Korean BL Dramas For Beginners

As the "Korean BL" continues to grow with more dramas being released each year, fans are finally piquing interest in the genre as many are greatly pleased that it combines two elements they love, the fluffy and heart-fluttering romantic stories K-Dramas are known for and the BL genre.

Since 2020, there has been a rapid increment in the release rate of the BL drama while also not losing the quality in terms of its storyline, production, and dreamy cast that makes our hearts swoon.

With a long list of dramas released so far, and so much more to come, as a Korean BL beginner, it could be hard to navigate and find the best BL dramas that would make you fully fall in love with the genre or simply have a good binge-watch worthy drama list for a chill and relaxing time. Well, look no further because as the Korean BL aficionados we are, we have curated a list of the best BL dramas that would suit your beginner level.

From cute and fluffy teenage love stories to the classic office romance trope, here are some of the Korean BL dramas we would recommend for BL beginners broken into the different tropes.

1. High teen romance

"Light On Me"

Starring Kang YouSeok, Lee SaeOn, and Choe ChanYi, "Light On Me" tells the story of a shy teenage boy, Woo TaeKyung (Lee SaeOn) who upon the advice of his teacher, joins the student union body with the hopes of making friends. However, his plan is not as smooth sailing as he hopes as thanks to his unfortunate first encounter with Noh Shinu (Kang YouSeok), the latter was hell-bent on giving him hard time. However, with more interactions, adorable moments, and the interest of a third party in Woo TaeKyung, they soon realize their feelings for each other as they both find comfort and acceptance with one another.

The drama plays on the classic enemies-to-lovers trope as well as the love triangle trope too. Filled with chaotic, hilarious, and heartwarming moments, this drama serves as one of the best Korean BL dramas and remains a fan favorite till date. It is light-hearted but also infuses an emotional depth that gives a realistic feel to the story. And with 16 episodes and a duration of 24 minutes per episode, it gives room for proper character development, enables viewers fully understand the storyline, and ultimately makes the series wholesome as well.

2. "Where Your Eyes Linger"

Starring Han GiChan and Jang EuiSoo, this web drama holds a special place in the hearts of global BL fans as it served as the first BL drama from Korea. The series tells the story of two high school students who seem like best friends but in reality, they have a master and bodyguard dynamic. As they spend more time together, they begin to realize their true feelings for each other and are faced with the inevitable issue that their societal standings would bring.

Filled with heart-fluttering moments, this drama quickly tugged on the heartstrings of fans as thanks to the amazing chemistry between the main leads, the story was well told and their connection duly felt by viewers. With 8 episodes and a duration of 10 minutes, this drama is one you can easily binge-watch in one sitting.

2. College Romance

"Semantic Error"

The web drama is often recognized as one of the very best Korean BL dramas which also further cast a proper spotlight and interest in the genre by both fans and producers. Starring DKZ's JaeChan and Park SeoHam, the series tells the story of two college students with polar opposite tastes and personalities, who are forced to work on a project together. Jang JaeYoung (Park SeoHam) is a popular artist who everyone likes for his cheery bright and friendly nature and Cho SangWoo (DKZ's JaeChan), is a quiet and reserved computer science student who likes to do things by the rules without giving room for errors. However, he would see his walls crumble down when he begins to interact with Jang JaeYoung, a man who first started off as a nuisance to him but slowly turned into a crush as he sought to navigate his newfound feelings for Jang JaeYoung.

Also playing on the enemies-to-lovers trope, this rom-com drama is one that many, no matter how many times we watch it, still feel hilarious, sweet, and entertaining.

"Love Class"

Starring Han HyeonJun (as JiWoo) and Kim TaeHwan (as RoA) the college web drama tells the story of two classmates who forms an unlikely affection for each other when they are partnered up for a group project. JiWoo has his eyes set on a pretty female classmate and tries to partner with her but he is partnered with RoA, a handsome classmate with model-like features instead. He doesn't initially have any feelings towards RoA, who was subtly showing an attraction towards him, however, when RoA save JiWoo from a stalker and breaks his arm in the process, JiWoo begins to fall for him but as he begins to understand his newfound feelings of attraction for another man, a picture on a community post threatens to put a dampen on their budding love story.

Easy to watch with very little to no complex or complicated moments that viewers may not understand, this drama has the perfect blend of cute and mature moments that makes it not just fun but also memorable.

"Blueming"

Sweet and cute with an interesting moral, "Blueming" also ranks as one of the best BL dramas you could very well enjoy in one sitting. Starring Kang EunBin (as Cha SiWon) and HyukJun (as Hyung DaWon) the campus romance drama tells the story of a handsome freshman Cha SiWon, who strived to be popular by making his appearance and attitude seem perfect. He would see his rising popularity level being threatened by another handsome student Hyung DaWon, to who everyone seems to easily gravitate to. This creates a sense of jealousy and tension between the two classmates. However, Hyung DaWon only has eyes for Cha SiWon, and over time, their budding romance story begins as Hyung DaWon helps Cha SiWon overcome his insecurities.

This drama is a fan favorite because it doesn't just rely on the fluffy and cute moments or the intense chemistry between its main leads, it also has a prevalent moral lesson that is applicable to real-life issues many face today.

"Mr. Heart"

Starring Han SeJin as SangHa and Cheon SeungHo as JinWon, the sports-themed drama tells the story of marathon runner JinWon, who paired up with a pacemaker SangHa, in order to help him run better. The idea didn't sit well with JinWon as he believes he can handle things alone. However, his feelings begin to change as he found himself falling for thr cute and delightful chairs of the persistent SangHa, who it turns out, has always had a crush on JinWon since their college days.

From adorable banters to heartwarming moments, this drama might be 3 years old but it still poses as a favorite amongst fans, many of whom refer it to a drama way ahead of its time.

3. Office romance

"The New Employee"

Perhaps the most streamed and popular Korean BL drama in the first quarter of 2023, "The New Employee" has duly earned its place as one of the best BL dramas in the hearts of global fans thanks to its super cute and romantic storyline. Starring Moon JiYong (Woo SeungHyun) and Kwon Hyuk (Kim JongChan), the series tells the story of a handsome and smart intern, who gets a job at a top advertising firm. On his first day, he is greeted by his super handsome and workaholic boss who immediately has a crush on him. However, the feelings became mutual as Kim JongChan soon becomes smitten by the charms of the clumsy and adorable Woo SeungHyun.

Cute and fluffy, this light-hearted rom-com is just the best to get you into the office romance genre as it tells a beautiful love story between two mature men whose budding affection for each other, fosters a chemistry so adorable and sweet.

"Roommates Of Poongduck 304"

2022 gave global fans a string of interesting Korean BL dramas and topping that list is "Roommates Of Poonduck 304". The drama piqued the interest of fans upon its initial announcement thanks to its main lead cast, Yoon SeoBin and Kim JiWoong who had already starred in a previous BL drama "Kissable Lips". The office romance-themed series tells the story of an office worker who due to a misunderstanding is forced to live with a tenant he soon discovers he is the new boss. Seo JaeYoon (Yoon SeoBin) is an intern who worked hard to save money and bought the Poongduck Villa. Seeking to make more money, he decided to rent out a spare room but unfortunately, his squatter friend meets with the new tenant first and runs off with the rent money, creating an awkward situation between the two of them. Seeking to make peace, he offers the room to the new tenant while he tries to find his friend and refund the money back to him. Their first encounters are filled where filled with tension and it got worse when Seo JaeYoon is greeted by his new boss Ji HoJoon, who is also his new annoying roommate.

From chaotic banter to cute and touching moments, with constant interactions, their feelings for each other begin to change as a strong feeling of affection and attraction was formed between the two.

4. Fantasy

"Kissable Lips"

Starring Yeon SeoBin and Kim JiWoong, the fantasy drama tells the story of a Vampire who is on the verge of dying and a young student whose blood can save him, at the risk of losing his life as well. As they both see their fates intertwined, they begin to discover their feelings for each other. With JunHo (Kim JiWoong) being scared of draining the life of MinHyun (Yeon SeoBin), and MinHyun willing to do anything to help his love survive and not go extinct, the two lovebirds have to figure out a way to keep their love and each other alive. However, their plans may come to a halt thanks to the reappearance of a vampire who is also in love with JunHo.

The storyline is pretty straightforward and easy to watch. It doesn't have as much cute and fluffy moments in comparison to the other dramas on this list but the chemistry between the main leads carries the story and makes it enjoyable.

"The Director Who Buys Me Dinner"

One of the dramas we desperately want to have a 2nd season, the fantasy office romance drama is one of the highlights of this year so far. Starring Park JeongWoo and Park YoungWoon, the drama tells the story of an intern who gets a job at an entertainment agency, thinking he would be part of the content team, but on his first day, he finds out he would be the personal assistant of the boss. Their relationship doesn't start off as smoothly and it gets even more complicated when Min YuDam reveals to Seol DongBaek that they shared a romantic connection in their past lives and requested they always have dinner and be close to each other in other for Seol DongBaek to survive. This doesn't go as smoothly but as time went by, an attraction between the two was formed sparking the birth of a sweet and mature love story between the star-crossed lover.

Many enjoy this story because of how mature and impressive its plot is, as well as the dialogue, expressions, and chemistry. Cute, emotional, romantic, and funny, the series has the perfect recipe for what makes a very interesting and enjoyable drama.

which of these dramas are you adding to your watchlist? Let us know in the comments section.