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 second chances!
With the rise of isekai fantasy, and romantasy specifically, the main character getting a second chance at life has become a staple trope in vertical-scrolling comics, manga, and light novels alike.
The second chance theme I wanted to focus on for Boys Love for Life today, however, has nothing to do with our best friend and worst enemy, Truck-kun. The titles I wanted to highlight today all have characters who were entangled in some way in the past, either one of them having a crush on the other but nothing coming out of it at the time or a break-up being involved, and after some time passes they are reunited. Let’s get this bread!
Your Eyes, My Words
Writer/Artist: Morphish (Joeun)
Translator: Animini
Typesetting: AMC
Primary QC: Anya Nees
Platform: Tapas (All-ages & Mature)
An unexpected peck on the lips and a sentence overheard that changed the course of his life. Hwane is the studious, awkward high schooler and gets involved with the charismatic, larger-than-life Jinha. The peck that Jinha uses as a diversion turns into 30-minute secret kissing sessions during lunch at some secluded corner but it all ends with Jinha acting like he doesn’t know Hwane in front of everyone, on Hwane’s graduation day. Years later, Hwane is to visit a tailor for his measurements taken for a new suit, Jinha’s hands on him once again, and his unresolved baggage in tow.
Morphish‘s Your Eyes, My Words is a short completed BL VSC, available on Tapas. Morphish is a creator who works in several different positions. While they are the sole creator of Your Eyes, My Words, they adapted a BL webnovel to VSC called The Stranger in the Mirror. They are also the line artist behind the historical fantasy romance series, The Tainted Half while writing the story for the Guideverse BL Profundis. Talk about being multi-talented!
Your Eyes, My Words was added to Tapas’ library in 2021 and I have reviewed it for a BL challenge I was aiming to complete back then. This series isn’t new and is comparatively less popular than other works in their roster. However, me being me, I always find a way to highlight it because I have trust in its potential to move the reader.
Morphish’s character designs are easily discernable. Their lines are dense and bold, angles are sharp. The color palette is very limited with one primary tone. And that primary tone shifts gradually as the story moves forward. It’s very stylistic and frankly, I don’t think I’ve read any other BL like this.
The storytelling is nuanced and very captivating. It’s an exploration of yearning, pride, acceptance, being LGBTQ+ and being afraid of one’s sexual identity—Morphish carefully juggles it all in only 20 chapters. As you might have guessed, it’s time for my bi-weekly groveling so you’ll give my recommendation a chance.
Your Eyes, My Words is suitable for readers who are looking for a short series to invest in, bored of the same old VSCs, and an art style that is reminiscent of Alphonse Mucha‘s, this is the sign you need!
Mr. 100% Perfect
Writer/Artist: Hobaen
Translator: SM
Typesetting: J-L
Platform: Tapas (All-ages & Mature)
Woo-in can’t seem to peel his eyes away from the seemingly perfect regular at the cafe where he’s working. Suk-yun is equally enamored by Woo-in and they eventually date, both walking on cloud nine. What Woo-in found charming in Suk-yun however, starts to feel overwhelming with time. Doesn’t matter if they just got into bed for some intimate time or they are in the middle of a dinner at a restaurant—when the alarm of Suk-yun’s watch goes off, it’s time for him to go. This extremely rigid timetable Suk-yun abides by becomes the cause of their breakup until Woo-in starts working for a cleaning company and Suk-yun ends up as his first customer.
Hobaen is an established artist and almost all of their works are available in English. Bittersweet Con Panna is a GL VSC where interestingly, Hobaen and Son Gaepi take turns as writers and artists in each chapter. Hobaen also contributed to Seven Days of Lust, a Boys’ Love Omegaverse anthology on Lezhin. Then we have Mr. 100% Perfect, a completed BL VSC with 113 chapters.
This is a more common trait in manga than VSC due to the format but it’s not at all common for chapters in VSCs to have “covers”. Illustrations at the beginning of each chapter are often seen in manga and the first time I saw this kind of implementation was in Mr. 100% Perfect. Hobaen and Tirano Kim really take chapter covers to another level.
Both in terms of its storytelling and art style, Mr. 100% Perfect is unique. Since the main couple has already broken up once, Suk-yun and Woo-in’s story is centered around acknowledging what went wrong the first time, the underlying emotional baggage that needs to be unpacked and the trust needs to be restored. It’s messy and the end result is far from perfect, but they are content with the relationship they’ve re-built together.
The art style and character designs of Hobaen stray from the standard good-looking men we’re used to seeing in Boys’ Love. Their bodies are less exaggerated in terms of their muscular structure. However, this doesn’t mean they lack originality, emotive or whimsical faces. The soft, washed-out color palette creates an interesting atmosphere as well.
I’d recommend Mr. 100% Perfect who loves their BL angsty, slow, compelling and smutty, where the side couple is as interesting and fleshed out as the main couple and readers who’re looking to broaden their reading experience!
Third Ending
Writer/Artist: chovom
Platform: Lezhin (All-ages & Mature)
Some people really go through life on easy mode. It’s as if Yoonseul is handed everything down to him on a silver platter—the looks, the smarts, the charm. Maybe we can even add psychic powers to the list. Whenever he dreams of a past memory from high school as if in premonition, his day is doomed to go wrong. The star of these premonitions is someone he knows from high school, Kang Jun. Yoonseul is desperate, and reuniting with the man of honor ramps up the frequency of these dreams and unlucky days. His friend says he should try and change Kang Jun’s impression of Yoonseul to get rid of his guilty conscience. Thus, for the first time in his life, a new and challenging quest is unlocked for Yoonseul.
Third Ending by chovom is the creator’s second commercial BL, but only work translated into English. The first season is all-ages and the second is mature-rated, hence the “Extended”. The series is completed and has 76 chapters in total.
“I love all my children equally,” I say proudly as I feel satisfied when one of them suffers because he did the other wrong and had it coming. To a seasoned reader, the plot progression shouldn’t come as a surprise. Of course, Yoonseul will try to butter up Jun and curry his favor. Of course, he’ll botch the plan and it’ll come back to bite him in his perfectly round ass.
I’m a simple person. I like honest, straightforward, kind characters like Kang Jun. Cinnamon rolls from head to toe, inside and out. One sheepish smile on his lips and a light blush on those cheeks, and I’m gone for the week. Don’t try to reach me, I’m broken. Out of order.
The first season is mainly centered around the reunion, Jun and Yoonseul getting close, and some mishaps while the second season adds jealousy into the mix. And of course, more chapters dedicated to their intimate time under the covers. I personally didn’t care much for the jealousy arc, but very much appreciated the adorable faces Jun kept pulling during sex!
Third Ending would be suitable for readers who can handle a character who repents but doesn’t fix his habits completely. You could also give it a chance if muscular but boyish bottoms are to your liking, or if you’re looking for a mid-length series ready to binge.
You should keep in mind that Jun was a heavy kid when he was very young and my memory is hazy whether fat-shaming has ever happened or not. I don’t remember the series getting dark in that direction, but just to be safe.
Our Paradise
Writer/Artist: greeneer
Coloring Assistant: BOBO
Platform: WEBTOON (All-ages), Tappytoon (All-ages & Mature)
Maehwa has willingly let go of his feelings. What else he could’ve done? Not like he wanted to fall for his kind and handsome classmate Jaewon. All he could do was to watch this guy who he was sure wouldn’t reciprocate his feelings live his best life, endure the wild thumping of his heart, and hope it’d pass after graduation. He was sure the university was the blank page his life needed, but could never guess Jaewon to be painted on it once again. Same school, same major, similar classes. To top it all, Jaewon acts exceptionally chummy with him even when Maehwa tries to keep a distance.
Our Paradise is greeneer‘s only commercial BL, though it’s a feat to see a first work to have 150 chapters in total. Similar to Third Ending, the first two seasons are all-ages and available at both WEBTOON and Tappytoon. However, the third season is mature-rated and is only available at Tappytoon. It’s also important to note that Tappytoon uses WEBTOON’s translation and lettering for the first two seasons.
Aahhh, Our Paradise. My sweet summer child. What got me into this series was the beautiful key visual. Loved the character designs and the air of spring to it. Nothing screams youth more than bright yellows and greens, with cherry blossoms swaying in the wind atop these five friends.
You can expect all the ups and downs a teenager and young adult would go through during this period of their lives and then some. This series is truly slow-burn, both the main and side couple go through so much and experience a lot of emotional turmoil until they can finally hold hands. Even when they do, believe me, clashes and misunderstandings continue.
This isn’t to say that Our Paradise is a melodramatic series with heavy angst. On the contrary, the problems these characters encounter are quite grounded and aren’t exaggerated out of proportion. greeneer is great at giving the series a touch of relatability/believability.
Another element that adds to the slow pace of this series and caught my heart is its emphasis on friendship. Of course, the series constantly deals with the development of romance between its couples, but it’s never at the expense of the group’s friendship. They still bicker and have fun, go out or annoy each other and I appreciate greeneer for giving enough space for that as well.
Overall, I’d recommend Our Paradise to anyone, but especially to readers who prefer to embark on a journey with characters and would appreciate reading more about a couple after establishing the relationship. It’s beautiful, it’s fun, and if you liked the art style you saw on the free chapters on the platforms, wait till you reach the third season. It’s always a joy to witness an artist’s growth in real time!
Spring, the Color of Love
Writer/Artist: Park Ji-yeon
Original Story: Chepali
Localization: Manta Comics
Platform: Manta (All-ages & Mature)
Cheong-soon grew up in an orphanage and, unlike some, had to experience scornful eyes and unjust suspicion about things that were out of his control. Now, his life is divided between work and classes, afraid to lose his scholarship. During a night shift Cheong-soon takes on unexpectedly a customer forgets his wallet. Coincidentally, the owner Gonghyeon is another student at his university majoring in piano. He returns the wallet, albeit anxiously as there is a hefty sum of cash inside, and something more than friendship blooms between the two. For the first time in his life, Cheong-soon wants to desperately cling to someone, but knows he shouldn’t. They part ways without a proper closure, only to end up at the same workplace ten years later.
The original author of Spring, the Color of Love is Chepali, an extremely popular Boys’ Love author. Almost all of their works are adapted into a VSC and are licensed in English. Some of the most popular ones are Rainbow City and Words in Your Snare. I highlighted another work from Park Jiyeon in this column before. They’re a creator that I can dive into blindly without a doubt. Spring, the Color of Love is their only novel adaptation and the series is complete with 79 or 82 chapters, depending on the version you’re reading.
I was apprehensive going into Spring, the Color of Love. On one hand, it’s Park Ji-yeon and it’s unthinkable for me to pass up on their VSC. On the other, I’ve read a handful of Chepali webnovel adaptations and I could never get into them. Luckily, the work was initially included in Manta’s monthly subscription library so I didn’t need to ponder too much. And although it was the all-ages version, I’m glad I did.
Cheong-soon and Gonghyeon’s conflict arises from their respective classes. Cheong-soon is haunted by his family abandoning him and cannot help but let his poverty and class shape his relationships, while Gonghyeon is born with a silver spoon on the surface, driving his Bentley to and from school. During the time they spend together at school, a lot goes unsaid between the two, but Cheong-soon catches a glimpse of his complicated familial circumstances.
Between the undying desire they feel for each other and their pasts dictating the distance between, it’s so satisfyingly angsty. Park Jiyeon carries the tension from start to finish without dropping, pairing the captivating panels with beautiful prose in the narration. My love for this creator is no secret, and Spring, the Color of Love is no exception. Although the series is an adaptation, it distinctly has the signature of the artist.
If you love a story that hurts in the best way possible, is beautiful and sensual, Spring, the Color of Love is the way to go. You can also create a short playlist from the classical piano pieces mentioned here and listen along to enhance your experience.
Boys Love for Life: When your favorite creator gives you lemons
Second-chance stories have that perfect balance of bitter and sweet, and it’s impossible to say no! The trope is either implemented early on in the story or late into the game with a time skip, but knowing that we seldom get a sad ending in Boys’ Love helps us hold on and eagerly wait to see the light at the end of the tunnel!
There are much more popular VSCs such as Payback, The Dangerous Convenience Store, or Checkmate that use this trope but as always, I wanted to bring titles that might have escaped your radar for one reason or another. I’d love to hear if you have any favorites and until our next Boys Love for Life column, take care!
Catch up with previous entries in K-Comics Beat’s Boys Love for Life series by clicking here!
