In one of the more hilarious moments during Sasaki and Miyano Episode 2, Sasaki caught Miyano listening to some suspicious drama CDs in the school hallway, and Miyano was so embarrassed that he begged Sasaki to forget the whole encounter. The scene was not only funny because of Miyano’s reactions, but also because it was an accurate reference to a key component of the commercial Boys' Love or BL market in Japan: listening to voice actors performing BL stories. But what really are BL drama CDs? And why hasn't the media form spread outside of Japan?
To start, BL drama CDs have been a part of Japan’s BL culture for over 20 years; as long as there has been BL in anime form, there has been BL in CD form. This is in part because radio drama, and later drama CDs, have a rich history in Japan -- thanks to the country's vibrant voice acting industry. The idolization of voice actors in recent years has led to much more merchandise related to voice actors, so the BL drama CD is just a natural extension of this trend.
What Are BL Drama CDs?
The Western equivalent to drama CDs is audiobooks, but audiobooks are generally longer and usually more narration heavy. Drama CDs emphasize screen-like dialogue, with narration usually integrated into the performances. Furthermore, drama CDs are often performed by well-known and professional voice actors. Considering the acting and pacing, this media form is like anime without the visuals.
Compared to anime, drama CDs are much cheaper to produce, and are primarily marketed to the built-in audiences of the original source material, which makes the BL genre a prime candidate for drama CD adaptations. Firstly, explicit BL is not so easily adapted into anime due to its adult nature, and secondly, BL manga are generally short, one volume stories that can easily fit in the 60 to 80-minute runtime of a CD. It is not rare to see BL drama CDs topping the chart in Japan’s Oricon ranking.
Where Can Fans Find BL Drama CDs?
BL drama CDs have mostly been a phenomenon for the Japanese market, mainly because of the language barrier since producers can't make subtitles for a CD as they do with anime. However, since a lot of the CDs are adapted from popular BL manga, and many of these series now have official English versions, the manga can actually serve as pseudo-translations: Fans can listen to a related BL drama CD while following along in the English-translated manga. With more BL series being translated everyday, there is no reason why BL fans who don't understand Japanese can’t enjoy these well-produced and well-performed BL dramas.
The easiest place to purchase a BL drama CD is from Amazon Japan. The site has a wide selection of the latest releases and fans can even search using English. The shipping rate is extremely affordable compared to other sites, and shipments tend to be fast. For those that crave something special, Animate International is one of the best places to find exclusive limited edition CDs, with extra clips and other bonuses. The site is also in English and has a BL CD section for easy browsing. In addition to these, there is also a myriad of proxy buying services that allow fans to purchase content directly from various Japanese sites.
What Are the Best BL Drama CDs to Start With?
One way to enter the world of BL drama CDs is with an ensemble series like Ze, created by Yuki Shimizu. It tells the story of a mysterious family of sorcerers, who has the power to use words to harm others, and to turn paper dolls into humans. The stories are a series of romances between the dolls and their masters, and it features a star-studded cast, including Ono Daisuke (Kujo Jotaro from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure) and Koyasu Takehito (Dio Brando also from JoJo) -- and the two do play a couple in this story. There are seven other couples featured in the series, so there is plenty of romance to enjoy.
For something a bit more recent, there is Yarichin Bitch Club, based on the manga series by Ogeretsu Tanaka. This series is actually quite light on the physical intimacy, but very explicit in terms of language. It features absolutely hilarious and unhinged performances by some of the most prolific voice actors currently working, including Kobayashi Yuusuke (Subaru in Re:Zero) and Murase Ayumu (Hinata Shoyo in Haikyuu!!).
For less adult content, the recent One Room Angel featuring Aoi Shouta (Gerald Stuart from My Next Life as a Villainess) and Sugita Tomokazu (Gintoki from Gintama) is a heartbreaking yet poignant story about finding acceptance and companionship in unlikely circumstances. That being said, it is getting rarer to find BL drama CDs with no explicit intimacy scenes, so do be prepared to listen in private and with headphones on.
