Korean Boys Love shows are slowly becoming more competitive and truly entertaining. South Korean content managers are working overtime to catch up and be in line with K-drama – the predominant global drama of choice and level up within the Asian BL universe.

Introduction

For starters:

  • Award-winning filmmaker Lee-Song Hee-il is a driving force behind Korean gay films. His first feature No Regret (released in 2006) pave the way for other gay films to flourish within the country;
  • White Night (2012) and Night Flight (2014) are the 2 follow-up movies to No Regret. That makes up Hee-il’s gay trilogy;
  • Kang Woo’s Long Time No See in 2017 made lasting impressions on BL fans of late, but can be considered a hybrid – catering to both gay film connoisseurs and BL fans alike;
  • In 2020, a full-pledge BL series was released – Hwang Da Seul’s Where Your Eyes Linger;
  • Gay films (as opposed to BL) target a relatively wider audience. In the beginning, Boys Love was written by female authors for a predominantly female audience. However, it’s different now.

Notable Korean Boys Love TV Series

Top picks for Korean Boys Love (as of March 2023) include Where Your Eyes Linger, Light On Me, Blueming, To My Star, Love Class, and Semantic Error.

To My Star – 나의 별에게 (2021)

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Korean Boys Love series 'To My Star' starring Son Woo Yoon and Kim Kang Min.
Cute chef gets some lovin’ from infamous movie star | Kakao TV, iQYI

What about? A Korean movie star weathers a career-threatening scandal. He hides in an apartment where a chef he dismissed previously turns out to be his saving grace.

And so? The chef – played by Kim Kang Min – is cute, and naïve but sexy and his interaction with the slightly mature matinee idol (Son Woo Yoon) is both hilarious and romantic. Plus, To My Star has 2 delicious seasons and a movie to boot.

Where to Watch? This top-notch BL series from Korea is available at iQYI.

Light on Me – 새빛남고 학생회 (2021)

Rating: 4 out of 5.
Korean Boys Love series 'Light on Me' starring Lee Sae On and Kang Yoo Seok.
Noh Shin-woo and Woo Tae-Kyung at the student council room before things started to heat up between them. | WHYNOT MEDIA

What about? A loner decides to revamp himself by seeking friends. He enters the school’s student council and befriends the President while earning the ire of its VP who – eventually – turned out to be someone worth caring for.

And so? Light on Me is charming, dreamy, and appealing. At 25 minutes per show (running for 16 episodes), there is enough emotional investment for the viewers to empathize with the characters. Lee Sae On (26) and Kang Yoo Seok (28) pass as high school students and display on-screen chemistry that’s intense and romantic.

Blueming – 블루밍 (2022)

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Korean BL series 'Blueming' starring Kang Eun Bin
Hyeong Da Un takes photos of Cha Si Won as their relationship blossoms. | Kakao TV, iQYI

What about? In Blueming, two alpha males compete for glory at school. One is nouveau rich, while the other is a poor pretender. Circumstances force them to get closer, and in a high-stake school project, romance falls into place and swept them off their feet.

And so? Excellent camera play, with equally excellent lead actors – Kang Eun Bin (who plays the pretender) has star appeal. The drama is not limited to standard school scenes and expands into familial relationships (1) the poor boy has divorced parents and has vanity issues, (2) the nouveau rich kid is lonely and his parents work overtime. These subplots supplement what is already an interesting and romantic boy’s love. A second season is already in the works.

Where to watch? You can watch this series at iQYI with a subscription.

Semantic Error – 시맨틱 에러 (2022)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Korean BL series 'Semantic Error' starring Jang Jae Young and Chu Sang Woo.
Jae Young tries his charm on the highly-strung Sang Woo, sparks already flew! | Whatcha

What about? A geeky-nerdy uptight loner decides to expel freeloaders from his class. Unbeknownst to him, an extremely popular senior, was part of his blacklist. Things turned out badly for him when the same guy happens to be the only person he can work with for a crucial school project.

And so? Well, Semantic Error cast one of Korean Boys Love most charming love teams ‘2P’ – Park Seo Ham (Jang Jae Young, the intimidating senior) and Park Jae Chan (Chu Sang Woo, the uptight junior). Their antics together are the stuff BL dreams are made of.

Where Your Eyes Linger – 너의시선이머무는곳에 (2020)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Korean Boys Love series 'Where Your Eyes Linger' starring Han Gi Chan.
Kang Gook does his job protecting Tae Joo (Han Gi Chan) | W Story, Energedic

What about? 18-year-old Han Tae Joo is heir to a powerful Korean conglomerate. He has no one except his childhood friend/private guard, Kang Gook. A female student whom Gook started dating puts Tae Joo in bad mood. Jealous, perhaps?

And so? Where Your Eyes Linger started the Korean Boys Love craze in 2020, and deservedly so. Han Gi Chan, the star of the show is dreamy, handsome (beyond compare), and can act giddy, sensual, and angsty. The 10-minute, 8-episode series has driven many BL fans wild and insane, asking: why so little time? W-STORY | Energedic Company obliges with a full-length movie.

Love Class – 수업중입니다 (2022)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Korean BL series 'Love Class' featuring Kim Tae Hwan and Han Hyun Jun.
Male model Kim Tae Hwan plays Ro A – looking at Ji Woo (Han Hyun Jun)! | Viki

What about?: Kind and short-height sophomore guy who gets paired with a popular senior and undergoes a ‘Marriage and Relationship’ interaction for their class. A non-threatening female duo, a stalker, and classroom politics mix with the developing male x male relationship.

And so? Fresh from Please Tell Me So, Han Hyun Jun plays the short, idealistic guy making all the wrong moves, yet how he attacks the role is funny and absorbing. Co-star Kim Tae Hwan (a tall, gorgeous male model) makes an unlikely pairing yet they clicked instantly. Ignore the bad reviews you’ve read, this BL is awesome – like the list, we have here.

Choco Milk Shake – 사랑은 댕냥댕냥 (2022)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Choco Milk Shake cast (from left) Koho Jung, Lee Jae Bin, Kim Seong Hyuk, and Park Seung Bin | Strongberry

What about? Jung Woo (Ko Ho Jung) lives alone after he lost his parents some 20 years ago. He’s a part-time employee in his uncle’s (Park Seung Bin) shop. All of a sudden, two strangers enter his home and claim to be his former pets – Choco and Milk. What follows is both fantastical and romantic as Jung Woo’s world takes a 360-degree turn, with Choco (Lee Jae Bin) and Milk (Kim Seong Hyuk) initiating moves that will affect their lives and love – together, forever

And so? This was such a sweet idea about long-dead family pets that are reincarnated as humans to save their former master during his darkest days. Yet, this is still a BL, so the idea of a romantic entanglement just screams bestiality, but in this reality, is so adorable. The actors gave such laugh-a-minute performances that were still so insightful. [read more]

Once Again -다시나를찾아와 (2022)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Lee Hyun Jun stares at the sleeping Moon Ji-Yong in a lovely/endearing scene of BL series Once Again | Idol Romance

What about? A time travel BL drama with all the right moves? Yup! Once Again (previously titled Come Back to Me or Come Find Me Again) did not even try to explain the time slip phenomenon and went straight ahead – telling us the romantic love story of two young boys who protect and stand side by side during a ‘tumultuous, yet intimate’ times in their lives.

And so? Convincing acting and interesting character delineation Once Again feature lead actor Moon Ji-Yong as the time-traveling dude, with plenty of angst and passion for the guy he is “supposed to save”. Technically competent – superb soundtrack with good editing and turnaround. [ Read: Series details ]

Where to watch? This BL series is currently streaming on GagaOOLala.

The Director Who Buys Me Dinner – 밥만 잘 사주는 이상한 이사님 (2023)

Rating: 4 out of 5.
The Director who buys me Dinner
Park Young Woon and Park Jeong Woo are long-lost lovers who meet again in modern Korea | KENAZ

What about? A talent manager/director aggressively asks his newly-hired Secretary for a dinner date. While the Secretary was shocked, certain things appear to be out of the ordinary. To keep the flow between them open, the cure Secretary agrees and one thing led to another.

And so? At first, the two lead characters sort of have little to no onscreen chemistry, at all. However, as the story progresses (that’s about Episode 3), there is a leveling up of warmth, comedic gestures – mostly by Seol Dong-Baek (Park Jeong Woo), and romantic vibes (initiated by the director himself, Park Young Woon). We’re talking about two attractive men who are having dinner, and the fantastical realization that they are supposed to fall in love or die.

Where to watch? iQIYI released the series last 15 December 2022.

The New Employee – 신입사원 (2023)

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Virgin recruit Moon Ji Yong is Seung Hyun and Kwon Hyuk plays the boss in The New Employee | WATCHA

What about? Woo Seung Hyun (Moon Ji Yong) is already in his late twenties but remains a virgin. To get a headstart on his chosen career, he applied for an internship with one of the prestigious ad firms in the country. On his first day at work, he met a handsome gentleman named Kim Jong Chan (Kwon Hyuk). Jong Chan appears to be his boss! What happens next is a tale of romance, intimacy, and office politics!

And so? Extremely romantic, sweet, and intense! This is definitely one of the best Korean BL released this year. While there will be more streamed soon, The New Employee already secured a top-ranked place in our hitlist.


Our rating is on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the best. Criteria are based on (1) entertainment and re-watchable value, (2) story, (3) acting & character delineation, and (4) directing & technicalities (editing, music, cinematography, costume design, OST).

More Korean Boys Love Series!

We’re also looking forward to such new series as Eccentric RomanceStar Struck, and A Shoulder to Cry On.


This article is a continuing series. New shows will be added as soon as information becomes available.