In the last 3 years, it has become clear to global fans that Korean producers and creators have finally taken their stake in the BL genre and are ready to consistently produce and release more of this themed series at regular intervals. Like every other art form, the genre is subjective and dependent on the opinion, views, and responses of the global audience. While the rapid increase in the release of this themed series has been applaudable and duly led to calls for more releases at the same rate as non-BL dramas from the country, there has also been a vivid call for quality in relation to storyline, acting, settings, chemistry, and even the intimate moments as well.
As fans of the genre, Kpopmap decided to host a global survey, asking our readers and fans of the genre to join us in contributing to its growth by sharing their opinions on the dramas released so far and ideas on how it can ultimately get better.
The survey ran from the 17th to the 26th of April and received a lot of buzz online which was also reflected in the impressive amount of responses we collated from fans. We thank you for your keen interest and participation in this survey.
With 1,649 responses from over 84 countries, fans shared their thoughts and opinions on the genre as well as their expectations for its future. This survey report will definitely be introducing more growth in the genre as Kpopmap will be sharing it with one of the leading webtoon and BL production companies, KENAZ Productions ("The Director Who Buys Me Dinner" and "Blueming").
You can check out the survey below.
Sharing key details about their tastes, likes, and overall interest in the genre, here is the breakdown of responses gathered from the BL survey report, as voted by global fans.
Get to know the survey respondents and their demographics
This section portrays an overview of the location and demographics of the survey respondents.
1. Total number of respondents
The BL survey was well received by global fans who saw this as an opportunity to air their opinions and duly contribute to the growth of the genre. A total of 1,649 responses were recorded during the duration of the survey.
2. The age group of K-BL viewers
In this segment, we sort to break down the age group of Korean BL fans. In a bid to find the age bracket of individuals who enjoy the genre the most. 993 respondents were between the ages of 16 - 25 years old, 432 respondents were between the ages of 26 -35 years old, and 124 respondents were between the ages of 36 - 45 years old. 66 respondents were over 45 years old and 33 respondents were between 0 - 15 years old.
From this result, we can see that the majority of people who watch Korean BL dramas fall within the age group of 16 - 25 years old. With more youths paying vivid interest in the genre, this could very well serve as a conceivable reflection of the longevity and continuous popularity of the genre globally.
3. The nationalities of K-BL viewers
The Korean BL is viewed and enjoyed by a global audience and with participation from more than 84 countries, the result of this section vividly captures its reach. In the responses, we gathered that more than 240 respondents were Brazilians, more than 183 respondents were Americans, more than 181 respondents were Burmese, more than 135 respondents were Indians, more than 95 respondents were Filipinos, more than 63 respondents were Indonesians, more than 56 respondents were British, more than 52 respondents were Russians, more than 52 respondents were also French, more than 43 respondents were Malaysians, more than 34 respondents were Spanish, more than 30 respondents were Germans, and more than 30 respondents were also Canadians.
More than 25 respondents were Mexicans and more than 25 respondents were Italians, more than 23 respondents were Australians, and more than 22 respondents were South Africans. More than 17 respondents were Polish, more than 16 respondents were Nigerians, and more than 13 respondents were Argentines and Bengalis.
Heavenly
The survey also had responses from other countries like Austria, Belize, Belgium, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bulgaria, China, Columbia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Hungary, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Latvia, Malta, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Switzerland, Syria, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Vietnam, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, etc. All of which recorded respondents within a range of 1 - 10.
It should also be noted that the data reflected participation from every continent asides from Antarctica, with at least 2 countries being represented from each continent. This data poll from respondents shows that this survey report is a gathering of global fans' views and ideas on the genre.
Get to know the respondents' level of interest and taste in the genre
This section shows the general interest, taste, and watch patterns of Korean BL fans who participated in the survey.
1. How often do they watch K-BL dramas?
Kpopmap
Knowing the watching rate of the Korean BL visibly captures the interest of the public in the genre. A total number of 1,396 respondents shared that they've watched over 10 Korean BL dramas. 239 respondents shared they have watched less than 10 Korean BL dramas. 9 respondents shared they have watched just 1 Korean BL drama and 5 respondents shared they have never watched a Korean BL drama.
Judging by the high percentage rate of respondents who have watched over 10 BL dramas, tt's clear that the global interest in the genre is on a positive track, and with more releases, said interest is predicted to keep increasing, a ripple effect that will continue to project the growth of the genre.
2. Favorite K-BL drama of all time?
Kpopmap
With the list of Korean BL dramas which has been released increasing by the month, there was an ample amount of options for respondents to pick from when asked about their favorite BL dramas of all time. In response, respondents inputted their own choices of their favorite BL dramas.
Watcha's "Semantic Error" recorded the most votes with over 592 votes. "To My Star" and "To My Star: Our Untold Stories" had a combined vote of over 296, claiming 2nd place, while "Blueming" had over 245 votes to earn the 3rd place.
Other BL dramas released so far in 2023 also had an impressive amount of votes. Dramas like "Our Dating Sim", "Unintentional Love Story", "A Shoulder To Cry On", and "The Eight Sense" all got over 222, 115, 85, and 58 votes respectively. The result for "The Eight Sense" is quite impressive as this survey was carried out while it was still airing.
W STORY
BL dramas released between 2020 and 2022 still had a vivid impact on many respondents as dramas like "Light On Me", "Cherry Blossoms After Winter", "You Make Me Dance", "Kissable Lips", "Roommates Of Poongduck 304", "Where Your Eyes Linger", and "Color Rush", were all reflected, earning over 125, 63, 19, 19, 28, 15, and 17 votes respectively.
Judging by the responses, webtoon-based dramas are more popular amongst Korean BL fans than others.
3. Favorite K-BL genre?
Kpopmap
The genre of a drama adds to the interest and is perhaps a significant reason why many would tune in to watch its episodes. So far, there have been so many BL stories told across many genres, diversifying the options for fans and duly giving a perspective of their interest to creators as well.
With an option for multiple choices, over 1,296 respondents choose "College Campus Romance", over 1,135 respondents choose "Office Romance", over 817 respondents choose "High-Teen Romance", over 704 respondents choose "Action Romance", over 618 respondents choose "Fantasy Romance", over 553 respondents choose "Thriller Romance", over 524 respondents choose "Melodramas", over 500 respondents choose "Sports Romance", and over 419 respondents choose "Historical Romance".
Kcon Picturesque
Other genres were also reflected in the survey as respondents were afforded the option of inputting their choices. Genres like "Slice of Life", "Psychological Thriller", "Star-Crossed Lovers", "Horror", "Mafia/Crime" and "Adult Romance" were all new entries with a range between 1 - 10 votes.
By the data poll, "College Campus Romance" and "Office Romance" are the favorite genre amongst K-BL fans, garnering more than 50% of the votes. And while some were able to make a choice or input their own genres, others couldn't simply pick and admitted to liking the series generally more for its storyline than a particular genre.
4. Favorite type of K-BL couples?
Kpopmap
While the genre of the series may hold the utmost value and appeal to many, perhaps a criteria that comes close 2nd is the kind of couple that the story centers on. The pairing of the couples often takes center focus as it brings to view not just the background or personality traits of the characters but also forms the foundation of the love story.
In this category, with an option for multiple sections, 4 options were presented to our respondents: "Cute boy / Tough boy", "Cute boy / Cute boy", "Mature boy / Cute boy", and "Mature boy / Mature boy". 1,110 respondents choose "Mature boy / Cute boy", 1,068 respondents choose "Cute boy / Tough boy", 990 respondents choose "Mature boy / Mature boy", and 568 respondents choose "Cute boy / Cute boy".
Some other choices revolving around personality types were also reflected as well. Couple types like "Tsundere / Cute Boy", "Nerd boy / Delinquent boy", "Tough boy / Tough boy", "Shy / Straightforward", and "Introvert / Extrovert", etc were mentioned.
5. Favorite types of K-BL romance?
Kpopmap
The type of romance in a drama also adds a layer of appeal to its story. The classic romance tropes were all reflected in our options with respondents having the option for more than one selection as well. 1,339 respondents choose "Enemies to lovers", 1,171 respondents choose "Friends to lovers", 469 respondents choose "One-sided love", 899 respondents choose "Sunbae-Hoobae", 813 respondents choose "Boss/employee relationship", 690 respondents choose "Forbidden relationship", 679 respondents choose "Childhood reunion", and 286 respondents choose "Love triangle".
Asides from the options provided, some other choices were reflected as well. Some respondents inputted their favorite kinds of romance which included "Cute but Possessive Lover", "Polyamory", "Supernatural relationship", "Idol and Fan Love Story", "Friends With Benefits", "Age Difference", "Fake Lovers", etc. While some respondents shared they just needed a "Happy Ending", others didn't need negative types like "Rapist-victim to Lovers" and "Cheating".
Romance types: "Sunbae - Hoobae", "Enemies to Lovers", and "Friends to Lovers" were the favorite amongst respondents as they garnered over 50% of the votes each.
6. What do viewers look forward to the most in a K-BL drama?
Kpopmap
Before viewing a drama, many viewers already have a good list of features or elements that a story needs to hold their attention and make them start or continue the drama. These elements are perhaps endless but in our survey, we were able to capture the predominant ones based on comments patterns and suggestions of BL viewers. Also with an option for multiple selection, here are the reflections on the votes by the respondents.
829 respondents choose "Acting / Chemistry" as the preferred element they looked forward to the most in a BL drama, 495 respondents choose "Good story", 155 respondents choose "Beautiful romantic scenes", 52 respondents choose "Directing" and 50 respondents choose "Actors' visual".
Some respondents also added their options as well. Elements like "Length", "Good cinematography", "Convincing emotional scenes", and "Kiss scenes", amongst others were mentioned.
In this segment, more than 50% of the respondents choose "Acting / Chemistry" as the key element they look forward to the most in a K-BL. This is because the actors' ability to portray their characters and properly tell their stories majorly relies on their chemistry with each other.
7. Favorite K-BL drama settings?
Kpopmap
The setting where the story of a series dwells is also very important, as while it might not hold as much power of viewers as others in the criterion, it does serve as a point of attraction and has the power to make the plot of the drama more conceivable. So far, many Korean BL dramas have portrayed stories set in different locations, which makes the entirety of the drama more wholesome and enjoyable. Here are our respondents' choices for their favorite drama settings.
With an option for multiple selections, 1,134 respondents choose "School / College" as their favorite setting in a Korean BL drama, 960 respondents choose "Seoul", 874 respondents choose "Beach / Seaside", 823 respondents choose "Countryside Village", and 693 respondents choose "Big city that is not Seoul".
"The Eight Sense"
The school / college setting is one of the favorites amongst fans as it doesn't just serve as the settings where the budding young love story of the couples are formed, it also often captures the vibrant and colorful essence of youths.
For years, Seoul has been the hub of social development in Korea, known for its fast-increasing population and hosting diverse communities from across the world, it is clear that there are stories about and within this setting that deserve to be told, with an ample amount of global fans waiting to receive them. A case study would be the recent drama "The Eight Sense". Read our full article on the representation of Seoul in the drama here.
8. The best K-BL Production companies
Kpopmap
Production companies are the unsung heroes of the genre as thanks to their interest and perhaps investment, a lot of amazing dramas have been produced meeting the needs of global BL fans. With a lot of production companies taking more stakes in the genre, we can only predict better quality dramas will be released in the future.
With an option for multiple selections, in this category, Watcha was chosen as the best production company with 985 votes. 906 respondents choose "Viki", 597 respondents choose TVING, 522 respondents choose KENAZ, and 519 respondents choose W-Story. 428 respondents choose Idol Romance, 209 respondents choose StoryWIZ, 188 respondents choose Sunset Studio, 156 respondents choose Emotion Studio, 38 respondents choose Strongberry, and 21 respondents choose Studio Winsome.
KOKTV's Official Instagram
Other production companies were mentioned as well. Companies like Energedic Company, RaemonRaein Axis, KOK-TV, Heavenly, etc, and foreign companies like IQIYI, and GMMTV all gained notable mentions in the survey.
We would like to thank our global respondents for their keen interest and participation in this survey. We appreciate your views and opinions and we firmly believe they will all be accounted for and reflected in various dramas in the future.
To know about what Korean BL fans want to see in the future, check the 2nd part of this article in the related post section.
