Girls Love, or GL for short, is a sub-category in the romance genre that depicts love and/or sexual relationships between women. Solely by comparing the number of titles licensed in English or the number of views/likes, you could say GL is more niche than Boys Love, or publishers are less inclined to bring these titles to their library.
Whatever the reason might be, it doesn’t change the fact that there are so many interesting GL webtoons that deserve a reader’s time! Today, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite series, completed and ongoing alike, to try to lure you into the wonderland where women have gay panic over other women.
Kill Switch
Writer & Artist: 1172
Platform: Lezhin Comics (Mature)
Due to a traumatic car accident in the past, Jeongwon avoids getting in cars and has to reluctantly take the bus to school. On the first day of the semester, the bus she’s on almost crashes into a motorbike, Jeongwon tumbling out onto the gorgeous woman riding it. In a gay panic she flees the scene, but little does she know that the biker Jisoo is her classmate, and someone who everyone warns Jeongwon not to get close to.
But does Jeongwon listen? No, and good for her. The English-language release of Kill Switch was completed very recently, and its comparatively short length of 55 chapters makes the series easy to commit to. While Jeongwon is already in a physical situationship with her longtime friend but Jisoo’s grand entrance sweeps her off her feet!
Kill Switch has a great balance when it comes to mixing sweet and spicy. While not very deep, it’s still plot-driven and perfect for binge-reading. Might appeal to readers who enjoyed What Does the Fox Say on Tappytoon, but looking for something more light-hearted and fun.
After the Curtain Call
Writer: Assam
Artist: JINA
Translator: Soohyun
Platform: Tappytoon (All-ages)
Soyoung isn’t ready to say goodbye to her favorite musical actor, but he’s moved on to acting on TV. A close friend and a fellow musical fan suggests they go to a theater play and gives away a ticket for Macbeth. Soyoung doesn’t expect much, especially being charmed by the actress who plays Lady Macbeth, Jaeyi. New hyperfixation for Soyoung: unlocked!
I can’t stress enough how sweet After the Curtain Call is! It’s been in Tappytoon‘s library for a long time, so I had to bring it back. If you’re familiar with K-pop fandom dynamics/fansite culture you’d immediately connect with Soyoung. However, you aren’t required to be familiar with them, and through Jaeyi who’s also a stranger to the fan culture, and Soyoung being her first official fan, the reader is filled in with what is necessary to further the plot.
If you’re looking for a series that is complete, short, that will crack you up, and doesn’t lean too much into drama, you have to give After the Curtain Call a chance.
Don’t Fall in Love
Writer & Artist: Songha
Platform: Manta Comics (All-ages)
Junghyun is our fiery main character with a strong sense of justice. She hasn’t had much luck in keeping a job due to her temper, and she better keep herself in check now that her brother pulled some strings for her.
Junghyun is to be a manager for the talented and beautiful artist Heera, and it doesn’t even take her a minute to fall in love upon meeting the actress. Will the poor manager be able to hide her raging feelings?
Don’t Fall in Love is the shortest series on the list with 32 episodes, and it’ll definitely be a must-read for romance fans who prefer romantic feelings to be established very early on. Heera has certain issues going on that she has to overcome, but being the overly energetic Golden Retriever she is, Junghyun doesn’t take long to go through the motions of crushing on someone.
Even though the panels sometimes lack background and there are a lot of close-ups of the characters’ faces, their designs are quite alluring, which makes up for the former. I need more people to support these two on their journey to finally open up to each other!
Sherbet Above the Sea of Fog
Writer: BONE&BLOOD&FLESH
Artist: DONGOM
Translator: Mimi
Platform: Tappytoon (All-ages)
Sherbet is on a ship, on her way to marry her fiance. The open sea is a dangerous place for a woman traveling on her own, swarming with men vying for her attention or pirates that might tear down the ship.
What Sherbet fears most, though, is a ghost ship that is rumored to kidnap people for a specific reason. And the ghost ship’s deck is where she wakes up the next morning. The only other person on the abandoned ship is Granita, a grumpy and very hot pirate whose name has traveled far and wide.
Sherbet Above the Sea of Fog is a very recent addition to Tappytoon‘s library, with only 12 chapters out as of yet. Despite just getting into the series, I was immediately charmed by it! Sherbet is relentless in her pursuit of Granita, and while she’s not the brightest tool in the shed, you can’t help but care for her.
Additionally, I highly appreciated Granita’s body shape, as full-bodied women aren’t very common in the genre. The ride started out fun but there are tell-tale signs that it might turn darker as we go. Nevertheless, I’m looking forward to finding out what happens next and the chapters feel illegally short!
Opium
Writer: Aji
Artist: Junghyun
Translator: Jeeyeon Choi
Platform: Tapas (Mature)
It’s 1946, and Dr. Maria Arden is forced to return to Choseon (now Korea) as the advisor to the U.S. Army. The country has just freed itself from Japan’s clutches but is riddled with poverty and a slowly developing opium epidemic.
Maria meets another doctor there, Kyeongju Lee, whom she’s immediately attracted to. However, Maria soon realizes that under the surface of allure, there seems to be lurking something dark and dangerous.
Opium grabbed my attention with its beautiful and bold promotional art and the panels themselves, both the character designs and the backgrounds, were awe-inspiring. I don’t have the knowledge to assess how much of the plot is true to the historical facts, but the political intrigue, the corruption, and the strangely distant community Maria finds herself in make for a gripping story.
Both Maria and Kyeongju are brilliant doctors and compelling characters, the intensity of their attraction oozes out of the panels. I can heartily recommend Opium to readers who enjoy webtoons with a historical backdrop and prefer series that have more focal points than just the romance itself.
Girls Love
There is still a lot more to discover among the Girls Love webtoons but I hope this short selection will help readers who are considering dipping their toes into the genre but don’t know where to start, or for people who simply want to broaden their horizons.
Let us know if you have a favorite GL webtoon of your own in the comment section!
Header image taken from Sherbet Above the Sea of Fog artist DONGOM’s X account.
