When it comes to animation, Japan is pretty much on top of the scene, and their impact is so great! But Japan's not the only one cooking up good anime.

Over the past few years, South Korea has been making a name not just in manhwa but also in the Yaoi animation industry. And the one pioneering this?

None other than South Korean animator Bboong Bbang Kkyu!

Leading the yaoi animation scene is quite a feat. After all, there are a plethora of really good ones out there.

But what makes Bboong Bbang Kkyu stand out?

Well, their works are gorgeous, the stories are well-written, and there's plenty of hot and steamy action to get your heart racing!

If you're interested in Korean animation, Bboong Bbang Kkyu's works are a good place to start!

Hyperventilation

Since high school, Lee Myongi hasn't seen his crush, Han Suho. He takes the opportunity to meet him during their high school reunion. Little did he know that things were about to change between him and Suho.

While the two of them headed out for a smoke break, Suho takes the opportunity to meet Myongi for a kiss. This confuses Myongi, as he has never explored the possibility of Suho being gay in the first place.

But despite this revelation, the two of them have yet to put a label on their relationship. Was Suho just leading him on? Or were they nothing more than friends with benefits?

Review

Hyperventilation is a slow-burn romance. It's easy to follow the story, with no weird plot holes or anything. It's wrapped up nicely, from start to finish, with nothing left hanging.

Even though each episode is only three minutes long, it's enough to feel all of Myongi's emotions. The lack of dialogue makes it even more expressive. The animators are amazing; you can tell exactly what Myongi and Sunho are feeling just from their faces!

The whole misunderstanding between them is done so well that it'll definitely hit you right in the feels. There's even a hint of that "yandere" vibe, you know, the obsessive love thing, but it's super subtle.

The time skip at the beginning was a genius move. You get to see things from Myongi's perspective, and how he thought his love was one-sided but never gave up hope. It hurts, but the comfort you get afterwards? Absolutely divine.

If you're a fan of those classic miscommunication tropes or love a good dose of angst, you'll totally fall for Hyperventilation!

Unbelievable Space Love

An unnamed orange-haired man sits alone at the beach, staring at the sunset sky. He looks around in confusion, not recognizing the place he is in.

A blue-haired man joins him and tells him that he is in a dream. Seeing the curious look in the other man's eyes, he tells him more about who he is and their shared history.

He tells him everything, from when they first got together, how they got married, why they broke up, and how it all led them to where they are - back in each other's arms.

But within these quiet moments lies a heartbreaking truth that will forever remain untold.

Review

You should best prepare your tissues for this one. Just a fair warning: it's not a happy ending.

Despite its short runtime, "Unbelievable Space Love" packs an emotional punch that will leave you wondering why the hell you watched it in the first place.

What makes this film stand out the most among Bboong Bbang Kkyu's works is that the film leaves the most emotional impact despite not having any intimate scenes.

That said, don't be fooled by the cute and pastel-colored animation! You'd think it's your typical romance, but then you realize it's a mind-bending twist that makes you question everything. Are they dreaming? Hallucinating? Is their love story even real?

Oh, and if you've seen it and are still confused about the ending, I'll gladly explain it to you! But if you don't want spoilers, here's your chance to skip this part!

Still here? Ok.

So, the orange-haired man is an astronaut whose ship was failing. He doesn't have enough oxygen to make it home. The ship's AI (who was secretly in love with him) creates an AI-generated vision where he could be at peace while he is brought back home.

But here's the sad part: the astronaut wakes up back on Earth, safe and sound, but the AI is stuck on the ship, which we assume is now dead. So, the astronaut gets to live, but the AI sacrifices itself for love.

Thus, this ends our tragic yaoi.

Mignon

In the heart of a neon-lit city, an illegal boxing ring thrives on violence and desperation. Mignon, a young fighter with a tragic past, finds solace in the quiet infirmary of Dr. Oh Young-One, a mysterious and gentle healer. Drawn to Young-One's kindness and unwavering care, Mignon seeks refuge from the brutality of the ring in the doctor's comforting presence.

However, Young-One harbors a dark secret, a truth that could shatter their fragile bond and put Mignon in grave danger.

When Mignon accidentally discovers this secret, he is warned to stay away for his safety. But Mignon, yearning for connection and a sense of belonging, refuses to abandon the one person who sees him as more than a fighter.

Review

Mignon is Bboong Bbang Kkyu's latest and, by far, most popular work, and its fame is certainly well deserved!

If you're active in the BL Community on X.com, you've probably seen some of the really raunchy GIFs around. Heck, they even reached the side of X that doesn't watch BL animations!

Though this is the most explicit series of the three, Mignon does not hold back in storytelling either. It's not as overly angsty as Unbelievable Space Love or Hyperventilation, but it does have its charm!

The romance, in particular, is more fleshed out than the other two series. Maybe it's because of the runtime? Then again, not all long-running series are as well-written as this one.

From start to finish, everything just flows so well. We watch Min-young fall in love with the doctor, we see him pine for him, and we see him finally having him.

And the last part? Oh boy, that was really hot! It's like a reward for watching their entire love story. It's just nice to see that they left their intimate scenes for last. We wouldn't want it to be the takeaway of this beautifully written story after all!

Hopefully, we will see more Korean BL animations in the future. But for now, how about we chat about our favorite Bl content at the Otaku Community? We promise not to bite!