BLs with pairings that absolutely shouldn’t work but somehow do create the most satisfying relationship dynamics, period. Imagine a cop and a criminal or a geek and a gangster — now you can stop imagining and find a cozy spot to binge watch because these BLs already exist.

Sure, the good guy and bad guy pairing might sound unrealistic, but BL has always excelled at making the most unlikely pairings feel perfect. Sometimes the relationships that feel impossible, forbidden, and totally wrong are the ones that also feel the most right.

If you’re looking for the Harley Quinn and Joker relationships of BL, these are five BLs where the good guy and the bad guy make the perfect pair:

1. “The Heart Killers”

In the campy comedy-meets-crime BL “The Heart Killers,” real feelings take over the plot when two (mostly) regular guys get tangled up with assassins during an undercover operation that neither of them wanted to be a part of.

Kant (First Kanaphan Puitrakul) is a tattoo artist with a criminal past he’s trying to leave behind, but the police hold his record over his head. When he’s pressured into spying on two men suspected of being contract killers tied to recent political and business murders, Kant is forced to agree.

Of course, there’s a twist right from the start: One of the suspected killers, Bison (Khaotung Thanawat Ratanakitpaisan), happens to be Kant’s unforgettable one‑night stand.

Bison may be a contract killer, but he’s actually a softie and a romantic who dreams of getting out of the business. In fact, he might have done so already if not for his older brother Fadel (Joong Archen Aydin), a sharper, colder assassin who insists they stay anonymous and unattached.

In Fadel’s rulebook, there’s no room for relationships, which makes Kant’s job of getting close to Bison nearly impossible. That’s where Kant’s best friend Style (Dunk Natachai Boonprasert) comes in. Style is a carefree and wildly confident mechanic who owns his own shop. More importantly, he isn’t afraid to pursue something he wants. Agreeing to help his buddy (at a price, of course), Style becomes the Fadel-distraction that Kant desperately needs.

What follows is a chaotic story of two best friends undercover, two assassins with secrets, a criminal organization with suspiciously well-dressed stakeholders, and a mission that absolutely does not go according to plan.

Why it’s worth the watch:
This show has such fun characters, and the overall vibe definitely screams “Charlie’s Angels,” but with more BL of course. Crime, espionage, comedy, and chemistry are all dialed up to make this show the right amount of unserious. But make no mistake, it also has its tense moments that make you wonder, “Is someone going to die now?”

Start watching “The Heart Killers” now:

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2. “Flower Boy”

“Flower Boy” tells the love story between a rich company heir and a magical flower boy. As the two unexpectedly fall in love, a hidden agenda and dark truth come to light.

Deep in the forest, there’s a legend that a secret flower tribe lives in seclusion, and they’re known to have a supernatural gift: their natural fragrance can mesmerize anyone who smells it. This legend reaches Scent (Pearl Satjakorn Chalard), a workaholic vice president of a luxury perfume company. Focused on securing a future for his company, he’s looking for a new scent that will put his brand on top.

Determined to track down this mythical tribe, he heads into the forest, only to run into danger and be saved by a beautiful young man named Gaysorn (Peak Peemapol Panichtamrong). Timid but protective of his land and people, Gaysorn is the heir of the tribe that Scent is searching for, and he happens to be the most fragrant member of them all.

Gaysorn denies the existence of the flower tribe, but he gives off such an intoxicating scent that Scent can’t help but notice it. Amazed by how captivating Gaysorn’s scent is, Scent wants to find a way to capture it in a perfume and make a profit.

Hoping to win his trust, Scent convinces Gaysorn to return to Bangkok with him, promising to help find his missing mother who had left the forest and never returned. Without knowing Scent’s true intentions, Gaysorn leaves for a new and unfamiliar place with a man he knows little about.

Why it’s worth the watch:
The cinematography, colors, and whimsical forest scenes are so pretty, and the way it clashes with the bright lights and coldness of the city really shows how different Gaysorn’s and Scent’s lives are. Watching Gaysorn try to adapt to the big city definitely feels like watching a princess who suddenly had to leave her fairytale land for something not so rose-tinted. All the while, Scent becomes more captivated by him and questions his own intentions. If you loved Pearl and Peak in “Love in the Moonlight,” you’ll love them in this too.

3. “The Lie We Lived In”

In “The Lie We Live In,” a hired hitman, who kills whenever ordered to, meets someone he isn’t willing to hurt, even if it means going against orders.

Seo Yi Do (Kim Seung Beom) is a contract killer whose entire life revolves around his work. His latest target is Heo Dong Hwa (Lee Jeong Ho), and it’s supposed to be an easy in‑and‑out hit until his instructions change mid‑mission. Dong Hwa is hiding a phone with evidence Yi Do’s boss needs, so instead of killing him, Yi Do must keep him alive and stay in his home until he finds the phone.

The plan goes further off course when Dong Hwa, now locked away, gets a visitor. Chu Tae Jeong (Kim Gyeong Min), one of Dong Hwa’s closest childhood friends, arrives to stay over. Friendly, trusting, and completely unaware of the danger he just stepped into, Tae Jeong immediately assumes Yi Do is Dong Hwa’s older brother who has been living abroad.

Yi Do goes along with the lie, hiding his true intentions and secretly searching for the phone. But, like any lie left going for too long, it starts to spiral. As Yi Do reluctantly plays the part of a normal person with Tae Jeong, unexpected feelings start to emerge. When his orders are to leave no witnesses, Yi Do faces an important decision.

Why it’s worth the watch:
The tension in this show is off the charts, and the mystery‑thriller of it all is actually a fun challenge to piece together. The air truly feels thick and heavy every time the two leads are in the same room, and the vibe shifts into “something bad is about to happen” territory. “The Lie We Lived In” will keep you on edge and guessing what will happen next up to the very last episode.

Start watching “The Lie We Lived In” now:

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4. “Sammy’s Children’s Day”

In “Sammy’s Children’s Day,” a timid but genius university student born in a crime-riddled neighborhood crosses paths with the town’s most notorious gang member. Sparks fly, along with knives, kicks, and punches.

Set in Hong Kong in the 1980s, He Chu San (He Chang Xi) lives in a dangerous, lawless city where gang activity is normal. Despite where he grew up, Chu San has become the town’s golden boy. Attending a top university, he has genius-level book smarts. His street smarts, however, are maybe not as strong.

Case in point: One night, he walks right into a gang scuffle where Xia Liu Yi (He Yan Zhao) appears, sword-wielding and somehow nonchalantly looking like the coolest person in the world. Liu Yi is the infamous, very feared gangster who doesn’t seem afraid of anything or anyone.

After being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Chu San nearly makes it out without a scratch. Nearly. Instead, he ends up in the belly of the beast, aka Liu Yi’s home base. Liu Yi knows how smart Chu San is because of his neighborhood fame, so he gives Chu San a task that he can’t refuse.

Suddenly, Chu San is forced to be involved in a gang and is being pressured to join as Liu Yi’s newest right-hand. However, Chu San despises gangs and wants nothing to do with them. Liu Yi might be known as the most fearsome gang member in town, but Chu San isn’t so easy to convince.

Why it’s worth the watch:
The premise of a straight-A student and a violent gang member who’s prince to the gang leader throne is probably already enough to sell you on this show. One guy loves books, the other loves knives — it sounds like the most perfect imperfect pairing if there ever was one. There’s a whole lot more going for this show too, besides the genius pairing of Chu San and Liu Yi. The period setting is super cool, the gang politics raise the stakes, and the show is packed with interesting characters.

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5. “Spare Me Your Mercy”

As mysterious deaths start happening in a small town, a by-the-book cop suspects the town’s beloved doctor is involved despite his kind and caring persona.

Policeman Thiu Wasan (JJ Krissanapoom Pibulsonggram) heads back to his small rural hometown to care for his terminally ill mother, but she passes away before she is expected to. Apparently dying of natural causes, he grows suspicious of the town doctor who handles terminal illnesses and who cared for his mother.

That doctor is none other than the town’s most adored physician, Doctor Kan (Tor Thanapob Leeratanakachorn). Everyone loves him, but Thiu feels something isn’t right. As he stays in town, he notices an unsettling pattern emerge: more and more terminally ill patients are dying under suspicious circumstances.

While Doctor Kan welcomes Thiu to town and is exceedingly friendly toward him, Thiu’s suspicions only increase. Is something really off about Doctor Kan, or is Thiu chasing the wrong person?

Why it’s worth the watch:
Not to be too on-the-nose, but the mystery of this drama is killer. “Spare Me Your Mercy” is a mind-bending crime mystery that definitely can be categorized as creepy, but in the best way. If you want an uncanny watch with subtle romance that is second to a seriously good plot and storyline, this delivers. Watching this in the dark is a must for the full effect. This show genuinely makes you question what is right, what is wrong, and who gets to decide.

Start watching “Spare Me Your Mercy” now:

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Asya’s a BL-biased Soompi writer with a love of K-pop and all types of Asian dramas. Some of her favorite shows are “Psychopath Diary,” “Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss!,” “Light On Me,” “The Untamed,” “Go Go Squid!,” and “Cherry Magic!“

Currently watching: “Ticket to Heaven,” “Deep In,” “After Moving Seats, The Boy Behind Me Has A Crush On Me,” “The Prosecutor’s Proposal,” “Don’t Be Too Emotional,” “Mr. Kill,” and “Be My Player Two.”
Looking forward to: “Connecting to You,” “Love Scandal,” “Magic Lover,” “Mr. Fanboy,” and “The Love Matter.”