by Alex Billington
April 28, 2026
Source: YouTube
“What is true happiness?” Netflix has revealed an official trailer for a gay romantic drama series called Soul Mate, arriving to watch starting in May this summer. Keep an eye out for this! This Japanese limited series is written and directed by creator Shunki Hashizume as his third series. The intimate LGBTQ series follows a ten-year relationship between Ryu Narutaki (Hayato Isomura) and Johan Hwang (Ok Taec-yeon) that traverses the cities of Berlin, Seoul, and Tokyo. Ryu Narutaki, a young man who has left Japan, meets Korean boxer Johan Hwang when he is rescued from a fire in a church. Their encounter initiates a decade-long relationship that spans Berlin, Seoul, Tokyo. As their lives remain intertwined, they navigate personal trauma and a developing romance. Where will their souls end up after 10 long years? Don’t miss out on this emotional and dramatic story full of unforgettable love and the pain and joy it brings – streaming on Netflix this May. Starring Hayato Isomura and Ok Taec-yeon, along with Ai Hashimoto, Koshi Mizukami, Yutaro Furutachi, Lee Jae-yi, Chihiro Kato, & Ken Yasuda. This looks really good! Super sweet and a tad sappy, but still adorable and emotional and endearing. I want to watch! View the trailer footage below.
Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for Shunki Hashizume’s mini-series Soul Mate, direct from YouTube:
Once a promising ice hockey player, Ryu fleed from the guilt of inadvertently ruining his best friend’s life and escaped to Berlin, where his childhood friend Sumiko Shinonome (Ai Hashimoto) lives. Desperate and unable to forgive himself, he wanders into a church and becomes trapped in an unexpected fire that nearly costs him his life. He is rescued by a Johan, a Korean boxer. Despite coming from different backgrounds and speaking different languages, the two men feel an immediately pull toward one other, as if their coincidental meeting were orchestrated by fate. They stay by each other’s side growing into irreplaceable soulmates who make up for each other’s shortcomings. Soul Mate, also known as ソウルメイト in Japanese, is a mini-series written and directed by the Japanese filmmaker Shunki Hashizume, also director of the series “More Than Words” and “A Bright Future for Her & Her Boyfriend” previously. Produced by Koichi Murakami. Made by Robot Communications & GTist. Netflix debuts Shunki Hashizume’s Soul Mate series streaming on Netflix worldwide starting on May 14th, 2026 coming soon. Look any good? Want to watch?
