don’t know, that shounen ai is more your standard romance anime.
You may hear these terms used interchangeably here and throughout the internet, but there is some important distinctions between them. What is the Difference Between Shounen Ai and Yaoi? Updates are all the way at the bottom if you are looking. I typically don’t update my anime lists, but this has hugely grown in popularity and if I can help some people find a new series they love, then that is worth my time.
