Last year, 2PM member Ok Taecyeon (옥택연), mononymously known as Taecyeon, confirmed that he would be making his BL debut in the highly anticipated J-drama “Soul Mate” on Netflix. He will star alongside Japanese actor Hayato Isomura, who will play his love interest in the series.
The first teaser was released last night (Wednesday, 12th February), and fans have been expressing their excitement about seeing their favourite idol in a BL series. While there isn’t much information available yet, here’s what we know so far:
1. “Soul Mate” will be released in August
As much as we’d like to see Taecyeon on our screens soon, “Soul Mate” will only be released sometime in August later this year. We still have six months to go, so it’s highly likely that more details about the series, as well as additional teasers and trailers, will be released in anticipation of the upcoming drama.
2. Taecyeon took boxing lessons for his role
According to Netflix, the K-pop idol will be playing a boxer named Johan Hwang, who saves Ryu Narutaki (played by Hayato Isomura). In a statement, Taecyeon revealed that he underwent physical training for the role.
“The character of Johan Hwang intrigued me, and his inner struggles and pain stayed with me long after I read the script. To prepare, I lost weight and underwent boxing training, and I’ve continued to train diligently during filming to portray Johan as best as I can,” he said.
3. “Soul Mate” is rated 18+ on the Netflix app
According to speculations, “Soul Mate” may not actually feature a kissing scene. This is quite uncommon in the BL genre, as the first kiss between the two main characters often signifies the bond they share, as well as their character development. However, as seen on the Netflix app, the show is rated as 18+ and while that doesn’t necessarily imply anything sexual, certain scenes may not be suitable for younger audiences so we’ll have to wait and see once it’s released.
4. The show is set in Seoul, Berlin and Tokyo
“Soul Mate” tells a 10-year-long love story between two men, traversing through major cities in three different countries; Seoul (South Korea), Berlin (Germany) and Tokyo (Japan). Hayato Isomura confirmed that filming did take place in all these countries and from the teaser, we already got a glimpse of the characters exploring around the cities.
5. “Soul Mate” is directed by Hashizume Shunki
Up-and-coming director and creator, Hashizume Shunki has previously worked on queer projects, with his most notable one being “More Than Words” back in 2022. The director described “Soul Mate” to be a heartfelt depiction of love and its complexities, including joy, pain, and unexplainable deep bonds so we can expect a really good story.
Here’s the first look at “Soul Mate” coming to Netflix this August:
