Pride Month is here, and that’s so exciting! Your schedule might be packed with get-togethers and events this June, and sometimes you only have time for something quick, fun, and easy to finish. Fear not, there’s always a BL for that.
If you’re looking for BLs you can actually fit into a busy month without committing to a full-length watch, this list pulls together some of the best short BLs for a short but sweet BL sesh, whether you want a little thriller with your romance or a feel-good love story that’ll make you smile.
You can easily spread out these shows’ short episodes over your week or binge a complete series in as little as a couple of hours. They may be quick watches, but they hit just as hard as the longer stuff.
1. “Love Class”
By now, “Love Class” has transformed into a full multi-season K‑BL world of its own, but it all started with a simple college assignment that accidentally led two strangers on campus to fall in love. With “Love Class 3” airing right now, it’s the perfect time to revisit where the whole story began.
In the first “Love Class,” a kind but socially awkward freshman named Cha Ji Wu (Han Hyun Jun) gets the chance to pair up with his crush during a “love” project, but a twist of fate lands him with a stranger as a partner, who also happens to be a guy.
Ji Wu enters college hoping to meet a few friends (he’s starting at a solid zero) and make the most of the “college experience,” even though he hasn’t quite figured out how to talk to people yet.
During a freshman outing, he meets fellow student Bae Yu Na (Ryu In A) and immediately develops a crush.
Ji Wu gets a chance to get to know Yu Na when the two end up in the same class, and everyone must pair up for a marriage and family assignment. The assignment calls for students to form couples and enter a mock relationship.
But his plan is almost immediately shot down when a student brings up a very valid, very important-to-the-plot point: why can’t she pair up with another girl? And it’s Yu Na who chimes in and agrees with her, mostly because she is shy and wants to be with another girl over a guy. The two girls pair up, fighting the system like the icons they are, but Ji Wu’s dreams are crushed in the process.
This turn of events, plus the male majority in the class, leads Ji Wu to instead pair up with another dude, Lee Ro Ah (Kim Tae Hwan). Ji Wu is both in shock and hilariously unsure of how to act around his new partner.
Given a budget and time frame, the task is simple (or it’s supposed to be): go on dates and get to know your partner.
It sounds like the perfect recipe for romance, but the awkward and kind-hearted Ji Wu didn’t intend to be paired with another guy, let alone this cool and confident older student whom he doesn’t know at all.
Why it’s worth the watch:
Watching this adorable, awkward, outcast of a college student try to fit in and chase his girl crush while simultaneously catching the eye of a guy is peak BL chaos. For anyone who’s ever felt a little out of sync with everyone else, it’s hard not to completely fall in love with Ji Wu and root for him. As a bonus, among all the feel-good, silly fluff of this show is a tiny slice of a who-dunnit thriller that balances it all out. And when you finish this short but sweet BL, don’t worry because there’s “Love Class 2” and “Love Class 3” waiting for you.
Start watching “Love Class” now:
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2. “Something’s Not Right”
In “Something’s Not Right,” something really isn’t right between best friends Ba Woo (Choi Min Ho) and Jee Hoon (Jeong Je Hyeon).
The opening scene starts with a big blow: leading man Ba Woo tells his longtime childhood friend Jee Hoon, “let’s cut ties,” and walks away. Ba Woo gives no explanation to Jee Hoon, but it’s soon revealed why he’s acting this way.
The truth is that Ba Woo has had a secret crush on Jee Hoon since they were in high school, and it’s been an endlessly confusing rollercoaster of emotions for Ba Woo.
Jee Hoon’s overly attached nature toward Ba Woo has forced Ba Woo to stay in a confusing limbo between wondering if he has a chance and wondering if Jee Hoon only sees him as a childhood friend. Even their other friends think the way Jee Hoon acts around Ba Woo is odd for “just friends,” but Jee Hoon is oblivious.
Now in college together, Ba Woo is ready to call it quits on his crush, even if it means ending their friendship. He’s tired of keeping his true feelings a secret and always wondering if Jee Hoon will find out.
However, Ba Woo’s plans to cut ties go awry when he meets another student, Ha Min (Ji Min Seo). Ha Min happens to be looking for a story to illustrate for a manhwa contest. As BL-fate would have it, the story is about unrequited love, but Mr. popular Ha Min has no clue what that’s like (his words!).
Desperate to find a story, Ha Min stumbles upon a book left at the library. The book? Ba Woo’s diary, of course, where he chronicles his entire one-sided crush with Jee Hoon. Ha Min mistakes it for fiction and confronts Ba Woo, requesting to use his story.
Ba Woo understandably isn’t keen on having his real-life story displayed to the general public, but Ha Min starts giving him ideas on how to move the story along. That gets Ba Woo thinking.
Ba Woo is so determined to move on from his crush in any way possible since nothing else has worked, so he reluctantly agrees to work with Ha Min to finish his story and find closure. Little does Ha Min know that the plot of Ba Woo’s “fictional” story is way too real, and Ba Woo is taking his advice and applying it in real life.
Why it’s worth the watch:
If you live for a friends-to-lovers storyline where it takes a little back-and-forth and jealousy before the two friends decide to act on the “something more” between them, then this will give you that addictive trope. This show really captures the complicated feelings that can arise when there’s something more between two friends, but they aren’t on the same page about it at all.
Fair warning, when Ba Woo’s diary is conveniently found by what might be one of the greenest flags of all K-BL time, Ha Min, the second lead syndrome will hit you so hard. Does Ba Woo end up with the right guy? Watch and decide for yourself!
If you happen to love “Boys Be Brave!” this has similar vibes.
Start watching “Something’s Not Right” now:
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3. “Love Begins in the World of If”
A quiet office worker gets everything he wishes for — literally — in “Love Begins in the World of If” when one small wish rewrites the details of his entire life.
Kano Akihito (Daigo Kotaro) is an office worker stuck in an unfufilling career and colorless life. At work, he was moved to a department where he doesn’t belong, where everyone seems to be plotting against him, especially the department’s ace employee, Ogami Seiji (Nakagawa Daisuke).
Despite how hard Kano works, Ogami barely acknowledges him, that is, unless he’s telling him what he has done wrong.
Kano’s overwhelming anxiety and stress are causing him literal panic attacks at this point, and a major mistake at work nearly pushes him over the edge.
Worn down and desperate for something to change, Akihito stops by a shrine and makes a simple wish: to get along with the people at work and to be recognized by Ogami.
That wish stays simple for about 30 seconds, after which Ogami shows up out of nowhere, offering Kano a helping hand. It’s like he is a totally different version of himself, and that’s because he most definitely is.
The next day, Kano realizes it’s not just Ogami that has changed. Everything is different. Ogami is no longer serious and cold but is instead warm and attentive toward Kano, and his coworkers now treat him with respect and admiration.
Later, Kano returns to the shrine to make sense of what’s happening. He’s told about a myth in which people who have visited the shrine end up in a world where they have become their ideal selves. Akihito quickly puts together that it isn’t just a myth and that it has happened to him.
Now in a parallel version of his own life, he has become his ideal self, living a reality he had only dreamed of living. But is everything really better in this perfect version of his other life? Kano will soon find out.
Why it’s worth the watch:
“Love Begins in the World of If” leans into a poetic and artistic feel, and it delivers a story that feels big and meaningful in such a small package (it’s borderline too short). With just six 20-minute episodes, it’s the quickest watch on this list, but it might just pack the biggest punch.
The “ideal” world Akihito lands in looks perfect at first glance; it’s brighter, happier, and exactly what he said he wanted, but the longer he stays in it, he notices something is off. It has that same eerie vibe as the other world of “Coraline,” where everything seems great until you start paying attention.
Start watching “Love Begins in the World of If” now:
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4. “See Your Love”
What starts as a street scuffle in “See Your Love” ends up pulling an aspiring caretaker who is deaf into the life of a business heir who could use someone taking care of him. If anything, this show knows perfect timing.
Upon returning to Taiwan, Zi Xiang (Radien Lin) immediately gets caught in a street fight with a group of hired men. In his line of work as a wealthy company heir, he has enemies inside and outside of the business, but targeting him right when he gets to town is definitely evil. Zi Xiang is all alone until a passerby sees the fight and comes to the rescue.
His savior is Shao Peng (Jin Yun). Shao Peng is a young deaf man determined to work in caretaking, even though he has had zero luck getting hired. He’s clearly qualified, but most people can’t get past the fact that he doesn’t communicate the same way hearing people do.
While Shao Peng helps Zi Xiang escape his attackers in a chase that turns into a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek, Zi Xiang makes it out alive but injured.
Though he’ll most definitely be fine with a doctor visit and some rest, this creates the perfect setup for him needing a caretaker. The following day, it’s none other than Shao Peng who shows up outside Zi Xiang’s door.
When Zi Xiang finally figures out that Shao Peng can’t hear, a light bulb goes off. Zi Xiang schemes up a plan that works perfectly for him: get an in-house caretaker who won’t be able to overhear conversations and spill company secrets. After the street fight that took place, there are clearly some security issues going on.
But Shao Peng will take some convincing before he works for a complete stranger, especially after catching him in such a dodgy situation.
Why it’s worth the watch:
This heartfelt and warm love story feels like a comforting hug in the form of a drama. If there were ever two people who felt meant to be, it’d be Zi Xiang and Shao Peng. Seeing both gradually find a safe place, love, and acceptance in each other makes it really feel like a perfect ending is possible. If you want a show that’ll make you smile ear to ear and occasionally tear up, look no further.
Start watching “See Your Love” now:
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5.”You Are Mine”
“You Are Mine” is a workplace BL that leans into the classic grumpy boss meets innocent new hire setup and has a lot of unserious fun with it.
When no one wants to work with the office’s most feared manager, he gets stuck with the new guy who has a lot of heart but also no idea what he’s doing.
First day on the job, and Yao Shun Yu (Hsiao Hung) is given the task that everyone else in the office avoids: working as the secretary for the impeccably dressed but notoriously picky and mean manager Xia Shang Zhou (Mao Chi Sheng).
Everyone in the office who has had to work for Shang Zhou has either spent the day crying or secretly begged to be reassigned, which is exactly why the entire office is scheming behind the scenes to shove Shun Yu into the role.
The problem on top of it all is that Shun Yu came into the job under the guise of a different role, so he’s woefully underprepared. He has no clue how the manager’s fancy coffee machine works, and he’s slow at taking notes, but the things he does have are perseverance and a very adorable smile.
Basically, Shun Yu isn’t giving up without giving his all first, even after being knocked down multiple times on his first day. The guy has to pay his bills after all.
Just imagine finally getting accepted for a job you thought you’d never get, only to show up for a totally different role and with a scary boss as icing on the cake. But also, that same boss happens to be gorgeous to a distracting degree? Shun Yu still somehow faces this nightmare of a situation with a smile.
Will the clumsy soft boy with a kind smile and fighting spirit melt the manager’s ice-covered heart? Also, will Shun Yu be able to accomplish all the miscellaneous and sometimes very personal work requests the manager gives him? More importantly, where is HR?
Why it’s worth the watch:
“You Are Mine” is an unserious and loveably cheesy workplace rom-com, full of office shenanigans and funny characters. It’s really the perfect pairing: a kind guy trying to keep his first real job and a serious manager who could use a little ray of sunshine in his life.
Office romance in the BL world is virtually unavoidable at this point, but it always means a fun time, usually with multiple NSFW situations and events that should probably be brought up to HR but never are. The short reality-TV-style confessional interview bits that the show includes with the characters are super fun too.
Start watching “You Are Mine” now:
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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: “Love Class 3,” “Ticket to Heaven,” “The Lie We Lived In,” “Love Upon A Time,” “Wu,’’ “Smile After Tears,” “Your Dear Daddy,” and “A Winter Sun Wakes the Wind in Spring Hills’ Dream.”
Looking forward to: “Love Scandal,” “Don’t Be Too Emotional,” “Magic Lover,” “Mr. Fanboy,” “The Love Matter,” and “Be My Player Two.’’