Itās a shame what has happened with this series ā or rather, what hasnāt happened at all. If thereās queerbaiting involved, I wonāt be watching even a single episode. Itās quite disappointing to see a story that was promoted as a romance between two men who are soulmates take such a clear turn into a simple friendship.
Considering Alice in Borderland Season 3 is set to release in late September, itās possible Netflix Japan might be strategically holding Soul Mate until after the hype dies down. This would allow them to give it a proper marketing push, possibly aiming for a November or December premiere, taking advantage of the holiday streaming boom and keeping Hayato Isomura fresh in the publicās mind.
Honestly, at this point, looking at the current situation, I donāt think Soul Mate will just ādropā on Netflix without any promotion. With two high-profile actors like Hayato Isomura and Ok Taecyeon, it would be a waste to release it quietly. My guess is that Netflix has decided to delay the premiere to give it a proper marketing campaign ā probably closer to the end of the year or even early next year.
Right now, the complete silence (no trailer, no posters, no social media updates) feels intentional. Itās possible theyāre either fine-tuning the post-production or reworking their marketing strategy to maximize its impact. Considering the themes and the fact that neither actor has headlined an LGBTQ+ drama before, Netflix Japan might also be planning a careful rollout to avoid unnecessary controversy and to ensure the series reaches the widest possible audience.
In short: I see this as a strategic delay, not a cancellation. The quieter the pre-release phase, the louder the eventual premiere might be. Stay positive!
One possible reason for the delay and lack of promotion could be censorship. While Hayato Isomura has appeared in a LGBTQ+-themed series before, neither he nor Taecyeon has played a main role in a production with explicit LGBTQ+ themes. Their agencies might have requested edits to protect their image, leading to cuts of certain scenes. This kind of self-censorship has happened in other Asian productions, and it could explain why Netflix has been so quiet about Soul Mate.
Possible reasons why Soul Mate has low promotion and no confirmed release date yet:
-Netflix may be using a āsilent promotionā strategy, revealing trailers and dates only days before release. -Internal schedule changes could have delayed the launch, despite the August 2025 announcement. -Content review for lgbtq+ themes across multiple regions might be taking longer than expected. -Possible straightwashing or toned-down intimacy for certain markets. -Japanese Netflix Originals often have more flexible, shifting timelines. -Competition with other August releases might have led to a strategic delay.
Iām still hoping for a sudden release in the coming days š„ŗ
To be honest, I donāt believe the series is simply about two good friends sharing a soul mate bond. Iām sorry, but to me, that would be a rather underwhelming and somewhat simplistic plot that doesnāt truly align with the premise of the series. Just my opinion, but I feel āSoulmateā should carry a romantic storyline at its core.
https://www.studiodragon.net/en/ir/activities/
Also, yesterday when I was checking Netflix, the series appeared as āit's official, it will premiere.ā
Right now, the complete silence (no trailer, no posters, no social media updates) feels intentional. Itās possible theyāre either fine-tuning the post-production or reworking their marketing strategy to maximize its impact. Considering the themes and the fact that neither actor has headlined an LGBTQ+ drama before, Netflix Japan might also be planning a careful rollout to avoid unnecessary controversy and to ensure the series reaches the widest possible audience.
In short: I see this as a strategic delay, not a cancellation. The quieter the pre-release phase, the louder the eventual premiere might be. Stay positive!
-Netflix may be using a āsilent promotionā strategy, revealing trailers and dates only days before release.
-Internal schedule changes could have delayed the launch, despite the August 2025 announcement.
-Content review for lgbtq+ themes across multiple regions might be taking longer than expected.
-Possible straightwashing or toned-down intimacy for certain markets.
-Japanese Netflix Originals often have more flexible, shifting timelines.
-Competition with other August releases might have led to a strategic delay.
Iām still hoping for a sudden release in the coming days š„ŗ