Soul Mate (2026)

ソウルメイト ‧ Drama ‧ 2026
Soul Mate (2026) poster
8.1
Your Rating: 0/10
Ratings: 8.1/10 from 3,007 users
# of Watchers: 16,269
Reviews: 67 users
Ranked #2050
Popularity #1600
Watchers 3,007

After inadvertently destroying the life of his best friend, Narutaki Ryu abandons everything and leaves Japan. He nearly dies at a church in a foreign country before he is saved by a Korean boxer named Hwang Jo Han. Both men carry deep, unhealed wounds, and as their lonely souls gravitate toward one another, it soon becomes clear that they are soul mates. Drawn by fate, they decide to live together. Their journey takes them through Berlin, Seoul and Tokyo, where they experience a breadth of emotions: unforgettable pain, suffering and, ultimately, joy. (Source: Netflix) Edit Translation

  • English
  • ภาษาไทย
  • Čeština
  • हिन्दी
  • Country: Japan
  • Type: Drama
  • Episodes: 8
  • Aired: May 14, 2026
  • Aired On: Thursday
  • Original Network: Netflix
  • Duration: 38 min.
  • Score: 8.1 (scored by 3,007 users)
  • Ranked: #2050
  • Popularity: #1600
  • Content Rating: 13+ - Teens 13 or older

Where to Watch Soul Mate

Netflix
Subscription (sub)

Cast & Credits

Photos

Soul Mate Japanese Drama(2026) photo
Soul Mate Japanese Drama(2026) photo
Soul Mate Japanese Drama(2026) photo
Soul Mate Japanese Drama(2026) photo
Soul Mate Japanese Drama(2026) photo
Soul Mate Japanese Drama(2026) photo

Reviews

Completed
Eliot_Rulez
89 people found this review helpful
18 days ago
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 48
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 5.5
This review may contain spoilers

Why do non-BLs always have to be sad and tragic?

This is not a BL, it's a queer series. It's slices of live spanning over around 8 years or so. The beginning is a bit strange because there are too many coincidences in the first episode. And of course while we know they are gay, there is no explicit scene about confessing and of course no kissing at all. I don't need any nc-scenes at all, but their relationsship is not defined. We can asume they are together because they love each other but it would not have hurt to give as at least one fluffy moment.

On the other hand this slices of life are mostly a series of negatives. For me it was very emotional because every negative stroke of fate just happens. Ryo gets confessed to but he can't handle it. The confessor get outed and jumps (we do not know from how high), but survives, Ryo runs away to Germany of all places and gets nearly killed in a church were another gay persons throws molowtov-cocktails at the altar and is saved by a man who just before listenes to his guilt-confession.

And the list goes on... Is there a happy end? Kind of, but not really. Of course there are also happy moments but anything happy will be destroyed by a tragic event. Is it really necessary to make queer series where everything is tragic? Do we get only stupid, crappy BLs for happyness? I don't mind if there are tragic elements in a story, but this was too much.

I can't fault the actors, they did their best, but watching this series is very taxing. I can only fault the script & direction. I wish we get realistic gay stories which do not end always badly, or where at least the good and bad balance each other out. So, I'm a bit disappointed that they choose not do so. It's very emotional and I needed some tissues. I can't even say it was "bad". Yes the script had it's flaws, the story-arc is not what I wished for, some scenes are too slow for my taste, but it was done mostly in a good way. If you crave for something tragic, this series is for you, if you want something happy, this is definitively not for you.

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Completed
MayaJd
88 people found this review helpful
17 days ago
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 7.5
This review may contain spoilers

Not a Bl but Queer Story

I’ve seen a lot of mixed (and even negative) reviews about Soulmate, But honestly, I feel like that kind of thinking misses the whole point of the story.

Not every relationship needs a label like “boyfriends” to be meaningful. And intimacy doesn’t always have to be physical to be real. What Soulmate shows is something quieter but deeper—a connection built on understanding, respect, and simply being there for each other.

The title “Soulmate” fits perfectly. Their relationship feels like more than friendship, but not something that needs to be defined as lovers either. It exists somewhere in between, in a space that feels very real but is rarely shown on screen.

Another thing I really appreciated is how the drama portrays family. It reminds us that you don’t have to be blood-related to be a family. And you don’t have to fit into traditional stereotypes either. A family doesn’t always have to look like “one mother and one father.”

In the story, two men step up to take care of their best friend’s child after her husband passes away. The three of them build a life together, taking turns, supporting each other, and raising the baby with love. It’s such a simple but powerful way of showing that family is about care, responsibility, and connection—not labels.

What I loved most is how they live together, find happiness in small everyday moments, and respect each other’s boundaries. It’s not dramatic or intense in a typical way—it’s soft, calm, and emotionally intimate.

Honestly, this is the kind of relationship I would want in real life. Just living peacefully with someone who understands you without needing to explain everything.

I feel like this drama introduces a kind of “new genre” for many viewers—one that focuses less on labels or physical romance, and more on genuine human connection.

And maybe that’s why it feels so different… and so special.

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Details

  • Title: Soul Mate
  • Type: Drama
  • Format: Standard Series
  • Country: Japan
  • Episodes: 8
  • Aired: May 14, 2026
  • Aired On: Thursday
  • Original Network: Netflix
  • Duration: 38 min.
  • Content Rating: 13+ - Teens 13 or older

Statistics

  • Score: 8.1 (scored by 3,007 users)
  • Ranked: #2050
  • Popularity: #1600
  • Watchers: 16,269

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