Diverse Dramas Knock on Your Door via OTT... Is the Era of Queer Narrative Popularization Coming?

Cinema and OTT Both See Success with Queer-Friendly Content
BL Titles Like 'Semantic Error' and 'Heartstopper' Gain Popularity
Wavve to Release Diversity-Focused Dating Reality Show in July
Critics Say "OTT Centers on Subscriber Preferences... Diverse Content Is Increasing"

A scene from the Watcha original series 'Semantic Error'. Photo by Watcha

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] A commoner who falls in love with a prince, a model student dating the ace of a rugby team, a popular 'insider' and a principled 'outsider' in a romance. While these themes might seem somewhat clich?d in traditional dramas, the story changes when the two main characters are of the same sex. These are the characters from the popular works 'Young Royals', 'Heartstopper', and 'Semantic Error', which gained popularity this year through online video streaming services (OTT) platforms.

Following the recent success of BL (Boy's Love) content, a new romantic reality program focusing on the love of sexual minorities is set to be released soon. Thanks to the subscriber-driven nature of OTT platforms, attention is focused on whether queer-friendly content can become mainstream.

The mainstreaming of queer content has become particularly prominent recently. Films dealing with homosexuality such as 'Call Me by Your Name', 'Carol', and 'Moonlit Winter' have been major hits, and this trend has continued within OTT platforms. Titles like 'Heartstopper' and 'Young Royals', released on Netflix, have proven the popularity of youth coming-of-age stories. Both works, set in schools, depict protagonists struggling with confusion about their sexual identity and orientation, portraying their journey to self-acceptance while maintaining the unique liveliness and freshness of teenagers.

In particular, Watcha's 'Semantic Error', based on a web novel of the same name, has been explosively popular and is even called 'Watcha's savior.' Since its first release in February, 'Semantic Error' has held the number one spot in Watcha's Top 10 for eight consecutive weeks, building a strong fandom for its two lead actors. Recently, a theatrical version is also scheduled to premiere at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN).

However, experts view the success as more of a BL content phenomenon rather than queer content per se. Cultural critic Jung Deok-hyun said, "BL is a new form of melodrama developed from fan fiction culture. Since it includes love stories of various genders that transcend prejudice and bias, it can be seen as queer, but it might be more accurate to view it as the popularization of BL culture."

Wavve plans to release the dating reality shows "Merry Queer" and "Nam-ui Yeonae," which are based on gender and sexual diversity, in July. Photo by Wavve

Meanwhile, in July, the OTT platform Wavve plans to introduce the variety show 'Marry Queer', which depicts the confident dating and marriage challenges of diverse (gender) couples, and the gay dating reality show 'Nam-ui Yeonae' (Someone Else's Romance). Amid the sustained popularity of dating reality shows like 'Single's Inferno', 'I Am Solo', and 'Eden', this time, sexual diversity is added. The two programs respectively claim to be the 'nation's first real coming-out romance' and the 'nation's first male-male dating reality.'

Regarding this, critic Jung positively evaluated, "There are some progressive aspects, such as the dating reality show (Marry Queer) hosted by broadcaster Hong Seok-cheon," explaining, "Until now, most dating and marriage content was confined to the 'normal range' divided only into heterosexual categories, but now various relationships outside that framework are beginning to be accepted in popular culture content."

He also noted that the subscriber-centered nature of OTT platforms has helped the success of queer content. Jung said, "There was no platform that could accommodate the demand for queer content before. But now, with the emergence of alternative platforms like OTT, new attempts are being made," adding, "Unlike traditional terrestrial broadcasting content, which is subject to restrictions by the Korea Communications Standards Commission and is produced under the premise of 'content for everyone' with rating classifications, diversity content that can be viewed based on subscribers' choices and preferences is being produced."