The BL genre has proven time and time again that it knows how to do a high school romance well. They tend to be on the short side if not coming from Thailand, but they’re worth every second. The main characters are usually so nervous, awkward, and new to love that you can’t help but get butterflies.
Here are five must-watch high school BLs to get you started. You can easily watch several of these in one day, so if you’re short on time but want something cute to watch, these are for you.
Warning: light spoilers ahead!
“A Shoulder To Cry On”
Lee Da Yeol (Jae Han) is an archer with a promising future, though he isn’t sure if he has the passion for it. He lives a rather routine life, with school and sports being the only thing he ever focuses on. But Da Yeol’s mundane life takes a turn when the school’s popular boy, Jo Tae Hyeon (Ye Chan), chooses him as his target.
Few know that behind Tae Hyeon’s perfect student image is a trickster who likes playing games. Da Yeol sees his true self and wants nothing to do with him, but the farther he tries to run away from Tae Hyeon, the more Tae Hyeon wants to chase him. So Da Yeol’s days start to become more eventful, to say the least.
They end up getting into a bunch of situations that ultimately cause them to grow closer. Da Yeol starts to realize there’s more behind Tae Hyeon’s shenanigans. The line between enemies, friends, and something more becomes blurry, but Da Yeol isn’t sure if Tae Hyeon has the same feelings that he has.
“A Shoulder to Cry On” in a nutshell:
A loner student becomes the sadistic popular boy’s new toy, throwing his previously quiet life into chaos. However, this bully turns out to be not so bad after all, and he’s really cute too. Expect crazy chemistry from their very first meeting—a truly iconic meet-cute you’ll replay at least three times, probably more.
Start watching “A Should to Cry On” now:
“Takara-Kun & Amagi-Kun”
Amagi Taichi (Oriyama Nao) is a happy-go-lucky, cheerful student, while Takara Shun (Sato Arata) is in the popular group at school and usually seems unbothered and disinterested in everything. The two seem totally different, but they both have a secret crush on each other, and the feelings are mutual.
The problem is that one is oblivious and the other is too stuck inside his head to take action IRL. Oddly enough, all this changes when they’re assigned as partners to pick weeds outside, and Amagi makes a sudden confession. The two vaguely decide to date in secret before saying out loud how they feel about each other.
my-rose-tinted-glasses“Takara-Kun & Amagi-Kun” in a nutshell:
Two equally awkward high school boys—one goofy externally and the other internally—try to express their feelings and communicate in their first relationship. Non-chronological storytelling and switches in perspectives of the male leads add a little pizzazz to this simple love story.
Start watching “Takara-Kun & Amagi-Kun” now:
“Color Rush”
Yeon Woo (Yoo Jun) is your typical high schooler, save for the fact he can only see things in shades of grey. Just like his mom, he’s a “mono,” a name for people who were born with monochromatic vision. In this world, each mono has that one special person called a “probe” that can enable them to see colors, but actually finding your probe is extremely rare.
In cases where a mono finds their probe, monos can become obsessed, and this has led to many monos hurting their probes. This has led Yeon Woo to fear the idea of finding his probe despite a hidden desire to see color.
Transferring to an all-boys school, Yeon Woo thinks he can finally rest and not worry about running into his probe. However, it turns out his mysterious idol-to-be classmate, Yoo Han (Hur Hyun Jun), is in fact his probe.
Yoo Han is quite happy about this, but Yeon Woo’s fear of becoming obsessed makes him want to avoid Yoo Han. Yeon Woo tries to keep his distance, but his probe is determined to get close to Yeon Woo. Yoo Han vows to teach Yeon Woo about the world of color. The obsessed one between the two is definitely up for debate.
“Color Rush” in a nutshell:
A wildly pretty boy who hides behind a mask finds out the new student is his meant-to-be and isn’t afraid to fight for him. The premise feels like an inventive spin on the idea of soulmates, and “Color Rush” is definitely the different girl in terms of Korean high school BLs.
Start watching “Color Rush” now:
“Where Your Eyes Linger”
The lingering eyes in this drama belong to Kang Gook (Jang Eui Soo), but it’s actually partly due to his job. Kang Gook is the bodyguard of Han Tae Joo (Han Gi Chan), a spoiled heir to a major company. Though the two act like friends at school as a cover, they are technically in a servant-and-master relationship. But is that all they really are? Absolutely not; this is a BL after all.
As his bodyguard, Kang Gook has to always keep his eyes on Tae Joo, and that also means having to watch him go through different relationships with various girls at school. Adding to the greyness that is their relationship, Tae Joo also has a habit of getting too friendly and touchy with Kang Gook, making it difficult for Kang Gook to stick to his role as a bodyguard.
It gets harder and harder for Kang Gook to just sit and watch Tae Joo from a distance, and feelings of jealousy get mixed up with his duty to protect Tae Joo.
“Where Your Eyes Linger” in a nutshell:
A master-and-servant dynamic that’s more than what it seems, this is a slow-burn romance that takes time to get right, but the tension-filled moments between the leads make the push-and-pull wait totally worth it. Prepare for criminally short episodes and a short series overall. It’s definitely something to savor and rewatch again… and again.
Start watching “Where Your Eyes Linger” now:
“About Youth”
Ye Guang (Li Zhen Hao) is popular, good-looking, and excels at school. He’s idolized by just about everyone. Receiving grand, elaborate confessions from girls at school is quite literally the norm for him. It sounds like the world is his, but behind the scenes, his demanding parents put him under extreme pressure to do well.
Living in a totally different bubble is Xu Qi Zhang (Shen Jun), a student who blends into the crowd and mostly sticks to himself. But Qi Zhang is also not all that he seems to be. He’s got a little secret (not necessarily a secret, but just something he doesn’t advertise about himself).
Ye Guang finds this secret out when he follows Qi Zhang to a concert venue and realizes the handsome lead singer in a killer outfit is actually Qi Zhang. In a very Hannah Montana fashion, Qi Zhang ditches his nerdy glasses for a smokey eye and ripped jeans and performs in a rock band.
Understandably so, Ye Guang develops an interest in Qi Zhang after seeing him perform, but it turns out Qi Zhang already had his eyes on Mr. Popular.
“About Youth” in a nutshell:
The quiet, nerdy boy is actually a rockstar, and he catches the interest of the school prince, whom he already sort of has a crush on. “About Youth” is also a two-in-one deal because the side romance is just as good as the main. The music is seriously great too.
Start watching “About Youth” now:
What dramas from this list have you seen? Do you have a favorite high school BL? Let us know in the comments below!
Asya’s a BL-biased Soompi writer with a love of K-pop and all types of Asian dramas. Some of her favorite shows are “Psychopath Diary,” “Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss!,” “Light On Me,” “The Untamed,” “Go Go Squid!,” and “Cherry Magic!”
Currently watching: “Undercover High School,” “The Art of Negotiation,” “Heart Stain,” “Gel Boys,” “Secret Relationships,” and “FC Soldout.”
Looking forward to: “I’m the Most Beautiful Count,” “Love Carved in the Moonlight,” “Me and Thee,” and “The Love Matter.”
![[Review] JENNIE’s cheeky, thumping “Like JENNIE” provides an amazing starter for ‘Ruby’](https://www.asianjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/JENNIELikeJENNIE.jpg)
English (US) · 