Boys Love for Life: 5 Stories with Office Romances

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 theme is office romance!

Sugar Trap

Writer/Artist: Magoo
Original Story: Hyun Jiha
Platform: Lezhin (Mature)

Joohwan might’ve been dumped by his girlfriend smack-dab in the middle of a crowded street and her reasons might’ve cemented a fact that he dreaded the most: that he’s gay, after all. But other than that, life’s been treating Joohwan okay. Kind of. He’s on his way to closing a huge deal with the promise of a promotion if he succeeds. Joohwan couldn’t be any more confident and ready to sweep the company off of their feet. But right when it’s his turn to present, the marketing team leader of the company, Lee Sihyun, unexpectedly joins the meeting. To Joohwan, though, it feels as if Sihyun walked straight out of a past that he so desperately wanted to forget.

Sugar Trap seems to be Hyun Jiha‘s first webnovel. However, Magoo has three more Boys’ Love VSCs licensed and available on Lezhin! Sugar Trap recently wrapped its first season with 29 chapters and it’s not certain yet when the series will return.

In Joohwan’s words, Sihyun and his meeting took place during a “moment when every man turns into a pathetic loser,” the unavoidable military service. As he was already suspecting he might be gay, it felt impossible to survive in such a place for two years, but he managed to get by fairly well. That is until Sihyun joined the regiment. What transpired between them for Joohwan to block Sihyun’s number and have them believe that the other harbors a grudge against them, is for you to read and find out.

Office or workplace BL is so popular that I don’t need to bend backward to get readers interested, but still, hear me out. Imagine a sexual tension so thick you need to call Chainsaw Man to cut it. It’s off the charts. Living an extremely closed-off life and even posing as a married man in his workplace, Joohwan is understandably pent up. That leads to his mind running off to Wet Dream Land quite often. This way, the reader can have a taste of what’s to come when the two get in bed for real without forcing sex into a strained relationship in the actual timeline.

The male leads in Sugar Trap takes a bit of getting used to design-wise. Especially during their military years when both of their hair is shaven and they wear the same uniform, you have to pay close attention to the eye shapes to tell them apart. However, Magoo is an established artist and I love their fashion sense. Male characters are usually seen only in simple suits, but both Sihyun and Joohwan have a broader wardrobe. I love especially how they pair business-casual jackets with chino pants or layer turtlenecks with cardigans and trenchcoats, neckties have interesting patterns or suits aren’t only in black or navy, but occasionally a beautiful deep green. The bold, clean lines and attention to detal are things I always appreciate.

To sum it up, Sugar Trap is a sexy, intriguing and delightful read! Both Joohwan and Sihyun live in their own minds and interpret what the other says using their own filter, so expect lots of hilarious misunderstandings. I can’t wait for the second season to start, and so should you!

No Moral

Writer/Artist: SHAMPOO
Original Story: TEHANU
Localization: Manta Comics
Platform: Manta (All-ages & Mature)

It would be one thing if she only suggested it. It’s another thing when Yunshin’s older sister uses her connections to get Yunshin into Dalguk, one of the biggest corporate law firms in Korea, and work under the one and only Kang Seheon. Without even consulting him, mind you. Both Yunshin and her sister were brought up with a strong sense of justice by their father, a revered law professor. The kids have followed their father’s footsteps, and until this strange case of nepotism she sprung upon Yunshin, he’s done pro bono work for people in need. That said, he isn’t naive to let such an important opportunity pass him by. Kang Seheon, on the other hand, is dead set on not giving Yunshin the time of day.

No Moral is a VSC adaptation of a webnovel with the same name by TEHANU and it’s available on Tappytoon. The creator behind the adaptation is SHAMPOO, which is their first commercial BL. The series just wrapped its second season with 84 chapters.

This is a RIDE, you guys. The intrigue! The tension! The “Why the hell he’s taking up so much space in my brain!” The “Get that smoochable face off my sight right this instance or face the consequences!” You get me, right? I know you do!

I couldn’t get into the novel, believe me, I tried. But this adaptation? Just wow. While I can’t compare and contrast the two, I’d like to highlight some of the aspects of this VSC that got me in a chokehold.

You can view No Moral as a take on the enemies/rivals-to-lovers trope. However, as someone who loves the trope but prefers rivalry or opposing/conflicting viewpoints to downright hostile or abusive animosity, I think the series does a great job of keeping a good balance between Yunshin and Seheon. It’s precisely their values and their work ethic that clash, where those values are shaped by their past and their current environment.

I also appreciated that Seheon isn’t an unreasonably cold man, being hard on Yunshin for the sake of it, save for the very beginning. Yunshin, on the other hand, doesn’t have a stupidly naive worldview despite his innocent first impression. He’s perceptive, hardworking, and straightforward when communicating what he feels. Just the kind of man to crack Seheon’s iron mask.

If you are into slow burn, looking for a BL that offers more than the developing romance between its leads, would be interested in solving cases and showdowns in court and occasionally like to yell “Objection!” No Moral by SHAMPOO should be your pick.

P.S. If necktie play wasn’t a thing before, it now is. Do what you will with this information.

Patchwork

Writer: jayjay
Artist: Doran
Translator: Mimi
Editor: Sally
QA/QC: Jen Lee
Graphic QA: Yoom
Platform: Tappytoon (All-ages & Mature)

Jaewon would give everything if he could punch the hidden person behind the social media account that parodies his creative ads, seconds after whenever Jaewon posts. Just once would be enough. Ads are everything to him and he runs a popular account, but that popularity is, unfortunately, partly due to this anonymous and annoying person. Even though he’s at the end of his wits, Jaewon still doesn’t miss the cooking classes after work. How can he, when Hyeonjin will be there? He’s the “hot man next door” and planets must be aligning because Hyeonjin not only chats him up for the first time but also asks him out for a drink! Jaewon is quick to thank the queer gods above because this gorgeous, sweet, sexy man is too good to be true.

Patchwork by jayjay and Doran is an ongoing VSC. Currently, there are 19 chapters available on Tappytoon and the series is in its first season. Both creators have many BL works to their name, and while none of Doran’s works were licensed in English, numerous titles jayjay contributed as an author can be found on various platforms such as Tapas, Pocket Comics, or Lezhin.

Absolutely adorable. That’s the best phrase to encapsulate my feelings about Patchwork. I appreciate how more and more BL titles include characters who are already aware that they are gay, whether they are open or closeted. Since we’re not too far into the story, there aren’t any extraordinarily original plot points, themes or anything. But I love how adorably incompetent both Jaewon and Hyeonjin are at cooking, how they love to bicker and how open Hyeonjin is when it comes to his intentions and feelings.

And it’s not just when the two are out and about, but in bed as well. They honestly communicate what they want or expect from each other, lightly joke around, and are turned on by each other. There’s a different kind of joy to be had when reading about two men having fun and just loving being in the presence of each other!

I highly recommend Patchwork to readers who prefer to read a down-to-earth, steamy and fun series where the characters are quite frank with each other. We still have a way ahead of us and I see clouds gathering in the distant sky, but that’s my future self’s problem! I’m enjoying the ride so far.

Park Hanhoo’s Manager

Writer/Artist: KIM TAC
Translator: yw740030
Editor: Lita
QA/QC: Jen Lee
Platform: Tappytoon (All-ages)

A small town in a fictional nation and an orphanage everyone looks down upon. Chansol has been one of the children there since he was 11. There are no kids around his age there while everyone at school avoids him like the plague. He’s surprised to see another kid named Park Hanhoo in a similar situation for completely different reasons. Chansol sticks to him like glue and they end up spending a lot of their time together. One day, a tragedy befalls the orphanage and the only survivor is Chansol. He disappears from the face of the earth, only to return to catch the serial killer who’s behind the murders at the orphanage. The plan? To become the manager of an unhinged arms dealer and coax info out of him.

Park Hanhoo’s Manager is a completed series with 76 chapters by KIM TAC, available on Tappytoon. Almost all of the VSCs of this creator are licensed in English. Both The Sound of Sugar Cubes and Kang Yise’s Happy Ending are available on Tapas.

This series is probably the oldest one of the five but I’m so fond of it! It’s bittersweet but wacky at the same time. Because it’s set in a fictional nation, KIM TAC has this “anything goes” attitude without constraining themselves by trying to keep the structure of the plot grounded in reality. The art style and the age rating not being mature might make people lose interest, but I sincerely believe the series will grab you the moment you start reading it.

You can expect a lot of secret missions, action scenes, the mystery regarding the serial killer and backdoor deals. But at the same time, Park Hanhoo’s Manager never loses its whimsical tone so it’s always fun to be around its characters!

Not only its character designs but also the coloring style is interesting as well. The palette is very limited and except for the blacks and the occasional bright reds we see, everything else is washed out and the backgrounds aren’t colored in detail either. This might give the impression that the panels are “bare” but they are adequately detailed.

I’d recommend Park Hanhoo’s Manager to people who are looking for action and murder mystery in their BL, who can handle an insufferable but charismatic male lead and would be up to giving a unique premise a chance!

Swing Baby

Writer/Artist: Mudan
Translator: David Lee
Typesetter: Chana C
Primary QC: Jayd
Secondary QC: Lauren Hill
Platform: Tapas (All-ages)

Working in the corporate world can derail even the best of us. And really, no one can blame Baby for being greedy and determined. He’s been working in this company for four years, but even people who have started after him have climbed up the ladder further. Baby’s plan? Definitely not working harder or smarter. It’s to polish his sucking-up skills because the crew is getting a new team leader, Johnson. Watch Baby as he so desperately tries to play his cards right in this game called life and rizz his superior to get the promotion of his dreams, or die trying.

Swing Baby is Mudan‘s first commercial BL, and the only work available in English. The creator has another work currently running in Bomtooon, but none of the platforms in the US have picked it up yet. Swing Baby is a completed series with 67 chapters, and it’s included in the 3-hour WUF titles!

Swing Baby is a series that benefits from binge reading, especially the first 10-15 chapters. In the beginning, Baby is asked to beta-test a game by his developer friend, and weirdly enough, the guy in the game is an exact copy of the new team leader, Johnson—even certain events in the game line up with what happens in reality. However, this theme isn’t pursued until the end. There are parts where the line between real and surreal blurs and when I was reading during serialization, I was often left confused until I got used to the unique storytelling style of Mudan.

Coupled with its soft pastel color palette, distinct art style and offbeat humor, Swing Baby is a one-of-a-kind experience. The panel transitions are creative, the comedy is emphasized by hilarious expressions or deformations and I’m sure fellow office workers will find Baby’s search history very relatable. How much it costs to assassinate your boss begs an answer, still to this day.

I’d recommend Swing Baby to anyone! And even beg you to give it a chance, if I have to! Both Baby and Johnson are compelling characters. Johnson is one of the greenest characters you can find and Baby is an assertive mess. It’s not a very popular VSC judging by the view count, but it’s such a remarkable, poignant, beautiful series that it deserves attention. And it’s one of those series where you have to experience yourself to fall for its charms.

Boys Love: Making office work bearable for all

I can already hear you screaming “But where’s *insert your favorite, popular office romance BL* !!!” Office romance is so popular that I actually had a hard time narrowing down and picking titles to highlight this week! So don’t worry, there will definitely be part 2’s and 3’s in the future.

So how about channeling that angry energy into something productive and commenting on which office romance BL is your favorite? I’m eager to know! In the meantime, lend an ear to your colleague’s love lives if you are an office worker as well, and don’t forget to go incognito when you want to search for stuff related to your boss!

Catch up with previous entries in K-Comics Beat’s Boys Love for Life series by clicking here!