There are way too many seriously good, new, and currently airing BLs right now. There are gangster love stories, college first loves, time-traveling romance, office enemies-to-lovers, and way more out there.
If you need help on what to start watching next, here are some recommendations to point you in the right direction:
(Besides explaining the story premise, spoilers are kept to a bare minimum!)
1. “Sammy’s Children’s Day”
“Sammy’s Children’s Day” is a new BL from Hong Kong about the unexpected relationship between a genius college student and one of the most feared gangsters.
Kowloon Walled City is a lawless black zone in Hong Kong, where gang activity and fighting to the death aren’t out of the norm. However, normal citizens without criminal ties also live here, despite how difficult it can be.
Chu San (He Chang Xi) has inadvertently become famous as the town’s top student. Studying finance at the University of Hong Kong, Chu San has genius-level deduction skills and is a whiz at math. Despite where he lies, he despises gang activity and has vowed never to get involved with a gang.
One night, Chu San accidentally gets caught up in a gang scuffle and crosses paths with the gangster Xia Liu Yi (He Yan Zhao), who is known for his ruthlessness and unsurpassed fighting skills.
After learning that Chu San is the town’s scholar, Liu Yi asks Chu San to write the script for the movie that the gang’s film studio is making. Unable to say no, Chu San is forced to write the script, but he actually has zero experience in writing scripts, let alone a love story.
As he gets more entangled with Liu Yi and his gang, he ends up in a sticky situation that puts his whole life plan at risk. While Chu San is firm on not getting involved with gang activity, Liu Yi has his eyes set on a new lackey.
Why it’s worth the watch:
A violent gangster falling in love with a soft-hearted nerd is just good marketing; it’s one of those pairings that shouldn’t work, but it absolutely does. “Sammy’s Children’s Day” feels like a mix between “KinnPorsche,” “History 3: Trapped,” and “Kiseki: Dear to Me.” If you liked any of those, this is a similar gangster-falling-in-love storyline.
Start watching “Sammy’s Children’s Day” now:
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2. “Feel What You Feel”
“Feel What You Feel” is a feel-good college drama about first love between two very different first-year students.
From day one of school, you can tell that Chen Ke (Liang Bei Yi) and Yu Lei (Sun Cai Zhen) are total opposites. Chen Ke is talented in music and sports, but he’s quiet and introverted and doesn’t make friends easily. On the other hand, Yu Lei is social, outgoing, and doesn’t mind being the center of attention.
When the two run into each other on campus, Yu Lei is immediately put off by Chen Ke’s seemingly cold, indifferent attitude. When Yu Lei sees that his older sister seems to be interested in Chen Ke, he becomes hyperfixated on Chen Ke.
Seeing Chen Ke as a challenge, Yu Lei decides he must beat him every chance he gets and keep him away from his sister. However, Chen Ke is unaware of Yu Lei’s hidden agenda.
Why it’s worth the watch:
Set in the year 2000, “Feel What You Feel” has an analog vibe, and watching it feels a lot like unplugging. It’s a warm and sweet love story about getting to know people the long way. This is a good watch when you need a break from the heavier stuff.
Start watching “Feel What You Feel” now:
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3. “Wishing Upon the Shooting Stars”
In “Wishing Upon the Shooting Stars,” the wish of two small-town best friends comes true, and they’ve only got each other to figure it out.
He Xiang Yong (Je Chung) is an aspiring artist who never got the chance to follow his dreams. He returns to his seaside town after losing his job in the city and reunites with his longtime friend Wan Zhe (Yu Chieh En).
One night, the two friends return to their secret hideout spot by the sea, and they each make a wish under the stars. While Wan Zhe wishes for an unforgettable love, Xiang Yong wishes to be someone else.
When they awake the next day, they’re stunned to find out their wishes have started to come true. For starters, no one in town recognizes Xiang Yong, not even his own father. The only person who still knows him is Wan Zhe.
Seeing it as a chance to start a new life, Xiang Yong takes on this new identity with the help of Wan Zhe. Some quickly crafted lies and backstory get him through the door and a job at his father’s hotel, but hiding who he really is becomes even more difficult when he meets Hao Wei (Chu Meng Hsuan), his teenage crush.
Hao Wei knows all of the real Xiang Yong’s tells, and he isn’t giving up until he finds the boy he once knew.
Why it’s worth the watch:
If you had to choose between starting a fresh, new life or a second chance at who you could have been, which would you take? “Wishing Upon the Shooting Stars” hits hard as a young adult story about missed chances and following your dreams. This drama is comforting, healing, and set in a beautiful seaside town, but its hidden quality is its humor.
Start watching “Wishing Upon the Shooting Stars” now:
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4. “Fake Fact Lips”
“Fake Fact Lips” is a rivalry‑to‑love story about two coworkers whose nonstop banter and competition eventually push them into competing for love.
Yotsuya Ryo (Hori Kaito) and Shito Zen (Sato Yusuke) are self-proclaimed rivals with a feud that has reached a ridiculous level. After graduating from high school, they assume their rivalry era is finally over until they end up working at the same office.
Ryo and Zen compete over everything, and working in close proximity just makes it worse. They bicker constantly, try to one‑up each other at every turn, and even carry their arguments home.
It’s their bickering that leads them into a totally unexpected, unplanned argument about who’s better in bed. One thing leads to another, and suddenly they’re making their next big bet: who can make the other fall in love first.
Their random arguments have always been wild, but this takes things to a whole new level.
Why it’s worth the watch:
“Fake Fact Lips” is shaping up to be a hilarious office rom-com about a feud that’s totally unserious and that basically runs on the intrusive thoughts of the leads. If you’ve been waiting to see Sato Yusuke in another BL lead role since 2022’s “Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss!,” the wait is finally over.
Watch “Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss!” too:
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5. “Always Meet Again”
“Always Meet Again” is a heartfelt Korean BL about loss and love and what would happen if given the chance to go back in time and rewrite your future.
The story starts in the present, where Jang Hye Seong (Woo Ji Han) is a successful artist but a recluse still troubled by his past. One day, he reluctantly returns to his high school to give a lecture.
Reminiscing about his high school days and a love that got away, he ends up in the art room and starts to sketch a special someone from his past. A bright light flashes, and he finds himself in a school uniform, back in high school.
Before he can even process what happened, Hye Seong meets Lee U Jin (Shin Jeong You), a boy he once fell in love with. But U Jin doesn’t recognize him.
Regretting how things ended between them, Hye Seong decides to do it right this time and stay by U Jin’s side no matter what. But the rules of the past and present and time-traveling are completely unknown territory.
Why it’s worth the watch:
If you’ve missed the incredible chemistry between Ji Han and Jeong You since 2023’s “A Breeze of Love,” this is their new series that’ll finally let you relive how good they are together. “Always Meet Again” is another high school love that gets a second chance set up, but this time, there’s a little magic in the mix.
Asya’s a BL-biased Soompi writer with a love of K-pop and all types of Asian dramas. Some of her favorite shows are “Psychopath Diary,” “Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss!,” “Light On Me,” “The Untamed,” “Go Go Squid!,” and “Cherry Magic!”
Currently watching: “Sammy’s Children’s Day,” “Wishing Upon the Shooting Stars,” “Feel What You Feel,” “Always Meet Again,” “Fake Fact Lips,” and “Love Upon A Time.”
Looking forward to: “Love Class 3,” “Wu,” “Love Scandal,” “Don’t Be Too Emotional,” “Magic Lover,” “Mr. Fanboy,” “The Love Matter,” and “Be My Player Two.”