Seok Young's Instagram
Korean webtoons may be taking over the world, but the authors creating them definitely deserve more attention. It isn’t common for Korean webtoon authors to greet global fans, which creates a big gap. Here at Kpopmap, we want to bridge this gap and bring you closer to the great minds that make your favorite webtoons. Recently, Kpopmap had the incredible opportunity of working with the production team behind the upcoming BL K-Drama “Boys Be Brave”, which is based on the BL webtoon “Roommates” by Seok Young.
We interviewed the cast of “Boys Be Brave” – rising actors Kim SungHyen, Nam SiAn, Jung YeoJun, Ahn SeMin, the director of “Boys Be Brave” – Lim HyunHee (who also directed “Our Dating Sim”), as well as the scriptwriter of the drama – Lee SinWon, to bring you all the insider scoop on BLs, “Boys Be Brave” and more.
Of course, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to also speak to the esteemed webtoon author Seok Young, who created the original BL webtoon “Roommates”.
“Roommates” by Seok Young on Tappytoon
For those who might not know, BL webtoon “Roommates” tells the story of four young men (and consequently, two couples) – JinWoo & KiSub on the one hand, Sunny and InHo on the other, who are deeply in love yet unable to confess.
The K-Drama “Boys Be Brave” will adapt the webtoon with the addition of new dramatic elements and is scheduled for release in the first half of 2024.
So, without further ado, let’s get into our conversation with webtoon author Seok Young and find out what she thinks about this upcoming K-Drama adaptation, the cast and their chemistry, what she is looking forward to, and more!
Note: This interview has been edited for clarity.
Hello, I’m Seok Young. Lately, I’ve wrapped up the serialization of “Summer Girl Ha Boy” and have been taking a good rest while indulging in some unfinished fandom activities(?).
Seok Young
In case you missed it, “Summer Girl Ha Boy” is author Seok Young’s latest work. It is a gender-bender slice-of-life romance that is as refreshing as summer itself!
Much like the recent popularity of “Summer Girl Ha Boy”, BL webtoon “Roommates” by Seok Young also received much love and attention from BL fans all over the world for its simple art style and touching storyline that virtually everyone can relate to in one way or another. However, fan reaction wasn’t author Seok Young’s primary focus.
When I first started serializing, I didn’t pay much attention to the response, perhaps because I was only focused on debuting.
Despite that, the story naturally drew appreciation and has now become one of the most beloved BL webtoons among fans. Even though BL webtoon “Roommates” was serialized a while back, new readers keep finding it even today and are enchanted by its extraordinary beauty. The romance in the webtoon is so real and yet heart-fluttering, sentimental, and honest but fun at the same time that you will be addicted to it in no time.
“Roommates” by Seok Young on Tappytoon
It is no surprise, therefore, that years after its release, “Roommates” by Seok Young is getting picked up for a K-Drama adaptation, especially when the popularity and relevance of BL K-Dramas are at an all-time high.
“Roommates” is a work from 2015, so at that time, I couldn’t even imagine it being adapted into a visual medium. However, as time passed, such a good thing happened. I hope fans enjoy watching “Roommates” as a drama. I’m excited about JinWoo, KiSub, Sunny, and InHo! Haha.
So are we! All four characters in the BL K-Drama have their own unique charms, and our actors are gearing up to steal hearts and make us swoon left and right.
I visited (the set) not too long ago! The actors playing JinWoo and KiSub were still shooting, so I couldn’t meet them, but I met the actors playing Sunny and InHo. Even though the weather was cold and cloudy, they were shining. The chemistry was even better than I had imagined, so I was happy.
Doesn’t that answer raise your expectations even more? Let’s briefly introduce the characters of the upcoming BL drama “Boys Be Brave” to you!
“Roommates” by Seok Young on Tappytoon
JinWoo (played by Kim SungHyen) is a meticulous young guy who lets his college friend KiSub live with him. He is a perfectionist with an ideal type checklist, and there’s no way KiSub is getting even close to his standards. However, the heart wants what it wants, and for JinWoo, it wants KiSub.
Kim SungHyen’s participation in this BL drama is drawing significant attention from fans worldwide.
“Roommates” by Seok Young on Tappytoon
KiSub (played by Nam SiAn) is the popular guy as pretty as a flower who receives love confessions wherever he goes. However, the one who he wants to get it from, JinWoo, is determined not to give in. What’s the solution he comes up with? Living with him to get him to confess.
The one closest to my ideal type is KiSub.
“Roommates” by Seok Young on Tappytoon
Sunny (played by Jung YeoJun) is a bright part-timer who takes all sorts of odd jobs to make ends meet. He may look like he has no time for love, but he hides his feelings about InHo, a friend from high school.
The character that hurt the most was Sunny.
“Roommates” by Seok Young on Mr. Blue
InHo (played by Ahn SeMin), who couldn’t forget about Sunny, shows up in front of him one day. When he gets rejected by Sunny (you’ll find out why), he asks him to go on just three dates.
Maybe because I like to joke around, so in terms of personality, I’m similar to KiSub, and in terms of dating style, it’s a mix of KiSub and Sunny? I’m not sure, hehe.
Needless to say, in the BL webtoon “Roommates”, both the couples in the story enjoyed much love and popularity because all readers could see themselves in one character or another. InHo emerged as a fan favorite, but we were curious about the author’s one pick.
They’re all precious to me.
Translator’s Note: Author Seok Young actually said, “다 아픈 손가락입니다”, which literally translates to “All of them are like hurt fingers”. However, this is a Korean way of saying all the characters are equally precious to her.
“Roommates” by Seok Young on Mr. Blue
Another incredible quality in Seok Young as an author is that she has a knack for crafting a BL that is truly universal and resonates with not just the BL audience but with anyone and everyone.
One might think that in order to create such a wonderful romance as in “Roommates”, the author must have experienced it first-hand. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case, at least not when the webtoon was being serialized. Author Seok Young has a different source of inspiration entirely.
In my early 20s, I only had the joy of learning manhwa and friends. I remember not being particularly interested in dating haha. I often get inspiration for my work when listening to my favorite songs or reading lyrics. Suddenly, dialogues come to mind, yeah.
“Roommates” by Seok Young on Mr. Blue
Undoubtedly, much time and effort must go into the author’s creative process, especially with the stress of serialization. However, author Seok Young’s experience with “Roommates” was colored pink with the excitement of putting her first webtoon out into the world.
During the serialization of “Roommates”, it was my first serial, so I only have pleasant memories. After that, the more I did it, the more challenging it became, and I felt a lot of stress because of the pressure to do well. Mental management is something I haven’t perfected yet. Haha. I think I’m just enduring with the thought, “I just have to do it!”
Even now, when the author looks back at her work, she still regards it with fondness, and why wouldn’t she, when it continues to be timeless?
As it was my first work, the immaturity feels cute, so there isn’t anything I want to add or remove.
Since “Roommates”, Seok Young has become a prestigious name in the manhwa fandom. As a matter of fact, we’re sure that many budding webtoon artists are inspired by Seok Young’s distinct art style and storytelling. For them, she has the following advice.
I recommend trying to complete a lot rather than aiming for perfection from the beginning. Just giving it a try is the best.
This lead us to wonder what kind of BLs author Seok Young enjoyed herself! So, of course, we had to ask for her recommendations!
My favorite BL comics are “GAPS” by Tsubame Sato, “Twittering Birds Never Fly” by Kou Yoneda, and I recommend “Lying Devil” by Sumako Kari.
“GAPS” by Sato Tsubame / “Twittering Birds Never Fly” by Kou Yoneda / “Lying Devil” by Kari Sumako
As we neared the end of our interview with “Roommates” author Seok Young, we made sure to ask her about her recharging techniques and future plans!
After ‘Summer Girl Ha Boy’ ended, I’m just taking a break. I have to draw the special chapter for “Roommates”, so I’m not just resting entirely, but haha. After completing a work, I meet friends I haven’t seen, stay quietly at home, clean, or take a walk. I’ve been buying a lot of books, but I haven’t been reading them well, so I’m thinking of reading them diligently from now on.
Finally, author Seok Young bid farewell with a warm message for global readers.
You’ll be able to feel the charm of “Boys Be Brave”, which is different from the original webtoon! I’m really looking forward to it too. 🙂 Please show a lot of interest and watch it, dear readers! I hope you always stay healthy. Let’s meet for a long time~!!
We cannot wait for the BL drama “Boys Be Brave” to hit our screens on April 25. You can watch it on Viki.
Will you be tuning in to this one-of-a-kind romance BL?
