Review of the BL series Secret Relationships, which follows a young man caught in a love square involving three very different—and possibly toxic—admirers.

Secret Relationships: a Korean BL series centred on a tense love square

Seoul. Jeong Da-on (Kim Junseo) is a delicate, cute, hardworking boy. Although he comes from a modest family and has an unstable father addicted to gambling, he has managed to build a career through hard work and dedication. He has also found a benevolent patron in the handsome, well-to-do Sin Jae-min (Kim Ho-young), who acts somewhat like a protective big brother, always kind and always there when Da-on needs help. We understand that the young man has a crush on his mentor but hesitates to confess his feelings to him…

Multiple suitors and secrets

Two events will disrupt their growing closeness. First, Da-on’s new colleague arrives: the adorable and somewhat clumsy Joo Seong-hyeon. Their professional collaboration will gradually give rise to feelings in Joo Seong-hyeon. But above all, it is the return to town of the charismatic, immensely wealthy and dark Kim Soo-hyeon (Cha Jung-woo), Sin Jae-min’s ex, that will create considerable tension. But beware: appearances are deceptive, and the ties between the boys conceal many secrets…

The plot of this Korean series is worthy of a major soap opera. Expect plenty of twists, hidden truths and, at times, hysterical moments that verge on excess. We eventually understand that all the boys are obsessed with Da-on. The pretty boy drives them crazy, and in the hope of winning his heart, some prove willing to do absolutely anything.

Between romantic thriller and toxic romance

Compared with other Boyslove series, Secret Relationships is fairly tame in terms of sensuality. It relies mainly on its thriller aspect, built around a love square that is far from free of toxicity. Certainly entertaining, the series explores the difficulty of succeeding when one comes from a modest background, the ghosts of the past—including a father who is quite monstrous in his self-destructive nature—and romantic obsession, which should not be confused with sincere love at first sight. Among Da-on’s three suitors, two have a genuine psychological problem, while the remaining one is a sweetheart whom we adore from the first episode to the last, hoping that he will be the chosen one.

Although the series sometimes suffers from a certain heaviness in its form and a screenplay that occasionally resembles a telenovela, it is beautifully produced. It is very pleasant to watch—and not only because of the handsome boys. There is fine work on the urban setting, lighting and sets, with particular care given to the costumes: the characters’ outfits are delightful. Above all, Secret Relationships, in addition to probing the obsessive neuroses of toxic, dominant romantics, creates captivating and endearing characters.

Series produced in 2025 and available on the GagaOOLala platform

Other BL series:

–Kinnporsche
–Love begins in the world of if
–Big Dragon