K-Pop Idols Starring In BL Dramas: A Double Edged Sword

DKZ's Twitter / Watcha Official

Recently, South Korea has been producing many BL dramas. Because not everyone easily agrees to play queer roles in dramas, many production companies have turned to the K-Pop industry. Not that K-Pop idols accept more easily playing in BL dramas, but many are willing to give it a try for various reasons. That is why most Korean BL dramas include K-Pop idols in the cast. But if this looks like a perfect combination and a win-win for the agencies and companies, the reality is way more complicated than this. It is not all bad, but sometimes, it isn't all good either.

Even if South Korea is trying to open to diversity, like queer communities, overall there is a big conservative mentality over homosexuality and gender identities according to OECD's research "Society at a Glance 2019. A spotlight on LBGT people". Because of that, the BL market is trying to grow without being too controversial, and engaging idols as actors for BL dramas is a way to make more people accept the idea of having queer representation. Because many fans will be ready to take interest in the show because their favorite idols star in it too. However, if that is the expectation, it is not always so easy. Now let's take a look at a few side-effects of idols starring in BL dramas.

1. Growing A Fanbase

Heavenly Official

In a majority of the BL Dramas that have been released recently, the idols who were part of the cast weren't part of the most popular idols, and there is a reason for that. If including idols helps make BL dramas more popular, it is also helping the idols to grow a bigger fanbase. Of course, part of the audience will be the fans of the idol, but another part will be regular consumers of BL dramas, and if they enjoy the idol starring in the drama, this might help the idol or group get more fans as a result. Also, promoting outside of K-Pop shows can help bring more fans too, because the market target will be different than the one K-Pop groups and idols usually aim for. That is why idols that are struggling to build a big fanbase often agree to star in BLs. That doesn't mean that they don't enjoy playing in it, but it is one of the possible motives idols can have.

2. The OST That Helps The Artist

Before being actors, the idols are musical artists. So even if they get popular for their acting, they always like it better when they got praise for their musical skills. Looking back on Korean BLs, many OSTs from the dramas were songs sung by the idols starring in the drama. That is also a way to promote themselves as musical artists in a different way. One of the best examples of this situation is the drama "Wish You: Your Melody From My Heart" starring IMFACT's Lee Sang and MYNAME's Kang InSoo. This drama was revolving around music and both lead actors were idols, so they were both part of the OST, this way they could promote their singing skills along with their acting skills. OST is another way to attract another type of consumer.

3. The Representation Of Minority

A.C.E's Twitter

Idols who agree to star in BL dramas are actually taking a big risk. Considering that Korea is still a bit conservative about the subject, starring in a BL drama isn't a light thing. Often, when they appear in a BL drama once, idols are associated with it for a long time, as long as people keep watching the drama. But some idols are ready to take the risk of being associated with a category, to be assigned an etiquette that doesn't necessarily represent them. The reason is simple, they acknowledge the minorities and choose to act upon it. Some idols decide to star in BL to show that they support fully LGBTQIA+ communities and they choose to help their representation. Even if BLs are far from reality, as it is fictional content, having idols ready to stand up for the cause and help make it part of the norms in Korea is a big move, especially for those who are fans and part of the community. It was the case of A.C.E's Jun, the group previously did an OST for the BL drama "Light On Me", and not long after, one of the members starred in the BL drama "Tinted With You". He confessed in an interview about the drama that he was very open-minded about that kind of subject and there was for sure nothing wrong with people part of the community. And more recently, Holland, an idol who is part of the LGBTQIA+ community, also starred in the BL drama "Ocean Likes Me", which fans found very heartwarming and a real improvement in the representation of the community.

4. Hatred and homophobic reactions

@hyun_jxx0_p

One thing to take into consideration is that BL dramas are fictional stories, the roles played by the actors do not define who they are, yet some people tend to associate the two. If idols are willing to take a step forward, some people have awful reactions to this. For example, the former member of THE BOYZ, Hur HyunJun, who played in "Color Rush", received a lot of hate for playing in a BL drama, and the hate he received got so rude that he had to take a step back from the drama and did not participate in the shooting of the second season. In one of the behind videos of the drama, the idol did express that he enjoyed playing in the drama and would be glad to reunite with his co-actor for another project, but because of the hate and homophobic comments he received, he had to let go of that idea. It is sad to know that some people are ready to go this far so that their idols are not associated with queer representations. But fortunately, it is not always like that, many fans are here to back up their artists and encourage them in trying new things.

5. The Risk Of Going Against A Decision

DKZ's Twitter

Acting in a BL drama is not an easy thing, especially for idols, as it can glorify or ruin their image at a glance (as explained before). But some idols are still ready to take risks, because they want to experience new things because they believe it can do them good, for their careers, or sometimes because they want to support a cause. But behind every idol, there is an agency that manages them. And if the idols are often ready to take risks, agencies are a bit more reluctant. Agencies have to consider the opportunity, and whether it really will benefit the idol or not, they have to consider a budget too, and how the new schedule of a member can affect its group. Therefore, agencies do not agree easily with their idol playing in a BL drama. But from time to time, idols impose themselves in front of the agency and manage to convince them. That is the case with DKZ's JaeChan. He played the main role in the BL drama "Semantic Error", and in an interview, he revealed that his agency was a bit reluctant about him starring in the drama. But the more the agency was against the idea, the more he wanted to do it, because he hold on to his belief that it would work out for him, and it did. Sometimes, being successful just starts with believing in the concept of succeeding.

As specified in this article, the BL industry, like any other, is not all rainbows and sparkles like many tend to think. There are ups and downs, pros and cons, and it is not to be forgotten. And we stay grateful to all idols who are taking part in bringing awareness about minorities and choosing a different path to do so.