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, we have stories with kids!
Whose Baby Is It?
Writer: WenRenNiaoShiDuo
Artist: WuXianZuoYe, Yayoshi
Production: YSSS Studio
Lettering: Luyan
Quality Control: Biddy MacAdam
Platform: Tapas (All-ages), INKR (All-ages), Pocket Comics (All-ages)
Yun Yi calls the director of the movie he’s starring in to let him know he’ll be late to the set, as he and his son Rourou are being kidnapped at the moment by a group of men in suits. And strange as it may sound, it’s the truth. They are taken to a mansion that’s no smaller than a castle, and the man who’s now sitting in front of the two claims that Rourou is his biological son. He thanks Yun Yi for caring for him, adding a $500,000 check as a good measure, and now wants his son back. Can money really buy anything but happiness? What happens when a son comes with a dad as a package?
Whose Baby Is It? is a collaboration between WenRenNiaoShiDuo, WuXianZuoYe, and Yayoshi. This Chinese manhua is still going strong with over 300 chapters and it’s the only series credited to the creators that’s available in English. The versions on Pocket Comics and INKR are exactly the same while the translation and lettering Tapas’ version is only slightly different. You can choose to read the series in any platform you’d like.
Whose Baby Is It? is a surprisingly fun, sweet series that I decided to check out for this list and I’m happy I did! I’m not too far ahead in the series, so it’s been a heartwarming and cozy experience so far. If there are tragic obstacles or separations ahead, take them back, please. I can’t handle it when everything and everyone have been nothing but cute until now!
The fun in this series is dialed up to 10, and the art style has some very clever tricks and ideas to deliver the jokes. The character designs might be a bit lanky to appeal to some of the fans’ tastes, but I’m sure there’ll be many different sides to Whose Baby Is It? that can entice and convince you to stay.
Yun Yi used artificial insemination to conceive Rourou and he’s been very involved throughout every step of the way. After wanting a baby so heartily and taking care of him to the best of his abilities all these years, he doesn’t accept the files that supposedly prove that Jinyao is the biological father. However, it’s made clear that Rourou is, in fact, his biological son very early on, so the reader has to sit back and read how this happened. Through tears, from all the laughing.
I’d recommend this series to readers who are looking for a truly comedic series, who love some supernatural elements sprinkled on top, and fathers duking it out for the child’s custody and falling in love in the process!
Redeem: Only One Forever
Writer: Scarlet Beriko
Artist: Scarlet Beriko, NEXT LEVEL Studio
Platform: Tapas (All-ages)
When Hangyeol wakes up to his 11-year-old self, his immediate instinct is to make sure Taehyuk is alive. The two were lovers, smitten as a couple madly in love can be. Due to an unfortunate accident, Taehyuk passed away in front of Hangyeol. Desperately, he cried out, not wanting to let go of his beloved, and the next day, he wakes up on the day, but 10 years before the damned accident. The caveat is, they have quite an age gap. Hangyeol is a mere brat while Taehyuk is a 28-year-old vet. And an awful lot different from how Hangyeol remembers him.
Scarlet Beriko is, undoubtedly, one of the most popular BL artists today. To a point that she’s probably known among even non-BL readers. Her unique character designs help distinguish her among other creators as well. This work is completed and available on Tapas with 51 chapters in total!
Redeem: Only One Forever is my first time reading a collaborative VSC with a Japanese manga artist and a studio. There have been VSC adaptations of fan-favorite manga series or manga pages arranged in the vertical format before, but Redeem‘s case is the first I’ve seen.
I don’t need to pitch hard for you to give Redeem: Only One Forever a chance. Scarlet Beriko, with a career that spans 15 years, has established herself as a delicate storyteller with compelling works that tug at your heartstrings.
And this work is no different! While it took me a while to adjust to seeing Beriko’s characters in color, I couldn’t help but read one more chapter and stop myself from letting the story take me away. Plus, everyone and their mothers know how fond I am of old men in BL so… Did I even have a choice? This was a losing game for me from the start.
I know some readers find circumstances such as a character going back in time when they’re a kid, but with their older self inside, controversial. In that regard, Redeem: Only One Forever might not suit everyone with its 17-year age gap. However, for the rest of us connoisseurs of men who age like a fine wine and their spunky, green boyfriends, this series is a must-read!
The Doctors are Out
Writer & Artist: Blau
Platform: WEBTOON (All-ages)
Sometimes, a single letter can make all the difference. Matias Guevara is a doctor with his own clinic in a small town where everybody knows everyone. One day, a young girl shows up at the clinic with a sick bunny in her hands, and then more people turn up. Puzzled and slightly annoyed by having to redirect everyone with sick animals to the new Guevera Petcare next door, Matias will make sure his sentiments are known. Fernando Guevera’s pretty face might have made his heart skip a beat for a second, but his brain cells regroup quickly, and thus, a thorny road ahead awaits the two.
Blau is a creator from the Philippines and has two other series, Intramuros and Dear Boy, available to read on WEBTOON. The Doctors Are Out is a touching, inclusive BL VSC with a colorful cast, in every sense of the word! It’s completed and you can easily unlock chapters using Daily Pass, watch ads, or use coins.
In the beginning, both main characters have past baggage that weighs on them. Matias has a little boy called Ren, who’s being cared for by the grandparents and visits his dad occasionally. Meanwhile, Fernando – or Nando as his friends call him – is still working through the aftermath of a bad separation. He’s come to this village to run away from the hectic life in the city, and perhaps more.
Of course, Mat and Nando’s relationship is the centerpiece of the series. Not only the romance slowly budding one sarcastic comment at a time, but also their insecurities, past hang-ups, and them finding the support they need in each other. However, Blau doesn’t leave it at Mat and Nando. The community is very inclusive, and there are many characters that fall under the LGBTQA+ umbrella that many readers might enjoy reading and find relatable. Blau’s approach is careful and kind, which makes reading the series a joy!
I’d recommend The Doctors Are Out to readers who are looking for a complete series to binge, love a good enemies-to-lovers without a hostile enemy phase, and a series that offers more than the romance between the main characters!
Right as Rain
Writer & Artist: Blau
Platform: WEBTOON (All-ages), Tapas (All-ages)
Haqi, or Kiki as Nala calls him affectionately, is in a bind. After his sister’s passing, he took over her restaurant and shouldered the responsibility of her daughter Nala. The debt accumulates each day and he hates the idea of selling the restaurant, but what can he do when he’s a terrible cook? One rainy day, the two find a battered and bruised stranger slumped next to their door. Haqi puts up his guard, but Nala, being the sweet kid she is, convinces Haqi to help the stranger out.
Behind Right as Rain, there’s a creator duo, Ros and Fox! They are also behind other series available on both Tapas and WEBTOON, like Hugger Mugger or Rainbow Bridge. Right as Rain is an ongoing series with each chapter divided into shorter updates.
Right as Rain, judging from the chapters I got to read, doesn’t reinvent the wheel. A seasoned BL fan would immediately expect that the stranger they encounter to turn out to be amazing in the kitchen, and the missing puzzle piece in the household to feel complete. And at some point, the stranger’s dangerous past or whatever he’s got himself into would surge. Or maybe it’s the sister’s past in this case. ZAKK’s Canis immediately comes to mind with a similar moving point.
That being said, that’s what slice-of-life is as a genre. It’s meant to be comfortable, familiar, relaxing and heartwarming. This series delivers what the genre promises perfectly. A man taking on the responsibility of a child, someone else entering his life by chance, the perfect case of a found family!
The character designs, especially Nala’s, and the palettes used in the series help convey that warmth. Depending on the angle, the characters sometimes look a little off, especially the facial proportions. However, I found myself immersed and invested in the story overall, so it certainly didn’t deter me from reading chapter after chapter!
Right as Rain would be perfect for readers who love an emphasized size difference when two characters can hardly fit into a panel together, who can never get enough of found family tropes, and are ready to embark on a moving journey!
Seven Sundays
Writer & Artist: Charyeok
Color Assistance: Gongsil
Production: Se young
Platform: Tappytoon (All-ages & Mature), Manta (All-ages & Mature), Tapas (Mature), Lezhin (Mature)
Fellas, is it gay if your ex names his kid after you? Taeyang and Jihwan’s breakup was messy, to say the least. Taeyang never forgot about Jihwan because not only was the older man his first love, but their chemistry was just so good. Years later, Taeyang is offered a documentary filming after saving a kid from a fire. He decides to turn down the offer despite the fire department’s pressure, until he hears the broadcasting station behind the project. He’s sure this will be a chance to meet Jihwan once again, and hopefully get some answers about the past.
Seven Sundays is Charyeok‘s brand new BL VSC! One of their comics, The Dirtiest High was recently added to Manta‘s library as well. Available on four of the major platforms, Tapas, Tappytoon, Lezhin and Manta, Seven Sundays is ongoing with only 11 chapters available in English as of yet. Credits above are taken from the Tappytoon edition.
The reason I started reading Seven Sundays is that I’ve seen a lot of BL fans I’m following on X (formerly Twitter) were celebrating the news of its release, and I trust their taste! As always, I wasn’t let down.
It’s fun and upbeat, and very straightforward. Since the main characters have a history together, we are immediately sucked into the heart of things. The reason behind their breakup and time apart is still not fully laid out, but it’s a huge surprise that Jihwan has a little boy now. As if the boy’s age aligning with the breakup wasn’t enough, Jihwan also named him Taeyang.
Taeyang is a character type that I adore—he’s boyish yet hits a sweet spot when performing his masculinity, still loves Jihwan and tells it how it is, he takes the chance when it arises, he’s adorable. Jihwan has his own reasons for getting cold feet when faced with Taeyang’s persistence and kindness, yet cannot help but fall for his charms. They are super cute together. Consider me sold.
Seven Sundays is a new series, so there’s still time for me to form a conclusive opinion around it. I could nitpick about the plot progression and characterisation, but it’s fun enough to look forward to the next chapter. Hence, I’m willing to overlook them for now!
This series would be great for readers who’d appreciate the points I highlighted above, who love older bottoms, and partners who are on equal terms both in life and in bed!
Boys Love: Kids will be alright
I’m not big on kids, fictional or real, so when the theme popped up in my head, I knew I had to do research and additional reading. Some of the series were titles that I’ve already read while rest of the series are works that I read for this week! But I’m glad I did, because they are interesting and funny despite having kids in them. Heh.
That was my last anti-kid sentiment. Because I highlighted Our Sunny Days in another post I couldn’t add it here, but please check that out as well if you still haven’t. I know this is a popular theme among fans so I hope this list helped some of you out!
As always, let me know if you have any additions or recommendations, and don’t forget to make funny faces at the kids you come across on the street!
Catch up with previous entries in K-Comics Beat’s Boys Love for Life series by clicking here!
