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 Omegaverse!
Define the Relationship
Writer & Original Novel: Flona
Artist: Chada
Platform: Lezhin (Mature)
Wealth and lineage come with a set of complications and responsibilities. As an alpha born into such a family, Karlyle is expected to honor his grandfather’s strict restrictions on his partners, both romantic and sexual. It’s been a while since sex has become a chore for Karlyle, and his family doctor suggests he sleep with another alpha to strip sex off of obligations. The alpha in question is Ash Jones, someone Karlyle has met on two occasions—one surprisingly pleasant and the other not so much. It’s unfortunate that Ash only remembers the latter and the two enter into a contractual partnership with a deadline. Not catching feelings is a part of the contract, but breaching it is only a question of ‘when’, not ‘if.’
It was only two weeks ago that I highlighted Chada‘s Date Me, Too! in this column, but what’s a reviewer to do?! This time Chada is collaborating with Flona, the author behind Define the Relationship‘s original webnovel available in English by Publang, to adapt the series into a vertical-scrolling comic. The main story is complete with 98 chapters, and the side stories are released weekly.
It was Karlyle’s adorable face on the key visual that drew me into Define the Relationship, and it’s him who made me stay. Chada’s beautiful and expressive art style accompanied by Flona’s tender storytelling had a role in it too, but alas. I’m a Karlyle fan first before I’m a human. I don’t make the rules.
We plunge into a modern-day take on a noble/commoner story. Ash isn’t a “commoner” in terms of wealth, of course, but he doesn’t come from a well-established lineage with a title either. He accepts to take on Karlyle as a favor to Karlyle’s younger brother’s boyfriend, but he won’t be forcing anything on this man with a cold and distant demeanor until Ash can warm his way in.
The reason behind my love for Karlyle’s character is how simple, sweet, straightforward and honest he is when it comes to his feelings in truth. However, due to his upbringing and family circumstances, he had no choice but to adorn a cold exterior at the cost of his well-being. Despite everything, his true character shines through at every step and you can’t help but adore him, like Ash does, as he blooms like a beautiful flower, layer after layer, throughout the story.
I’d heartily recommend Define the Relationship to readers who enjoy alpha/alpha couples, love it when both of the leads are beefcakes and are looking for a completed series that is extremely steamy, emotional and sweet.
Unromantic Romance
Writer/Artist: Jeong Seokchan
Platform: Lezhin (Mature)
Freelancing as a reporter while studying wouldn’t feel as hard on Hyeon-oh if the piece he’s been working on wouldn’t turn the editor against him. Living as an alpha in a world run by omegas isn’t as much of an issue. After another fight with his editor, a coworker hands the sulking freelancer a black card. It is to help Hyeon-oh get into a lounge where only the cream of the crop gathers. He pays a visit despite not being interested in conglomerates and who knows what comes over him when he orders a drink for the only other person in the lounge. But what does he get in return? He gets asked if he’s a prostitute or not.
Another author who plays with the established dynamics of Omegaverse! I highlighted Our Sunny Days, another Boys Love VSC from Jeong Seokchan, in this column’s Countryside Stories week. Our Sunny Days is currently on hiatus, so instead of crying myself to sleep in its absence, I choose to read and talk about other series of the creator! Unromantic Romance is completed with a total of 64 chapters, perfect for a weekend read.
Unromantic Romance turns the ‘alphas dominate/omegas obey’ narrative of Omegaverse on its head and puts omegas in control of positions of power, decision-making and wealth. While this simple switch isn’t enough to call the work subversive, bringing omegas to power gives us power bottoms at the very least, and I consider this a huge win!
Except for the side stories, the series is black and white with screentone contrary to the full-color VSCs. The character designs are leaner compared to the bulky frames that are more popular in Boys Love these days. It eventually boils down to personal taste, but there’s a boyish charm to Jeong Seokchan’s character designs and I find them very appealing!
The creator excels at creating tangible and lovable characters and has a tender touch when it comes to crafting stories. Unromantic Romance is no different; it’s very easy to get sucked into the plot, Hyeon-oh and Ga-in’s chemistry is great and let me repeat: power bottoms!
I’d recommend Unromantic Romance to readers who love the wealth gap, adorably pathetic alphas who are at the beck and call of their omegas, and would give this funny, charming, sexy Omegaverse VSC a chance!
Number of Cases
Writer/Artist: Heemaeng
Platform: Lezhin (Mature)
Woojin, Kyung, and their mutual friend Inseop attended the same high school. While Woojin and Inseop were close friends and stayed in contact after graduation, it took 12 years for him and Kyung to properly reunite—at Inseop’s wedding, no less. Back in high school, Kyung was open about his feelings for Inseop and saw Woojin as competition for the then-oblivious upperclassman’s attention. Woojin didn’t correct him, letting Kyung presume if it meant they’d maintain the status quo and his actual feelings for Kyung would remain hidden. Now, Woojin and Kyung find themselves at their private after-party in a motel room, downing alcohol and drowning in a little more than the sweet nostalgia of the past.
Number of Cases is Heemaeng‘s only commercial BL. The other work they have collaborated with an author is a romance titled Celestial Bride which is available on Tappytoon. Excluding the prologue and epilogue, Number of Cases is only 12 chapters long!
Another black and white VSC and an alpha/alpha couple! The art style is drop-dead gorgeous and dense with thick black lines, the characters’ energy is conveyed through busy panels, big reactions and effects. When colors aren’t involved, the characters, shapes and objects end up looking very clean despite the crowdedness.
Heemaeng’s take on alpha/alpha relationships is very interesting and something I haven’t seen being considered in Omegaverse before. Here, when an alpha is subjected to another alpha’s pheromones, especially from a more dominant one, it causes severe nausea and psychological unease that “surrendering” causes. This incompatibility, Kyung and Woojin not being able to stay away from each other despite all that was excellent to read and felt fresh.
The shortness of the series stops the misunderstanding from getting too convoluted and unbelievable. I’d highly recommend Number of Cases for readers who want to read a short and completed Omegaverse series, enjoy a dynamic where everyone else knows they have feelings for each other except for themselves and are in for a very sexy ride!
Omega Complex
Writer: Ghost
Artist: Hagong
Original Story: Oneulbom
Translation: DI
Typesetting: Cheryl
Primary & Secondary QC: Mith & 8Ascndng
Platform: Tapas (All-ages & Mature)
It was only natural for Yoonwoo and Taegyeom to become friends. Their parents have been close friends since high school and of course, their children grow up together. Taegyeom was small and adorable as a kid and Yoonwoo took it upon himself to care for and protect his friend. After presenting as an alpha, Taegyeom strangely distanced himself from Yoonwoo. That is until a horrible assault made Taegyeom develop an intense hatred towards omegas. He found solace in his best friend being a beta and relied on him all the more, not having a clue as to how hard the late-bloomer Yoonwoo tries to hide that he’s an omega.
Omega Complex is another web novel-to-VSC adaptation! The author Oneulbom has many works adapted into VSCs where some of which are licensed in English such as Beyond the Memories or Night of Muheun. Omega Complex is adapted into the visual medium by Hagong as the artist and Ghost as the author. The series is complete with 52 episodes, although the sequel, Alpha Trauma, isn’t licensed in English yet.
Omega Complex doesn’t reinvent the wheel, that’s for sure. Taegyeom hates omegas and clings to his childhood friend, but the reason behind his jealousy, whenever someone shows even an ounce of interest in Yoonwoo, is very obvious. Yoonwoo is busy hiding the scent of his pheromones and fighting the urge to pop a boner whenever Taegyeom and his pheromones are around. Very early on Taegyeom says he would “stop being friends” with Yoonwoo if he were to be an omega. A seasoned reader can immediately grasp the implication of this sentence. Eventually, the only thing you have to do is sit back and watch the expected plot points play out one by one.
But that doesn’t mean Omega Complex has nothing to offer and sometimes you crave something familiar. The characters are pretty and the soft color palettes are certainly easy on the eyes. The series has more than half a million views on Tapas and there’s even a merch collaboration, so it’s safe to assume it’s quite popular.
I’d recommend this VSC to readers who are looking for a completed series, prefer a classic Omegaverse story, and prefer their men toned but lean, on the pretty side!
Kiss Me, Liar
Writer: Ghost
Artist: Kongback
Original Story: ZIG
Translation: Dayoung
Typesetting: Ty
Primary & Secondary QC: D.S Jay & mith
Platform: Tapas (Mature)
As if it isn’t enough to endure his extreme alpha boss’ pheromones day in and day out, Yeonwoo is secretly in love with Keith. Meanwhile, Keith cannot go a day without making it heard that he doesn’t sleep with men, omega or not. Yeonwoo endures everything and more to be the best secretary to him but after a traumatic incident leaves Yeonwoo unable to go on. He resigns, but Keith doesn’t take being inconvenienced lying down. They are back in the office, but will Yeonwoo ever get used to being in such proximity with Keith?
Kiss Me, Liar is a completed series with 80 chapters available on Tapas. The original novel was written by ZIG, the author of the very popular Russian mafia BL Roses and Champagne, which is available on Tappytoon. There’s an inconsistency behind the writer credited in the VSC adaptation. The same Ghost is also credited in Omega Complex but not on the Korean platforms for some reason.
Prepare yourself for a top-quality, dumpster fire of a trashy soap opera. Kiss Me, Liar is everything you might expect from an Omegaverse. A subservient omega who’s intensely in love. A straight, toxic, abusive alpha who has it all. Rape, homophobia, not a personal boundary in sight.
Kongback’s art style matches the dramatic tone of the story. The characters are lean. Reminiscent of the Boys Love manga of the 2000s, you can cut diamonds with those chins. The style is easily discernable. Overall, visual-wise, Kiss Me, Liar is top-notch.
If you’re not comfortable with certain themes Omegaverse is infamous for, then this series won’t work for you. However, if you’re a fan of cliched storylines, one melodramatic slap from Keith’s new fling in every three panels, hunky hunks making life unbearable for everyone in the series including you, the reader, then no better series to start than Kiss Me, Liar!
Omegaverse Boys Love: Pheromones in the air
To be transparent with you, it took me quite a long while and so many series to warm up to Omegaverse. It’s still not my go-to alternate universe, so I often find myself drawn to unconventional pairings such as alpha/alpha, beta/alpha, etc. I do enjoy its adjacent versions such as Dom x Sub or Guideverse. Dom x Sub manga are slowly being translated into English but interestingly, the universe hasn’t made its way to VSCs, or at least, isn’t available in English yet. I can only hope!
The trope’s origins can be found in Western fandoms and was later adopted and expanded by Asian fandoms, so it’s exhilarating to read a universe that was born and cultivated across different cultures!
As always, happy reading and see you next time!
Catch up with previous entries in K-Comics Beat’s Boys Love for Life series by clicking here!
