The friendships in the BL world are as varied as the diverse stories. Some of them are memorable because they form the backbone of the support system needed by the main couple to come to terms with their feelings or simply seek comfort. More so, when they are struggling with their sexuality and may not have parental adherence. In today’s feature, our authors will be sharing their favorites- friends who carry you forward through time and tide!

PotatoBLChild’s Favorites

Hashimoto Mio and Aoki Sota from Kieta Hatsukoi (2021)

I’m all for supportive ally friends, and Hashimoto-san from Kieta Hatsukoi is most certainly one of them. While Aoki has a one-sided crush on her in the beginning, and she becomes part of many misunderstandings happening around, she emerges as the sweetest person as opposed to what we expected, accepting Aoki’s love for Iida and helping him along the way. I love the camaraderie between her and Aoki, too—they’re so supportive of each other, and we’re here for it!

Namgoong Shiwoon, Shin Daon, and Noh Shinwoo from Light on Me (2021)

Speaking of supportive ally best friends, we can’t ignore the little ray of sunshine that is Shiwoon from Saebit High’s Student Council. He’s a fantastic friend to all his fellow student council members, giving them advice whenever they need it (especially with Taekyung). He understands Shinwoo and Daon and stands by their side when they’re in trouble—when the space around them becomes unsafe. Indeed, a friend that everyone would love by their side.

Tiw and Tinn from My School President (2022-23)

The series is still airing as I type this (just finished the 9th episode an hour ago), but I’m hoping the friendship between Tinn and Tiw stays as precious as it is now. Tiw is one of the best wingmen out there, supporting Tinn as he works his way into Gun’s heart and helping out with Gun’s band whenever they get into a sticky situation. He also teaches everyone dance moves for all the covers in the series—what a precious boy, a wonderful friend! Hopefully, we’ll get to see his love blossom as well soon!

Sarinpai’s Favorites

Namgoong Shiwoon (Light on Me)

If there was one word I could use to describe Shiwoon, it would be “best boy” (please ignore how that is actually two words, it’s the feeling that counts). He is a breath of fresh air, the comic relief when everyone else is glum or on edge, but at the same time, he becomes the voice of reason, holding his own friends accountable for their actions when need be.

Oh-Aew’s group (I Promised You the Moon)

There were more heart-breaking than heart-warming scenes in I Promised You the Moon, but one of the few scenes where I wasn’t frustrated because of all the emotional turmoil Teh and Oh-aew were going through was ironically, just when the angst hit its peak. When Oh-aew breaks down at the loss of his relationship, they are there to help him pick up the pieces. They are the kind of group that you know you can rely on to cuddle you when you need it the most.

Na (Tonhon Chonlatee)

In what was undoubtedly a mess of a series, Na was one of the only redeeming points. Introduced as an airhead, as the show progresses, we get to see his more sensitive and deeper side. He falls for Chonlatee himself, but doesn’t try to butt into his relationship with Tonhon and supports him fully. At all times, what matters more to him is Chon’s happiness. He is a gentle, kind soul, a kind of friend that everyone could do with.

Tiw (My School President)

Maybe this is a little premature, since My School President hasn’t even ended at the time of writing. Maybe GMM will pull some surprise twist on the penultimate episode that Tiw is actually an arsonist who likes kicking puppies for fun, but in the unlikely event that that happens and sours my perception of his character, he is literally the best friend one could ask for. He is an active participant in all of Tinn’s attempts to pursue Gun, not only that, but he himself does his best to be the greatest wingman in BL history. From giving his sibling’s apartment to TinnGun to stay, to directing their music video, to feeling jealous on Tinn’s behalf, he cements himself as one of the best friends in BL.

We will be back next week with the third edition of this feature. So till then, keep watching this space as we bring you more updates from the Asian BL World!