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‘Dare I say best BL of 2024’: This Korean BL drama has fans screaming for more

Go-Young throws his head out of the car window to shout in joy in 'Love in the Big City'

We love love, and this drama delivers it in spades! From first love to tragic love and complicated love, Love in the Big City has it all. This Korean BL (Boys’ Love) drama follows the character of Go-Young as he navigates the tumultuous world of love and heartbreak, and fans are eating it up.

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Based on the acclaimed novel by Sang Young Park, Love in the Big City is the LGBTQ+ coming-of-age series fans have been waiting for. The story centers on gay writer Go-Young as he plunges into the depths of love, hoping—like all of us—not to drown in it. Set in Seoul, Park’s narrative captures the exhilarating highs of nights out and the thrill of new love, contrasted with the crushing lows of the morning after, shame, and betrayal.

Go-Young’s journey through love shapes his perspective as he encounters various relationships. Each interaction exposes him to new emotions, both uplifting and heartbreaking. The show dives deep into his connections, from his first love, Nam-gyu, to the enigmatic Habibi, whose mysterious presence adds layers to Go-Young’s life. He also balances his friendships and family, especially with his best friend Mi-ae, and his mother, Eun-sook.

It’s an online frenzy

Fans hotly anticipated the television adaptation, and once it hit streaming platforms on October 21, that heat became a blaze. Within hours of its release, #LOVEINTHEBIGCITY trended on X as viewers shared their delight over the adaptation. Fans can’t get enough of the spicy scenes, in particular, which are undeniably hot! In the wake of the series premiere, viewers are sharing some of their favorite moments of the show so far.

From intimate kisses that have us all swooning such as the one shared below …

And this kiss, which has us all fanning ourselves …

To moments of primal passion. (I honestly felt like I was watching something way too private here, but I couldn’t look away).

We may have only had this show for a few days, but fans are already crowning it the best BL of the year.

Everything about the show was beautifully done, from the storyline to the acting, as well as cinematography and the score.

Korea may be a country that produces a lot of BL content, but it still has backward views on LGBTQ+ identities with no legal protection offered against discrimination and harassment. Same-sex marriages are still not recognized.

Shows such as Love in the Big City are not purely entertainment; they are a way of communicating the very real experiences of those within the LGBTQ+ community. It’s great to see a BL drama series getting such recognition online. We can only hope that the same recognition will reach all levels of society sooner rather than later. At least we have another addition to our Top 10 best BL dramas list!

The series is streaming on TVING and Rakuten Vivi.

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Author
Laura Pollacco
Laura Pollacco (she/her) is a contributing writer here at The Mary Sue, having written for digital media since 2022 and has a keen interest in all things Marvel, Lord of the Rings, and anime. She has worked for various publications including We Got This Covered, but much of her work can be found gracing the pages of print and online publications in Japan, where she resides. Outside of writing she treads the boards as an actor, is a portrait and documentary photographer, and takes the little free time left to explore Japan.

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