“Connecting to You” is already over, and there’s a lot to miss: Chia Kai’s (Chiu Yi Tai) magical abilities to foresee compatibility and relationships via magical colored threads, his slow-burn chemistry with police officer Da Wei (Liu Yu Ren), and Chia Kai’s mischievous partner in crime Chao Nan (Lin Da Her). But once you finish one drama, it’s time for a new show to obsess over.
For more BL dramas from Taiwan and equally magical shows that’ll help fill the void now that “Connecting to You” has finished, consider adding these five BLs to your watch list:
1. “La Pluie”
The story of “Connecting to You” is about a guy who can see relationship threads, which lets him piece together the destiny, compatibility, and truth between relationships. A core idea you can take from it all is that some connections are meant to be. If anything fate-coded or related to destiny like this suits your fancy, then “La Pluie” should naturally be your next watch.
Set in Thailand, this show puts a fun and slightly supernatural twist on the idea of destiny and soulmates. In this version of reality, some people have a special gift: they lose their ability to hear during rainfall and, in exchange, they can telepathically feel, hear, and talk with their soulmate.
Saengtai (Title Tanatorn Saenangkanikorn) was born with this ability, but he refuses to believe in having one true soulmate after his parents separate, despite being so-called soulmates. He has virtually sworn off the idea of fated love, but he starts hearing the voice of one man every time it pours.
Despite Saengtai’s every effort to avoid being defined by his ability to hear his soulmate, he can’t run away from it either—just imagine Thailand’s monsoon season! Trying to ignore his soulmate isn’t easy or practical, and after a point, Saengtai even becomes interested in who the man might be.
When someone else steps into his life without the label of being his soulmate, Saengtai must choose between a love that everyone says is destined and a romance with someone who likes him regardless of fate.
Why it’s worth the watch:
This is arguably one of the most unique BL dramas on the topic of fated love. The chemistry between the leads goes hard in this one, and in a show all about destined love, it makes sense that the chemistry would feel so natural. The first meeting between the leads is one of the most anticipated moments in the show, and the build-up to it is totally worth the wait.
2. “Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice But to Kiss!”
For another good-hearted lead who gets struck with bad luck, add “Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice But to Kiss!” to your watch list.
If you watched “Connecting with You,” you know the leading man often finds himself in a pickle because of his magical ability to see relationship threads. His intentions are always so pure and good, but they have a habit of landing him in the most ridiculous situations. In this Japanese BL, Fukuhara Kota (Sota Ryosuke) often finds himself in a pickle too, but it’s simply because he has a persistent case of terribly bad luck.
For reasons unknown, Kota is a magnet that attracts bad luck. You could call it a superpower of sorts, but it doesn’t do him any favors. From the moment he wakes up to the moment he steps into his home after a long day, he meets unexpected disasters and turmoil, no matter what he does to prepare for them.
Now at university, Kota’s mission is to blend in and brush off any bad luck he encounters with a smile. Even so, his hopes for a normal college life are entirely out of reach until he meets fellow student Shinomiya Naoya (Sato Yusuke).
During a group dinner among students, he ends up sitting beside Shinomiya, a cool and popular guy who, most importantly, happens to have the opposite fate to his: Shinomiya is blessed with good luck. After Kota has a surprisingly good night out after simply sitting beside him, he wonders if Shinomiya’s good luck can somehow rub off on him.
Deciding to test this theory, Kota asks Shinomiya if they can stay close and spend time together. When Shinomiya agrees and leans in for a kiss, Kota realizes he just might have given off the wrong impression. Now Kota has a very difficult choice to make: agree to go out with Shinomiya or risk his bad luck ruining his college career. Decisions, decisions.
Why it’s worth the watch:
If you found it funny and, albeit, a bit pitiful how Chia Kai in “Connecting to You” found himself in trouble despite his desire to do good and help others, you’ll probably find Kota’s special knack for finding trouble even more hilarious. This show promises a good laugh every single episode and a fun romance between two totally different guys who are perfect for each other. Just know, if you’ve had a bad day or a case of bad luck, Kota has probably had it just as bad, if not worse. You can take a little solace in Kota’s hilariously terrible days.
Watch “Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice But to Kiss!”:
3. “Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!”
For another lead with magical abilities, “Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!” fits the bill perfectly. In this case, instead of being born with a strange magical ability, leading man Adachi Kiyoshi (Akaso Eiji) gets his magical powers when he turns 30. Why now? Well, because he is still a virgin of course!
This story starts with a legend: if you turn 30 and are a virgin, you’ll gain the ability to read others’ minds through touch. It sounds like a cool ability on paper, but Adachi is actually a timid loner who just wants to get through the workday without making a mistake or getting asked to do extra work that isn’t his.
Adachi’s lack of self-esteem starkly contrasts with that of his coworker, Kurosawa Yuichi (Machida Keita), the second leading man of this drama. As the company’s ace employee, he seems perfect: he never makes mistakes, is always willing to lend a hand, and is popular with virtually everyone at the office. Adachi has only ever watched Kurosawa succeed from afar with quiet envy and admiration as he struggles to stay afloat. Their dynamic, however, completely shifts when Adachi acquires his abilities.
At a loss for how to deal with his new mind-reading gifts, Adachi decides to bury the problem and just avoid it, and that lasts for about a day. On what should have been a totally average and boring elevator ride up to his office, he ends up standing beside Kurosawa, unintentionally touching him. Reading his mind, Adachi discovers that Kurosawa has a crush on someone else in the elevator, but it’s packed with people.
It takes him a minute to put the clues together, but Adachi eventually realizes a startling fact: Kurosawa has a crush on him. Totally overwhelmed at this new bit of information, Adachi tries to play it cool and continue his mundane life routine, but his magical abilities inadvertently bring him closer to Kurosawa. Now it’s all up to this timid man to face the truth or hide from it.
Why it’s worth the watch:
Imagine suddenly gaining the ability to read people’s minds, only to find out the most popular guy at your office has a crush on you. For consistently overwhelmed and overthinking Adachi, that’s a whole lot to deal with. This humorous, comfort BL is a fun take on the traditional office romance and quietly leans into meta territory through Adachi’s mind‑reading perspective. This one has what feels like a million adaptations, including a Thai remake. It might be a hot take, but the Japanese live-action remains the best rendition.
Watch “Cherry Magic Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!”:
4. “See Your Love”
If you want to see more of what Taiwanese BLs are all about, “See Your Love” is one of the best. The story starts with a high society boy, Zi Xiang (Raiden Lin). Freshly returned to Taiwan, he meets trouble right away and gets caught in a street fight. Enemies and threats abound for Zi Xiang as the heir to his family’s successful company, so much so that his assistant, Feng Jie (Lin Chia Yo), often doubles as his bodyguard.
However, it isn’t Feng Jie who comes to the rescue during Zi Xiang’s unfortunate first day back. Instead, it’s a passerby named Shao Peng (Jin Yun). Shao Peng helps Zi Xiang get out of what could have been a deadly situation, and by all means, it seems like only a passing moment between strangers.
As fate would have it, the two meet again, and Zi Xiang finds out that Shao Peng is hearing impaired. Shao Peng suffers a minor injury from the street scuffle, and with enemies on his back, Zi Xiang employs his assistant to pose as him and find the attackers who are after him. This also means he is out of an assistant to help him at home.
The clever trickster that Zi Xiang is, he sees Shao Peng as an opportunity to gain a new aid that won’t be able to divulge company secrets or become a threat. Overplaying his injuries, he convinces a reluctant Shao Peng to be his live-in caretaker.
Why it’s worth the watch:
The story is different, but “See Your Love” has the same feel-good, healing energy that “Connecting to You” has. If you want another slow-burning, sweet romance that feels fated, this one won’t disappoint. There’s also a whole lot to learn from watching this show, from accepting others to loving yourself.
Watch “See Your Love”:
5. “Wishing Upon the Shooting Stars”
You’ll find an equally heartfelt story as in “Connecting to You” in another Taiwanese BL drama, “Wishing Upon the Shooting Stars.” In a close-knit seaside town—close-knit in the sense that everyone knows everyone and their business—He Xiang Yong (Jed Chung) returns home after a failed life in the big city. Upon returning, he naturally feels out of place and receives ridicule from his father, who runs an inn in town.
Reconnecting with his best friend Wan Zhe (Yu Chieh En), the two sneak away to their secret spot by the sea and make wishes under a starry night sky. Xiang Yong is lost in life, so it’s no surprise that he wishes to escape his current life and the judgment he feels from his town by becoming someone totally different that no one recognizes.
The next day, Xiang Yong makes the scary realization that no one knows who he is. His wish somehow came true. He’s still the same person, but no one recognizes him besides his best friend. Thinking quickly on their feet, the two take this chance to create a new identity for Xiang Yong so he can start another life, one he assumes will be better than his old one.
While everyone wonders where Xiang Yong has gone, he takes on a new name and secures a job at his father’s inn. With his friend’s help, they plan to hide the truth, but an unresolved old flame suddenly re-enters Xiang Yong’s life. That old flame is Hao Wei (Chu Meng Hsuan), and he happens to also be working at the inn. As the two rekindle a lost connection, Hao Wei can’t help but notice how much this stranger reminds him of Xiang Yong.
Why it’s worth the watch:
While watching “Wishing Upon the Shooting Stars,” it feels like you know a secret that no one else does, and it’s true. While Xiang Yong is masquerading around as someone he isn’t, it’s only his best pal (and viewers) who knows the truth; meanwhile, even his own father doesn’t recognize his face. This show has another perfect best friend duo, much like Chia Kai and Chao Nan in “Connecting to You,” and it has a similar underrated humor that’ll catch you off guard and make you giggle in between the deeper parts. Overall, this is an excellent Taiwanese BL drama that has a little bit of everything, but most importantly, it feels honest and relatable.
Watch “Wishing Upon the Shooting Stars”:
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: “After Moving Seats, The Boy Behind Me Has A Crush On Me,” “Mr. Kill,” “Popular Serizawa Acts Weird Around Me,” “Hold On, Harutora-Kun,” “Match Point,” “Don’t Be Too Emotional,” “Nour,” “Mr. Fanboy,” “Summertime,” “Unlucky Bae,” and “Class Crush Crisis.”
Looking forward to: “Love Scandal,” “Magic Lover,” and “The Love Matter.”