# Be My Boyfriend (오늘부터 계약연애)

**Be My Boyfriend** (오늘부터 계약연애, "Contract Dating Starting Today") is a 2021 South Korean high-teen (Korean genre centered on high-school teens) romance web drama in which an idol trainee, Oh Ji-na, proposes a fake contract relationship to her younger schoolmate Lee Seung-min, a boy with, in the show's own description, zero presence, and the pretense gradually turns into real feelings.<sup>[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/54215/be-my-boyfriend)</sup> It is a spin-off sharing the world of the web drama series *일진에게 찍혔을 때* (whose original work is credited as *Day Seven*), which had surpassed 150 million cumulative YouTube views by the time the spin-off was announced.<sup>[2](https://v.daum.net/v/cRHLDTNoT4)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://enter.etoday.co.kr/news/view/199944)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original title | 오늘부터 계약연애 (Be My Boyfriend) |
| Format | Korean web drama, 15 episodes of roughly 10–12 minutes; some listings count 16<sup>[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/54215/be-my-boyfriend)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://seore.org/w/%EB%AC%B8%EC%84%9C:%EC%98%A4%EB%8A%98%EB%B6%80%ED%84%B0%20%EA%B3%84%EC%95%BD%EC%97%B0%EC%95%A0)</sup>  |
| Broadcast | Naver TV pre-releases from February 25, 2021; YouTube (콬TV) from March 2, 2021, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 p.m.<sup>[4](https://seore.org/w/%EB%AC%B8%EC%84%9C:%EC%98%A4%EB%8A%98%EB%B6%80%ED%84%B0%20%EA%B3%84%EC%95%BD%EC%97%B0%EC%95%A0)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://enter.etoday.co.kr/news/view/199944)</sup>  |
| Production | WHYNOT Media; CP Kim Hyun-ki and Kwon Jun-seok, producer Lee Min-seok, director Lee Si-young, writer Han Song-yi<sup>[4](https://seore.org/w/%EB%AC%B8%EC%84%9C:%EC%98%A4%EB%8A%98%EB%B6%80%ED%84%B0%20%EA%B3%84%EC%95%BD%EC%97%B0%EC%95%A0)</sup> |
| Lead cast | Lee Si-woo (Oh Ji-na), Shin Hyun-seung (Lee Seung-min), Choi Yu-ju of Cherry Bullet (Seong Han-na), Im Sung-kyun (Gu Hyeong-tak), Kim Byeongkwan of A.C.E (Oh Ba-ul), Jung Bo-min (Joo Min-ji)<sup>[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14900148/)</sup> |
| Genre | High-teen romance, idol drama, romantic comedy<sup>[6](https://www.viki.com/tv/37455c-be-my-boyfriend)</sup> |
| Reception | 9.3/10 on Viki from over 118,000 users; 7.1/10 on IMDb<sup>[6](https://www.viki.com/tv/37455c-be-my-boyfriend)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14900148/)</sup>  |

## Spoilers

### Premise

The story is set at Hwayang High School, the school attended by the characters of the parent series.<sup>[7](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/be-my-boyfriend/umc.cmc.4hqay233wl1i80uj218l2goxq)</sup> Oh Ji-na, played by Lee Si-woo, is the school's most popular third-year student: talented, fashionable, and under contract with a talent agency as a trainee preparing to debut in a "girl crush" (K-pop concept: confident, independent female image)-themed K-pop group.<sup>[7](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/be-my-boyfriend/umc.cmc.4hqay233wl1i80uj218l2goxq)</sup> Lee Seung-min, played by Shin Hyun-seung, is an ordinary junior student who secretly has a crush on her.<sup>[2](https://v.daum.net/v/cRHLDTNoT4)</sup>

The turning point comes when Ji-na, in order to break up with her ex-boyfriend, asks Seung-min to pretend to be her boyfriend under a contract relationship, with no plan to develop real feelings.<sup>[6](https://www.viki.com/tv/37455c-be-my-boyfriend)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[14](https://www.spotvnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=407276)</sup> The arrangement draws scrutiny from those around them, including Ji-na's ex-boyfriend Gu Hyeong-tak, a baseball prodigy, and her friend Seong Han-na, who begin to view Seung-min with disapproval.<sup>[8](https://v.daum.net/v/20210612060616082?s=print_news)</sup> As the fake relationship continues, Ji-na's heart softens and the two must decide whether to make the relationship real.<sup>[7](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/be-my-boyfriend/umc.cmc.4hqay233wl1i80uj218l2goxq)</sup>

### Cast and characters

The script reading, publicized in January 2021 before the COVID-19 distancing level was raised, gathered the main cast: Lee Si-woo as the cold-seeming but outgoing, girl-crush idol trainee Oh Ji-na; Shin Hyun-seung as the cautious, unremarkable Lee Seung-min; [Cherry Bullet](https://www.edgepedia.org/cherry-bullet)'s Yuju as Seong Han-na, Ji-na's fellow trainee and prickly close friend; Im Sung-kyun as Gu Hyeong-tak; Jung Bo-min as Joo Min-ji; and A.C.E's Kim Byeongkwan as Oh Ba-ul, Seung-min's friend who dreams of becoming a famous influencer.<sup>[2](https://v.daum.net/v/cRHLDTNoT4)</sup>

Kim Byeongkwan's character became a fan favorite in episodes 5 and 6, where Oh Ba-ul gives blunt romance advice to Ji-na, points out that Seung-min values sincerity, and accidentally reveals that Seung-min's feelings were real from the start, effectively casting himself as Cupid.<sup>[3](https://enter.etoday.co.kr/news/view/199944)</sup>

## Production and release

The drama was produced by WHYNOT Media, a Seoul web drama studio that lists *Be My Boyfriend* among its representative works alongside *일진에게 찍혔을 때* and *가두리횟집*.<sup>[9](https://www.nextunicorn.kr/company/b06e0165e218c6c5)</sup> The company operates its own vertical channels, including 콬TV (KolTV), where the series was broadcast.<sup>[9](https://www.nextunicorn.kr/company/b06e0165e218c6c5)</sup> [FNC Entertainment](https://www.edgepedia.org/fnc-entertainment) announced Cherry Bullet member Yuju's appearance in the web drama on February 23, 2021.<sup>[10](https://www.fncent.com/CherryBullet/b/korea/)</sup>

Episodes ran on Naver TV with one episode pre-released ahead of the YouTube schedule, and the series was also distributed through V Live, Facebook, and Instagram.<sup>[4](https://seore.org/w/%EB%AC%B8%EC%84%9C:%EC%98%A4%EB%8A%98%EB%B6%80%ED%84%B0%20%EA%B3%84%EC%95%BD%EC%97%B0%EC%95%A0)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://enter.etoday.co.kr/news/view/199944)</sup>  A music video for CLC's "Another Level", sung by members Seunghee, Seungyeon, and Yeeun, was released as part of the series' soundtrack promotion.<sup>[11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKIpnLwEm8M)</sup>

## Reception and distribution

The series found an international audience. In July 2021, WHYNOT Media reported that *Be My Boyfriend* ranked first among Korean dramas on Japan's AbemaTV streaming service.<sup>[12](https://www.whynot.video/logout.cm?back_url=Lw%3D%3D)</sup> On Rakuten Viki, where it is cataloged with subtitles in English and more than 33 other languages, it holds a 9.3 rating from over 118,000 users.<sup>[6](https://www.viki.com/tv/37455c-be-my-boyfriend)</sup> IMDb lists a 7.1/10 rating from 665 votes.<sup>[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14900148/)</sup>

The series remains widely available: it streams on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten Viki, Tubi, OnDemandKorea, and Amasian TV, among other services, and can be purchased on Amazon Video.<sup>[13](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/be-my-boyfriend)</sup> A director's cut was later made available on the Korean platform Watcha.<sup>[8](https://v.daum.net/v/20210612060616082?s=print_news)</sup>

## Place in Korean web drama

*Be My Boyfriend* belongs to the short-form vertical web drama wave built around YouTube channels rather than television networks, with episodes of about 10 to 12 minutes designed for mobile viewing.<sup>[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/54215/be-my-boyfriend)</sup> Its contract-relationship premise, high school setting, and idol-trainee heroine place it in the same trope family as later contract-dating titles, and its spin-off structure, reusing the school and audience of a hit parent series, reflects the franchise-driven production model that WHYNOT Media applied across its catalog.<sup>[3](https://enter.etoday.co.kr/news/view/199944)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[9](https://www.nextunicorn.kr/company/b06e0165e218c6c5)</sup>  The final episode, "It was a contract, but real love", aired on April 15, 2021, closing the fake-to-real arc that gives the series its title.<sup>[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/54215/be-my-boyfriend)</sup>

## References

1. [Be My Boyfriend, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/54215/be-my-boyfriend)
2. [웹드 '오늘부터 계약연애', 이시우X신현승X유주 대본리딩 현장, 일간스포츠 via Daum](https://v.daum.net/v/cRHLDTNoT4)
3. ['오늘부터 계약연애' 김병관, 귀여운 '오지라퍼' 등극, 비즈엔터](https://enter.etoday.co.kr/news/view/199944)
4. [문서:오늘부터 계약연애, seore](https://seore.org/w/%EB%AC%B8%EC%84%9C:%EC%98%A4%EB%8A%98%EB%B6%80%ED%84%B0%20%EA%B3%84%EC%95%BD%EC%97%B0%EC%95%A0)
5. [Be My Boyfriend (TV Mini Series 2021–2022), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14900148/)
6. [Be My Boyfriend, Rakuten Viki](https://www.viki.com/tv/37455c-be-my-boyfriend)
7. [Be My Boyfriend, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/be-my-boyfriend/umc.cmc.4hqay233wl1i80uj218l2goxq)
8. [오늘부터 계약연애 감독판, Daum 뉴스](https://v.daum.net/v/20210612060616082?s=print_news)
9. [와이낫미디어(웹드라마 제작) 기업정보, 넥스트유니콘](https://www.nextunicorn.kr/company/b06e0165e218c6c5)
10. [FNC Entertainment, Cherry Bullet notices](https://www.fncent.com/CherryBullet/b/korea/)
11. [[M/V] CLC - Another Level (오늘부터 계약연애 MV), YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKIpnLwEm8M)
12. [와이낫미디어 뉴스, whynot.video](https://www.whynot.video/logout.cm?back_url=Lw%3D%3D)
13. [Be My Boyfriend streaming, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/be-my-boyfriend)
14. [에이스 김병관, '오늘부터 계약연애' 연기도전 합격점…신선한 재미 더했다](https://www.spotvnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=407276)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › Korean contemporary drama › Romance and melodrama series › Romance melodrama miniseries › Romantic comedy series › Youth and campus romance series*

*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*

*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*

License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license
