Not a trope in sight today! In the spirit of April Fools’, a day we, as humanity, thankfully left making life-threatening, tasteless jokes behind, I wanted to switch things up to make this column entertaining.
So instead of curating a list around a designated trope, I wanted to recommend a list of series that you can finish in one go! Now, I know some of you veterans out there don’t even bat an eye when gulping down 80+ chapters a night, waking up the next morning and going to work like the outrageous person you are. However, sometimes you just want to read something without having to wait months, or years, for its completion in one sitting, and without staying up until you get dark circles. I feel you.
Interestingly, I only know of Lezhin as a platform that continuously licenses these types of super short series. Hopefully, other platforms will follow suit, because they are great in many ways. It’s a neat way to get acquainted with an artist without investing a lot of time and money. The short form is a storytelling style in and of itself, and not many artists are capable of pulling off compelling, captivating stories with such a limited time and space. What’s more, this limitation prevents the usual plot tools that we see in the romance genre such as convoluted plot twists or misunderstandings.
So today, I’ll recommend 5 titles whose main stories are under 10, sometimes even 5 chapters!
Date Me, Too!
Writer/Artist: Chada
Platform: Lezhin (Mature)
Choi Hyun is constantly the hot topic of the campus. Not because of his toned legs or impeccable chest. Well, those too, but mainly because he never turns down people who ask him out. It doesn’t take long for him to be dumped and as a rumor on top, it’s said that he can’t get it up.
How does Juyeong fit into all this? Right after finding out about these rumors, he witnesses Hyun getting dumped with his own eyes and rushes to ask Hyun out. Others might have called this liquid courage but in truth, Juyeong had a huge crush on Hyun back in high school and his feelings are still as strong. Accompany Juyeong as he tries his best not to be one of Hyun’s many exes!
I got to know Chada as the artist behind Define the Relationship, and I’ll absolutely feature it on a different list. I was already acquainted with their art style and was looking forward to a series where they were the sole creator. For whatever reason, Under the Moonlight, another short series that was already available in English escaped my radar. So Chada’s most recent work, Date Me, Too! came at the perfect time!
This series is equally sweet and steamy. Thanks to the limited space, there aren’t a lot of developments or misunderstandings to drag the story. Instead, the characters focus on each other and the central piece of the work is their feelings both inside and outside the bed.
Chada’s character designs and emotive faces are totally my type. Their men have bony hands, huge pecks, pretty eyes, and wide shoulders that go on and on for miles. And despite their bulky builds, they always manage to look adorable somehow! Their sex scenes have great build-up and pacing. Overall, Date Me, Too! is a great option to get a taste of Chada’s style and flow.
Like Mother Like Son
Writer/Artist: Soorak
Platform: Lezhin (Mature)
His mother expects Jiyun to house-sit for two weeks out of the blue. If her going on a holiday in Turkey and expecting him to take care of plants without leaving any info on how to wasn’t perplexing enough, a boyfriend with a diamond ring box in his hand frantically looking for her mother, demanding to see her no matter what definitely is. Jiyun lies about the state of her mother but due to Hyunsoo’s determination, they eventually have to sit down and talk. As Hyunsoo uncovers one lie after another told by Jiyun’s mother, Jiyun has other plans in mind.
The first work that I got to read from Soorak was Staff Only but you might be more familiar with Blind Passion, a historical Girls Love VSC where Soorak teamed up with Son Gaepi as the artist. Like Mother Like Son was added to Lezhin’s library last year, completed with eight chapters and an additional two-chapter side story.
What it says on the tin, fellas. Jiyun’s mother is a serial dater, sometimes even dating more than one person, lying about her name or age if she feels like it. Jiyun doesn’t even know who his father is, and seems like he inherited her mother’s tendencies in the romance realm, along with her taste in men. So it’s no surprise Jiyun’s first crush was her mother’s boyfriend at the time, or the man who’s sitting across him now, bewildered by how he’s dumped by a single text and has been living a lie, is exactly Jiyun’s type.
Like Mother Like Son is a smut fest, to be honest with you. And a title some might find “iffy.” Jiyun and her mother Oksoon’s relationship is certainly unconventional, to say the least. Hyunsoo is an older guy who’s on the gullible side, and combined with Jiyun’s charisma and persistence, he quickly gives in to the son. Jiyun doesn’t let the fact that Hyunsoo was here to propose to her mother and to become his stepfather slip, and uses the situation as kink material in bed.
If you think you might feel uncomfortable reading such a scenario, then Like Mother Like Son is not for you. But if you don’t mind, prepare to intensely blush at these two horndogs in every chapter! Perfect for readers who love size and age difference.
Merry on the Rocks
Writer: Moscareto
Artist: INGZIG
Platform: Lezhin (Mature)
June and Noel. Their demeanors counter the seasonal air their names give off. Noel is young, energetic, hot-headed and impatient—How the Grinch Stole Christmas is probably his favorite movie. June, on the other hand, is cold and aloof, charismatic and commanding. Feeling the weight of loneliness, Noel hits the bar, entertaining the possibility of finding someone to go home with. He makes a move on June, who’s exactly his type, and they share an unforgettable night in bed. So unforgettable that fate thinks their paths should cross again.
I’ve praised Moscareto enough in a previous Boys Love for Life column, and they let their writing skills shine here as well. INGZIG, on the other hand, was already a widely popular illustrator on Twitter whose original characters were loved and fans pleaded they release it as a completed VSC one day. Lucky us! Not only the artist has heard the fans and released Mastering the Secretary, but we also got both Mastering the Secretary and Merry on the Rocks available in English one week apart!
Merry on the Rocks is only four chapters long, totaling six with two side stories. However, it’s a testament to how great writing can do so much with so little, especially considering how the chapters are mostly sex scenes. Moscareto and INGZIG establish characters, their approach to relationships, work environment and manage to wrap everything up so neatly that as the reader, it didn’t leave me wanting more.
I’d highly recommend Merry on the Rocks, especially for its fun and gripping rivalry and banter between the male leads, fantastic art style, and older bottoms who love to be in control!
Only Virgins Left Alive
Writer/Artist: Sanzang
Platform: Lezhin (Mature)
Choi Gyutae transfers to a high school in Korea from France. He’s decent when it comes to Korean and he’s casually dated when he was in France. But the second his back hits his assigned desk, he knows—this is real love. His deskmate Seok makes flowers bloom with a simple smile and Gyutae can’t help but become a blushing mess. One day after school, he tries to find out Seok’s type and at first, he happily thinks they’re on the same page. Until Seok says he’d throw up last week’s lunch if he were to “even touch lips with a half-assed virgin who’s kissed someone else before.”
Only Virgins Left Alive is Sanzang’s only work that’s available in English. The main story of Only Virgins Left Alive is six chapters, and along with side stories, it’s 16 chapters overall.
The story is set six years after their first meeting. Both Seok and Gyutae are university students and live together. Seok is a “mega prude” in Gyutae’s words and that, in a sense, gives Gyutae a sense of security. But the status quo changes when he sees Seok grinning cheerfully at another man who’s holding a ring in a box! How dare he! Gyutae was the one to love him longer! Longest, even!
Seok is a hilarious character, with his potty mouth contrasting his preppy looks and Gyutae suffering at the hands of Seok’s prude attitude is all the more ridiculous. Sanzang’s art style perfectly emphasizes the absurdity of the circumstances and they’re equally talented at drawing incredibly hot sex scenes!
I recommend Only Virgins Left Alive to readers who love comedic BL, a cute, whipped top that’s at their bottom’s beck and call, and intense blushes!
Wonna Do It?!
Writer/Artist: Cho Sangduck
Platform: Lezhin (Mature)
Gu Won is being dragged to another gay bar yet again even though he’s straight. He has a friend who was an upperclassman when they were in high school. Although he confessed to Gu Won and was turned down, they remained good friends. One night, this friend asks Won to protect him from a regular at a gay bar who simply doesn’t take no for an answer and Won interferes when this bizarre man shows up, but now he’s determined to take Won to bed instead.
Cho Sangduck is an active creator both in BL and GL, so you know they’re an intellectual! Among their works or collaborations, No Love Lost Lady, Perfect Body Partner and My Jumbo Babe are licensed in English, all available on Lezhin. Wonna Do It?! is only four chapters long with no side stories, and the only work on this list that I wished there was more. Not because the series lacks anything as it is! I simply wanted to spend more time with the characters!
A warning is due before you get invested in Wonna Do It?!: there’s drunk, forced sex, degrading, ableist slurs and sexual violence. What worked for me in this series as someone who’s picky about depictions of assault in BL is that both leads are equally derailed and unhinged. One purposefully gets the other drunk, enrages and belittles him and the other uses violent sex as a means to get “revenge”. And despite everything, the sex is mind-blowing. I love how the series is unapologetic or doesn’t try to come up with half-hearted backstories or reasons for the way they are.
Not to mention how hot the sex scenes are! If you’re not uncomfortable with reading such themes, I suggest you give Wonna Do It?! a chance and get acquainted with Cho Sangduck as an artist. It’s very short and leaves you wanting more, but still!
Short Boys Love Series: Blink and you miss
I hope this was a fun and helpful list! As always, let me know if I have featured any of your favorites if you’d like to contribute with a series you love, or if you’d want to read another list like this!
Catch up with previous entries in K-Comics Beat’s Boys Love for Life series by clicking here!
