Korean LGBT drama Where Your Eyes Linger is a game-changer for ‘boys love’, gay storytelling in Asia

Originally published on SCMP

Where Your Eyes Linger is a trail-blazing, 10-episode, South Korean web drama addressing an issue that isn’t widely discussed in Korean society – the romance between two young men. The drama, which dropped on May 22, will also be made into a film that will air later in June.

Earlier Korean dramas which featured “boy’s love”, or BL, romances include Reply 1997 and Life is Beautiful. However, these relationships were never the main topic of the storyline, making this web series groundbreaking.

The term “BL”, or yaoi, first originated in Japanese anime and since then, the genre has received a wide positive response from countries across Asia. Other popular BL dramas include Thailand's 2gether: The Series and the Taiwanese HIStory.

Where Your Eyes Linger is a precarious teen romance which touches upon the friendship between two 18-year-old high school students, Tae-ju and Kook.

Tae-ju is the only heir of a chaebol family with an unpredictable personality who many perceive as a member of the royal family. The role is played by Han Gi-chan, who made his first appearance on Mnet’s Produce X 101 as a trainee under Fantagio Music.

As for Kook, he is Tae-ju’s friend and bodyguard who always stays by his side, played by Jang Eui-soo, who viewers might recognise from Korean dramas such as Bad Papa and He is Psychometric.

The unconventional theme was a pleasant surprise for many Koreans. In South Korea, where for instance consensual gay sex between military soldiers is considered a crime, the LGBTQ+ community often says it faces discrimination.

The airtime afforded Where Your Eyes Linger suggests hope in the acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community, and progress in a positive representation in the South Korean media.

Global audiences can view the drama through the American video streaming service Rakuten Viki.