5 BLs To Make Your Valentine’s Day Feel A Little Sweeter

Romance season is back, and it’s coming for all of us.

It’s that time of year again when even the rom‑coms start judging your love life, but it’s all in good fun. If your ideal Valentine’s Day watch is a sweet, slightly cheesy romance, full of green flags, with low stakes and zero stress, you’ve got a good variety to pick from in the world of BL.

Japanese and Korean BLs definitely rule this corner of the genre, but Taiwanese BLs do it well too. You know, the kind of sincere, warm, and funny love story that can make a bad day a little better?

These five BLs have that vibe, and they’ll absolutely fuel your seasonal delusions and convince you that maybe, just maybe, a romance like this exists in your future.

Warning: mild spoilers ahead!

1. “School Trip: Joined a Group I’m Not Close to”

In the sweet, low‑stakes high school BL “School Trip: Joined a Group I’m Not Close To,” a quiet high schooler gets placed in a group with the popular boys on a school trip. It sparks unexpected friendships, but one of them in particular feels a little more than “just friends.”

High schooler Hioki Asahi (Fujimoto Kodai) has friends, but none that are in his current class, so he’s a loner amongst his classmates. With a school trip coming up, Hioki goes into crisis mode when everyone is asked to pair up in groups and he’s just sitting alone.

That’s when, out of nowhere, the school’s popular group of boys asks Hioki to join them as their final group member. They’re all guys he’s never really talked to, and they’re definitely not his usual crowd, but he’s inclined to agree.

Of the group members, for some reason, Watarai Tsukasa (Kan Hideyoshi) shows extra attention to Hioki, which just confuses Hioki even more. Especially when his friendliness feels more than friendship! But that can’t be, right?

At the end of the trip, Hioki expects to be distant again at school, but Watarai is determined to stay close. Hioki might be out of practice with the popular crowd, but he’s also pretty sure this isn’t how normal friends treat each other. He wants to clear up their relationship, but he’s so darn nervous when he’s around Watarai.

Why it’s worth the watch:
This show has the kind of setup that feels fated in the best way. An unexpected group assignment ends up steering the quiet lead toward someone he might have never been inclined to get to know otherwise. This is what you want to watch when you can’t take any more evil, scheming, or unpleasant characters because this show really doesn’t have any of that. It’s purely butterflies, friendship, and sunshine.

For another high school rom-com, watch “My Love Mix-Up!” too:

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2. “Peach Trap”

“Peach Trap” is a short, cute Korean BL where romance is the plot. A young office worker suddenly ends up in a love square with his longtime best friend, his serious boss, and the flirtatious young barista who makes his coffee.

Besides struggling to find his footing in the job department, Yoo Do Ha (Jung Su Bin) lives a pretty average life and has yet to join the world of adult romance. When he’s knocked down again after a work issue, almost like magic, three potential lovers come into his life, all seeking the key to his confused little heart.

First in line is his former boss, Jeon Yeon Sang (Lee Do Han), who has quietly been supporting and admiring Do Ha from afar all this time. Even though he seems rough and stern on the outside, he’s got a soft spot for Do Ha. One day, he suddenly speaks more honestly with Do Ha and asks him out.

Second is Yeon Ha Ram (Cha Yu Hyun), a flirty barista who takes an interest in Do Ha beyond his coffee order. He seems to have no fear of flirting and pursuing Do Ha, even if that means fighting it out with his love competitors.

Last but not least is Do Ha’s longtime friend Taek Gyeon (Cha Se Jin), who is always protecting him and sending mysterious signals. When he sees new people pursuing Do Ha, he decides it’s time to get bolder.

It gets extra complicated (in a fun way) when, during a drunken night out, Do Ha remembers accidentally kissing one of them, but he can’t picture exactly which of them it was.

Why it’s worth the watch:
“Peach Trap” is an easy binge-watch drama with all the cuteness and virtually no stakes. It’s perfect if you want a fluffy feel-good show without a complicated plot or any drawn-out problems. It’s also a little like a fun guessing game for which of the three men Do Ha will choose. It’s really hard when he has chemistry with every contestant for his love.

Watch “Jun & Jun” for another K-BL love square:

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3. “See Your Love”

In the comforting story “See Your Love,” a young man who can’t hear and experiences endless setbacks meets someone who loves him for who he is, and his whole world changes.

Shao Peng (Jin Yun) might be hard of hearing, but he’s still somehow the most optimistic person in any given room. He’s been trying to get into caretaking work, something he’s actually very good at, but the world keeps throwing up barriers because he has to use his sign language or his phone to communicate.

Fast forward to a very unserious street fight slash meet-cute, and Shao is thrown into the world of Zi Xiang (Raiden Lin), a wealthy business heir. When Zi Xiang gets mildly injured during the scuffle and Shao Peng helps him escape, Zi Xiang decides he must have Shao Peng as a caretaker while he recovers. However, it’s not exactly Shao Peng’s ideal work scenario, especially with a shady stranger he just met.

The two eventually land on a work arrangement: Shao Peng moves in to help him recover, and Zi Xiang promises to use his connections to finally secure him the caretaker job he wants. But this living-together scenario leads to something that looks suspiciously like l-o-v-e.

PS: While feelings are brewing at home between patient and caretaker, another adorable, mischievous romance is happening on the sidelines. Zi Xiang’s assistant has been busy pretending to be him for safety reasons, which leads to a whole side plot involving an assassin who’s way too cute and soft-hearted to actually assassinate anyone.

Why it’s worth the watch:
“See Your Love” plays with the idea that love isn’t something you hear, it’s something you feel, and it doesn’t get more romantic than that. It’s a gentle story about two people who earn each other’s trust over time and genuinely connect, no strings attached. You might call a lot of the slo-mo moments, lingering stares, accidental almost-kisses, and slips into each other’s arms cliché, but they’re so addictive in this drama. Condolences for your replay button.

Start watching “See Your Love” now:

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4. “Ossan’s Love Returns“

“Ossan’s Love Returns” picks up right where “Ossan’s Love” ended. Still on the high of being newly in love, Haruta Soichi (Tanaka Kei) and Maki Ryota (Hayashi Kento) went through a heck of a lot to get to where they are now. If you watched season one already, you know that it was definitely a lot, but it isn’t entirely over yet. Dun-dun-dun.

In season two, Maki and Haruta have moved in together and are dealing with juggling their demanding 9-to-5s, endless household chores, and making time for each other between it all. Their lack of free time to spend together and mismatched schedules are what lead them to take on a friend’s suggestion: get a housekeeper.

They set up a meeting with the area’s top housekeeping company, but they’re shocked to see that the famous housekeeper they planned to hire is none other than their old third wheel and ex-boss, Kurosawa Mushashi (Yoshida Kotaro). Kurosawa has since quit his job at the office and devoted his household-husband skills to becoming the best at Carriage Cleaning.

Now that Kurosawa is cleaning, organizing, and doing all the cooking, he starts to get re-tangled into their lives, even though he has been trying to move on from the heartbreak of losing Haruta. But with how dramatically in love Kurosawa gets, that wound might always burn a little.

Even though hiring a helper at home was meant to lessen the strain on the relationship between Maki and Haruta, the situation starts bringing up old insecurities and jealousy in their house. Haruta is all for the extra help, but Maki isn’t a fan of a three-husband household.

Meanwhile, new players have joined the Ossan board, and a mystery is unfolding right next door. What follows is the same hilariously unhinged and unpredictable storytelling that this drama franchise has mastered.

Why it’s worth the watch:
The second season of “Ossan’s Love” is just as good as the first season (they somehow accomplish the tone and humor once again), but this season is less focused on most of the love triangle mess of season one and more on Maki and Haruta growing as a newlywed couple living under one roof. It’s secretly a lesson on an accepting, open, and loving relationship, even though there are a few learning curves in the road to get there.

Start watching “Ossan’s Love Returns” now:

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5. “Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!”

You can’t talk about feel-good romance BLs without mentioning “Cherry Magic”! In this essential Japanese BL, an ordinary office worker suddenly gains the ability to read minds the moment he turns 30. One accidental touch leads him to find out his super cool and annoyingly good-looking co-worker has a secret crush, and that’s when the fun begins.

In this world, there’s a rumor that if you hit 30 without any romantic experience, you become a “wizard” who can hear people’s thoughts. You could look at it like a silver lining, but not for Adachi Kiyoshi (Akaso Eiji). He’s just trying to keep his head down at work and get through the day, and these new powers are the last thing he wants messing with his mundane life. But 30 hits, and there’s nothing he can do about it. He can now read minds.

After trying to ignore his new abilities, he ends up bumping into his coworker Kurosawa Yuichi (Machida Keita) in a packed elevator and hears something he never expected: Kurosawa has a crush on someone in the office, and it’s none other than Adachi. He takes a good minute to figure this out, and the sudden shift from being intrigued to deeply confused is one of the drama’s most iconic moments.

Now, Adachi has to figure out what to do with this new, slightly scary information and play it cool as if nothing has changed between them. Unfortunately, Adachi is a nervous wreck 24/7 and is terrible at playing it cool.

When the two start spending more time together at work, it’s nearly impossible for Adachi not to overthink everything and freak out knowing how Kurosawa feels. Knowing the truth opens up the possibility of “what if,” forcing Adachi to face how he really feels.

Why it’s worth the watch:
Magically being able to read minds and immediately finding out someone you’d never expect to even notice you has a huge crush on you is the sort of wacky genius that Japanese BL do so well. If you can imagine an adorable office romance between two adult guys who sincerely like each other with no ulterior motives or red flags, this is that, but also so much more. “Cherry Magic” has had a Thai remake and an anime adaptation, which just goes to show how loved this story is.

Watch “Old Fashioned Cupcake” for similar vibes:

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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: “Our Universe,” “Positively Yours,” “Undercover Miss Hong,” “Countdown to Yes,” “IDOL I,” “Dare You to Death,” “Peach Lover,” and “Duang with You.”
Looking forward to: “Magic Lover,” “Mr. Fanboy,” “The Love Matter,” and “Be My Player Two.”