Nothing says true love like time traveling for your one and only. What would you do if you could follow your soulmate to the future, or go back in time to the past to fix a mistake, or even save a loved one?
BLs with a time-traveling premise are still a hidden gem in the genre because there just aren’t that many out there yet, but the ones that are out there already are pretty darn good. It’s all about second chances, a better future, and the ultimate end goal: love.
Here are five of the best time-traveling BLs to get you started.
Warning: light plot spoilers ahead!
1. “Tinted with You”;
In this short but sweet Korean BL, Eun Ho (Park Jun Hee) is a high school senior who winds up in the Joseon era and catches feelings for the lonely Crown Prince.
Eun Ho is excited to go to college to start his next chapter as an East Asian painting major. He’s alone browsing art at a gallery when he gets sucked into a painting and wakes up in the Joseon Dynasty. To say the least, things aren’t quite the same.
Here, he runs into the Crown Prince, Lee Heon (Yoo Hyun Woo), and his guard, Geum (Kim Tae Jung), fighting off attackers. Both the Crown Prince and his guard have been living in exile and are constantly facing threats. Geum spots Eun Ho and thinks he is another perpetrator.
Totally confused and freaked out, Eun Ho must survive the treacherous setting he’s landed in while trying to figure out a way back home. The Crown Prince offers Eun Ho a place to stay, but Geum doesn’t trust him.
Why it’s worth watching:
This is a fun and quick watch that you can easily finish in one sitting. It has just the right amount of serious moments to go with all the feel-good vibes. Park Jun Hee as Eun Ho is naturally hilarious as a teenager who is trying to adjust to a different era.
Start watching “Tinted with You”; now:
2. “I Feel You Linger in the Air”;
In “I Feel You Linger in the Air,”; Jom (Nonkul Chanon Santinatornkul) is renovating an old estate when he starts having vivid dreams of a past life with a man whom he doesn’t remember. After an accident, Jom is transported back to 1920s Chiang Mai, where he meets an affluent but kind man named Yai (Bright Rapheephong Thapsuwan). Jom tells everyone that he has lost his memory, so Yai gives him a place to stay and a job as his servant.
Without knowing why he is here or if he can get back to his time, Jom is forced to blend in and adjust to the customs and politics of the time. But it isn’t long before people start picking up on the ways Jom acts differently.
Why it’s worth watching:
“I Feel You Linger in the Air”; feels part BL, part history lesson. From the costumes to learning about old customs and cultural practices, it shows some of the ways life was like back then in Chiang Mai. There’s GL in this too, and it’s also currently one of the few period Thai BLs to be created so far.
3. “HIStory 5: Love in the Future“
Tai Che Ni (Sean Chang) is your average hardworking guy living in Taiwan, hustling to make ends meet and take care of his grandmother. It’s 2000, New Year’s, and Che Ni is riding his delivery bike when something magical happens, taking him 22 years into the future.
Now it’s 2022. Technology has advanced tenfold, FaceTime exists (this is important!), and the COVID-19 pandemic is happening. Che Ni is not too sure why he has time-traveled, but while he’s here, he figures he must make a living while he searches for answers.
He finds a job when he meets Hai Yi (Linus Wang), a recently heartbroken guy who asks Che Ni for help at getting back his ex-girlfriend. Though this doesn’t turn out as expected, Hai Yi agrees to provide Che Ni with necessities and a roof over his head in exchange for him doing the chores and other tasks. Without realizing it themselves, the two slip into a domestic husbands routine!
Why it’s worth watching:
Though it has its serious moments, this one is a sillier take on time travel, largely thanks to Che Ni’s goofy but goodhearted character. There are also two main couples with equally interesting storylines.
Start watching “HIStory 5: Love in the Future”; now:
4. “Be My Favorite”;
“Be My Favorite”; is about a guy’s second chance at confessing with the help of a magic crystal ball that lets him jump through time.
Kawi (Krist Perawat Sangpotirat) is an introvert who has many regrets about his college life, namely that he was never able to confess his feelings to his longtime crush, Pear (Aye Sarunchana Apisamaimongkol).
12 years after graduating, Pear is getting married, but Kawi hasn’t changed much and still isn’t living a fulfilling life. Strapped for cash, he digs up an old gift he was never able to give to Pear. This gift, a crystal ball, seems to be nothing more than a decoration until he twists it and finds himself back in college.
Discovering he can go back and forth and re-do the past, Kawi tries to change his future and shoot his shot with Pear. But, no matter what he does differently in the past, there’s always one variable that gets in the way: Pisaeng (Fluke Gawin Caskey), the university’s coolest and hottest guy.
Despite his setbacks (and playful tormenting from Pisaeng), Kawi continues to use the crystal ball to try and get the outcome he wants, but playing with time is sticky business.
Why it’s worth watching:
In this time-traveling BL, the main character actually has control over it and decides to use it to his advantage. It’s interesting to see that no matter how he tries to manipulate time, the outcomes can be unexpected. The chemistry between Pisaeng and Kawi is also off the charts. They play characters with such different personalities, but it works.
5. “Once Again”;
If you’re looking for more of a tearjerking story of time travel, “Once Again”; might hit the spot.
When he was 10 years old, Shin Jae Woo (Moon Ji Yong) was saved by a man named Kang Ji Hoon (Lee Hyun Jun), but it cost Ji Hoon his life. This tragedy has haunted Jae Woo ever since, and he feels at fault for Ji Hoon’s death.
Fast forward 15 years, Jae Woo visits the dorms where Ji Hoon lived before he died and comes upon an old phone. When he uses it, Ji Hoon from 15 years ago picks up. Now 15 years in the past, Jae Woo finds Ji Hoon again and sees it as a chance to change the future.
Moving into Ji Hoon’s dorm, Jae Woo is determined to prevent Ji Hoon’s death. Ji Hoon, understandably, has no idea who Jae Woo is or anything about his impending death because it hasn’t happened yet.
Why it’s worth watching:
This one somehow makes time travel feel more realistic rather than like magic, probably because it is about relatable feelings of loss, grief, and regret. It’s definitely a BL, but the vibes are different in a good way. The way the past and present come together like a puzzle is really well done.
Start watching “Once Again”; now:
What time-traveling BLs have you seen from this list? Which one are you most interested in? Let us know in the comments below!
Asya’s a BL-biased Soompi writer with a love of K-pop and all types of Asian dramas. Some of her favorite shows are “Psychopath Diary,”; “Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss!,”; “Light On Me,”; “The Untamed,”; “Go Go Squid!,”; and “Cherry Magic!”;
Currently watching: “Spring of Youth,”; “Boys in Love,”; “The Next Prince,”; “My Golden Blood,”; “Sweetheart Service,”; and “Good Boy.”;
Looking forward to: “Sweetheart Service,”; “Magic Lover,”; “I’m the Most Beautiful Count,”; “Love Carved in the Moonlight,”; “Me and Thee,”; and “The Love Matter.”;
