Soul Mate
Watch for fans of "First Love" and "Layered Latte" — it has the same tenderness, but with a more mature perspective on trauma and healing through love.
Netflix releases on May 14, 2026, a Japanese BL drama about a decade-long relationship between two men from different cultures. Ryu Narutaki (Hayato Isomura from "Alice in Borderland") leaves Japan after the death of his best friend and nearly dies in a church in a foreign country, but is saved by Korean boxer Johan Hwang (Ok Taec-yeon from 2PM). Their fates intertwine in Berlin, Seoul, and Tokyo — from suffering and loneliness to love and healing. Director Hashizume Shunki ("More Than Words") films the story as a romantic epic without melodramatic clichés: there are no random embraces, but a slow building of trust between two wounded souls.
The series is conceived as a closed story in 8 episodes, covering 10 years of relationship.
Yes, it is a romantic drama about two men with explicit scenes of intimacy, but without focusing solely on the physical — emphasis on emotional connection.
The series is bilingual (Japanese and Korean), with Netflix subtitles in multiple languages.
Member of the K-pop group 2PM, actor ("Vincenzo," "Heartbeat"), making his debut in a Japanese project.
Soul Mate — "родственная душа," the idea that two people are meant for each other despite distance and differences.