Even with the popularity of shows like Heated Rivalry and Young Royals, gay romances are still shockingly hard to come by.
While major streaming services and Hollywood studios might not be ready to go all in on gay love stories, vertical drama studio ReelShort certainly is.
Vertical dramas are a new form of entertainment that are mobile-first, serialized shows designed for smartphone viewing and streamed on subscription-based apps. Each episode is only one to two minutes long, so you can watch it on the go or binge-watch an entire series, which usually adds up to a movie-length runtime over the course of 50 to 90 episodes.
ReelShort has produced a slew of sweet and spicy gay shows, including the popular sports bully romance Waterboy, which is getting a sequel season next week.
Waterboy: Second Down stars vertical drama rising stars Declan Clifford and Sky Kawai, and picks up where the first season left off, with the young lovers being thrust together again after a surprising breakup at the end of the first season.
Poster art for 'Waterboy: Second Down.'
ReelShort
"Three years after Kaden (Clifford) broke Donovan’s (Kawai) heart to protect his NFL dreams, superstar quarterback Donovan Miller is back and signed with the agency where Kaden is barely surviving as an intern," the official synopsis reads.
"Donovan says he came to Boston for revenge, but the tension between them suggests something much deeper. As old feelings reignite, the pair must navigate a world where the truth about their relationship could destroy Donovan’s career. Falling for each other again may cost them everything."
If you missed out on all of the fun of the first season of Waterboy, go binge that now to get ready for the second season, which promises to take the yearning, sexual tension, and revenge trope to a whole new level if the new trailer is anything to go by.
Declan Clifford and Sky Kawai in 'Waterboy: Second Down.'
ReelShort
Fans love the scorching hot chemistry between the two leads so much that ReelShort keeps them booked and busy. Not only are Clifford and Kawai the stars of the Waterboy series, but they also play opposite each other in the bully romance Poolboy and the rivals-to-lovers cowboy romance Stableboy, which just premiered in May.
"After Poolboy and Waterboy helped pioneer successful boy-love storytelling in the vertical format, we knew there was a strong appetite for more stories in this space," says Reelshort Studio Head Kate Tucker Fahlsing.
"With Waterboy: Second Down, we're excited to deliver our first true sequel, picking up where the original left off and giving audiences the chance to continue Donovan and Kaden's journey. It's a natural next chapter for characters viewers have deeply connected with, and we're thrilled to bring their story back to the screen."
If you’re looking for even more gay vertical dramas featuring the two stars, Kawai was also in One Night Stand with My Father’s Killer and Tutoring My Rival Boy, and Clifford starred in the popular Heated Rivalry-inspired boxing love story Bound to My Hot Rival.
Waterboy: Second Down premieres on ReelShort on June 16, 2026.
