7 New BL Dramas To Check Out This Spring
Spring is in full swing, and there’s a lot to look forward to! The flowers are blooming, sunnier days are ahead, and maybe you’ve even got a vacation in the works. The icing on the cake for boys love fans is that there are a ton of new, interesting BL dramas coming out this spring too.
This season brings lots of good surprises to the BL world from a Korean and Thai mashup to a new series by the same director behind “Our Dating Sim,” one of the most loved BL dramas of last year. Even if you won’t be on vacation this spring, look on the bright side: you’ll at least have plenty of new things to watch!
Here are seven BL dramas coming out this spring that you should add to your watch list:
“Only Boo!”
Moo (Keen Suvijak Piyanopharoj) is a high schooler who dreams of being an idol. After repeatedly skipping school to pursue auditions, his mother makes him pack his bags and leave Bangkok for a smaller town.
The intent was for him to be free from distractions and focus on school, but ironically enough, Moo finds another (adorable) distraction when he meets Kang (Sea Dechchart Tasilp). Moo quickly becomes attracted to Kang, adding a second goal to his list besides becoming an idol: making Kang his boyfriend.
When Moo finally gets his chance at stardom after being accepted into a Thai boy group, he has to follow the company’s rules if he wants his moment in the spotlight. As it so happens, one of the group’s paramount rules is that he can’t be in a relationship. Talk about bad timing!
“Only Boo!” explores blooming young love and following your dreams with a lot of classic BL silliness and plenty of lovably cheesy moments.
Premiere: March 31
“Love Is Like a Cat”
In “Love Is Like a Cat,” a Viki original, Uno (Mew Suppasit Jongcheveevat) is a global Thai actor working in Thailand and Korea. The story takes off when Uno is suddenly forced to switch from shooting cool action scenes behind the camera to working at a pet daycare. To make matters worse, Uno dislikes animals.
At the pet daycare, Uno clashes with Daebyeol (JM), the daycare’s animal-loving director. While Uno is known to have a cold, merciless image, Daebyeol is optimistic and caring. In terms of personality, the two are said to be the equivalent of a cat and a dog. Do you get it?
Seeing Mew, a Thai actor potentially most well-known for his role in “TharnType,” play a role in a Korean BL is going to be really interesting since Thai BLs and Korean BLs certainly have their own vibes.
JUST B fans will be excited to know that along with JUST B’s JM playing the lead role, Geonu will be playing an employee at Daebyeol’s pet daycare.
Premiere: April 1
Start watching “Love Is Like a Cat”:
“Boys Be Brave!”
“Boys Be Brave!” tells the story of Jung Ki Sub (Nam Si An) and Kim Jin Woo (Kim Sung Hyen), who are just really good friends—yeah, right! That’s rarely ever the full story when you’re watching a romance drama. Actually, Jin Woo has a little secret: he’s got a big ol’ crush on his friend Ki Sub. If BL fans had a dime for every time this happened, we wouldn’t be rich, but we’d certainly have a lot of dimes.
Jin Woo has been able to keep his secret under wraps by a combination of avoiding it and running away, that is, until he ends up reluctantly living with the uninvited Ki Sub, who just won’t get the hint that Jin Woo wants some distance. It was hard enough hiding his secret crush as friends, but now they are roommates. And cue the classic K-drama dilemma: hide his true feelings to save the friendship or risk it all and confess. Decisions, decisions.
Adapted from the webtoon “Can’t Confess” by Seok Young, the story features an equally exciting side couple storyline with Ahn Se Min playing Ji In Ho and Jung Yeo Jun playing Choi Sunny. The two hold unresolved feelings from high school that resurface when In Ho returns to Korea after studying abroad and meets Sunny again.
“Boys Be Brave!” is directed by the same director behind “Our Dating Sim,” Lim Hyun Hee.
Premiere: April 24
Start watching “Boys Be Brave!” once it premieres:
“At 25:00 in Akasaka”
In “At 25:00 in Akasaka,” a new boys love series is being filmed in Japan, and rookie actor Shirasaki Yuki (Niihara Taisuke) finally lands his first major role as one of the male leads. The other lead is Hayama Asami (Komagine Kiita), a famous actor who also happens to have studied at the same university as Yuki.
The story takes a turn when Asami suggests that he and Yuki see each other off-screen to improve their performance in the show. Determined to ace his first big break, Yuki agrees, but how often do friends with benefits work out as planned?
Based on the popular manga series “25 Ji, Akasaka de” by Natsuno Hiroko, “At 25:00 in Akasaka” is looking to be another introspective BL series akin to dramas like “Lovely Writer,” “I Became the Main Role of a BL Drama,” and “A Man Who Defies the World of BL.”
BLs that are self-aware or reflective of the BL genre itself are always enlightening to watch, even in sillier takes like “A Man Who Defies the World of BL.” They get you thinking a little deeper about how the BL genre has developed, the role of actors on-screen and off, the implications of tropes, and everything in between.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’d be like if the BL actors playing a couple on-screen became a couple IRL, this is one to watch.
Premiere: April 18
Watch Taisuke in “Eternal Yesterday” while you wait for the premiere:
“My Stand-In”
Speaking of “Lovely Writer,” Up Poompat Iam-samang returns to the screen with another lead role, this time as Ming in “My Stand-In,” a drama that stands out this season for having a unique storyline with a supernatural twist.
Joe (Poom Phuripan Sapsangsawat), a stuntman for a popular actor named Tong (Mek Jirakit Thawornwong), starts a relationship with Ming. Considering Joe’s profession as a stuntman, virtually working as a stand-in for Tong and not getting the same limelight, it’s a total blow to the heart when he figures out Ming only sees him as a replacement for Tong. Seriously, ouch.
To make matters worse, right after finding this out, Joe gets into an accident while working on another set and dies. But just wait! The story doesn’t end there. Dead-but-not-quite isn’t new to the BL world—think “Eternal Yesterday” and “The Shipper,” to name only a few (both rightfully tearjerkers).
After his accident, Joe surprisingly wakes up in another man’s body, a guy also named Joe who had gotten into an accident at the same time. Despite this odd occurrence, the old Joe in a new body finds his way back into his normal life and meets Ming again. Unable to forget the old Joe, Ming just wants him by his side again. Maybe what Joe thought about Ming isn’t the full story after all.
Premiere: April 26
Watch Mek in “Sky in Your Heart” while you wait for the premiere:
“Living With Him”
“Living with Him” is another manga adaptation premiering this season, created by Miyata Toworu. The story starts with Natsukawa Ryota (Sakai Sho) who is leaving home to go to university. He’s been the primary caretaker at home, so he’s excited to finally have his own space and be independent.
Upon arriving at his new place, Ryota finds that his new roommate isn’t a stranger but his childhood friend Tanaka Kazuhito (Sato Ryuga). His curiosity takes the wheel when he learns that his old friend, with great looks and a matching great personality, isn’t dating anyone yet. Trying to figure him out, Ryota spends more and more time with Kazuhito and can’t help falling for his natural charm.
With the same director behind “Old Fashion Cupcake” and “My Personal Weatherman” (Kato Ayaka), this drama has high expectations.
Premiere: April 11
Watch “Old Fashion Cupcake” while you wait for the premiere:
“A Man Who Defies the World of BL 3”
With two hilarious seasons in 2021 and 2022, this show needs little introduction for avid BL watchers. The story is expected to continue from where it left off in Season 2, with helpless Mob (Inukai Atsuhiro) still fighting against the chokehold of the so-called world of BL.
Ever since finding out he’s an extra in a BL comic, Mob’s been trying to save his brother (and eventually himself) from succumbing to the comic world’s one goal: pairing BL couples together. Mob’s brother Ayato (Goto Yutaro), Toujou (Shiono Akihisa), and Mob’s unplanned love interest, Kikuchi (Ito Asahi), all return in Season 3.
It’s rare for a second season—let alone a third—for a BL series, so it’s going to be super fun for fans of the show to see all the familiar faces in another comedic season. Though there’s not much yet advertised about exactly what the third season will bring, more funny BL cliches and exaggerated tropes will definitely be present. The third season is said to bring new cast members and have a different production team, which might bring a new tone to the show too.
Premiere: late April
Catch up on “A Man Who Defies the World of BL 2” in the meantime:
Also watch the original “A Man Who Defies the World of BL” below:
Do you think 2024 will be as iconic of a year for BLs as 2023 was? What upcoming BLs are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments!
Asya’s a BL-biased Soompi writer with a love of K-pop and all types of Asian dramas. Some of her favorite shows are “Psychopath Diary,” “Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss!,” “Light On Me,” “The Untamed,” “Go Go Squid!,” and “Cherry Magic!”
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