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Check out the side effects and things to consider about idols playing in BL Dramas.
Ash, Kpopmap EditorRecently, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
How The Rise In K-Pop Idols Taking On BL Roles Is Contributing To LGBTQI+ Visibility And Representation In KoreaKDRAMA STORIES Nov 18, 2022
The Best Korean BL Dramas In 2022KDRAMA STORIES Dec 22, 2022
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Here is a list of K-Pop idols who have taken on roles in BL K-Dramas.
Kay Sesoko, Kpopmap EditorThe BL (Boys Love) genre has grown exponentially in Korea over the past couple of years. As the lineup of BL dramas increases many rookie actors are becoming better known through these works. Many K-Pop idols have also taken on roles in BL dramas.
Here is a list of the K-Pop idols who have acted in or are expected to act in BL K-Dramas.
Note: This list is not a ranking and is in random order.
A.C.E's Jun acted in the 2021 BL drama "Tinted With You".
Han GiChan is one of the first K-Pop idols to have taken on a role in a BL drama. He was a contestant on "Produce X 101" and made his acting debut under Fantagio Music with the BL drama "Where Your Eyes Linger" in 2020. He will also play a main role in the 2022 BL drama "Ocean Likes Me".
Han SeJin was also on "Produce X 101". He has acted in the BL dramas "Mr. Heart" (2020) and "Nobleman Ryu's Wedding" (2021).
THE MAN BLK's Cheon SeungHo has also acted in the 2020 BL drama "Mr. Heart".
MYNAME's InSoo acts in the BL dramas "Wish You: Your Melody From My Heart" (2020) and "Nobleman Ryu's Wedding" (2021).
IMFACT's LeeSang acted in the 2020 BL drama "Wish You: Your Melody From My Heart".
Hur HyunJun is a former member of THE BOYZ who used the stage name HwaIl. He acted in the 2020 BL drama "Color Rush".
Choi JaeHyun was a contestant on the survival show "Boys24". He acted in the BL drama "Peach of Time" in 2021.
Lee SaeOn was a contestant on "Produce 101" Season 2 using the name Yoon YongBin. He also appeared on the survival show "Mix Nine". He acted in the 2021 BL drama "Light On Me".
Choe ChanYi was on the survival show "Boys24" and is a former THE MAN BLK member. He acted in the 2021 BL drama "Light On Me".
Ko WooJin is also a former member of THE MAN BLK. He acted in the 2021 BL drama "Light On Me".
ATO6's Yoo HyunWoo acted in the 2021 BL drama "Tinted With You".
Eom SeUng is also a former member of THE MAN BLK. He acted in the 2021 BL drama "Behind Cut".
2Z's BumJun acted in the 2021 BL drama "Behind Cut".
VIXX's Hyuk acted in the 2022 BL drama "Color Rush 2".
Park SeoHam is a former member of KNK. He took on a role in the 2022 BL drama "Semantic Error".
Park JaeChan took on a role in the 2022 BL drama "Semantic Error".
Super Five's Ok JinWook took on a role in the 2022 BL drama "Cherry Blossoms After Winter".
Yoo YoungJae is a former member of B.A.P. He took on a role in "Crush of Spring".
Kim JiWoong is a former member of the groups INX using the stage name JiNam and ATEEN using the stage name King. He took on a role in the 2022 BL drama "Kissable Lips".
Yoon SeoBin was also on "Produce X 101". He took on a role in the 2022 BL dramas "Kissable Lips" and "Roommates of Poongduck 34".
Holland has taken on a role in the 2022 BL drama "Ocean Likes Me".
2Z's HoJin took on a role in the 2021 BL drama "Behind Cut" and 2022 BL drama "Oh! Boarding House".
VIXX's Leo took on a role in the 2022 BL drama "Happy Ending Romance".
W.O.W's YooSung took on a role in the 2022 BL drama "The Director Who Buys Me Dinner".
SF9's ZuHo took on a role in the 2023 BL drama "Starstruck".
OMEGA X's JaeHan and YeChan both took on a role in the BL drama "A Shoulder To Cry On".
Yoon JunWon is a former member of the K-Pop group THE MAN BLK. He took on a role in the BL drama "Eccentric Romance".
B1A4's GongChan took on a role in the BL drama "Unintentional Love Story".
Song SeungHyun is a former member of FTISLAND. He took on a role in the 2022 BL drama "Oh! My Assistant".
MYNAME's JunQ took on a role in the BL drama "Individual Circumstances".
All of the OnlyOneOf members have been cast in the BL drama "Bump Up Business".
Both JUST B's GeonU and JM took on a role in the 2023 BL drama "Love Is Like A Cat".
BAE173's J-Min took on a role in the 2023 BL drama "Love Class 2".
Which K-Pop idol in this list is your favorite BL actor? Let us know in the comments.
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