BL manga and manhwa adaptations are far more abundant in the live action sphere than they are in anime. While the reason behind this is relatively unknown, what is known is that there are a large amount of bad live action adaptations that aren’t faithful to the source material, or have watered-down plot lines compared to the original. This happens frequently in Japanese adaptations, with more faithful stories typically coming out ofKorean manhwa, and webcomic adaptations.
Very few live action productions of BL are perfect, but that does not mean they aren’t enjoyable. With so much bad content out there, it’s hard to know what to watch that won’t completely ruin fans' image of their beloved source material. Moreover, if fans are looking for great live action BL content that doesn’t come from manga or manhwa, they should check out some of the web novel and light novel adaptations produced in Thailand likeLove In The Air(2022) andKinnPorsche(2022).
No. Of Episodes
6
Given(2021) is adapted from themanga by Natsuki Kizu, and is a generally good adaptation of the source material. It misses some minor parts, but care is granted to the parts in focuses on, making it worth watching for fans of the manga or anime. With only six episodes, it follows the Ritsuka-Mafuyu storyline in which Ritsuka finds Mafuyu struggling with his broken Gibson guitar, and eventually decides to give him guitar lessons. After spending time together, Ritsuka realizes that Mafuyu is a promising singer, and he asks him to join his band.
As faras manga adaptations go,Givenis short and sweet, and easy to binge. It’s casting of Ritsuka and Mafuyu is good, with them actually being passable teenagers, and the acting is good compared to many Japanese BL adaptations.
8
Cherry Blossoms After Winteris an adaptation of the first season of thepopular Manhwaby Bamwoo. Because the first season of the manhwa is for all ages, the adaptation doesn’t miss any spicy scenes which is a common complaint fans have about manhwa adaptations. This adaptation follows Haebom and Taesung, two people living together since childhood at Taesung’s mom’s house. Haebom was taken in by Taesung’s mother after his parents died, and the two have lived as family ever since.
When Haebom and Taesung are put in the same class their graduating year of high school, Taesung realizes that Haebom’s time at school was difficult, and the two become closer than ever. This is a great adaptation of the source material, with the casting and acting going above and beyond average. The only downside is that the ending is a little rushed, with there only being 8 episodes.
The live action adaptation of Jeosuri and Angy’sSemantic Errormanhwa is a good one. It features acting from kpop idol and DKZ member Park Jae-chan, as well as former member of KNK, Park Seo Ham. Together, the two portray Chu Sangwoo and Jang Jaeyoung, respectively. Sangwoo is a gifted computer sciences student with poor social skills and a strict attitude. Jaeyoung is a handsome, free-spirited, design student. When Jaeyoung doesn’t show up for his group assignment with Sangwoo, Sangwoo tells the professor and Jaeyoung ends up failing the assignment, preventing him from graduating. This instigates a bit of a one-sided prank war led by Jaeyoung, starting this enemies-to-lovers romance off with a bang.
Semantic Erroris a good adaptation, with details like the main couple’s height difference, and Jaeyoung’s attractiveness being portrayed perfectly. UnlikeCherry Blossoms After Winter,the ending does not feel rushed, and the overall pacing of the show feels natural despite their only being eight episodes.
End Of The World, with Youis an adaptation of the mangaBokura no Micro na Shuumatsuby Marukido Maki. It details the life of Masumi Nishina as he finds out, along with the rest of the world, that a giant asteroid is falling to earth in 10 days, and will likely wipe out the entire human race. When his telephone game stops working he decides to go to the library, where he runs into Ritsu Kusakabe, the man that made him realize he was gay in college. While Masumi and Ritsu were close friends in college, and flirted quite a lot, they lost touch as the years passed and Ritsu dated girls. With only 10 days left on earth, will they become something more?
End Of The World, With Youis a touching a heartfelt piece about yearning and accepting yourself. With only 10 days left to live, the two are forced to be honest with themselves and make the most of their situation.
5
Old Fashioned Cupcakeis a live-action adaptation of the manga by Sagan Sagan. It tells the story of two co-workers, one almost in his forties, Nozue, and one almost in his thirties Togawa. Nozue likes living his days exactly the same, with the same meals, the same work, and the same, non-existant, romantic life. When Togawa realizes this, he is pained by Nozue’s way of living, exclaiming that Nozue is scared of living, trying, and experiencing the world through a different lens. Together, Togawa and Nozue decide to “play girls” for the day, talking about romance, eating dessert, and taking selfies.
This act sparks joy in Nozue’s life unlike anything he’s experienced in recent times, making Togawa happier than he’s willing to admit. This slice of life manga adaptation is a great rendition on the source material that fans will enjoy whether they’ve read the manga or not. The acting is better than generic Japaense BL adaptations, and the chemistry between Togawa and Nozue is believable and heartwarming.
Love Tractoris a live action adaptation of themanhwa by Hmm Yong Yong and Yalgae. It tells the story of Sun Yool, a disenchanted law school student, as he goes back to the town he spent much of his childhood in to take care of his grandfather’s estate while he’s in the hospital. There he meets Yechan Suh, a local man that helps out Sun Yool’s grandfather from time to time. Although Sun Yool doesn’t remember much of his time in this rural village, and has a hard time adjusting to the lifestyle, Yechan remembers Sun Yool from childhood.
While the adaptation is mostly faithful to the manhwa, there are some flaws to this one. The casting of Yechan leaves much to be desired, with the size difference between Yechan and Sun Yool being almost nonexistent in the adaptation and a main plotpoint in the manhwa. Similarly, Dongsik is a completely different dog than he is in the manhwa. With that being said, it is a good stand-alone live-action BL, and fans of the manhwa won’t be too disappointed by the changes made in the adaptation.
