While the “Korean BL” continues to grow with more dramas being released each year, fans are finally piquing interest in the genre as many are delighted to combine two elements they love, the cute and heartwarming romantic stories that K-Dramas are known for and the BL genre.
Since 2020, there has been a rapid increase in the release rate of BL drama, without losing the quality in terms of plot, production and dreamy cast that makes our hearts swoon.
With a long list of dramas released so far, and many more to come, as a Korean BL beginner, it can be difficult to navigate and find the best BL dramas that would make you completely fall in love with the genre or simply have a good list of dramas worth watching. binge-watch for a cool, relaxing time. Well, look no further because as Korean BL aficionados that we are, we’ve curated a list of the best BL dramas that would suit your beginner level.
From cute and fluffy teen love stories to classic office romance, here are some of the Korean BL dramas we recommend for BL beginners broken down into different tropes.
1. Teen Romance
“Light in Me”
Starring Kang YouSeok, Lee SaeOn and Choe ChanYi, “light in me” tells the story of a shy teenager, Woo TaeKyung (Lee SaeOn) who, following his teacher’s advice, joins the student body with hopes of making friends. However, his plan is not as easy as he hopes. her unhappy first encounter with Noh Shinu (Kang YouSeok), the latter was determined to give her a hard time. However, with more interactions, adorable moments, and a third party’s interest in Woo TaeKyung, they soon realize their feelings. .for each other as they both find comfort and acceptance with each other.
The drama plays on the classic enemies to lovers trope, as well as the love triangle trope as well. Filled with chaotic, hilarious, and heartwarming moments, this drama serves as one of the best Korean BL dramas and remains a fan favorite to this day. It’s lighthearted, but it also infuses an emotional depth that gives the story a realistic feel. And at 16 episodes and running at 24 minutes per episode, it gives room for proper character development, allows viewers to fully understand the plot, and ultimately makes the series wholesome as well.
2. “Where your eyes linger”
Starring Han GiChan and Jang EuiSoo, this web drama holds a special place in the hearts of global BL fans as it served as Korea’s first BL drama. The series tells the story of two high school students who seem best friends, but in reality they have a master-bodyguard dynamic. As they spend more time together, they begin to realize their true feelings for each other and are faced with the inevitable problem that their social standing would bring.
Full of emotional moments, this drama quickly touched the hearts of fans, thanks to the incredible chemistry between the protagonists, the story was well told and their connection was duly felt by viewers. With 8 episodes and a duration of 10 minutes, this drama is one that you can easily watch in one sitting.
2. College Romance
“Semantic error”
The web drama is often recognized as one of the best Korean BL dramas, which also sheds the spotlight and interest in the genre from fans and producers alike. Starring DKZ’s JaeChan and Park SeoHam, the series tells the story of two college students with completely opposite tastes and personalities who are forced to work together on a project. Jang JaeYoung (Park SeoHam) is a popular artist everyone likes for his cheerful and friendly nature and Cho SangWoo (DKZ’s JaeChan), is a quiet and reserved computer science student who likes to do things by the rules without giving a shit. room for mistakes. However, he would see his walls crumble when he started interacting with Jang JaeYoung, a man who started out as a nuisance to him but slowly turned into a crush as he sought to navigate his newfound feelings for Jang JaeYoung.
Also playing into the enemies-to-lovers trope, this rom-com drama is one that many, no matter how many times we watch it, still come across as hilarious, sweet, and fun.
“Love Lesson”
Starring Han HyeonJun (as JiWoo) and Kim TaeHwan (as RoA), the college web drama tells the story of two classmates who form an unlikely affection for each other when they team up for a group project. JiWoo has his eye on a pretty classmate and tries to partner with her, but he’s partnered with RoA, a handsome classmate with model features. He initially doesn’t have any feelings for RoA, who was subtly showing an attraction to him, however when RoA saves JiWoo from a stalker and breaks his arm in the process, JiWoo starts to fall in love with him, but when he starts to understand her newfound feelings of attraction to another man, a photo in a community post threatens to ruin their love story.
Easy to watch with very little to no complex or complicated moments that viewers might not understand, this drama has the perfect blend of cute and mature moments that makes it not only fun but also memorable.
“Blueming”
Sweet and cute with an interesting moral,”Blueming” also ranks as one of the best BL dramas you could very well enjoy in one go. Starring Kang EunBin (as Cha SiWon) and HyukJun (as Hyung DaWon), the campus romance drama tells the story of a beautiful freshman Cha Siwon, who struggled to be popular by making his appearance and attitude look perfect. He would see his rising level of popularity being threatened by fellow handsome student Hyung Dawon, who everyone seems to easily gravitate to. This creates a feeling of jealousy and tension between the two. two classmates. However, Hyung DaWon only has eyes for Cha SiWon, and over time, their romance story begins as Hyung DaWon helps Cha SiWon overcome his insecurities.
This drama is a fan favorite because not only is it based on the cute and cuddly moments or the intense chemistry between its main leads, but it also has an overriding moral lesson that is applicable to the real-life issues that many face today.
“Mr. Heart”
Starring Han SeJin as SangHa and Cheon SeungHo as JinWon, the sports-themed drama tells the story of marathon runner JinWon, who is paired with a pacemaker, SangHa, to help him run better. The idea didn’t sit well with Jinwon as he believes he can handle things on his own. However, his feelings start to change when he falls for the cute and delicious chairs of the persistent SangHa, who, it turns out, has had a crush on JinWon since their college days.
From adorable banter to heartwarming moments, this drama may be 3 years old, but it’s still a favorite with fans, many of whom refer to it as a drama way ahead of its time.
3. Office Romance
“The New Employee”
Perhaps the most streamed and popular Korean BL drama in Q1 2023,”the new employee” has earned its place as one of the best BL dramas in the hearts of global fans thanks to its super cute and romantic storyline. Starring Moon JiYong (Woo SeungHyun) and Kwon Hyuk (Kim JongChan), the series tells the story of a handsome and smart, who gets a job at a big advertising company. On his first day, he is greeted by his super handsome and workaholic boss, who immediately falls in love with him. However, the feelings became mutual as Kim JongChan soon fell in love .by the charms of clumsy and adorable Woo SeungHyun.
Fluffy and cuddly, this lighthearted romantic comedy is simply the best one to get you into the office romance genre, as it tells a beautiful love story between two mature men whose growing affection for each other fosters such lovely, sweet chemistry.
“Roommates of Poongduck 304”
2022 has given global fans a slew of interesting Korean BL dramas and at the top of that list is “Roommates of Poonduck 304“. The drama piqued fans’ interest upon its initial announcement, thanks to its main cast, Yoon Seo Bin and Kim Ji Woong, who had already starred in a previous BL drama.”lovely lips“. The office romance-themed series tells the story of an office worker who due to a misunderstanding is forced to live with a tenant who soon discovers to be the new boss. Seo Jae Yoon (Yoon Seo Bin) is an intern who worked hard to save money and bought Poongduck Villa. Seeking to earn more money, he decided to rent a spare room, but unfortunately, his trespassing friend meets the new tenant first and runs away with the rent money, creating an awkward situation between Seeking to make amends, he offers the room to the new tenant while trying to find his friend and return his money. it’s also your annoying new roommate.
From chaotic banter to cute and touching moments, with constant interactions, their feelings for each other begin to change as a strong feeling of affection and attraction forms between the two.
4. Fantasy
“Lovely Lips”
Starring Yeon Seo Bin and Kim Ji Woong, the fantasy drama tells the story of a vampire who is about to die and a young student whose blood can save him, at the risk of losing his life as well. As they both see their destinies intertwined, they begin to discover their feelings for each other. With JunHo (Kim JiWoong) fearful of draining Minhyun’s (Yeon Seobin) life, and Minhyun willing to do anything to help their love survive and not be extinguished, the two lovebirds must figure out a way to keep their love and each another live. However, their plans can be interrupted thanks to the reappearance of a vampire who is also in love with JunHo.
The plot is quite simple and easy to watch. It doesn’t have as many sweet and cute moments compared to the other dramas on this list, but the chemistry between the leads carries the story along and makes it enjoyable.
“The director who buys me dinner”
One of the dramas we desperately want to get a 2nd season, the fantasy office romance drama is one of the highlights of this year so far. Starring Park Jeong Woo It is Park Young Woon, the drama tells the story of an intern who gets a job at an entertainment agency, thinking he would be part of the content team, but on the first day, he discovers that he would be the boss’s personal assistant. Their relationship doesn’t start out so well and gets even more complicated when Min YuDam reveals to Seol DongBaek that they shared a romantic connection in their past lives and asked that they always have dinner and be close to each other for Seol DongBaek. survive. This doesn’t go so well, but as time passes, an attraction between the two has been formed, sparking the birth of a sweet and mature love story between the starry lover.
Many like this story because of how mature and impressive its plot is, as well as the dialogues, expressions and chemistry. Cute, heartwarming, romantic and funny, the series has the perfect recipe for what makes a very interesting and entertaining drama.
which of these dramas are you adding to your watchlist? Let us know in the comments section.
