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Many K-pop idols have been seen acting in BL dramas in recent years, despite South Korea remaining a conservative country with few rights protecting the LGBTQIA+ community and same-sex partners being denied recognition.
BL, or Boys' Love, is a fiction genre that depicts romantic relationships between boys. The majority of these shows are adaptations of BL novels and webtoons. The BL genre has grown in popularity in recent years because it not only normalizes same-sex relationships but also gives viewers insight into the difficulties that the LGBTQIA+ community faces.
BL dramas are no different from any other drama except for the diversity of the cast. Thai BL Dramas started the revolution of popularizing Boy’s Love shows with classics such as 2Moons and SOTUS. Having seen the increasing popularity and acceptance of shows, many other countries such as Japan, Taiwan, and recently South Korea have also brought BL dramas and movies into the mainstream.
Let’s take a look at the various K-pop idols who have taken up roles in BL dramas.
5 K-pop idols who have taken on roles in BL dramas
1) Jaechan from DKZ
DKZ's Jaechan propelled his group to fame by playing Cho Sang-woo in the BL Semantic Error, which was adapted from a webtoon of the same name. Semantic Error is a love story about two male university students who are enemies turned lovers.
Jaechan was not the only K-pop idol on the show as the second male lead. Park Seoham, a former K-pop idol from the group KNK, also played his romantic partner Jang Jae-young.
DKZ's popularity grew steadily after Jaechan's role in Semantic Error, and they recently won their first music show award on The Show, three years after their debut.
2) Jun from A.C.E and Yoo Hyunwoo from ATO6
K-pop idol Jun from the popular boy group A.C.E played the role of a high school student Jang Eun-ho in the BL drama Tinted With You. The show is about a high school student traveling back in time through a painting to meet the crown prince Lee Heon, played by K-pop idol Yoo Hyunwoo from the group ATO6.
Its plot revolves around Eun-ho and Lee Heon's friendship and how they help each other survive.
3) Insoo from MYNAME
MYNAME’s Insoo could be termed as a BL veteran, having starred in two different BL dramas. His first role was in the Netflix show Wish You: Your Melody From My Heart, in which he played the role of a musician named Kang In-soo.
His second show was Nobleman Ryu's Wedding, a period drama in which he played Ryu Ho-seon. In the show, Ryu is set to marry Choi Ki-wan’s sister, however, due to the sister’s hatred for political marriages, Ki-wan takes her sister’s place leading to a comedy of errors.
4) Hur Hyunjun
K-pop idol Hur Hyunjun was a former member of the boy group The Boyz before choosing to become a soloist. Hur began his acting career as Go Yoo-han in the drama Color Rush, in which he plays a probe through which monos can see the world in color.
The show's storyline revolves around a handful of monos who see the world in monochromatic colors until they find their probe. It’s not a simple love story as there is a psychological mystery angle to the drama which makes it exciting to watch.
5) Hyuk from VIXX
VIXX’s Hyuk played the role of Kim Se-hyun in the second season of Color Rush. The web series picks up beautifully from the first season with the departure of Yoo-han and brings in Se-hyun, another mono, into the life of the protagonist Choi Yeon-woo, whose sole mission in the second season is to find his missing mother and Yoo-han, his first love.
More and more K-pop idols are being cast in BL dramas due to the increasing popularity of such shows. However, such shows can be a double-edged sword because many people use them to become celebrities overnight. The fetishization of actors by fans or even directors and writers in order to sensationalize the drama is also an evil in the BL industry.
