High school nostalgia, academic rivalries, and a celebration of queer identities all in one Filipino Boys’ Love (BL) web comic? Sign us up!
There’s no denying that nostalgia is a powerful tool (especially in storytelling), and author-illustrator pajamakidz uses it to its full capacity in their new queer web comic, Hey, This Guy’s in Love With You.
Photo: pajamakidz/Instagram
The story, which currently has four chapters in English and Filipino, started as an anthology of scenarios that went viral in 2024. Each episode offers a vibrant balance of kilig and coming-of-age feels alongside a diverse set of characters that fondly remind us of our carefree high school days. Now a full-fledged comic on Webtoon and Tapas, Hey, This Guy’s in Love With You joins a diverse selection of illustrated adventures that champion queer voices and perspectives across all genres.
Filipinos have actively supported and contributed to the global BL phenomenon throughout its meteoric rise to fame in recent years. Hey, This Guy’s in Love With You is living proof that the local and international queer stories we adored before are still worth appreciating and honoring, no matter how much time has passed.
Whether you’re new to BL stories or a long-time fan, you’re bound to find something to love in every chapter of Hey, This Guy’s in Love With You. Here’s everything you need to know about the feel-good comic and its purposeful presence in queer Filipino spaces:
An Adorably Familiar and Heart-fluttering Story
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Hey, This Guy’s in Love With You makes a case for feel-good campus romances with protagonists who can brighten up any reader’s day without fail.
There’s Ivan Gonzales, the school’s resident heartthrob from a well-off family, and Adrian Constantino, the high-strung class president who lets his achievements speak for themselves. Complicated feelings get in the way of their friendly feud, hinting at something deeper between the two young men than a shared goal of academic excellence.
@pajamakidz they’re definitely the “hardworking top student scared of failing” x “natural genius who admires the other’s perseverance but is sadly mistaken as someone overthrowing him from the top spot” dynamic. #oc #pov#delulu #boyslove#deluluart #bl #digitalart #arttok #animation #ocs #umaasa#filipino #fypシ゚
Ivan and Adrian’s silly banter was all it took for the BL story to blow up on social media. We had our first glimpses into their story through bite-sized animations, which gained over a million likes in two years. These short and sweet videos also drew in numerous new fans for pajamakidz, who currently has over 237,000 followers on TikTok and over 105,000 followers on Instagram.
It wasn’t long before Filipinos paid more attention to Ivan and Adrian’s chaotic yet sentimental love story. Their wholesome dynamics were enough to pique the interest of fans outside BL fandoms, proving that you don’t always need to execute meaningful narratives extravagantly to capture the public’s hearts.
Lots of Fun for the Whole Barkada
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We all remember our high school friend groups that helped us power through every stressful week on campus—some of whom we still spend time with years after graduating. Our lives as students weren’t complete without our campus “constants,” and Ivan and Adrian can attest to that.
Besides blooming romances, Hey, This Guy’s in Love With You also thoroughly explores platonic relationships that are vital to every high schooler’s growth. The story primarily focuses on Ivan and Adrian, but it also highlights the pair’s friends and their respective queer experiences at Malayang Agila University.
Along the way, you’ll also meet:
- Khyle Ancheta,
- Samuel Vergara (Khyle’s adorable admirer),
- Julia Mercado (Ivan’s ex-girlfriend), and
- Maya Poblacion.
Together with Ivan and Adrian, the group lives their high school lives to the fullest. They never fail to bring smiles to readers’ faces through their shenanigans and “canon events,” such as surviving long tests, acing group reports, comparing ID pictures, and goofing around at their annual sports fest.
Queer friendships deserve as much support and time in the spotlight as queer relationships in fictional media. As we continue to shower Ivan, Adrian, and the Malayang Agila barkada with love, LGBTQIA+ Filipinos have more freedom to feel seen, represented, and celebrated through these diverse characters.
A Call to Champion More Queer Filipino Stories
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Hey, This Guy’s in Love With You has gained over 340,000 views and 22,000 subscribers on Webtoon and Tapas since the web comic’s release last month. Those numbers alone already prove that the country’s queer shows, films, books, and various other projects deserve to thrive wherever they go.
Filipinos are no strangers to queer coming-of-age stories, after all. Shows like Hello Stranger, Gameboys, and The Day I Loved You, as well as films such as The Boy Foretold By the Stars, have become entry points for many BL fans to do more deep dives into the country’s vast library of queer media.
Similarly, pajamakidz’s Hey, This Guy’s in Love With You can introduce long-time webtoon readers to more Filipino storytellers in the LGBTQIA+ community. If you want to join Ivan, Adrian, and their friends at Malayang Agila University, you can browse the widely loved web comic on Webtoon and Tapas. Keep an eye out for sneak peeks of upcoming chapters, too.
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What are your favorite Filipino BL shows, films, and stories? Share your picks with us in the comments below!
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