The BL scene in 2024 started off with an absolute hit of a series, "Love For Love's Sake". Outside of this, however, it's been a slow start for Korean BL lovers. But it seems fans' patience have finally been rewarded, as the start of April signaled a rush of BL series. This includes titles like "Gray Shelter" and soon-to-be-premiered "Boys Be Brave". But the very first drama to kick off April's Korean BL extravaganza was "Love Is Like A Cat".

Coming as a joint venture between Korea and Thailand production companies, the BL series features Mew Suppasit, JUST B's GeonU and JM and Kim KyoungSeok. Split up into 12 episodes, "Love Is Like A Cat" follows renowned Thai star, Piuno (Mew Suppasit) and his meeting with a dog daycare director, Lee DaeByeol (JM). Piuno starts off cold and distant, but eventually something special blossoms between Lee DaeByeol that changes the two for the better.

"Love Is Like A Cat" is a comforting BL series that will pluck on your heartstrings, making it easy to become completely vulnerable and soft. It has officially reached its halfway point, transforming into the highlight of many people's week. With six episodes left, it seems like the perfect time to do a mid-series evaluation and see if the highly anticipated BL series is living up to expectations.

 

Pre-Release Expectations

News of the BL series first broke out in 2022. At this time, both JM and GeonU were still considered rookies and Mew Suppasit already had an established career as an actor. While their casting came as a surprise, netizens still voiced their excitement for the upcoming BL series. They took to social media sites, forums like Reddit, and various comment sections to express their thoughts on the announcement.

Afterwards, however, "Love Is Like A Cat" would stay in post-production for a while. They would take this time to polish up the various scenes and edit it in a way that the staff, cast, and fans could be proud of. While there were some wonderings on when exactly the BL series would release, production company, Hanyang Studio, kept fans fed through the reveal of an official trailer. Uploaded onto their official YouTube channel, the short glimpse of the BL made audiences' hearts race and expectations continued to grow higher than before.

Despite having to wait a few more months, fans were extremely patient, confident that "Love Is Like A Cat" would premiere sooner rather than later. With a glimpse of the two main couple's fantastic chemistry and Mew Suppasit's talent in acting and experience in BL, netizen sentiment towards the BL series was quite positive and would continue to remain this way for weeks to come.

 

Official Announcement And Premiere

At the beginning of this year in 2024, Hanyang Studio released new promotional posters for the drama, raising excitement even further. Seeing this, we at Kpopmap saw it as a sign that "Love Is Like A Cat" would finally be making its highly anticipated premiere, prompting us to put together an article on why fans should get excited for the BL series. The tweet of the article itself brought in a total of 676 likes, 862 retweets, and 20 replies, representing the arduous support from fans across the globe.

3 Reasons To Get Excited For BL Drama "Love Is Like A Cat"https://t.co/KHlKBokXDl#LoveIsLikeACat #MewSuppasit #JUSTB #JM #BL

— Kpopmap (@Kpopmap) January 11, 2024

And once the official release date was announced for April 1st, support couldn't stop flowing in. The drama was set to be made available through Rakuten Viki, Heavenly, and GagaOOLala, leaving audiences with a variety of different streaming options to choose from. To many, it seemed like a dream come true to have something tangible and set in stone. And as the Korean BL scene had yet to go into full swing, it was something to look forward to for the entire community.

 

Current Netizen Response

The moment the first episodes started to roll, viewers quickly began sharing their thoughts on the drama. According to Google Trends, interest in "Love Is Like A Cat" over time remained afloat throughout the year, despite nothing official being announced or shared with the public. Then, in the week of March 31st to April 6th, interest reached a record high for the BL drama. This makes complete sense due to the fact that netizens were patiently waiting for its release. And while it had a small dip, there were many people still showing "Love Is Like A Cat" immense love and interest. This is important to note as despite only being released two years after its filming, the BL community has still chosen to avidly follow the series, excited to see how the story unfolds.

Currently, as of April 17th at 1:30PM KST, netizens continue to show a positive reaction towards the BL drama. This warm response only seems to grow as the drama moves forward, increasing week by week. As it stands, 96.4% of netizens look upon "Love Is Like A Cat" favorably and hope to stay with the series until the very end.

In correspondence to this, the more the BL series is mentioned, the bigger and wider its reach has become. With a reach of over 2 million, it's no wonder why so many individuals have been raving about the web series. As clips of the drama circulate throughout social media, more people gradually come to know the beauty of "Love Is Like A Cat" and the heartwarming story it tells. The BL community is understandably hooked, and while there are some criticisms, the chemistry and plot convince its viewers to remain.

 

The Verdict

There was an enormous amount of hype coming into the series, mainly in part due to Mew Suppasit's fame and experience as an actor. However, looking across at his acting partner, JUST B's JM, along with GeonU and Kim KyoungSeok rounding out the cast, despite the episodes' short runtime of 15 minutes, netizens are more than happy with the way its turned out. At its halfway mark, "Love Is Like A Cat" is doing a good job, and while it does have areas where it falls short, audiences remain hopeful that these faults will be rectified by the drama's end.

The verdict: "Love Is Like A Cat" should absolutely be on your watchlist, whether you follow along as the episodes are released, or decide to binge it all at once the moment it's done. The fact remains that you definitely should not miss out on this wonderful gem of a series.

We're excited to see how the rest of "Love Is Like A Cat" plays out. What are your thoughts on the BL series?

Is your drama watchlist ready for April? If not, don't worry. We are here to help you make your selection for the new month.

Make sure to check out our K-Drama recommendations list, as well. Let's have a look at the web dramas streaming this month.

Here is a selection of 4 web dramas streaming in April not to forget to watch. (This list only includes web dramas).

Note: Web dramas starting on the final days of March have been included as they will air throughout April.

 

1. "Please Teach Me"

When: From March 29

Cast: Lee SangMin, Park HyeongSeop

Genre: BL, Romance

Summary: The lovely story of DoYoon, an ace acting student, and SiWoo, a famous idol actor, who cross paths in an acting workshop class.

Why look forward to it?: This drama stands out from other BLs because it takes on a unique format. The drama will be made up of multiple episodes in vertical format (in the format of reels) and thus be that much more accessible to K-BL fans as they can watch the drama more easily on their phones. On top of the unique format, fans are also looking forward to seeing Park HyeongSeop on screen again after the success of "Jun & Jun" and Lee SangMin after his last drama "Why R U?", too.

 

2. "Love Is Like A Cat"

When: From April 1

Cast: Mew Suppasit, JUST B's GeonU, JUST B's JM, Kim KyoungSeok

Genre: BL, Romance, Comedy

Summary: "Love Is Like A Cat" is a Thai-Korean romance between P'Uno, who has trauma because of dogs and is now scared of animals, and Lee DaeByeol, who is working as the director of a dog kindergarten and his employee JiMin.

Why look forward to it?: Not only are BL fans looking forward to the crossover between K-BL and Thai BL, especially with this star-studded cast, but fans have been raving about how unique the storyline is, too. Many are ready to get their cheeks hurting from laughing and smiling too hard whilst watching this comedy.

 

3. "Gray Shelter"

When: From April 11

Cast: Lee JaeBin, Jang WooYoung

Genre: BL, Romance

Summary: Cha SooHyuk is focused only on his survival, without any grand goal. He reunites with Lee YoonDae, who he was very close with. YoonDae was living with his girlfriend but now has nowhere to go. They end up living together.

Why look forward to it?: Many are looking forward to seeing Lee JaeBin on screen again after his successful acting in "Choco Milk Shake". The behind-the-scenes stills of the drama have also shown a lot of chemistry between the characters even ahead of the drama's release, raising anticipation.

 

4. "Boys Be Brave"

When: From April 25

Cast: Kim SungHyen, Nam SiAn, Jung YeoJun, Ahn SeMin

Genre: BL, Romance, Youth

Summary: JinWoo, is a young man who finds himself living with his crush, KiSub, who entered his home uninvited and crashed on his couch for a little too long. The narrative also explores the relationship between Sunny and InHo, who hold onto a secret from their high school days.

Why look forward to it?: Not only is the cast of this BL drama being praised for their all-around handsome visuals and visual chemistry, but the drama is being highly anticipated by fans of the webtoon it is based on. Not to mention that the director, Lim HyunHee, is also the director of the hit K-BL drama "Our Dating Sim" which guarantees the entertainment factor of this drama.

Which web drama will you be adding to your Korean web drama watchlist for April? 

Korean BLs made an impressive entry into the BL world back in 2020 with "Where Your Eyes Linger" and other releases that year. Since then, the scene has gradually grown and improved over the years, paving the way for various masterpieces to trend across social media everywhere. And once again, 2024 seems to be a great year for BL fans.

We've gathered the Korean BL web dramas announced for 2024. Some dramas in this list lack released information, but we try to update regularly.

We often update this list, so stay tuned. The dramas are not listed according to a specific order.

 

1. "Love For Love's Sake"

Adapted from the webtoon "Love Supremacy Zone".

Summary: One day, a 29-year-old man gets trapped inside the body of a 19-year-old young student, an extra character from the novel that his sunbae was writing. A translucent window appears where he receives a mission—to make Cha YeonWoon happy within 300 days—and his life at stake as his penalty. Will he be able to survive, protect his loved ones, and fulfill his mission?

Cast: Lee TaeVin, Cha JooWan, Oh MinSoo, Cha WoongKi

When: January 24, 2024 premiere

You can watch on: GagaOOLala

 

2. "Relieve The Curse Of Taekwondo"

Directed by Hwang DaSeul, the same director as "To My Star," "Where Your Eyes Linger," and "Blueming".

Summary: TBA

Cast: Jang YeonWoo (Rumored), Lee Seon (Rumored)

When: TBA

You can watch on: TBA

 

3. "Boys Be Brave"

Directed by Lim HyunHee, the same director as "Our Dating Sim". Adapted from the webtoon, "Roommates".

Summary: JinWoo, is a young man who finds himself living with his crush, KiSub, who entered his home uninvited and crashed on his couch for a little too long. The narrative also explores the relationship between Sunny and InHo, who hold onto a secret from their high school days.

Cast: Kim SongHyen, Nam SiAn, Jung YeoJun, Ahn SeMin.

When: April 25th

You can watch on: TBA

 

4. "Secret Relationship"

The web drama is an adaption of the webtoon by the same name written by McQueen STUDIO.

Summary: DaOn is a smart, resourceful, and hardworking employee, trying to overcome his poverty. His cheap ways get on the nerve of his co-worker SeongHyun, who hates him. After a certain incident with poor parents, DaOn gets closer with SeongHyun, while he tries to settle his feelings for his previous tutor JaeMin. With emotions all mixed up and all the secrets, what will be DaOn's fate?

Cast: TBA

When: TBA

You can watch on: TBA

 

5. "Good Night To Get Drunk"

Adapted from the audio story "Good Night To Get Drunk".

Cast: TBA

Summary: JunHyuk and MinSeok grew up taking care of each other. Eventually, the two go on different paths. Years pass, and one day, when JunHyuk arrives at home one night after a lecture, he finds MinSeok on the sofa in his living room. JunHyuk's eyes locked on him with an awkward atmosphere.

When: TBA

You can watch it on: TBD

 

6. "Eccentric Romance"

The same company that produced the BL "Peach of Time" is in charge of a second Thai-Korean BL drama "Eccentric Romance" ("기이한로맨스").

Cast: Save Saisawat, Yoon JunWon

Summary: It is the campus romance of two friends from the same club: the cold Sung Hoon and the shy and cute Jay. They encounter a mysterious murder case and look for the culprit.

When: TBA

You can watch on: TBA

 

7. "HeeSu In Class 2"

Cast: Lee SangJun, Cho JunYoung

Summary: The drama is based on a popular webtoon of the same name. The story is about the youthful romance of HeeSu, an ordinary 18-year old boy, and his neighbor who has a secret.

When: TBA

You can watch on: TBA

 

8. "Love Is Like A Cat"

Cast: Mew Suppasit, JUST B's GeonU and JM

Summary: "Love is Like a Cat" is a Thai-Korean romance between P'Uno, who got trauma and is now scared of animals, and Lee DaeByeol, working as a director in kindergarten.

When: Premiere on April 1st, 2024.

You can watch it on: TBA

 

9. "Blueming" remake

Adapted from the webtoon "Who Can Define Popularity"

Cast: TBA (casting is now open)

Summary: This drama will be a remake of the BL drama "Blueming" (2022) directed by Hwang DaSeul, based on the webtoon "Who Can Define Popularity".

When: TBA

You Can Watch It On: TBA

 

10. "Happy Ending"

Cast: Joo SeongHyeok, Park JuneMok

Summary: Hyun, a boy in love, his heart's diary.

When: January 24, 2024 premiere

You Can Watch It On: Strongberry YouTube Channel

 

11. "Love In The Big City"

Cast: Nam YoonSu, Lee SooKyung.

Summary: An audacious tale of two roommates, one a homosexual man and another a heterosexual woman. Through the eyes of Mi-ae begins Goyoung’s clumsy love story. Stories of laughter, tears, and wounds between a mother in denial of his gender identity and a lover unable to escape societal judgment. Goyoung finally meets a pure love like no other, Gyu-ho, but has no choice but to let him go. With Kyu-ho gone, Go-young follows a stranger to Thailand and spends a late monsoon vacation. Reminiscing about the good old days that can never be retrieved, he achieves complete personal growth.

When: Third quarter of 2024

You can watch it on: TBA

 

12. "Jazz For Two"

Cast: Ji HoGeun, Newkidd's JinKwon, OMEGA X's HanGyeom, and Kim JungHa.

Summary: TaeYi meets SeHeon, the new transfer student, in the music room. How dare SeHeon play TaeYi's brother’s song? “If I ever catch you playing the piano again...that’ll be the end of you.” And with that begins TaeYi and SeHeon's story, as unpredictable and visceral as jazz.

When: March 25, 2024

You can watch it on: TBA

 

13. "Please Teach Me"

Cast: Park HyeongSeop, and Lee SangMin.

Summary: "Please Teach Me" is a collection of BL shorts consisting of 50 episodes of one minute each telling a charming and heartwarming romance between top idol Do-yoon and, the idol infamous for his poor acting, Shi-woo, as they participate in an acting workshop together

When: March 12, 2024.

You can watch it on: Top Reels (Korean Streaming platform)

 

14. "Actor:eal"

Cast: not revealed.

Summary: ‘Actor:eal’ depicts the story of two actors portraying as friends who have known for 10 years, with one harboring feelings towards the other. A new character introduces hinting a bigger picture between the two actor—it is still acting or being real?

When: March 1st, 2024

You can watch it on: Ep1 on BL Company YouTube Channel, Ep2+ on STUDIO Major Line YouTube Channel

 

15. "Gray Current"

Cast: Lee JaeBin, and Jang WooYoung.

Summary: Cha SooHyuk is focused only on his survival, without any grand goal. He reunites with Lee YoonDae, who he was very close with. Yoon-Dae was living with his girlfriend but now has nowhere to go. They end up living together.

When: Set to air in April

You can watch it on: TBA

 

16. "WuJu Bakery"

Cast: Jeff Satur, Barcode Tinnasit, Q (Jun In Kyu) , DiOn.

Summary: A small bakery was re-established after all kinds of hardship in a small old town that holds precious memories with his parents before his long-awaited opening ceremony. A spaceship crash-landed, and the bakery was ruined... An alien and the handsome boss sat down in the bakery where a chaotic living together had begun. At the same time, the aliens who have been hiding in various parts of the city in search of them are revealed.

When: Second half of 2024.

You can watch it on: TBA

-to be updated-

 

Which BL web drama are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments.