Boys Love, or BL for short is a genre that depicts romantic and/or sexual relationships between men. It’s a rich genre with stunning variety in its themes and due to its popularity, the English market gets a satisfactory number of localized titles. The trends and tropes change and evolve over time, however, certain broad strokes or fan favorites remain.
The word ‘trope’ has a negative connotation among anime and manga fans, but it is merely a tool whose outcome depends on its implementation. The romance genre especially runs on tropes, but it’s either a setting or a dynamic that helps the reader decide whether to invest in a series or not. In this corner, I want to highlight 5 Boys Love VSC that share the same trope. Today’s recommendations all include actors!
BL with Actors: Miss You, Lucifer
Writer: Moscareto
Artist: Ok-dong
Platform: Manta (All-ages & Mature), Lezhin (Mature)
There may be no such thing as bad publicity, but Lucifer, a D-list idol in the Sweet Devils group, still would’ve preferred he left a better impression. One time he’s given a chance to appear on a variety show, he trips in his cow mascot costume and ends up flashing his pink boxers for all to see. This viral moment leads him to appear on another show where Kang Kwonjun is the guest. Lucifer’s in the dressing room, mumbling to himself how this A-list actor has it all, and while his face might not be his type, he’d definitely get in between the sheets with Kwonjun. The man himself hearing these thoughts is number one in Lucifer’s top embarrassing moments, though it may also be a blessing in disguise.
Moscareto and Ok-dong are like a “power couple” in the BL world. Their most popular work together is Punch Drunk Love, which was a digital-first on Lezhin but immediately got a print edition from Seven Seas Entertainment. Another collaborative title, Love of Cloud and Rain, is also available in English on Manta and Lezhin. Miss You, Lucifer is much shorter compared to the other two, totaling 20 chapters only. However, it has the signature charm and humor of the creators fans just can’t get enough of!
The opening chapter quickly reveals that Kwonjun is a die-hard fan of Sweet Devils and Lucifer is his bias, favorite member of the group. If you’re a stranger to the idol culture, Miss You, Lucifer might not make a lot of sense or come off as entertaining. But for the insiders, there’s a lot to look forward to.
Ridiculous developments and misunderstandings keep piling up whenever Lucifer and Kwonjun try to communicate and Ok-dong’s frequent switch between full-sized versions of the characters to comically small versions makes for a high-paced and entertaining read. Clearly the series doesn’t take itself very seriously. I can only imagine the fun its creators must’ve had by taking a simple premise and running off with it without feeling bound to create a grounded structure.
If you’re looking for an escapist, funny, sexy, short and weird Boys Love VSC, you don’t need to look further than Miss You, Lucifer. Moscareto’s excellence has been proven time and time again by the hits they’ve produced. Ok-dong has a very distinct art style that at first glance, just looks cute but they make this style work in many ways to convey a wide range of emotions. Together, they’re all the more powerful!
Killer Crush
Writer/Artist: eresemo
Platform: Lezhin (Mature)
Currently, Taeman is going through the harshest training known to humankind to train his nerves and never show a shred of emotion. He’s working the counter at a convenience store. Despite knowing infinitely many ways to stab a person with a ballpoint pen as an undercover killer – and maybe daydreaming about putting his skills to use here and there – his body count is zero for now. He never expects his heart to be tested when, for the first time in his life, he falls for the mellow and handsome customer Dahyeok at first sight. As fate has it, Dahyeok keeps visiting the store and strikes up a conversation with Taeman, but with an ulterior motive of his own.
Killer Crush is eresemo‘s very first commercial BL comic and I don’t think I can do a better job of defining this series than my friend who demanded I read it: “Think of Gintama, but gay.” The series reached its finale not too long ago with a total of 77 chapters, it’s perfectly binge-able if you prefer doing so!
If I had to do a one-word review of eresemo’s Killer Crush, it’d be “Unforgettable.” The art style is unique, the humor is out of pocket, the story is very sweet and romantic or packed with action when it needs to be and it’s overall a one-of-a-kind Boys Love vertical-scrolling comic.
Dahyeok, with his soft features and sweet demeanor, has always been cast as the romantic drama lead but he’s a die-hard fan of noir films. What he sees in Taeman is the pinnacle of ‘noir’ and he wants to study his mannerisms on the sly. Taeman, on the other hand, is a member of a discreet elite group that kills criminals, deeming themselves the ‘necessary evil’. As Taeman and Dahyeok’s lives, and eventually emotions, entangle more as time goes by, it gets equally harder for Taeman to keep his true identity under wraps.
I’d recommend Killer Crush to readers looking for a weirdly funny, heartwarming, completed series full of lovable characters with excellent chemistry.
Again
Artist: Gongtae
Writer: Seojin
Original Story: Limetree
Translator: Ciara
Editor: Sally
QA/QC: Elizabeth
Platform: Tappytoon (All-ages & Mature)
You could say Han Nokyoung is both famous and infamous. He’s stunning and an A-list actor, but his personality leaves so much to be desired. In the end, we live in a world where pretty privilege is real. Things start going downhill when his sex tape with LK Entertainment’s CEO Kang Junil makes headlines. Then, he falls victim to an acid attack on his face. He thinks even if the world crumbled, his boss and one-sided love Jang Hyunjae, would stand by him. However Nokyoung is discarded now that his face is ruined. Taking his own life seems like the only option left, and he follows through, but he goes back in time three years and gets a second chance at life. Will he be able to amend his past self?
Again is another light novel-to-VSC adaptation from Gongtae, Seojin and Limetree. This seems to be Gongtae and Seojin’s first commercial BL, and while there are two more novels attributed to Limetree, none are licensed in English. This is a completed series with 78 chapters in total and incorporates the popular trope where the lead gets a second chance at life with the entertainment industry as the backdrop.
The second chance trope works both for and against Again. When a “villain/villainess” is resurrected, they come back as a truly different person. In Again, Nokyoung changes so much that his manager can only make sense of it by entertaining the idea that he must’ve died and been reborn as someone else. He unknowingly hits the nail on the head, but still.
Nokyoung does have a change of heart for reasons I won’t spoil, however, it’s not to the extent that could completely overhaul his personality. As readers, we only spend two chapters at most with the unsavory past-Nokyoung so adapting to the angelic present-Nokyoung isn’t an issue. It does, however, feel inconsistent.
Reliving through past events grants Nokyoung a birds eye view, a perspective where he’s less bound by the blinding love he feels towards Hyunjae or resentment and self-pity after his downfall. He can now evaluate the people surrounding him with a less burdened heart and he focuses on redeeming his career while searching for the anti-fan behind the acid attack.
Despite a lot happening in the first chapter, Again quickly switches gears and sails towards different shores. If you’re into stories set in the entertainment industry, meetings that almost feel like fate and the second chance trope, this series should be your pick!
Backlight
Writer/Artist: Gangddo
Platform: Lezhin (Mature)
Baek Yeongwoon was down on his luck when he was assigned to work as the manager of Seo Hae-yool. He’s a rising actor and a kind, younger brother-type person who stays away from trouble. Hence Yeongwoon is surprised when he’s ordered by his boss to tail Hae-yool on account of his sleeping with someone despite having a sponsor—a big shot in the industry he has to ‘date’ in exchange for money, connections and protection. This simple task ends up opening Pandora’s box; the mysterious man turns out to be Han Seo-in, an A-list actor and sought-after model, who also happens to be Yeongwoo’s first love that has left a tremendous mark on him. For better, or for worse.
Backlight is Gangddo‘s first commercial BL which they are the sole creator of. Their other VSCs are collaborative works or an adaptation of a novel, and Don’t Get Me Wrong, Boss! is already available in English on Lezhin. Backlight‘s first season ended in July 2024, and in the Creator’s Note Gangddo said they’ll take a five to six-month-long hiatus, so the series’ return might not be too far into the future!
In terms of its tone, this comic is the most serious one on the list. Backlight leans heavily into drama, past unresolved resentment, manipulation and characters who hone their despair to hurt the one they love the most. There are depictions of drug use, forced sexual intercourse and violence in the story. While not all of these necessarily happen to or between the male leads, you should still keep them in mind.
I’m particular when it comes to forced sexual intercourse and violence during sex in BL. The reason is out of the scope of this recommendation, but I wanted to note that I found the depiction of these instances, especially the ones between Yeongwoon and Seo-in, quite compelling. Rather than throwing these themes into the plot for shock value, Gongddo weaves these modes of behavior into their dynamic along with visual cues that deftly convey how the other responds or how both sides are affected by what transpires between them. The way they draw faces, and especially the eyes, serves to enhance the intensity of emotions.
I’d recommend Backlight to readers who can, first and foremost, handle such themes in BL. Ready to dive deep into a destructive relationship that keeps you scrolling, clicking next and leaving you wondering how these two will manage to salvage the ruin in the end? Then you’re in the right place!
Unfair Love Affair
Artist: KIMBU
Writer: 12929
Original Story: jinzo
Translator: Mimi
Editor: Katelyn
QA/QC: Jen Lee
Graphic QA: Yoom
Platform: Tappytoon (All-ages & Mature)
What would make you grow out of your unrequited crush of 10+ years? Despite his grievances, for Haekyeong, the answer is “nothing.” He knows Kwonyeong inside out—how his behavior towards Haekyeong all these years could easily be classified as abuse, how obsessed he is with the extremely rare occasions when Kwonyeong shows slightest bit of decency. And no matter what he’s subjected to, he is and will be at this cruel man’s beck and call. For his next drama project, Haekyeong is to co-star with Kwonlim, one of the top actors in Korea and the older brother of you-know-who. This incidental reconnection makes way for an unforeseen shift in the trio’s dynamics.
Unfair Love Affair is a VSC adaptation of the novel of the same name by jinzo. While this adaptation is the first commercial comic for the artist KIMBU, the writer 12929 worked on several series and among them, Card Shark is licensed in English. Unfair Love Affair is ongoing with 28 chapters available and the first season will end in 5 chapters.
And I can already feel the dread of hiatus looming in my friends! I don’t know if there’s like a hidden, subliminal message in the 25th frame or something, but I’m obsessed! Hooked! The updates on Wednesdays immediately make my day better! I need Unfair Love Affair in my life!
The theatricals aside, the reason why I look forward to each week is that the series nails a handful of important points. I find the portrayal of Kwonyeong and Haekyeong’s abusive emotional codependency on point. Reasons behind why, despite being aware of what he calls a ‘crush’ is so far off from real love or the patterns of Kwonyeong’s, Haekyeong can’t cut off contact were given ample space within the chapters so far. As much as there’s hurt and anxiety, there’s also Kwonlim’s boundless kindness and so many heart-skipping moments to Unfair Love Affair as well.
The three know each other from childhood so while they share a past, we’re still not privy to all that transpired, especially on Kwonlim’s side of the story. There’s also the bad blood between the brothers to explore. We still have a long way to go!
I’d recommend this series to you if you don’t mind reading an ongoing series, are okay with the portrayal of such an abusive dynamic but are ready to join Haekyeong as he learns how to love someone, and let someone love him back for real this time!
Actors in Boys Love: BL’s a stage, and we’re merely third-wheelers
If I were to make a generalization, acting or actors as themes are used differently in Boys Love manga and VSC. In manga, the acting itself is more central and acting is incorporated in ways to blur the line between the role being played and actually going through the feelings. Meanwhile, in Korean VSCs, we see the entertainment industry at the centre and usually, debt or sponsorship gets into the leads’ way instead of the acting itself. The things I realize while writing for this column!
There are much more popular comics than the ones I listed here such as Payback, Limited Run, or Love History Caused by Willful Negligence to name a few. But I know everyone and their moms are already fans of these series, so I hope to bring something new to the table. Until next time, let’s continue to shamelessly third-wheel these love birds on our screens!
Catch up with previous entries in K-Comics Beat’s Boys Love for Life series by clicking here!
